I'm wondering what everyone's experiences have been with these bullets for deer hunting. I have read mixed results regarding penetration. I know that they tend to expand very rapidly at faster speeds, but I'm curious as to how they penetrate on deer when using the 140/139 grain bullets in 7mm-08? What are your thoughts/experiences?
Nosler BT/Hornady SST in 7mm-08 for Deer
- Thread starter Craiger12
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courtgreene
Member
the nosler bt's do very well in my 300wsm. It is certainly likely that they would perform well in 7-08 also.
interlock
Member
Craiger,
It very much depends on the velocities you will be getting. I would say that if you are using a rifle with a fairly short barrel and relatively low velocity, 2800 fps or below, then those two bullets would be ideal... they are a quite fast expanding bullet.
If the barrell is a bit longer and you are getting high velocity2900 fps plus i would look for a bonded or more heavily constructed bullet. Or maybe barnes bullets.
I use a model 7 in 7mm08 for deer. the barrel length is 20 inches. i use hornadies 139gr interlock. it is a top bullet. I have tried 120gr pro hunter - fast expanding lots of meat damage, 130 gr speer hot cor - nice and accurate and deadly, 145gr speer hot cor - very deadly but less accurate ... in my rifle. the hornady 139 is the most accurate of all.
i hope this has helped.
interlock
I hope this helps
It very much depends on the velocities you will be getting. I would say that if you are using a rifle with a fairly short barrel and relatively low velocity, 2800 fps or below, then those two bullets would be ideal... they are a quite fast expanding bullet.
If the barrell is a bit longer and you are getting high velocity2900 fps plus i would look for a bonded or more heavily constructed bullet. Or maybe barnes bullets.
I use a model 7 in 7mm08 for deer. the barrel length is 20 inches. i use hornadies 139gr interlock. it is a top bullet. I have tried 120gr pro hunter - fast expanding lots of meat damage, 130 gr speer hot cor - nice and accurate and deadly, 145gr speer hot cor - very deadly but less accurate ... in my rifle. the hornady 139 is the most accurate of all.
i hope this has helped.
interlock
I hope this helps
Kachok
Member
The 7mm 140gr class is one of only a few in which I recomend the ballistic tip over the SST. I have heard a few guys gripe about getting minimal expansion at 7-08 speeds. Never had an issue with them myself but I was shooting a 7mm Rem mag at over 3300fps 
Arkansas Paul
Member
I've used NBTs in a .280 and a .30-06. The bullet weights were 140 and 150 grains respectively. I've never recovered a bullet, but mine were shot at fairly close ranges. The farthest one was probably 75 yards and the closest I could have hit with a rock, literally. All were broadside.
I have killed one with a 165 grain SST from a .30-06 and it was quartering away. I did recover the bullet. It only retained maybe 40% of it's original weight. (That's an estimate) It penetrated probably 18 inches. The bullet came apart and I had to throw out a foot long section of backstrap because of lead fragments. (My fault. I hit it high.) It dropped like a rock though.
I would imagine you would get similar results from the 7mm-08. The velocities are within a couple hundred fps of the .280 Rem. I wouldn't hesitate to use either.
I have killed one with a 165 grain SST from a .30-06 and it was quartering away. I did recover the bullet. It only retained maybe 40% of it's original weight. (That's an estimate) It penetrated probably 18 inches. The bullet came apart and I had to throw out a foot long section of backstrap because of lead fragments. (My fault. I hit it high.) It dropped like a rock though.
I would imagine you would get similar results from the 7mm-08. The velocities are within a couple hundred fps of the .280 Rem. I wouldn't hesitate to use either.
exbiologist
Member
The 120 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip is a highly touted bullet. What most people don't know is that the jacket is much thicker than the 140. But there's no flies on the 140 either, I've used it extensively.
oneounceload
member
Both the 120BT and 140 partitions do well in my Model 7 with the 18.5" barrel
hardluk1
member
I have killed many a deer with the SST 139gr 7mm ammo. Mine is a 7 rem mag shooting the old heavy mag loads at 3310 out of a 28" barrel. At close range the bullet does frag and deer tend to drop very quickly. At closer to 400 yards I have recovered a couple bullets and they did stay some what in one piece but with some pieces pulling away. Great deer bullet and darn sure tougher than a NBT. I find no reason to try another design as I have not in many years had a deer take more than a couple steps before falling.
GooseGestapo
Member
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I've used both. The Nosler B.T.s were both more accurate and more reliable expanding.
The one box of Hornady's were one of the many different Hornady's that have added together to sour me on the brand (Hornady). (box of 100ct component bullets)
My box of SST's (circa 2006) were too hard for the 7mm08.
I was using 48.0gr of H4350 for 2,850fps (chrono'd) and accuracy was decent at ~1.5moa (about average for my rifle).
I shot 4 deer that I lost- lung shots at ranges between 70-120yds.
The single deer I killed, I hit in the spine as it was facing me with head down, grazing at ~40yds. The bullet entered the back in front of the shoulders, and penetrated doward through heart, and exited bottom of chest through the sternum. (I was elevated in ladder stand, hunting a food plot). Exit wound was the size of a #2 pencil (bore diameter). No expansion was evident. No lead particles, not even any bone fragements.
The 20+ deer I killed with the 140 Noslers (ditto the 20-30 with the 150 Nosler Ballistic Tips) have been all one-shot kills. Good expansion and complete penetration, even on raking body shots. I've gotten better penetration with the 150gr Ballistic Tips than the 140gr Partitons. I've actually recovered a Partition from a ~100lb doe I shot. Bullet was text-book expansion, but stopped under the hide in hip after being shot in the lungs with a frontal shot. Same lot of loaded ammo accounted for a 6x6 bull elk, with complete pass throughs on broadside shots, so this was just a fluke.......
I have however had excellent performance from both the Hornady 139gr flat-base Interloks (PMC factory ammo @ 2,900fps) and 139gr Boat-tail Interloks. ( I bought 1,000 "blems" from MidwayUSA two yrs. ago).
You'll like the Nosler Ballistic Tips. The 150gr Ballistic Tips are the most accurate bullet through my rifle. Performace is exemplary.
The one box of Hornady's were one of the many different Hornady's that have added together to sour me on the brand (Hornady). (box of 100ct component bullets)
My box of SST's (circa 2006) were too hard for the 7mm08.
I was using 48.0gr of H4350 for 2,850fps (chrono'd) and accuracy was decent at ~1.5moa (about average for my rifle).
I shot 4 deer that I lost- lung shots at ranges between 70-120yds.
The single deer I killed, I hit in the spine as it was facing me with head down, grazing at ~40yds. The bullet entered the back in front of the shoulders, and penetrated doward through heart, and exited bottom of chest through the sternum. (I was elevated in ladder stand, hunting a food plot). Exit wound was the size of a #2 pencil (bore diameter). No expansion was evident. No lead particles, not even any bone fragements.
The 20+ deer I killed with the 140 Noslers (ditto the 20-30 with the 150 Nosler Ballistic Tips) have been all one-shot kills. Good expansion and complete penetration, even on raking body shots. I've gotten better penetration with the 150gr Ballistic Tips than the 140gr Partitons. I've actually recovered a Partition from a ~100lb doe I shot. Bullet was text-book expansion, but stopped under the hide in hip after being shot in the lungs with a frontal shot. Same lot of loaded ammo accounted for a 6x6 bull elk, with complete pass throughs on broadside shots, so this was just a fluke.......
I have however had excellent performance from both the Hornady 139gr flat-base Interloks (PMC factory ammo @ 2,900fps) and 139gr Boat-tail Interloks. ( I bought 1,000 "blems" from MidwayUSA two yrs. ago).
You'll like the Nosler Ballistic Tips. The 150gr Ballistic Tips are the most accurate bullet through my rifle. Performace is exemplary.
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