7mm-08 120 gr Ballistic Tip on Elk?

[kcm2]

I'm another who would suggest a stouter bullet. One of my hunting buddies used ballistic tips on elk in a 270 and quit after the first one. The Hornady Interlock would be a much better choice.

 

[jtevanMT]

So why increase recoil by upping bullet weight? Everyone shoots lower recoiling rifles better. Theres been some really good threads about kids rifles and calibers on here

Kids rifle manifesto

I've chimed in on so many different "what rifle for my age XX kid?" threads that I thought I'd try to consolidate my thoughts here. My oldest son is 14 now, started shooting centerfire rifles at 9. My younger kids started shooting centerfire rifles at between 5-7 yrs old. 5 kids shooting now...

rokslide.com

that have really good information if you can have an open mind and not be stuck on the idea that elk are armor plated.

Some more here specifically on the 120 nbt

Help me decide next steps for my 13 year old

Ok, long advice post so be forewarned. @Formidilosus I would especially like your input on this. My 13, almost 14 year old son has a somewhat cobbled together setup, a 7mm-08 Ruger American compact with a SFP 2-10x Minox ZX5. I handload 120 Ballistic Tips for it. He shoots it well enough, but...

rokslide.com

I agree that that the gun and recoil must be taken into account for a youth hunter. Recoil is influenced by barrel length, powder and bullet size. Not sure that a 140-150 gr bullet will have more recoil than a 120 gr out of the same rifle. Depends on the powder charge, barrel length, brake/suppressor, and resulting velocity out of the barrel.

In this thread, we are discussing a 7mm-08 with 18” barrel, suppressed. The recoil from a factory 140-150 gr load should be very doable for most 12 yo.

 

[Dark timber]

It’s a great bullet. I would use it with confidence. It has a thicker jacket than a normal ballistic tip. My daughter has killed a couple bucks with my handloads that are going 3050fps. Both were pass-throughs and quick deaths. The 140gr accubond is a great bullet as well.

 

[freddyG]

Wouldn't the thin jacket work better at longer ranges with your scenario?

Not necessarily. Thin jackets sometimes splash at longer distances. With elk, you want penetration, which ballistic tips fail to provide.

My buddy is stubborn and uses them on elk, and it almost always ends up a rodeo. He is an excellent shot BTW. Those bullets are very unpredictable on elk, not to mention bloodshot meat city, when everything goes smooth.

 

[freddyG]

I don’t want to set her up for failure. In fact, I want to give her the best chance possible of being successful. That is why I started this thread asking for people to share their experiences and opinions so I can make the most informed decision on bullet selection.

Makes sense. I have, and would use 120 ttsx. At 3k fps, they have light recoil and will drop elk with no fuss, and very little meat waste.

Barnes also loads those in case you don’t reload.

 

[yak]

I use 140gr Sierra TGK personally for my kids. The TGK's have very good terminal performance and quality.

I personally would stay away from a ballistic tip, especially on the light side for the caliber for elk.

 

[davsco]

nosler's website:
Nosler’s Ballistic Tip® ammunition is optimized for maximum effectiveness on deer, antelope and hogs.

 

[TaperPin]

The 7mm 140gr Partition has a good reputation at all velocities - clear to 500 yards the slightly reduced BC won’t amount to enough to worry about. It’s pretty boring since it always works.

The 7mm-08 has been under appreciated - anything the 7 mag can do, the ‘08 can do 200 yards closer. I’ve always thought it fell victim to the reloading manuals that seemed to show it stuck between good powder burn rates, so many folks looked at it on paper and passed it over, me included. Now it’s one of my favorite little guns.

 

[Buckpr]

120 BT's might be a bit light for elk, consider 140+ grains.

 

[SloppyJ]

Not necessarily. Thin jackets sometimes splash at longer distances. With elk, you want penetration, which ballistic tips fail to provide.

My buddy is stubborn and uses them on elk, and it almost always ends up a rodeo. He is an excellent shot BTW. Those bullets are very unpredictable on elk, not to mention bloodshot meat city, when everything goes smooth.

Explode at high impact velocities and splash at distance. Got it.

And yes, I'm being a smart ass.

 

[Smenning]

Arrows put in the right place kill elk every year. Bullets kept within the proper velocity range to upset will do the same. 120’s will definitely kill elk.

 

[freddyG]

Explode at high impact velocities and splash at distance. Got it.

And yes, I'm being a smart ass.

Bullets do weird stuff.

It’s not like I don’t have any elk hunting experience.

Last week…

 

[KurtR]

Whats the difference between blowing up and splashing. In my simple head it seems its the same just different words

 

[wind gypsy]

Ballistic tips are stoutly constructed bullets. The low sectional density of a 120 gr 7mm isn't ideal but i wouldn't consider a NBT fragile.

 

[Thinkingman]

I would echo the 120 Barnes TTSX recommendation.
That bullet rocks at 7-08 velocities and is much better constructed than a cup and core.
I have a box in my reloading room for this exact reason.

 

[freddyG]

Whats the difference between blowing up and splashing. In my simple head it seems its the same just different words

Blowing up inside the animal is much different than splashing, which is blowing up externally. Splashing causes an external wound due to the lack of penetration. The animal may or may not eventually die.

 

[Dan in Alaska]

Years ago, I killed a 53" moose (40ish yds) with a 7-08 loaded with the 120gr TSX. The first shot was a high shoulder shot that broke the spine. A second shot was used to finish things. The second bullet was recovered, after displaying good penetration and a perfect mushroom. I was convinced that moose were not all that hard to kill.

Several years later, I shot a 54" moose (140yds, downhill) three times with a .300 Win and the 168gr T-TSX. The moose wasn't phased after the first shot, behind the shoulder. It just stood there! The second shot was right on the shoulder, below the spine, and the moose dropped but it quickly got up again. A third shot on the shoulder put it down a second time. When I approached the moose, after about 10 minutes, it got on its feet AGAIN, and I had to hit it again. I could not believe how much damage this moose took, and still kept getting back up! After this experience, I started to question whether the .300 Win Mag was enough for moose.

Can a big moose (or elk) be killed with a 7-08 and 120gr bullets? Yes, of course, but I'm not sure I would try it again. I may have just gotten lucky the first time.

 

[KurtR]

Blowing up inside the animal is much different than splashing, which is blowing up externally. Splashing causes an external wound due to the lack of penetration. The animal may or may not eventually die.

blowing up inside the animal is good blowing up on a shoulder blade not good which would be the same as splashing. So why at longer distance would a bullet splash at a lower impact velocity it seems your going against everything physics and ballistics would say.

 

[freddyG]

blowing up inside the animal is good blowing up on a shoulder blade not good which would be the same as splashing. So why at longer distance would a bullet splash at a lower impact velocity it seems your going against everything physics and ballistics would say.

You should ask Nosler? My guess is the thin jacket combined with open tip expands enough to tear open at lower velocities.

Maybe that’s why the manufacturer doesn’t reccomend them for elk?

I’m not a ballistician, just posting my experience with them on big game animals.

 

[Macegl]

At the ranges your limiting your shots too, you will be fine with the 120 nbt.

A close friend loads them extensively for his kids, they have taken mule deer, cow elk and a bull. He prefers it over the 140 due to the thicker jacket.

As to recoil, in my opinion the step down from 140 to 120 is noticeable. I shoot both out of my 7mm-08, and the 120 is more pleasant.

While I haven’t used it on elk yet, I wouldn’t hesitate if that’s what I had loaded up.