What hunting bullet for a 7-08?

[lurcher]

I have used 140 ballistic tips and flat base 140 sierra prohunters, both worked well

 

[dennisinaz]

I have killed 50 or so head of various game with the 7-08 and several hundred coyotes. My least favorite bullet by a large margin is the 120 Ballistic tip. For hunting big game, my favorite is the 154 Hornady SP; with that bullet, I have killed deer, bears and bull elk. It is a great bullet. My second favorite is the 150 Partition which really isn't any better but more expensive.

I killed most of my coyotes with a 110 TnT. I killed a number of them with the 120 BT. I currently do not have one, if I did, the first bullet I would use is the 154 Hornady and IF I ever went to shooing coyotes with it again, I would look at the lighter Amax bullets. Can't see any reason to use the much more expensive ballistic tips unless you are pushing above 3400 fps where the solid base helps keep them together while in flight. My only knock on the 110s is that they are harder to load being flat bases.

 

[kj]

Barnes triple shocks does pretty well

 

[PJGunner]

Barnes triple shocks does pretty well

I'm thinking of trying them in my 7x57. When I considered the 7-08 vs the 7x57, I figured I could warm up the 7x57 to at least 7-08 levels and maybe a hair more. Currently, I'm pushing early 140 gr. Nosler ballistic Tips to a bit over 2800 FPS. The early ones that came in 100 round boxes are just a bit too fragile to my notion. In over 50 years of deer hunting, I've only lost two. One back around 1973 because, as I later learned, the factory ammo was doing something like 300 FPS slower than advertised. I compared it with current ammo (same cartridge and bullet weight) and it too was almost 300 FPS slower than advertised. The second was with the Nosler BT and the bullet literally blew up on a rib. I don't think any part of that bullet got deep enough inside to bring about a swift death. The deer, FWIW was a fairly big Mule Deer.
I think that if I were to go with a 7-08, I'd like one of the little Mannlicher stocked Rugers. I have three in .308 (don't ask) and I love them to pieces. One has a slightly thicker stock in the forearm and I have a spare M77 in .358 Win. As Ruger refuses to make an RSI in .358, I figure I'll make my own. 8)
What I may do with my 7x57 though is I fell into a good deal on 6 boxes of Nosler 150 gr. Partitions for $10 a box. I also got 5 boxes of 150 gr. Nosler PT's in .270 for $10 a box, 5 boxes of 120 gr. Barnes TSX and 5 boxes of 140 gr 140 gr. 7MM TSX for $15 a box. Here I'd planned on finding a new rifle to play with and shot my whole money supply on those bullets. ;D 8)
Probably the best investment I've made in some time.
Paul b.

 

[PepeLp]

I've used a 120gr. Barnes TSX on deer and elk. All the bullets exited. On the elk (6x6), the bullet broke both shoulders.

 

[bozo699]

I've used a 120gr. Barnes TSX on deer and elk. All the bullets exited. On the elk (6x6), the bullet broke both shoulders.

Amazing!!

 

[mattri]

PepeLp, I've been considering a 6.5/7mm for elk. What range was that shot at appr?

 

[PepeLp]

It was shot at 200 yards. Starting velocity was 3,050 fps.

My son shot a mule deer at 250 yards with an 85gr. TSX out of a .243. It shattered both shoulders and exited. We've had good luck with the TSX.

 

[Longshooter70]

+1 with the 85gr TSX in 243. I shot a big doe this year at 188 yards. The bullet broke both shoulders and exited. She dropped on the spot. Very good bullets!

John

 

[ChrisNZ]

The light TTSX 7mm version (110gr) has impressive penetration as well. A sika I shot two weeks ago had both shoulders broken and an inch exit wound. Needless it to say, it only travelled vertically..

The next one ( a bigger stag) suffered the same fate with a centre shoulder hit. DRT.

Chris-NZ

 

[bheadboy]

you have a lot of good advice, but i feel i should add mine,

The 7-08 with a 140 sbt out to 250-300yd is all you need on a Mule size deer, beyond that 140 nos bt, has a better bc and holds up well, these two are good deer killers with one shot history for me and my 2 sons and another friend all loaded to about 2850-2900 depending on the bbl length etc.

for Elk i do not believe the BT is a good idea, the 150-160 sgk is great as well as the nosler 150 partitions and other heavier construction bullets.

FWIW i just recently built a 7-08AI and it makes a world of difference

B ob

 

[.260 james]

I have had good luck with 140 Gr, nosler bts for deer, I shot them out of a 7 mm br, xp 100. but even at a much reduced velocity the bullets perfomed perfectly well. I also have my fathers old M77 In 7x57 , and i have only killed one animal with it, using 150 gr remington core lokts. One shot on dead bull elk. bullet penetrated from last rib on right side to just in side the left front shoulder , poor bull stumbled about 75 yds. straight downhill and tipped over in a rockpile. 150 core lokts aint the highest BC. bullet or the fanciest, but the shoot great outta this gun ( 1-1.5 in. @ 200 off a bipod ), performed as well as high dollar bullets and are cheap .

 

[REELDOC]

Anyone have a load for a Nosler Ballistic Tip 140gr. to be used in a Model 7?

 

[BigDMT]

140gr Berger VLD gets my vote

 

[bozo699]

Anyone have a load for a Nosler Ballistic Tip 140gr. to be used in a Model 7?

REELDOC,
No one can give you a recipe for a given rifle as they are all different, but I have had good luck with 140 Nosler Ballistic tip and Accubonds with Varget powder, Norma brass, best of luck to you
Wayne.

 

[ChrisNZ]

I think you meant recipe for a -random- rifle Wayne.
I found out the other day though a load that was OK in an apparently identical T3 was too hot in mine

cheers
Chris-NZ

 

[bozo699]

I think you meant recipe for a -random- rifle Wayne.
I found out the other day though a load that was OK is an apparently identical T3 was too hot in mine

cheers
Chris-NZ

Okay random it is
Wayne.

 

[XTR]

I use a lot of Varget in my 308s, but I've read that in the 708 if you are trying to push the heavier pills you should try 4350 to get your max MV w/o blowing primers.

 

[tgonza]

My 10 year old grandson killed a big 6x6 bull elk with a 7mm-08 TC Encore in October, 2011. I used the 150 grain Remington Accupoint with 32 grains of Benchmark. I think these bullets are similar or the same as the Nosler Ballistic Tips. The rut was late this year and the elk was coming in and stopped at about 100 yards. He hit it right below the neck and it ran 50 yards and piled up. It was quartering towards him and the bullet went into the top of the lungs and caused significant damage to the shoulder. I don't think I would have used it on a bull elk hunt. I probably would have used my 7mm mag. However, he is a slim kid and was able to handle the gun well. A bigger rifle might have not have resulted in a clean kill. I later killed a spike elk on a cow/spike hunt with the same rifle and load. I hit it at 265 yards in the same place my grandson did and it caused significant damage, as well. He took two steps and dropped dead. I'm not advocating this type of load and bullet for all elk hunting, but practice and shot placement are very important in any hunt. I know guys who hardly practice, use a 30-06 with big bullets and end up missing or wounding animals as a result.

 

[XTR]

Zombie thread alert....

I got to looking at my powder shelf and wondering what to do with that left over 2000MR that I have from when I tried it a while back in my F-TR rifles. Great velocity from the stuff, just not consistent enough not to get you 3 or 4, usually high, in the 9-ring at 1000 yards over the course of a match...

hmmm, at hunting distances those velocity fluctuations don't matter so much.

Well, low and behold I've got a rather nice ½MOA load (200 yds) with 140 Accubonds running a little north of 2900FPS. I think as of now my 7-08 is pretty well sorted. (Now I have to wait 3/4 of the yr for deer season to come back)

I don't know how that combo will work in other rifles, mine is set up so that I'm seating the bullets to about 2.926 OAL, that is pretty close to .080 longer than a standard Remington 700 internal mag.