7-08 120 vs 140 nosler bt

[3006Sprng]

For all you 7mm08/nosler reloaders, what’s the better performing bullet?

The 120 or 140?

Thanks.

 

[BuzzH]

For all you 7mm08/nosler reloaders, what’s the better performing bullet?

The 120 or 140?

Thanks.

In the BT, 120's.

 

[Salmonchaser]

I’ve used the 140 for a number of years, accurate and easy to shoot. Effective on deer, coyotes and antelope, I’ve never tried it on anything larger. I use the 140 for practice, just banging steel kind of thing. I load close to the lands and find it doesn’t care too much which powder I use.

 

[WinkB]

Depends on game and distance for me. With the 120gr out of my rifle combo I am seeing close to 3,100 fps with excellent performance on deer and down sized game. For Elk, I have found the 140 gr class bullet to be a good performer with velocities in the 2,800-2,900 fps range.

This would be with the 120gr ballistic tip hunting and the 140gr Accubond. My default powder has been Varget due to the consistent nature over a wide temperature range, CCI large rifle primers all loaded around a COAL of about 2.8"

 

[3006Sprng]

Depends on game and distance for me. With the 120gr out of my rifle combo I am seeing close to 3,100 fps with excellent performance on deer and down sized game. For Elk, I have found the 140 gr class bullet to be a good performer with velocities in the 2,800-2,900 fps range.

This would be with the 120gr ballistic tip hunting and the 140gr Accubond. My default powder has been Varget due to the consistent nature over a wide temperature range, CCI large rifle primers all loaded around a COAL of about 2.8"

White tail, black bears, moose. I have the BT 140’s. Going to work up a load, 22” barrel so velocity should be reasonable. Everyone seems to talk up the 120’s.

 

[N2TRKYS]

The 120 grain NBT is a tougher bullet than the 140 grain NBT. I have used and recommend the 120 NBT. I use and recommend the 140 grain Accubond and Partion, if you want to go heavier.

 

[std7mag]

I load the 120gr Ballistic Tip for my daughter's 7X57 Mauser. Ballistic twin.
She's gotten several deer. Never recovered a bullet.

I use the 140gr Ballistic Tip for my 7mm-08AI.
Numerous deer. A few coyotes.
Never recovered a bullet.

With me never recovering a Ballistic Tip, I can't say where one is "tougher" than another.

 

[Salmonchaser]

The last few years I’ve carried a 275 Rigby (7x57) loaded with 140 Accubonds for deer and elk in Montana. Most of my life I’ve used a 300 or 338 for elk but have found the 140 Ab will work.
Might leave the 300 at home this spring and take the 140Accubonds to Africa.

 

[Dougfirtree]

The 140's are a really easy bullet to get accuracy from, in my experience. But, the 120's are made with a beefier, more tapered jacket and I think they hold together better. For hunting, I'd steer you towards the 120's. Much tougher than you'd expect!

 

[N2TRKYS]

I load the 120gr Ballistic Tip for my daughter's 7X57 Mauser. Ballistic twin.
She's gotten several deer. Never recovered a bullet.

I use the 140gr Ballistic Tip for my 7mm-08AI.
Numerous deer. A few coyotes.
Never recovered a bullet.

With me never recovering a Ballistic Tip, I can't say where one is "tougher" than another.

There’s some cutaways of both weights floating around the interwebs that show the difference and why the 120 is tougher. Pretty cool visual. Thanks to the silhouette for making it a tougher bullet!!

 

[3006Sprng]

I load the 120gr Ballistic Tip for my daughter's 7X57 Mauser. Ballistic twin.
She's gotten several deer. Never recovered a bullet.

I use the 140gr Ballistic Tip for my 7mm-08AI.
Numerous deer. A few coyotes.
Never recovered a bullet.

With me never recovering a Ballistic Tip, I can't say where one is "tougher" than another.

I love not recovering bullets in my recovered animals.

 

[3006Sprng]

The 140's are a really easy bullet to get accuracy from, in my experience. But, the 120's are made with a beefier, more tapered jacket and I think they hold together better. For hunting, I'd steer you towards the 120's. Much tougher than you'd expect!

I’ll pick up some 120’s as well then.

 

[3006Sprng]

 

[std7mag]

While your cut aways may display the 120gr having a thicker jacket. The 140gr is still fine for antelope, deer and black bear.

And yeah, I hear every year of people taking elk with them. Along with the 120.

I love not recovering bullets in my recovered animals.

While the NBT are one of my go to bullets for hunting, my other go to is the 140gr Berger VLD.
I don't recover the bullet persay.
But I do recover the jacket.
Usually under the offside hide.
While no exit wound, way more internal damage than any other bullet that I've tried.
And for the vast majority of cases, I only lose about a quarter size piece of rib meat on both sides.
We are talking both lungs and heart obliterated!

I often hear the argument about eating lead.
The heart and both lungs are destroyed past the point of trying to eat them.
It's a sudden lead poisoning, not a long drawn out affair.

 

[BuzzH]

My oldest nephew shot all these with 120 BT, all with one shot, MV 2875. 80-230 yards.