Author Topic: Good Antelope bullet (Read 1349 times)

longwinters · « **on:** April 20, 2003, 11:15:35 AM »

When I go to Wyoming this fall for pronghorn, I am wondering what bullet would be best to reload for my 7mm. Right now I have Speer 130 gn. spire points. But I imagine these might be on the edge of being too lite. Should I go up to a 140/145 gn. ?

cointoss · « **Reply #1 on:** April 20, 2003, 04:12:38 PM »

Longwinters, if I take my 7 mag I will probably use 140 grain for a deer antelope combo, but right now I am thinking about also taking my .257 Weatherby. By the way, I am about an hour South of the bridge from you.

longwinters · « **Reply #2 on:** April 21, 2003, 11:44:37 AM »

Cointoss, Always nice to hear from another Michigander. I may very well go with a 140 gn. Like you said for deer and pronghorns. I am about 3.5 hours west of the bridge in Iron Mountain/Kingsford area. I hope you have more deer down there than we do . . . it is getting worse every year for the past 3.

cointoss · « **Reply #3 on:** April 25, 2003, 10:49:10 AM »

Longwinters was over in the Watersmeet area last bow season and pretty dismal; not much better where I am at.

longwinters · « **Reply #4 on:** April 25, 2003, 03:13:42 PM »

From what I hear the coyotes were really wiping the deer out over there this winter. I hunt by Crystal Falls and it was terrible there too. Coyotes and wolves are taking their toll.

tominboise · « **Reply #5 on:** April 26, 2003, 12:30:12 PM »

A big antelope is something like 100 lbs, so your 130 gr is plenty. Aim for the line on the side, where brown meets white.

Tom

Darrell Davis · « **Reply #6 on:** May 22, 2003, 11:14:11 AM »

Hey Longwinters,

I am usually a one bullet man with a hunting rifle. Pick the best bullet for the cal. , Shoot a Nosler Partition and use it for everything other then practice.

They will open even on your smaller critter and still won't make mince meat of the good parts.

If you are shooting a 7 mag. the 160 is a good choice. 160 gr. Nosler Partition that is!

Keep em coming! :wink:

longwinters · « **Reply #7 on:** May 22, 2003, 01:07:25 PM »

Yeh, those Nosler P's seem to be real popular. Just got some in 140gn to reload. Maybe I'll have to go with them over the Ballistic Tips.

Darrell Davis · « **Reply #8 on:** May 22, 2003, 02:15:35 PM »

Hey Longwinters,

I would guess you already know this, but from everything I can find out, the balistic tip is best left for targets or varmits until you get to the .338. A friend took a black bear over bait with a .338 BT and it held together well even at the close (well under a 100yds.) range, and my reading tells me the bigger ones are tougher.

When I read the Nosler book, they never will say that the BT is up to hard use such as the Partition. I have read and re-read the info hoping to find just such info because of the rep. the BT has for making small groups.

However, from personal experience, I can sing the praise of the Partition. Have been using them for over 30 years, and have seen times when they should have made a mess and didn't, yet they always did what they were sent for.

Some people may think that because of their rep. for penatration they won't expand on small game animals. WRONG! The front end is made to open even at longer range/lower vel., while the portion behind the partition keeps on truckin.

The few expended bullets which I have been able to find in game, almost always, are minus most or all of the forward portion of the bullet. Maybe there would be more bullet left on the heavier calibers, but on .30 and below the above info would be correct as per what I have seen and read.

I have personally gone to the 165gr in my 300 win. mag. even though I usually like to go with the heavier bullets with the Mag. However, the 165 shot the best, so am getting 3250 - 3300 over the Chrony. Would not trust that wt. bullet at that vel. with something of less quality then the Nosler Partition.

Keep em coming! :wink:

freddogs · « **Reply #9 on:** May 25, 2003, 05:06:52 PM »

I've used the 30 caliber 150 gr Nosler ballistic tip for antelope and mule deer for many years. They have worked very well. I've shot at least ten critters with them. The last antelope I shot was with a 120gr ballistic tip in my contender 7X30 waters. Antelope don't need a big bullet but you need to make a good shot on them. :sniper:

Darrell Davis · « **Reply #10 on:** May 25, 2003, 05:41:02 PM »

Hey there Freddogs,

Glad to hear the BT are doing Ok for you. I just know the results I get with the Partition, and figure I'll keep it that way.

That goes double with the velocity my A-bolt is giving me.

Thought about the BT 180 in the A-bolt, but knowing what to expect from the Partition I took the easy way out.

I can see where the lighter construction of the Balistic Tip would be a real plus with the lower velocity of some rounds or from the hunting pistols but where I hunt both Elk and deer with the same rifle and during part of the year, at the same time, I won't chance it.

I, unlike some other folk, am a one bullet to one rifle hunter. I do not change the bullets (style or weight) between, for example, bear - deer - Elk - or moose. That is if I was ever lucky enough to get another moose tag. I have already had my once in a life time moose in I-dee-ho and took that one with a 200gr Nosler partition from a Ruger #1.

Have yet to have the chance to hunt antelope, but if I did and this A-bolt was still with me, 10 to 1 it would be loaded with the 165gr Nosler Partition ahead of a good load of R22 stepping along at over 3250fps. It works.

Nosler is probably happy there are folk like me around, but it goes both ways, as I like AND TRUST Nosler Partitions!

Keep em coming! :wink:

freddogs · « **Reply #11 on:** May 27, 2003, 08:51:13 AM »

I've got nothing against the partition. I've used the 165 gr partition elk hunting and it worked well. I just don't get to go elk hunting all that often so I use the ballistic tip mostly. The only moose I ever shot was with the bow and he didn't go more than eighty yards (Wyoming). Partitions are good bullets but so are all their other bullets. :sniper:

WyoHunter · « **Reply #12 on:** May 27, 2003, 12:23:33 PM »

Any good "deer" bullet will do the trick nicely. I've used Partitions and Ballistic Tips with the nod going to the Partitions. The BT's can make a mess of things due to their rapid expansion. Also have used Barnes X bullets with success. The MOST IMPORTANT thing to remember is that proper shot placement should be your first consideration. Not to make light of this but you can kill 'em with most bullets if you hit them in the right place! :wink:

Kodiak · « **Reply #13 on:** June 03, 2003, 12:35:58 PM »

Have hunted speed goats for 25 years and have very consistant success with the 140 gr. Sierra spitzer in my old 280 Remington. It'll shoot groups of 1/2" at 100 and 1.25" at 200 yds. The rifle is carrying a 4x12 Leupold and a Harris bipod for the longer shots. ... Works for me,

Good luck,
Kodiak

longwinters · « **Reply #14 on:** June 03, 2003, 04:32:37 PM »

I am leaning,now, to the 140 gn Partitions for my 7mm sako. I have always had great luck with the ballistic tip bullets . . . but it is time to try something new.

Darrell Davis · « **Reply #15 on:** June 03, 2003, 05:07:25 PM »

Hey there folks,

Not sure how it happened, but I got a double message when I did some editing. If we are all lucky, this will be short and you can all go to the next and complete post following.

Keep em coming! :wink:

Darrell Davis · « **Reply #16 on:** June 03, 2003, 05:14:38 PM »

Hey there Longwinters,

The one comment I would have now that you have tipped in favor of giving the Partition a try is to set down with the loading books and see which wt. will give the best down range proformance.

Looking at my Nosler book and taking the Max. shown vel. for the 140 - 150 and 160, The 400 yd figures show .8" less drop for the 140 gr. but about 100ft. lbs. more energy for the 160gr.

Shooting the PT you should be safe with the 140. As you probably have noted, I am really kicking the 165 (.308) PT along and it is doing the job even if I would normally choose the heavier bullets. I feel safe with this choice only because of the quality of the Partition! I like the 200gr Nosler, but with the box magazine it is a little long. With the #1 my son now has, the 200 could be set waaaaaaaaaay out so there was lots of powder room.

If you haven't already done so, try some of the newer powders (newer then the 4831s etc.) like R22, IMR7828. They are good!

Shoot those test over a Chrony or some such if you get the chance. They really can open the Ol'eyes on what the smoke pole is really doing!

Keep em coming! :wink:

longwinters · « **Reply #17 on:** June 04, 2003, 04:42:29 PM »

I am planning to do a little shooting with the 140's this weekend. Using 62 gns of 4831. But that R-22 is on my mind as is the Vhnt ( sp?) 165.

Dogshooter · « **Reply #18 on:** June 05, 2003, 05:05:30 PM »

Antelope are not hard to put down and in a 7 Mag, I'd opt for a bullet on the light side. I use my 243 or on occasion, my 25-06 with 90 grain Partitions and 118 grain partitions, respectively. Never had one take more than a step or two after impact.

Darrell Davis · « **Reply #19 on:** June 06, 2003, 02:30:43 PM »

Hey there folks,

You know what they say about the man that has only one rifle and uses it for everything. Well I think the same way about bullets.

I would not even consider using a different bullet in my hunting rifle just because I am hunting a lighter game animal. For example if I was still using the Ruger #1 - 300win. mag. that my son now has, I would NOT CHANGE FROM THE 200GR NOSLER that we use in that rifle.

The Nosler will expand even on the light animal, do a great job and I won't need to fiddle with working up another load or re-sighting my rifle ONLY TO GET MIXED UP ON JUST WHERE IT IS HITTING WITH THIS LOAD.

Us ol'folk get kind of set in our ways.

On the other hand, if I was using the .243 it would be the 100 gr. Nosler Partition. But with the bigger cal and heavier bullet it won't be any more dead and I won't waste any more meat. Probably NOT AS MUCH!!!!!!

Keep em coming! :wink: