120 gr or 140 gr Ballistic Tips for Pronghorn...???

[dwwinters]

If everything works out as planned I will be hunting Pronghorn Antelope this year in Eastern Oregon. I am going to be working up some 7mm Rem Mag loads with Nosler Ballsitic Tips. My question is...are there any recommendations or sugestions as to which would be a better choice...the 120 gr or 140 gr Ballistic Tips..???

 

[REDGREEN]

You are going to find that the ballistic tips expand real violently. They will tear up an antelope real good.Personally, I'd choose a different bullet for the speed goat.

 

[FOTIS]

We took 3 Antelope last year with the 120 BT in my boy's 7mm-08. I drove them to 3100 fps with Varget.

A while back we took a couple of nice bucks with the 140 BT at 3500 fps from a 7mm STW. All worked great!

 

[JD338]

The 140 gr BT or AB would be my top choice. The 120 gr BT will work, but the higher BC if the 140 gr will do better against the wind.

JD338

 

[longwinters]

I would never go with the BT on antelope. You can do a search, on my previous post, if you want but the short of it is . ..

7m-08 loaded lite. with a 120 gn BT. 250 yd shot- silver dollar size hole.
30-06 loaded lite. with a 150 gn BT. 250ish yd shot exit hole the size of a softball.

7mm loaded medium. with a 150 gn BT. 250 yard shot exit hole the size of my fist.

Good news is all 3 antelope went down on the spot.

Bad news is BIG HOLES

If you hit bone (front shoulder) you are going to get massive holes and lots of meat loss. Nice broadsize thru the ribs (at least with the 120 out of a 7m-08) nice size holes little meat loss.

Long

 

[skeeter]

140 BT or AB would be my choice as well. I have never got great results on paper with 120 gr out of my 7 mags, so i have no experience with them on game. 140 or 150BT's have worked just fine for me on thin skinned animals...I don't mind a bigger hole in the ribs though :shock: !

 

[JD338]

yup,
A 140 gr BT through the ribs and the blood trail, if needed, will be short and sweet. Minimul meat damage through the ribs too! :wink:

JD338

 

[FOTIS]

Fellas I can not count how many antelope I have harvested and seen harvested.
They are frail creatures. It does not take a lot to kill them.
In fact one idiot I know (one who will not listen to anyone) uses a 243 and 75 gr Hornady HP varmint bullets. He only shoots lung though.

 

[Charlie-NY]

Neither bullet in my opinion. ANY bullet fired from the 7mm mag will easily kill pronghorns if the shot placement is good. The biggest problem with hunting the great plains is the unpredicable wind.

I recommend using the 162gr A-Max bullet which has a very high BC to help deal with the wind. It will also expand on pronghorns at any range. I took a pronghorn @ 465yds last year and was very pleased with its performance.

I wouldn't worry about Nosler BT's being to violent. Are you really worried about loosing a little pronghorn rib meat?

Just my 2 cents

 

[FOTIS]

The best overall load in the 7mm Rem Mag that I ever used was a 160 gr (pick you game bullet---I like the accubonds) with a stout load of RL22, about 66 gr in that rifle. Velocity was in the 3050 fps range and we used this load from small mule deer button bucks and antelope at less than 50 yards all the way to 400 yard cow elk.
If you subscribe to the " one gun one load" principle---this is the load!

 

[JD338]

The best overall load in the 7mm Rem Mag that I ever used was a 160 gr (pick you game bullet---I like the accubonds) with a stout load of RL22, about 66 gr in that rifle. Velocity was in the 3050 fps range and we used this load from small mule deer button bucks and antelope at less than 50 yards all the way to 400 yard cow elk.
If you subscribe to thet one gun one load principle---this is the load!

Actually, I agree with Pop and Charlie-NY on the 160 gr for its high BC.
If I ever go back to chase goats, I will use the 160 gr AB in my 280 AI.
(RL22 62.0 grs an dFederal GM215M primers). This load is 3000 fps and shoots in the .2's.

JD338