7mm 160 NP on WT deer

[Polaris]

Got a deer this weekend with my .280 rem. Load is book max for 160NP with IMR 4350 from a 22" sporter barrel. Haven't had a chance to chrono.

Deer was a large Northern MN doe (about 140 lb dressed) shot in the center neck front to back quartering at about 30 yards from ground level.

Bullet entered clean and tracked straight shattering 2 vertebrae and exited the rear with an aproximate 1.25" hole. Showed no evidence of "blowup" or deflection and dropped deer in it's tracks. Would be interesting to see what this bullet does on a more typical heart/lung/shoulder impact. Basically worked as advertized.

 

[Guy Miner]

Congratulations! That seems like terrific bullet performance. Somehow I'm just not surprised about the great performance of the Nosler Partition.

 

[DrMike]

It does indeed sound like excellent performance. Congratulations.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Congralulations. I have always had really good luck with the 7mm calibers and the 160 gr Partition in both the .280 Rem and the 7mm Mags. I believe that all deer shot with this combination were one-shot kills back to about 1962.

 

[SJB358]

That 160 PT is a beast. High SD and BC makes is one of my favorites in the 7mm's.. I am with Guy, not really surprised by your outcome. PT's seem to do the same things whether shot into mud, dirt, water, deer, elk, etc! Scotty

 

[JD338]

Polaris,

Nice job on the doe. Yup, the 7mm 160 gr PT is one great bullet.

JD338

 

[onesonek]

"Bullet entered clean and tracked straight shattering 2 vertebrae and exited the rear with an aproximate 1.25" hole. Showed no evidence of "blowup" or deflection and dropped deer in it's tracks.
No suprise there. I don't know that one can drive a PT fast enough, as to have it come apart.

Would be interesting to see what this bullet does on a more typical heart/lung/shoulder impact. Basically worked as advertized."

Not much of a challenge there for a 160 PT/.284.
I have seen the .280 with the 160 PT, take out the front shoulder with a quartering to placement, and have it exit the offside rump. Plenty of bullet for deer, even heavy bodied Mulies. I would rather have that, than not enough. I'm all for exits!

As for "as advertized",,,, Since I started using NPT's in the mid "70"'s, I haven't had one do anything but as advertised. The NPT being over 60 years old, it's performance is still how the newcomers are compared.

 

[SJB358]

That is the same combo I recommend to new elk or even deer hunters, the 7mm Rem Mag and Federal 160gr PTs. Just a great combo for a new shooter that will handle deer to moose with great power, trajectory and modest recoil. I go off the beaten path a little, but it is the standby I can't find fault with. Scotty

 

[onesonek]

Yep Scotty, I have found in most any 7mm, the 160 PT makes a great combo deer/elk rig!!!

 

[Polaris]

That is the same combo I recommend to new elk or even deer hunters, the 7mm Rem Mag and Federal 160gr PTs. Just a great combo for a new shooter that will handle deer to moose with great power, trajectory and modest recoil. I go off the beaten path a little, but it is the standby I can't find fault with. Scotty

Probably overkill for deer, but It was my Idea to develop a "uni-load" for this rifle. One I can hunt antelope to moose with and be confident on any reasonable shot angle. I like the fact that I should get less meat damage on smaller animals with this one vs other bullets. It is about as nasty a bullet as I can push in this rifle (K98 action, COL issue with "long" bullets). I am very happy with this bullet. Now I just need to do some load testing to get the accuracy up to par for longer range work.

 

[SJB358]

Probably overkill for deer, but It was my Idea to develop a "uni-load" for this rifle. One I can hunt antelope to moose with and be confident on any reasonable shot angle. I like the fact that I should get less meat damage on smaller animals with this one vs other bullets. It is about as nasty a bullet as I can push in this rifle (K98 action, COL issue with "long" bullets). I am very happy with this bullet. Now I just need to do some load testing to get the accuracy up to par for longer range work.

I imagine a little tweaking and you will find something. I haven't ever found the 160 PT hard to load for. It is a classic bullet for the 7mm's that just works! I would feel confident hunting just about anything with a good 7mm and that bullet. It is my idea of ideal. Granted, I am shooting the 160 AB's this year, but I have a few boxes of PT's on stand by for some of the other 7's that find their way into my safe from time to time. Scotty