Sierra 130 gr. SSP 7mm bullet

[contender hunter]

At what velocity can I push this single shot pistol bullet before it would just explode on impact . I found a box of these bullets in my cabinet and thinking about trying them in my 7x30 waters carbine for deer but don't want a real fragile bullet blowing up and not penetrating . It would probably be going about 2500 fps . I have a real accurate load for the 140 nosler BT and its going around 2300 fps , just not sure what bullet to use , I've heard so much good about the sierra bullet but maybe that was before the nosler bt came out , also since its discontinued my supply won't last long . It comes down to the sierra or the nosler 120 and 140  , help !

[7-30 Waters]

Having owned and reloaded for a 7-30 Waters rifle and pistol, 2500 fps as a starting velocity would be fine for 130 grain SSP. I wouldn't push it any faster than that.


Have you considered trying the Barnes 120 grain?

[contender hunter]

I pretty much settled on the Nosler 140 BT mainly because its so darn accurate in my gun and thought I could get away with the bigger bullet because the waters was originally designed with a 139 gr. bullet and also the faster velocity of the carbine bbl . Now I'm second guessing myself , then I came across a box of the 130 gr. sierra single shot pistol  bullets in my cabinet and thought about using them .


I never got started with barnes , the nosler bt have been so accurate that I have stayed with them but wish I had more actual kiils to confirm good expansion etc. on game . I've shot most of my deer with a 12'' 375 JDJ with 220 GR. Hornadays which were devastating and also a  12'' 6.5 JDJ  . Now I moved into the carbine barrels in the 7x30 waters and can't make up my mind which bullet to go with . Are you using the Barnes TSX or the tipped TTSX bullet and have you recovered any bullets or have they all been in and out .


 Kind of wish I had gone to a 309 JDJ in a carbine , then I could be sure of good bullet performance with the noslers.

[Slowpoke Slim]

I went to the 140 gr Nosler ballistic silver tips in my 7-30 Waters. Mostly from reading and corresponding with Sweetwyominghome (member here on GBO. He has killed a pile of deer and hogs with his. Mine shoots very accurately, but I was unable to connect on a deer this year with only 2 days out of my schedule to hunt.

I have not tried those SSP's, but have heard that some of them have issues with being brittle and breaking up on impact. I have shot a bunch of the 243 80 gr SSP's in 6x47 and 6 TCU and they have been great for me.

[contender hunter]

 I was afraid of a blow-up on impact with the SSP since I'm getting a little more velocity than  pistols with a 23'' bbl.  I guess I'll stick with the 140 's  .What are the advantages of the ballistic silver tip over the regular BT .I talked with nosler on this subject a while back and he suggested if I had any confidence issues with the regular BT to go with the Accubond and all problems solved .    Thanks for the vote on the heavier bullet !!

[Slowpoke Slim]

From Sweetwyo's testing the lubalox (sp?) coating on the silvertips gives slightly better velocity than the regular BT's. That's it. The newer generation BT's, ballistic silver tips, and Accubond's all have the same minimum opening velocity, which I believe is 1800 fps. The Accubonds have a tougher jacket on them than the BT's/silver tips and will not expand as far down the shank. They will give better penetration, but I doubt it will be needed at our velocities.

[contender hunter]

Good info , maybe I'll stay with the BT bullet over the accubond as are contender velocities don't warrant a tougher bullet . As far as the Barnes bullet I have heard some complain about copper fouling being pretty bad , have you experienced this problem and are you still using them  or are staying with the nosler .

[rugerfan.64]

I started my kids out with these very same bullet about 13 years ago when my daughter started hunting. I bought up several boxes and pushed them to around 2500fps. Daughter shot a truck load of deer with them, my son who is now 19 shot 2 does earlier this season with them. He has finally broken into the last 50 round box of em. I hate they discontinued this bullet. Its accurate , and it works like a charm. If you expect to shoot through heart lungs, expect complete penetration with a large exit hole. If you take shoulder shots expect dead in their tracks. I used varget in a 7mm 08 for the kids, I like those Sierra bullets.

[contender hunter]

Rugerfan , What bullet are you going to go with when the sierras dry up !! I was thinking the 130 gr. is the perfect weight in the waters , right in the middle and speer still makes a 130 gr. 7mm hot core , anybody shoot them .According to the charts you loose about 100 fps for every 10 grs' of bullet weight going up to heavier bullets . 


 I know the deer will never know !!!!!!!!!        Speer bullet link , its not as sleek as the nosler but I bet it would be close to the sierra .


                                                                         http://www.speer-bullets.com/ballistics/detail.aspx?id=45

[rugerfan.64]

I already have a Sierra 140 gr ProHunter load worked up for him. He should be able to handle a grown up load by now, hes 19. I shoot the 140 gr GameKing out of my 280 at almost 3000 fps, so I know the 140 gr Prohunter should hold up fine at 7mm 08 velocity. That 280 gives me almost always pass throughs, I have been able to capture maybe 10 out of 50-60 deer. I trust them more than Noslers. I had a bad experience with Ballistic Tips or rather my daughter did , out of her 260. I wont shoot Nosler bullets. Sierra has been my go to bullet for years. I always do my load experiments with Sierras first. I rarely have to go further than them.
  I think you will like the 130 gr SSPB. I dont have a clue how many deer my 2 kids have killed with that bullet. I never had a problem with them. And dont be surprised when you start ringing steel at 300 yds with them either. They'll shoot alot flatter than you think.
  I tried the Speer 130 SPBT in the 7mm 08 but it never did work out as I wanted so I substituted the 140 ProHunter and shazammm,,,,, it shot pretty darn good.

[herpestes]

not the 130's but using the nosler 120 bt for the 7-30 waters improved.

[contender hunter]

How are the nosler 120's working on deer?

[pastorp]

You know the P stands for pistol? That means short barrel= lower velocity.  just a though.

 

Regards,

[herpestes]

How are the nosler 120's working on deer?

so far so good...............bullet jacket is the same that is used for the 140 bt. loading 36.5 of imr 4064. under moa from a 22" bullberry t/c carbine.

[contender hunter]

I guess it comes down to -- do you want a smaller weight bullet going faster or a heavier bullet going slower , which one performs the best on deer size game in a given caliber . Usually a heavier bullet retains more energy at longer distances , so maybe it depends on your shooting conditions a little , but I think we all want one good load for are rifles in all situations . Alot of times I'll look at ft. pds of energy and go with the best figures but in the waters velocities are so close ,  here are the ft. pds of energy at the muzzle the 120 gr. is 1800 , the 140 is 1790 for comparison the 30-30 is 1761  .

[herpestes]

i limit the range to inside of 250yds.

[contender hunter]

Did Fred have any opinion on bullet weight with your bullberry improved .

[herpestes]

did not ask about bullet weight but factory loaded the 7-30 using a 120 fn so just worked up a load for the inproved using the nosler 120 bt. guessing nothing would be wrong using 140s. if i were going to use 7mm in 140 on up then i would just use my 7mm rem mag and increase my shooting range.