Nosler bullets

[noharleyyet]

It's enlightening...

...doubt that's possible.

Hey, if I try some 150 BT's, will you get your sleeves cleaned?

 

[Rancho Loco]

let's just work on getting you from imagination to experience.

 

[Rancho Loco]

I haven't had good luck with the ballistic tip hunting bullets. Very accurate at paper, but poor performance on game. Very little weight retention when recovered in an animal. Been having great luck with bares triple shocks.

Was that a dead animal you recovered them in?

 

[noharleyyet]

C'mon...have that last beer loco....you're not even punctuating.

FWIW, the BT's might be sliced bread...hell I don't know. I just know what I know...sorry that's so beneath your pay grade. I hope you're older than you sound.

 

[noharleyyet]

...sorry guys.

 

[Muleyfanatic]

I will presumably use my 7mm rem on elk with 160 accubonds under 400yards and 168 bergers on the longrange stuff. The rifles I have shot the accubonds in out past 600 yards just don't group any where near what the bergers this was learned this summer after a lot of long range shooting. Granted the rifles I am shooting them out of were specifically built for the 168 berger. Last year I was not pleased with the performance of the bergers on my elk and swore them off but after doing a fair amount of research on the topic I feel it was not the bullets fault. All bullets have there limitations and I believe that my impact velocity was out of the recommended velocity ideal for impact causing it to essentially not penetrate as deeply as I would have liked. I have taken a few elk with the Berbers and a lot of deer and have had exceptional results as long as you are in the recommended impact velocities. What I have decided to do is load the accubonds in the chamber backed up by bergers in the magazine. The change in 200 yard zero is .75 MOA from the accubonds to the bergers so no big deal there. I do like to shoot longrange but most of my game is shot under 200 yards. The conditions and animals usually do not cooperate or I am able to get closer to the animal. I do not set specifically out to shoot something at 1000 yards and would much prefer a 50 yard shot but like giving myself all the advantages possible.
Ok back on the original bullet topic.
The 280ai will mostly be a deer, bear gun and backup elk gun. The nosler hunting ballistic tips are supposed to to have a solid base that stays together with the front half of the bullet coming apart. That is why I have them in consideration but am open to all comments. I have also looked at the Hornady interbond bullets also.

noharleyyet I will let you know how it performs but it will probably be about a month out.

mtmuley any game taken with the newer jacket on the ballistic tip hunting bullets?

 

[idahofishnhunt]

Practice with the BT's then use AB's for hunting. They will hit the same at 400 if you reload. I know of very few that are fans of BT's for a game round.

I agree with this...they both have the same ballistics for the 140gn. Practice with the 140gn BT's...(which you can pick up cheap as 2nd's or blemished)...then load up some AB's to hunt with.

 

[mtmander]

I have tried different bullets but now I use nosler partition for hunting. They work , that is the reason for using them.

 

[sbhooper]

I have used 139-grain Hornady Interlocks in my 7mags for years. They are great deer and antelope bullets. I use 160 Partitions on elk.

New BTs may be better, but why even wonder? Partitons are almost boringly reliable.

 

[mtmuley]

Ah the bullet arguement. They'll never go away, been in a few myself. Not in this one, but here is some interesting reading. I realize these aren't .284 bullets, but interesting nonetheless. mtmuley http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...cs/7219652/all/30_cal_bullet_test_cow_femurs_

 

[Rancho Loco]

On purpose, I sholder shot a dink WT at 20 yards with the 150 BT outta my 7mm SAUM, 2935fps launch speed, just to see what would happen.. If I paid much attention to the internet imagineers, I would have expected that deer to be blowed in half.

Caliber sized entrance, quarter sized exit.

Experience trumps imagination.

 

[Gunner46]

I dunno about others in field experience, just my own. I've shot Noslers for so long I can't even remember back when I started. 1st it was with the old 162gr Solid Base. My 7RM liked 'em right nice. Using H4831 I was getting 2960fps, into dime sized holes, and every whitetail I shot never made it more than one, or two good leaps before plowing the dirt.

Problem was, Nosler saw fit to discontinue the Solid Base, so I bought up every box I could find. It took me quite a few years to blow through those, but when I did Nosler hadn't replaced the 162's with their new Ballistic Tip, so I went with the 150s. Didn't change the load one bit, except for the bullet. Now at about 3050fps.

As far as the deer were concerned, Same results !!

When I decided I was done with my Magnum mania and got a 7mm/08, I simply used the same 150's I still had on hand. Now, I'm in Fla and hunting pigs at close range. Longest shot I took was 75 yds and all the others were more like 25-40yds.

Now, if you have never shot a good size pig, you'll not appreciate how tough it is to put one through their shoulder. It's thick, it's plated, and laughs at weak bullets. Even out of the little 7, I never recovered a single bullet. 100% complete pass thru's. I never saw any indications of fragmentation, or core separation. And once again, the predicted, jump, jump (maybe), Flop.

When I went back to NC and shot whitetails again, but this time at 100-150 yds, it was a different story. Still 1 shot- 1 Dead deer, but now they ran ! WTH ????? Around deer #3-4 I figured it out. Complete pass thru, yes....expansion, less!

So, NO, they aren't hand grenades. Neither out of the 7RM, nor the 7mm-08.

At 280 velocities, I think the 150gr would serve you extremely well.

I have zero on-game experience with the 140's....Yet. I'll report my findings after I get back form WY this fall.

 

[deer_shooter]

100% agreed.

Agree also.

 

[Rooster52]

Just go with the partition and be done with it. Great bullet,been around for years and available.

 

[Rancho Loco]

What I have decided to do is load the accubonds in the chamber backed up by bergers in the magazine.

Now you're just funning with us..

 

[BuzzH]

Here's my take on this "discussion"...

I've never shot the BT's in 120's or 150's in either my 7RM or 7-08...never had a reason to. I don't feel they're ideal bullets in either. The 120's are too light for either IMO, and the 150's don't gain you enough in the 7-08 to make it worthwhile. I see no reason to drop below a 160 for the 7RM.

The one exception that I'm going to make is the 120 BT in the 7-08 and that is going to be a very mild starting load for my nephews when they start hunting. I will try to find a load in that 2800-2900 range with the 120's so recoil is a bit more manageable for them. Based on everything I've read, heard, etc. is that the 120's do in fact have thicker jackets. I'm willing to give them a try based on that.

What I have shot a bunch of are 140 BT's, 140 and 160 AB's, and lots of 160 partitions. The accubond's are pretty close to a perfect bullet for game, IMO. I will never say a bad word about partitions either, and if that was the only bullet I could shoot at game the rest of my life, that would be fine.

I shot exactly one pronghorn with a 140 BT 3 years ago...never again. I'm in NHY's camp, they are flat too explosive for me and some lessons don't need to be relearned. I shot a doe pronghorn at 190 yards with my wife's 7-08 on the point of the shoulder. There was nothing to salvage on that shoulder, a complete mess, and the bullet didn't exit. MV was 2910ish.

Like others have stated, the BT's shoot "close" to the same as the AB's of the same weight, so I shoot a fair few of them for load development, rough sight in, and also for practice. But, depending on the loads, they DO NOT shoot exactly the same as the AB's.

As to the OP, I would think in the 280ai, that you could darn near achieve 7RM performance and I would shoot the 160 AB's assuming they shoot well. That is a tough bullet that you wont have to second guess, near or far. I think you would be OK with the 140's as well, but the 160's would shine down-range methinks.

I've never had a performance issue on elk, deer, or antelope with either AB's or Partitions...but have with the BT's (in the 140 variety).

My thoughts...

 

[Rancho Loco]

120 BT and the 7/08 go together like peanut butter and jelly.

I wouldn't be afraid to toss that into any Elk walking.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

120 BT and the 7/08 go together like peanut butter and jelly.

I wouldn't be afraid to toss that into any Elk walking.

This is very interesting. I've only got 1 experience with 120BT and that was out of my 280rem.

Long story short, a 200yd shot square on the front shoulder of a yearly whitetail doe. My dad ended up shooting the deer again 1.5 miles away. My bullet had exploded on the shoulder blade. Never made it into the chest cavity.

Granted this was 10years ago now. As stated above the construction may have changed. I have no idea on that. But I do know my experience has steered me other directions in bullet choice.

 

[BuzzH]

120 BT and the 7/08 go together like peanut butter and jelly.

I wouldn't be afraid to toss that into any Elk walking.

Second fiddle to 140 AB's...fact.

 

[Muleyfanatic]

Found some 140 AB on line and oredered them. I have the 160 AB's if these don't work out. I wanted to try the 140's out of this cartridge not sure why just something different than the 7mm Rem's I am shooting. Thanks for all the feed back. Asking about bullet types and brands always end up being an emotional topic for some kinda like what brand truck they drive. I try to take all the feed back with an open mind and come up with my decision on what I will try. Thanks again!