7mm-08 Fans

[Firehawk54]

I have been using a 7-08 for several years now. We have two in the house with another likely to be purchased in the next year.

Last year my oldest son who was 14 years old used his little browning a bolt he earned getting his Eagle Scout award, to harvest his firsts. First big game animal ever, small antelope doe with one shot at 240 yards with a 140 ballistic tip pushed by Verget. Next was his first deer, a nice 22" 4x3 muley buck at 477 yards with a 140 Accubond and then his first elk. A cow at 360 yards with a 140 Accubond. All handloads he built with me.

I also harvested an antelope with my model 70 7-08 with a 140 ballistic tip at 421 yards. My rifle has also accounted for three deer, one with a 140 ballistic tip and two with 139 grain Hornady SP. All clean one shot harvests.

My experience has led me to believe Varget was designed specifically for the 7-08 cartridge. Maybe not, but results in our two rifles as well as two friends' rifles leads me to believe it is hard to go wrong with Varget.

Have fun with your awesome little cartridge.

FH

 

[I make oil]

I have two 7mm 08 and I agree with Firehawk on the Varget. As far as bullets I used to shoot the ballistic tips but have switched to Partitions due to the mess the ballistic tips make. I just find they damage to much meat and don't exit well even on thin skinned deer. IMO/IME the 140 gr Nosler Partition is one of the most effective bullets you can shoot out of a 7mm 08. They offer good controlled expansion, hold together well and usually exit giving a good blood trail.

 

[sbhooper]

If you switch from the BT to Partitions or Accubonds, your search for a bullet will be over. One load will do everything that you want without wondering about how the bullet will perform. That caliber will do all that you want.

 

[Rancho Loco]

150 BT is not a grenade..

 

[2rocky]

I attached a trajectory chart for the 140 Trophy bonded vs 120 grain fusion from Federal.

Not enough difference that I would bother looking at a light bullet.

Go 140 grain premium bullet that shoots best and think about other things..

 

[I make oil]

This small buck was shot with a 140 gr Nosler BT out of a 7mm 08. The small hole is the entrance, there was no exit and then the damage under the skin. This is why I don't shoot BT's at big game anymore.

 

[WapitiBob]

IMO/E, hard to go wrong with the 140 accubond in the 7-08.

Kills well on everything from antelope to elk.

+2
Check with Randy also, I believe he too uses the 7-08 exclusively.


I would go light for caliber if going Barnes, ie 120gr. I use 140's out of an STW.

 

[Tjay]

I make oil
Was that a early BT or one of the newer improved BTs? I ask because I have some 150 BTs, newer version, loaded for my 7-08.

 

[Firehawk54]

FWIW, our two antelope shot with ballistic tips last year and a small multie doe shot a few years back, all had nice exit holes about the size of a golf ball, maybe a touch bigger. They were all shot at 240-421 yards though. Nothing close. Won't hesitate on deer or antelope again. was real impressed with the Accubond on the elk too. Lots of good choices.

 

[Gunner46]

Yeah, no. The 150 BT's I've used have never done meat damage such as that, except when I hit square on the shoulder. Usually a nice silver dollar size exit, and a wound channel about the size of a tennis ball.

Did a little range work today with the 120 Barnes TSX. RL-15, Varget, and 4064. Velocities ranged from 2950 to almost 3100. It seems to Ying & Yang in harmony around 3050. A couple groups under 3/4", all under 1". Needs some tweaking.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Was looking back over this post and realized my post was a mess. When I said 4631 I meant 4831 which is one of my favorite powders in my 270. What I use in my 708 is 4064. Sorry for the screw up.

I have heard great things about rl 15, are the velocities some people talk about true?

 

[Southwind]

A bullet that has worked well for me last couple of years has been the Barnes 145 lrx. Not in an 08 but in 7mm rem mag. Might be worth consideration.

 

[I make oil]

Tjay it was a newer 140 not a 150. I've never shot 150's out of my 7mm08's. I've read that they are a tougher bullet. This deer was close only around 30 yards. That might have been part of what caused the damage. I shoot Partitions when hunting now. I still shoot the BT's at the range because they are much cheaper and group exactly like Partitions out of my guns. I need a tough bullet that will hold together. There are lots of pigs where I hunt and I never know what I will be shooting next. Here is a pig shot with a Partition. Held together very well, nice clean wound channel, good exit, not to much damaged meat and died within a few feet. This picture shows the exit. She had a bunch of little ones with her and I was able to take a few. Most where blown apart one wasn't to bad. It was also shot around 30 yards.

I hunt in thick stuff usually but sometimes when I hunt over the marsh I can have extremely long shots. I need a bullet that can do it all.

 

[BuzzH]

For the second time, with pictures...

The 140 and 160 accubonds are going to "do it all"...for you. Fairly good bc's for the longer shots, hold together as well as a partition, and a bit cheaper.

Entrance side on a mature cow elk with a 140 out of the 7-08 at 238 yards:..mv 2850.

Same elk exit side:

Same elk with the hide removed on the exit side:

Recovered bullet from a 6 point bull shot with the 140's at 487 yards with 7-08 same particulars as above. Bullet was under the skin of the off-side after breaking shoulder:

160's from 7 RM have performed the same.

Raghorn bull I shot at 25 yards with the 160 accubond, mv 2970:

Not much damage...considering the MV and distance, this is the exit side:

Cow shot at 240 yards with the 160 accubond, again 2970 FPS from 7 RM. Nearly identical performance as the shot at 25 yards. Exit side:

I've shot many pronghorn/deer sized animals with both the 140's and 160's, never had a problem with excessive meat damage, and have recovered very few bullets. Sure, you pound a shoulder, theres meat damage, name me a bullet that doesn't when solid bone is hit?

No reason to make this difficult, assuming the AB's will shoot well out of your 7's.

My rifles shoot AB's fairly well, 7RM, 3 shot group at 300 yards with 160's:

7-08 at 200 yards 140's:

 

[Straight Arrow]

Nice shooting, Buzz ... in the field, as well as on paper!

 

[Gunner46]

Buzz, which powder were you using with the 140's ? I'd ask about the 7 RM, but my Weatherby absolutely Loves H4831 with 160's. Getting almost the exact same velocity (+10 fps).

 

[BuzzH]

Gunner46, 43.0 grains varget.

I may switch to rl19 in my rifle...shoots over 2900 fps with the 140's.

Accuracy was promising, first, and last 5 shot group I shot with it at 100 yards. Didn't have enough rl19 on hand to continue loading it, but I got some more now. Going to try the RL19 in different temps, ranges to see if this holds up. Varget has proven itself to be accurate out of my rifle from below zero to 85 degrees over ranges up to 700.

 

[1_pointer]

FWIW, R19 has a reputation for being much more sensitive to temperature than Varget. Be interesting to hear what results you get if you test it. Do you get temperature swings there?

 

[jryoung]

FWIW, R19 has a reputation for being much more sensitive to temperature than Varget. Be interesting to hear what results you get if you test it. Do you get temperature swings there?

I thought 19 wasn't as bad as some of the others? I ended up tossing all my 22 in the garden, hunting in CA when it can be pushing triple digits to Montana when it can be no digits wasn't worth the inconsistency.

 

[1_pointer]

I thought 19 wasn't as bad as some of the others? I ended up tossing all my 22 in the garden, hunting in CA when it can be pushing triple digits to Montana when it can be no digits wasn't worth the inconsistency.

Dunno, just recall reading about it's sensitivity, which could very well be better than 22.