7-30 waters 120 grain bt

[Clabo22001]

Has anyone tried the 120 grain ballistic tips by Nosler in a 7-30 waters? I shot a doe yesterday afternoon at about 25 yards. Shot was right behind the shoulder in and out. I only found 1 drop of blood. I trailed her based on her tracks, stumbling, luckily she only ran around 125 yards. I got lucky because she fell with her belly facing me. I expected more blood, maybe I slipped between her ribs. Thoughts?

 

[Liberty]

It is my understanding that the 120’s are made with a shortened but tougher jacket than some of the ballistic tips to deal with high velocity, but that is just my memory of old reading from my 7mm-08 days. I got burned on 30 caliber 150 ballistic tips from a 30-06 that exploded on a shoulder. Deer went down, almost made it back up, got shot again, causing a shoulder and 4 inches of back strap to go in the gut pile. I suspect that the bullet opened up a little and punched a 45 caliber hole thru the lungs and maybe heart due to velocity. Was the shot low in the chest? I have heart shot a buck with a bonded bullet from a 270 that ran 65 or so yards through the woods with almost no blood and a broken leg. I think that heart shots can produce low blood because the pump has been shut off. Did you field dress or process the deer? My ballistic choices have mostly been influenced from “autopsies” performed while processing my deer at home and how far they ran after the shot.

 

[Clabo22001]

It is my understanding that the 120’s are made with a shortened but tougher jacket than some of the ballistic tips to deal with high velocity, but that is just my memory of old reading from my 7mm-08 days. I got burned on 30 caliber 150 ballistic tips from a 30-06 that exploded on a shoulder. Deer went down, almost made it back up, got shot again, causing a shoulder and 4 inches of back strap to go in the gut pile. I suspect that the bullet opened up a little and punched a 45 caliber hole thru the lungs and maybe heart due to velocity. Was the shot low in the chest? I have heart shot a buck with a bonded bullet from a 270 that ran 65 or so yards through the woods with almost no blood and a broken leg. I think that heart shots can produce low blood because the pump has been shut off. Did you field dress or process the deer? My ballistic choices have mostly been influenced from “autopsies” performed while processing my deer at home and how far they ran after the shot.

No sir, I took that one to the processor.

 

[Liberty]

No sir, I took that one to the processor.

I wouldn’t shoot ballistic tips in a tubular magazine unless it was loading one in the chamber and one in the tube. Others might not worry about primer ignition in the tube, but we try and play it safe in my family. Looking at the rifle load data, it looks like you can get some pretty good velocity from a rifle length barrel shooting a 120 my friend. If you are shooting a handgun, it looks like the velocity might be pretty slow compared to other popular choices with that bullet weight. I wouldn’t consider a 125 yard trot a failure, especially on a sample of 1. If you share you load and barrel length it might be easier to figure out what is going on with the load Sir. Did the deer do a big mule kick when it was hit? If so, I suspect it was a heart shot. The only way we have found to keep our tracks short is with high shoulder shots or at least breaking a shoulder.

 

[frankwright]

When my supply of the Sierra 130gr pistol bullets started running low I started looking for another bullet. I chose the Nosler 120 BT.
I have killed six deer with that bullet. The last time was two does in a field. They dropped within 20 yards of each other.
Like when using my .243, I only take low neck or point of the shoulder shots and the deer will drop right there.
I have been using the 7-30 at least 15 years and have never had a deer go out of sight. When handgunning, like archery, I wait for the perfect shot.
Most deer shot anywhere else are going to run. It may only be 150 yards or so before they die but they will run which I choose not to let happen.
I really hate the Sierra 130 which was made to expand at handgun velocities was discontinued. Luckily I found a box of bullets from an individual so I am good to go.

 

[Liberty]

Are the Sierra bullets a soft point or a hollow point like a match bullet? I may still have some of the 130 hollow point match bullets, it’s been a few years since I’ve loaded any since getting out of 7mm-08.

 

[frankwright]

Soft point

 

[deast1988]

Needs zap, 7-30 pistol barrel modest speeds. Nosler did infact beef up the jackets to stop them from blowing up in the crazy magnum guns. You zipped through not much bone contact to upset the round, Barnes TSX same way. Lots of speed needed or heavy bone, next go try dead nuts in the shoulder. You’re not going fast enough for the round to explode as intended for varmints. You’ll get a super clean 60ish% weight retention as advertised on the box. But 100% you need a harder median to get things started.

Lower velocity threshold. You can research that, find soft points that expand on the lower side of the speed spectrum and you might be surprised. Norma Oryx comes to mind, something like positive expansion all they to like 900fps. But finding a suitable weighted one that won’t eat case capacity is something of a challenge.

Swift Aframes I think can get going really slow also, but 7x30 isn’t super slow. You could take the steps and help it along though.

 

[rosewood]

I wouldn’t shoot ballistic tips in a tubular magazine unless it was loading one in the chamber and one in the tube.

I just assume he was hunting with a single shot Contender since this is the Handgun Forum.

Rosewood

 

[rosewood]

Has anyone tried the 120 grain ballistic tips by Nosler in a 7-30 waters? I shot a doe yesterday afternoon at about 25 yards. Shot was right behind the shoulder in and out. I only found 1 drop of blood. I trailed her based on her tracks, stumbling, luckily she only ran around 125 yards. I got lucky because she fell with her belly facing me. I expected more blood, maybe I slipped between her ribs. Thoughts?

I have neither shot a deer with the Nosler or the Vmax. However, I have shot one with a Sierra 120 PH and it punched through and didn't do much damage.

Word on the street is the 120 Vmax is the same construction as the previous 120 SSP bullet Hornady made for the 7-30 waters. I have some loaded in my 16" Contender, but have yet to hunt with it. I think the Nosler may be a bit tough for 7-30 Waters pistol speeds.

You take a bullet that is designed to expand violently at 3000+FPS and slow down to 2300FPS, it acts more like a standard medium game bullet in theory.

Rosewood

 

[Oldstick]

I like the Hornady 139 flat points for 7-30 assuming they are still available.

 

[Oldstick]

Don't have a huge amount of experience to relate on this, but the one and only deer I killed with my 7-30 Winchester rifle was with my 139 grain Hornady reloads. It was much closer than the OP probably 10 or 20 feet away and I only had about 1.5 seconds or less to point and shoot left handed when the 2 or 3 year old buck walked right underneath my stand. So he was hit above the shoulder with a downwards angle. Attempted to take a step and DRT. Later I found his heart had been totally obliterated by the mushrooming soft nose bullet.

 

[Eddy M.]

Well I haven't reloaded any in a while but the bullets I used were marked "single shot pistol" and I bought several boxes at one time - they might not even make them anymore .

 

[frankwright]

I used the Hornady 120 gr Single Shot pistol bullets in my 7-30 Waters for years.
When they quit making them I went to the Sierra 130gr and have about 30 bullets left but luckily about 100 loaded so I should be good.

 

[Handgunner 45-70]

Frank I used that same Sierra bullet back in the 80's for my 7 TCU. Was a good round for hunting deer in Alaska when I would go over to Kodiak Island. Would spend a lot of the winter months fire forming 223 and 5.56 brass for the little 7 TCU.