120g Nosler Ballistic Tips for Sheep

[Dust1n]

Has anyone dabbled with 120g Nosler Ballistic Tips for Sheep?

They almost seem to good and I’m looking for real life experiences.
My understanding balisitic tips would fragment on impact

 

[tuffcity]

With nosler the only ones used were the 140 gr. (7-08) on 2 dalls. Both where pass throughs at 40 yds and 230yds. Didn't find any bits in the meat.

 

[lonedave]

I've used a 130 Gr .270 ballistic tip on a Bighorn ram at about 150 yds with no issues. It dropped and didn't get up.

 

[happycamper]

Are we talking about 6.5mm or 7mm 120 grainers?

 

[DuckDogDr]

Not sheep but used on white tail and pronghorn… absolutely impressed ..
Complete pass through . Entrance wounds caliber sized , exits fist sized or bigger..

ALL where DRT.
No blood shot meat

 

[Dust1n]

Are we talking about 6.5mm or 7mm 120 grainers?

7-08rem

 

[Brightwhite]

Have not seen the 120’s, but have seen the 6.5mm 140 BT on a goat and it stoned it in its tracks and was a complete pass through with a lot of wound channel and blood.

 

[manitou1]

The 120s have the same jacket thickness as the 140s. The 7mm-08 was a go-to for silhouette shooters and they needed a heavier jacket to knock down the targets. I have killed pronghorn and large whitetails past 520 yards with the 120s outof 7mm-08s.
Not sure as to performance on sheep as I have not been fortunate enough to chase them.

 

[happycamper]

Nothing wrong with the 120g. I shoot it out of a 14" barrel chambered in 7-30 Waters and it has done a fine job on the deer it has come into contact with but velocities are slow compared to other 7mm cartridges. Any "deer bullet" is also a "sheep bullet".

If I had a 7mm-08 rifle I would be inclined to try the 140g accubond for accuracy. If they shoot well, I would prefer to hunt with them. At 500 yards the 140g drops three inches more than the 120 and the 140g's energy is 15% greater.

The initial post is from Alberta so lets assume we are talking about hunting sheep up north. In that sheep country there are also big bears. For that reason I would want the firearm I'm carrying to be loaded with something stouter than 120g BT's.

 

[Kimber7man]

120 NBT is a stout bullet, much more than a standard plastic tipped cup and core.

ask @Oregonmuley

better yet, ask Steve Timm…

 

[BuzzH]

I handload for my nephew's 7-08, he's killed 3 elk (2 cows and a bull) with them, at least a dozen whitetail, a mule deer buck, and a pronghorn buck with them.. Ranges from 50-450 yards.

Last falls bull, 127 yards, one shot, broke the near shoulder, spine and the bull never took a step and was dead within a few seconds (got the top of the lungs, artery below the spine).

The 120's are hell for stout, I load them to 2825 FPS with H380 and they hold together well.

Recovered this one from a mature cow elk, nephews first elk, 80 yards broke the on-side shoulder, through the top of the heart, broke a rib on the off-side just under the hide on the off-side.

I wouldn't even give it a second thought to kill a ram with one, or most anything else.

 

[Oregonmuley]

If I ever draw my Oregon OIL sheep tag I will be packing a 7MM-08 loaded with 120 grain BT's thats for sure. That combo will be with me this year on my bull elk hunt so if I get lucky I will be happy to report
So far I've killed a bunch of antelope and mule deer with them and haven't caught one yet. They are a good tough bullet that is easy to shoot in most rifles so you should be good to go

 

[AndrewP]

If they are killing elk for buzz they will sure take a sheep!

 

[Steve O]

As most have said, 120g 7mm BTs are actually tougher than 140s. Really good bullet for anything up thru caribou easy.

 

[nyrifleman1]

Tag

 

[Rackmastr]

My wife shoots the 120BT out of the 7-08AI. That bullet is well constructed and performs great on game! I've never been a fan of BT's but the 120s in 7mm sure work great! Wouldn't hesitate on sheep!

 

[SLDMTN]

My daughter's first sheep was shot using a 7-08 and factory loaded 120gr BT's. The bullet absolutely killed the ram but it also sent fragments from hell to breakfast throughout the ram. I quit shooting them for that reason only. The grouped really well, always killed animals but for us they always came apart.

 

[Dooger]

The 120s have the same jacket thickness as the 140s. The 7mm-08 was a go-to for silhouette shooters and they needed a heavier jacket to knock down the targets. I have killed pronghorn and large whitetails past 520 yards with the 120s outof 7mm-08s.
Not sure as to performance on sheep as I have not been fortunate enough to chase them.

Here's a pic of the jacket on a 120 (right) vs. the 140 (left). The 120 is obviously a stouter bullet with a thicker jacket. The designer did this intentionally. He planned to hunt "larger" game with it.