7-08 Best all around bullet

[markr]

Factory mod 700, standard barrel, syn stock. What are your ideas of the one bullet for everything from an occasional coyote to mule deer, range from very close to 350-400 yds!

 

[Minesweeper3433]

I am very interested in this as well for a barrel I have waiting for one of my currents to wear out.

 

[RJinTexas]

The 140gr Nosler Partition.

 

[dfry]

As listed above 140 Partition, or the 140 gr. Barnes TSX or Tipped TSX, you can even go down to the 130 in the Barnes, but I like the BC of the 140s better. I have had great results with the TTSXs in several calibers, but they like a lot of jump and usually cant be pushed as fast because they are longer in length taking up a little more room in the case. About .060 jump is what I use. The just kill everything, DRT. I have a Ruger 77 in 300 Winchester that was always a so-so shooter, 168 TTSXs turned it into a 1 hole rifle! Dave

 

[bozo699]

I like partitions but there to hard and don't expand reliably on thin skinned game that you have mentioned, there much better suited for bear, elk, and moose. I have had excellent results with the 140 grain Nosler accubond bullets for that application in my 7mm-08, one elk, several mule deer, and 13 black bear, and countless coyotes all with excellent performance. Longest coyote 547 yards, closest bear 22 yards.
Wayne.

 

[bheadboy]

Nosler 140 balistictip,mulie collapse outto 350/400 hit properly, the tip is explosive on yotes, the partition will not be as much so and isnot necessary on deer.

lots of experience with this bullet and one shot kills, very accurate.

Bob

 

[PJGunner]

I don't have a 7MM-08 but I do have several rifles in 7x57 Mauser which is really the same thing when the 7x57 is loaded to it's full potential.

I can load a 140 gr. Nosler ballistic Tip to right at 2800 FPS but my luck with that bullet wasn't good. Let me clarify that, it cost me the deer. The hit was at less than 100 yards and I heard the bullet strike bone, probably a rib. The deer took off into a gully and when climbing up to whee I last saw the animal, bad luck struck again. I twisted my right knee literally turning all the cartilage into hamburger. What I think happened is the bullet hit a rib and came unglued. I doubt if much got past the bone even though there was a good show of blood just before the animal disappeared into that gully.
My problem with that bullet is it was an early BT, made when they came in 100 bullet boxes. it is my understanding that the newer version that comes in 50 bullet boxes now has a tougher jacket. Frankly, my thoughts are unless you're going after elk or maybe a Black Bear, you really do not need a pricey premium bullet in either the 7MM-08 or 7x57 for that matter.
I've heard that the Barnes TSX bullets work better at top speed, do for either 7MM inquestion, I'd look at the 120 gr. first, but say that they really are not necessary. The only barnes bullets I've tried so far are the 100 gr. .25 caliber in a .257 Robt. and the 225 gr. TSX in my .35 Whelen. The Whelen literally poleaxed a cow elk last year and she went down so fast she bounced. very impressive. The bullets, both calibers are very accurate in my rifles.
I have picked up some of the 120 and 140 gr. 7MM TSX bullets to try but only if I draw for an elk nest year. Didn't make it again this year. We'll just have to see how they work out.
Paul B.

 

[markr]

Thanks everyone. I have had flawlwss results in my 6.5x257 Roberts AI, in fact it is indeed a P.O. Ackley built rifle from 1968...using the Sierra 125 sp GK by Sierra. I have had very good luck with Sierra bullets and I have never felt the need to use Rolls Royce bullets on thin skinned medium game. I have used Nosler Partitions in a 257 Roberts AI and Swift bullets in a 223 and 22-250 and they all performed great.

 

[shoot4fun]

Best overall bullet for 7MM08 for me has been the Speer 130 BTSP with the Nosler 140 BT right behind it.
The 130 has accounted for a boat load of DRT shots on white tails over the years and the 140 BT brought my antelope down in one shot at 218 yards.

 

[dfry]

One other bullet I've used a lot of is the Speer 145 BTSP or hot core, both good bullets, but the hot core hold it's jacket better.

 

[Troy13]

The 140gr Nosler Partition.

2nd That..Great deer pill..

 

[bozo699]

The 140gr Nosler Partition.

2nd That..Great deer pill..

Maybe where you guy's live the deer are tougher here in Washington and Idaho our deer are thin skinned, if you shoot one with a Partition, Barns X, Swift A Frames, or any other heavy constructed big game bone cruncher bullets you will get a .284 hole on entrance and a .284 hole on exit even if shot through the front shoulders, I shot three different white tail with my 25-06 .257 in .257 out, they died, but only after running a gagillion miles, a inexperienced hunter would have lost all three of them. Changed to a softer Hornady interlock, .257 in huge hole out if it exits at all, usually lodges in opposite shoulder with massive wound channel, just my observations.
Wayne.

 

[Bigame1]

I've taken Deer with the 150 grain Sierra game kings and the 140 Berger hunting VLD and with a load of 41 grains of IMR 4064 Winchester case and CCI 200 at 2850fps. is a devastating load small entrance and baseball size exit. The Berger is designed to enter for about 2-3" and then expand and do it's damage and it does do a very good job ! This is also a very accurate load.

 

[Troy13]

Then try the 140gr Accubond... That will leave a hole. And do like them a bit more than the Partitions. But both are great pills..

quote author=bozo699 link=topic=3767897.msg35967908#msg35967908 date=1309491811]

The 140gr Nosler Partition.

2nd That..Great deer pill..

Maybe where you guy's live the deer are tougher here in Washington and Idaho our deer are thin skinned, if you shoot one with a Partition, Barns X, Swift A Frames, or any other heavy constructed big game bone cruncher bullets you will get a .284 hole on entrance and a .284 hole on exit even if shot through the front shoulders, I shot three different white tail with my 25-06 .257 in .257 out, they died, but only after running a gagillion miles, a inexperienced hunter would have lost all three of them. Changed to a softer Hornady interlock, .257 in huge hole out if it exits at all, usually lodges in opposite shoulder with massive wound channel, just my observations.
Wayne.
[/quote]

 

[bozo699]

Troy,
The Accubond is what I am running in my 7mm-08, it has made reliable kills on everything I have here on my place in the Blue Mountians of S.E Washington State. A very accurate bullet with reliable expansion on the thinnest white tail and heaviest of elk hide and bone, very happy with it My .300 wm that is my dedicated Elk rifle I do use the Nosler Partitions they are a excellent big game bullet, I just have not had good luck with them on thin skinned deer. My other .300wm I have for long range work I use the 210 bergers and they have also proven reliable on all game I have shot with them
Wayne.

 

[kyreloader]

For the ranges that you specify, I think you would have trouble finding a better bullet than the 120g Nosler Ballistic Tip. The 120s have a beefed up jacket and if under 400 yard shots, you lose very little ballistically to the 140g class bullets.

I recently loaded a Model 7 in 7/08 for a friend and the 120g NBT over IMR8208XBR is what we loaded. Hopefully, we will have good reports in November.

 

[jcampbellsmith]

..... Changed to a softer Hornady interlock, .257 in huge hole out if it exits at all, usually lodges in opposite shoulder with massive wound channel, just my observations.
Wayne.

+1 on these. I recommend the http://www.hornady.com/store/7mm-.284-139-gr-SP/
I use the 129 gr equivalent in my 260 Rem and they account for about a deer a week.
Regards JCS

 

[swampshooter]

I've been shooting deer for 35 years with a 7x57 loaded hot to around 2800fps. Favorite bullets are the 139 gr. Hornady on up to the 150 gr. Sierra Game king and all cup and core 140's and 145's in between, except the Nosler partition. I love the larger caliber partitions on bears, elk and moose but you don't need them on deer and they will not improve killing power on deer, might if anything decrease bullet wound size on deer. Just find a bullet in that range that shoots well in your rifle and don't fall for all the advertising hype. You don't need fancy tips, or all copper bullets or anything else. The standard spitzers from Hornady, Speer, Sierra, Winchester, Remington , Federal, or Norma will all do a good job. These bullets will also, each and every one, do a bang-up job on coyotes also. It's not rocket science, don't over complicate it. Deer, even big ones, are not hard to kill if you hit them anywhere near correctly.

 

[bozo699]

Your spot on Swampshooter
Wayne.

 

[olympian]

The 140gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip is wonderful in a 7-08 up to and including mule deer.