Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7mm 120 b-tip

I got these to try for does. I have used the older 150 BTs in the past and they were a little to explosive on heavier bone shots.

I have 120 TSXs but will give these a try first. Want to see that 3500 on the chrony:)

From past experience with BTs I will definitely hold off for a broadside shot until they prove to me that they can handle a little heavier bone.

Long live the Xs and TSXs. Just wish they would make a 100gr 6.5:(

I'm running them at 3,323fps out of my .280AI. I think they should be fine out of the 7Mag at 3500.

It is a damn poor bullet for game and you cannot take any shot but a broadside shot as it will explode and it will bloodshoot one whole side of a deer, even with a 7x57...I have seen them not even make it past the skin and the inside of the deer look like it was peppered with bird shot. I have also seen these light bullet explode on the hindquarters and the deer escape.

The 7 mag is designed to shoot heavy bullets from 150 to 175 and that is where it shines and it will reach out there and tap them at extreme ranges and the 160 will pass the 120 in velocity at about 300 yards as I recall...The 120 loses velocity real fast past 200 yards and its killing power decreases as the range extends.

People use them and they get lightening like kills as the bullet explodes inside the deer and they are true believers, but they do not get good blood trails and if the kill isn't instantanious then they can and do travel long distances and without a blood trail will probably crawl in some thick brush and die a lingering death..not an acceptable synopsis in my books...this happens sooner or later with anybody that uses light for caliber bullets in any high velocity cartridge..When I see a hunter using such bullets I know right away he has limited experience in the hunting field and is basing his experience on not many kills.

I hope Steve does not mind that I post this, because it was personal communication to me. Dogzapper has many, many years of hunting experience. When I asked him what he thought of the 120 gr .284 BT, this is what he told me:


Yes, the .284" 120-grain Ballistic really does have a heavier jacket than most Ballistic Tips. It was "heavied up" a few years ago so that it would be a good Rifle Silhouette Match bullet and so that it would consistently knock over the 500-meter ram ("soft" bullets have a problem doing that)

The result was an extraordinary big game bullet. Chub tells me that it will go through BOTH gristle plates on a Russian boar when fired in his 7-08. He's done it many, many times. I would trust him on that, but I've had very few opportunities on pigs. I have killed two quite large 6X6 bull elk with the bullet in my 7-08 Ackley and a decent bull moose with the 120BT in my .280 Ackley. Plus, of course, scads of antelope and mule deer.

Great bullet.

Steve

Kiss my ass you opinionated old fart. You use what you like for game and I'll do likewise. and yes I've killed more than a few deer.

I suppose 22s are poor choices for game also. I've used alot of cartridges and bullets to know what kills.

Now, I asked for input for reloading but I got a good side show in the process.

Now where's the popcorn and beer?

Current production 150 grain BT's have given me exits 100% of the time from my 7x57. Out of my 7MM RM I use 160 grain Partitions at near 3000 fps. Actually this bullet does a lot of damage itself but I haven't recovered one of them either.

The Nosler Ballistic Tip .284" 120-grain is a superb big game bullet. Very little meat loss and it simply electrocutes big game animals. My .280 Ackley Improved loves the 120s and that is the only bullet I've used in it for the last several years.

Deer, elk, moose, speed goats ... only instant one-shot kills, pass-through penetration and you can practically eat right up to the hole.

Use them or don't use them, I couldn't care less. If you use 120s, you'll be happy with their performance.

Steve

Sorry, 260. I'd have given you data, but I've never loaded for the 7 Rem or any other Mag.

Thanks Sako.

That's okay Rocky. Input from the gallery is always good no matter if it's good or bad.

I was thinking about tinkering with these about 3 years ago. Reading what dogzapper has said about them, I finally said yes to them.

Antlerless/earn-a-buck is this weekend and I haven't had time to work up loads. Hopefully I get my doe early, then I can concentrate on reloading these and hitting the range.

Using the tactical 308 this weekend. Can't wait to look through the IOR as the sun starts to peak.

Now thats a reply, got to love the Campfire!

Here are a very few of my 7-120 Ballistic Tip victims. All killed Bang-Flop and all with little meat loss.

But, then I have killed little and have no experience.

Steve







[img]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a180/dogzapper/bigFork.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a180/dogzapper/twobulls.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a180/dogzapper/Dadsdeer.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a180/dogzapper/P1010132.jpg[/img]

How thick is the jacket material in the 120 BT as compared to other bullets? Is the lead hardness the same?

Many photos of the 120s jacket thickness have been shown several times on the Campfire. There are probably a half-dozen threads on the 120 and it just keeps floating to the surface every four or five months.

I find it humorous that every thread has its detractor. Ain't my problem; I've killed a lot with the 120s and they are a superb big game bullet. If folks have no experience or have only killed a four or five animals with the bullet, we should consider their sampling to be small. It's only when the hunter has killed many critters with a bullet that he begins to grasp what the bullet will do ... and what it will not.

I'm a retired goldsmith and quite early-on I sectioned a couple for comparison. The jacket is thick.

The lead core would be the same as other Ballistic Tips, but the jacket thickness and weight is more.

Hell, 120s just bounce off critters or barely get under the skin. My fifty or sixty critters just died when they saw my ugly mug.

Steve

Great Pictures Steve

Do any of you have experience with the 120g Sierra Pro-Hunter? I recently worked up a load for my son with the 7mm-08. Tried the Nosler BT's but groups were 2" plus compared to sub-moa with the Sierras over 44g of Varget.

I don't doubt your experience, but it is interesting how different rifles shoot virtually the same load so differently. I use 45 grs. of Varget in my son's 7-08 with 120 BT's and get sub MOA accuracy.

Have you tried a MAX load of 44-45gr with R-15 and the 120 B-Tips? Seems to work for a lot of folks here. Varget never did all that great in my 7-08 regardless of the bullet.

LOL - Sage advice with broad application.