Velocity for 120 gr 7mm NBT Expansion

[rimfire]

Nosler manual says this bullet will expand down to 1400 fps.  I have seen others on this site say that it will expand until you drop below 1800 fps.  

Any comments?

AS I am shooting this in the 7-30 Waters I am also curious about something else.   Numerous times I have seen people refer to the factory Federal load and the Nosler flat point bullet it carries.  I have 7 boxes in my safe and all of them state on the box that the bullet is a Sierra Gameking.

I am so confused!

Have a nice day.

[Duffy]

I called Nosler tec about min vel with the BT's and Par. He told me that as long as impact vel was about 1700 fps they would expand reliably. I haven't had a chance to test this as of yet but am going to when the weather and time permits. Usually what I have found is that they may or may not expand at low vel just depending how and what they hit.


Ryan

[xphunter]

I have used 7mm 140 grain NBT's down to 2,000 fps (impact velocity) on deer sized animals with good results, but I have no experience with the slower velocities, except on PD's which was right at 1700 fps at impact.
Ernie
This wasn't with a 7x30 Waters, but it is specific impact velocites with a NBT.
Ernie

[SD Handgunner]

From my experience with the 7-30 Waters in a 10" Contender shooting 120gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips, to get them to expand reliability without hitting bone the impact velocity should be kept above 1800FPS. I took a nice 4x4 Whitetail at the impact velocity was right at 1700 FPS. I lucked out and hit the shoulder. Actually the bullet clipped the top of the near side shoulder, the bottom of the spine, and exited through the top of the off side shoulder leaving a 3/4" exit wound. Other Whitetails shot without hitting bone showed good expansion at under 150 yards.

The 120gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip has produced excellent accuracy in the 7-30 Waters, and has a great ballistic coefficient for such a light for caliber bullet. All of this makes it my first choice in 7mm Handguns.

SD Handgunner

[Lloyd Smale]

120 bt are the best bullet in my 730 contendor. accurate and ive killed deer out to 150 yards and they allways killed quickly and expanded well

[Hawkeye]

I shoot two 7-30 Waters. I have a 14" Contender w/custom break that likes the 120grn Nosler Ballistic Tips the best. I load the 120grn to 2150fps.  It shoots the Hornady 139grn SST almost as well. I load this one to 2100fps. I have taken three deer with the 120grn Ballistic Tips and all of them did the job with good expansion and exit hole.
My other barrel is a 12" Contender Hunter barrel with factory break. It shoots the Hornady 139grn SST better. I took a nice 8 pnt with this round in 2002 and knocked him down. He got up and went another 10 yds and fell. The SST from what I have read and heard is a built for a little higher velocities like in rifles but at 50 yds where I shot my buck, they expanded great.  
All six of the boxes of Federal ammo I have for the 7-30 Waters is loaded with 120 grn Sierra Game Kings also. I have had these for several years.
I shoot silhouettes with the 120grn Hornady SP and they knock the 200 meter rams down with authourity. I wouldn't hesitate using these for hunting.  :grin:
I have never used the 140grn bullets yet. I don't think I need another box of bullets on my bench. The 120's are doing fine. If I go for anything bigger than whitetail, I will use my 309JDJ or something larger. :eek:
Mike

[xphunter]

Although you are primarily considering the 120 NBT here is some more info on the 140 NBT.
There was one other time I shot & killed a small mulie buck with a 140 NBT with an impact velocity of 1719 fps.  Although the deer died quickly, I had a core jacket seperation.  

Ernie

[drags]

I've shot two deer with the 120gr nos. bt in a 7mm tcu rifle the muzzle velocity was 2530  fps cronographed, the deer were shot at about 75yds and both deer went straight down, both bullets went clean through (broadside shot) with a large exit hole. I think its a very good bullet.
Drags