Two 7mm rounds for whitetails. Which would you choose?

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Newtosavage

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Right now, from my 7x57 rifle I have two equally accurate rounds.

1) 7mm, 120 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip traveling 2700 fps, and

2) 7mm 140 grain Remington Core Lokt traveling 2500 fps.

Both give me consistent 1" groups at 100 yards, and 3-4" at 300 yards. Both carry about 1100 ft. lbs. out to 300 yards.

Which would you choose and why? Please only respond if you have a preference.

Thanks.
 
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Although I do not have your exact outfit, I have been shooting .280 Remington for many, many years. Before I began reloading years ago, I used the Remington Factory 150 grains PSP Core Lokt bullets on several Mule deer and a couple of antelopes.

They dropped those animals with alacrity and dispatch!

Therefore, I'd choose your 140 grains Core Lokt PSP bullets for the 7x57mm Mauer.
 
My preference is for the 120gr Nosler Ballistic Tip over the Core-Lokt. I shoot the 120gr BT in a AR-15 Wildcat called the 7mm Valkyrie. My load with the 120gr chrono'd at 2772 and I shot a doe this last season with it at 117yds and she didn't take another step. Bullet did not exit but she fell down in her tracks. I do prefer exit wounds but when the are "Down Right There" it doesn't really matter.
 
I also would choose the 120grn Ballistic Tip. I have handloaded them to around 2900 out of the 25 inch barrel and all but one were instant drops, one was 3 steps and down. Range was 40-135 yds.
 
You're shooting deer. It won't make a bit of difference. Both bullets have a proven track record. If I had to chose it would be the 140 core lockt. This only because when in doubt I always use the heavier bullet. Also I have shot a pile of deer with 139 gr. Hornady at 2700 and it worked well.
 
Can't imagine you going wrong with either.
My limited experience with deer and .284 bullets told me that 140 gr Ballistic Tips from a 7 remmag loaded at about .280 rem muzzle velocity are quite effective. Would certainly feel comfortable with either a 120 BT or a 140 Core-lokt.

Guess I'd personally opt for the 140, what's to lose? They may run a few more steps with a double lung hit from the 140 Core-lokt vrs the 120 BT, but the Rem bullet would have more potential penetration at a bad shot angle.
 
In those speed ranges I have only used the 7-08 and 7mm BR and have had the most sucess with the 140 grain partition, so it is my goto.

My luck with the core-lokt is not as good so I might be tempted to try the 120 grain BT but would rather have the 140 but if I were going out and buying bullets for hunting it would be the partition anyway.
 
Thanks for all the responses! They are nearly split down the middle, which tells me my confusion is well deserved.

So far, we have a 4 for the Core lokt, 3 for the BT, and 1 non answer.

I'm leaning toward the Core lokt factory round because it is a heavier bullet, but with all the time I've put into this particular rifle working up loads, it would be a shame to just buy factory ammo and not get the satisfaction of using a round I created.

I got closer to my answer today, shooting a .6" group with the Remington ammo. That's the best 3-shot group I've seen so far from this gun, and honestly every shot I've taken (out of 30 now) with the Remington green box ammo has been pretty well spot-on.

So whatever I can find left in the stores, I'll probably hoard for deer ammo for the next 20 years or so. LOL.

But it is good to know I can always come up with a hand load that will shoot well and carries good energy out to 300 yards too.
 
I love 7mms, have or have had 2 7 Mags, a .280, and 2 7-08s. I have reloaded 140 grain Rem Cor locts I bought from Midway so you can roll your own and still shoot the 140s. BTW I loved the 140s in all of the 7mms they were the most boring plain Jane loads ever made, but they never failed me, happily punching through bone, and exiting every time even with a couple less than optimum bullet placements on my part.
 
Core Lokt. Both will kill deer very well, they are both accurate from your gun...but the core lokt gives you a bit more weight and is probably a bit cheaper too.
 
On deer size game a 140 from a 7mm is bigger than needed. In my experience speed kills whitetails quicker. You are just barely at beginning load speeds, I'd load both of them 200-250 fps faster and use the 120 at about 2950fps on deer at typical ranges. I'd not use the 140 corelokt for anything. If I intended to shoot at longer ranges or hunt larger game I'd skip straight to a 160 gr Accubond at about 2650 fps.
 
I think it can depend on the area you hunt.

If open fields where you can be patient for the right shot angle, and the deer can run 30 yards and still die in sight, then the 120 BT would probably be fine.

If you hunt thick woods where you have seconds to make a shot decision, and take the first decent angle you have, I'd go with the 140 CL. It would have a better chance of full penetration, thus a blood trail, for the deer that may be out of sight in 2 yards. I shot 1 deer with a ballistic tip a few years ago. The bullet didn't exit and the deer only ran 30 yards, but left almost no blood and was difficult enough to find that it made me nervous about those bullets.

I hunt woods with a 7mm/08 and use the heavier bullet.
 
Good advice and I plan to clean out Bass Pro of the stuff when I go by there next. I'd bet the remaining three boxes there are all the same lot number. Just wish they weren't so pricey.

And unfortunately for me, the Rem. 140-grain 7mm Core-lokt bullets seem to be scarce as hens teeth. Looks like they have been discontinued for some strange reason. I would have thought they would still sell them since they load them for the 7mm-08 as well.

jmr40 - I'm dealing with an 18.5" barrel, so my full-load velocities usually look like beginning load velocities from 22-24" barrels. I guess that's the trade-off for being able to carry a 7 lb. rifle (scoped) that points beautifully. I will say that the 7x57 round is producing a great energy-to-recoil ratio in this lighweight and compact rifle. Kinda like a "heavy .243" so to speak. I'm very, very pleased with this. I've owned a 7mm-08 before, and the recoil from this 7x57 seems a little less to me, esp. with those 120 grainers. I can easily see why the .257 Roberts has such a strong following with whitetail hunters.

I also plan to explore more 140-grain bullets from this rifle, including the 140-grain BT as my scope reticle works out for an 18" drop at 300 yards (6 MOA to the post) and most 140's track well with that when the scope is zeroed to 100 yards.
 
Unfortunately, thats not a choice. :D

But I may try it eventually. It would have to out-shoot the Remington Core-lokt, which nothing else has done so far.
 
Remington for shoulder shots or big deer
Ballistic tip for open country or small deer(very similar to Sierra gk if that gives you a reference point)

Either one will work fine though in just about any situation for deer,especially at thevelocities you stated. Use both and see which you prefer over time.

Also, although I forget exactly which way this goes, the 120 and 140 ballistic tips share the same jacket. I just can't remember off the top of my head but I Believe the 140 has the same jacket as the 120 due to concerns over the 7mag velocities.
Either way, I know the ballistic tips work well in a 7x30 waters on deer.
 
stringnut said:
You're shooting deer. It won't make a bit of difference. Both bullets have a proven track record. If I had to chose it would be the 140 core lockt. This only because when in doubt I always use the heavier bullet. Also I have shot a pile of deer with 139 gr. Hornady at 2700 and it worked well.
Click to expand...


Concur with this view. With equal confidence and accuracy, use the benefit of larger displacement. It's not like Corelokts haven't been killing whitetail since before Noah built a boat.
 
One vote for the Deadliest Mushroom.

Of the 2 loads I would to go with the 140gr Rem CL. I have used Nosler Ballistic Tips and the Ballistic Silver Tips and don't care for them. They are super accurate but open up too fast to suit me.

For the last several years I have leaned towards the Accubonds. Ran them thru several calibers from 257 Weatherby to 300 WSM. They open up and stay together. Recovered a 110 gr from doe that had started out at 3400 fps. She was quartering to me and I took her at the front of the shoulder at about 50 yards. It cut the shoulder blade in two, made a 2X5" hole in the ribcage and stopped at the pelvis. Still weighed 65 gr and had a classic mushroom.
 
Sounds like the Core-lokt are the winner.

Only down side is I'm done reloading for my 7x57. LOL.

But I think I can live with that. :D

IMG_0080_zpsnuhojl6s.jpg
 
Your velocities are over 300 fps slow for either bullet when looking in the Nosler manual..

Pep them up and then pick the load that shoots best.
 
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