7mm-08 and monometals - GMX, TSX, etc

Don't get to caught up with speed...I've been a 7-08 fan since the early 80's and the one thing you're going to notice is this cartridge just seems to put down animals way better than you think it will.

Also regular old cup and core bullets in the 140gr range are a thumbs up with IMR 4064, 140 TSX and TTSX with 42.5 of Varget don't seem to do anything better!....:)
 
I use the 120gr TTSX, would have to check my book for what powder though. I was getting 3125fps with 22" barrel and I don't believe that was a max load or had pressure signs. I haven't chrono'd it since I chopped 2" off the barrel.

I reload the 120 TTSX for the wifes 7mm-08 to 3050fps. It will be what we use to get her moose this year.
 
That's what I do as well, not for the wife though. 120gr TTSX with 42gr H4895. Have no chrono so cannot talk about speed but it gives me good accuracy.
 
seriously, the 140gr woodleigh is the best ever for the 7mm-08 !

if i were u an must had mono 120ttsx

edit to add that a while ago my cuz used 140gr ttsx in the 708, in the dirt the petals stripped off an left alot of shank, i felt they were proberly too hard to be consistant on the deer i shoot an in the circumstances they get shot. hence the 120 being the ducks nutz
 
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seriously, the 140gr woodleigh is the best ever for the 7mm-08 !

if i were u an must had mono 120ttsx

edit to add that a while ago my cuz used 140gr ttsx in the 708, in the dirt the petals stripped off an left alot of shank, i felt they were proberly too hard to be consistant on the deer i shoot an in the circumstances they get shot. hence the 120 being the ducks nutz

Have you actually used the 120tsx or are you just assuming that the performance would be better due to the higher velocity capable with a lighter projectile?

I have heard good things about Woodleigh bullets. Might look at them if I don't like the 139gr GMX for whatever reason.
 
I'm not saying that the 120 grn bullets won't do the job, but a 140 grn bullet will do it better, simply because the bullet will penetrate all the way through both sides on a boiler room shot, right out to 300 yds on a moose

My buddy shot a moose at 300y with 120gr TTSX @ 2950 fps from his 7mm08. Through and through on a broadside lung shot, moose didn't go a step

sMKFqyB.jpg
 
Have you actually used the 120tsx or are you just assuming that the performance would be better due to the higher velocity capable with a lighter projectile?

I have heard good things about Woodleigh bullets. Might look at them if I don't like the 139gr GMX for whatever reason.

im assuming that the 120 ttsx would perform as the 270 130gr ttsx does out of the 270, or similiar to the 130gr TTSX out of the 30 cal which i seen used on Sambar.. held all its weight an punched beyond the fur.... typically because the little 7 cannot punch the 140gr weight reliably near 3000 fps. i tend to load lead jacket or premium bond for rifles on that edge of velocity, i encounter deer real close an real far, an would prefer to hve someting hold up close an fast, an rely on my placement out yonder there.

i guess i am speaking in terms of elk, not moose, so there is little reason the 140gr ttsx wont come up enough resistance to expand and penetrate with more emphasis on the penetrate?

someone mentioned the Woodleigh behaving similiar to the Accubond but being a bit softer in the front...... thats about where i'd put it too..... perfect mushrooms an alot of shank left even in say 30-06 with 150gr PPSN.......

the trick with the TTSX has always bee speed, right across the Calibre range, it would be no exception that the 120ttsx goin closer to 3000fps would be more consistantly covering the bases of expansion an penetration thus creating devestating wound chanel, as opposed to the front 2mm peeling back and sending on through to the nearest Aspen tree


the TTSX are just too expensive here, an our minimum weight for Deer cartridges is 130gr and or .277 for the big deer..... so (120gr) kinda useless to me.
 
My buddy shot a moose at 300y with 120gr TTSX @ 2950 fps from his 7mm08. Through and through on a broadside lung shot, moose didn't go a step

sMKFqyB.jpg

I wouldn't have attempted that shot with that bullet.

I load it for my grandson's 7-08 and it works well on deer out to 350 yards.

Did the bullet that took down the Moose hit a rib?

I load my 7x57, with the 140 gr bullets to the same velocity,
 
I wouldn't have attempted that shot with that bullet.

I load it for my grandson's 7-08 and it works well on deer out to 350 yards.

Did the bullet that took down the Moose hit a rib?

I load my 7x57, with the 140 gr bullets to the same velocity,

I wasn't on scene, nor did I inspect the hanging carcass. It would of had around 2250 fps impact speed at 300y, certainly enough to make that TTSX expand nicely, and even make an exit hole
 
The 120 ttsx is longer than most traditional 140 gr bullets, can be driven faster then the 140's, would likely outpenetrate them too.
 
The 120 ttsx is longer than most traditional 140 gr bullets, can be driven faster then the 140's, would likely outpenetrate them too.

^^^This^^^.

I’d use 120’s out of a 7-08 with complete confidence. In fact I’d argue that 140’s would be more likely to give issues at extended range due to less velocity to encourage expansion.
 
^^^This^^^.

I’d use 120’s out of a 7-08 with complete confidence. In fact I’d argue that 140’s would be more likely to give issues at extended range due to less velocity to encourage expansion.

You would lose that argument. I've never been able to recover 140 grn. even at 300+ yards they fully penetrate and leave a 3/4in exit hole
 
I wasn't on scene, nor did I inspect the hanging carcass. It would of had around 2250 fps impact speed at 300y, certainly enough to make that TTSX expand nicely, and even make an exit hole

Like I mentioned, I have no doubt the 120gr ttsx would kill even larger animals. I just don't like to cut things that close.

I know a fellow that doesn't think twice about shooting Elk/Moose with a 243win. He fully understands the parameters of his rifle/cartridge and does't try to extend them.

Keep in mind, one offs aren't the norm and next time someone just may have a sick feeling when everything goes awry
 
You would lose that argument. I've never been able to recover 140 grn. even at 300+ yards they fully penetrate and leave a 3/4in exit hole

Well I guess I didn’t literally mean I’d argue the point. I’ve only ever recovered one mono shot from a 223 and it went north to south on a Whitetail buck. My point in reference to the 120 in the 7-08 is it is essentially a replacement for a 140 cup and core. Using the 140TTSX in the 7-08 is more like using a 150-160 gr cup and core. The potential issues I referenced about the 140 from the 7-08 was a potential lack of expansion as ranges stretch out a bit farther, but penetration won’t likely be a problem.
 
How about you leave the mono metals for the whizz bangers and stick with projectiles that are more suited for 7/08 velocities. ;)

A decent 140 or 150 projectile for the 7/08 is where the chambering shines, and closer to the 140's exclusively.

Lighter than that , after a bit of distance the bullets will not hold velocity, higher than that , they don't get propelled fast enough to be practical.Target bullets is another discussion.

140gr Nosler partition is soft enough it will expand at quite the range of velocities and still hold together , is a very good all round choice.There is also the LRAB if you want a bit higher BC and have a wider range of velocities for tip expansion, but it is a 150gr.I do have a hunting load with 150gr Swift Sciroccos, quite similar to Accubond mechanics, it's loaded to 2750 ft/sec and works wonders.

I'd err on the side of being too fragile than too stout of a projectile and IMO the mono metals leave the least room for error.

You will almost always see the 7/08 perform best with 140's in the 2800-2860ish, ft/sec range in factory twists.
 
^ BH dosen't know. He has a script to play by.

You're still a whiner??

I've built and shot the 7-08 out of rifles long before it was standardized for commercial production. My first one was built on a Mexican small ring mod 1910 Mauser, which I set back the barrel and chambered it to the wildcat 7-08. Not my idea of course, but it was a great concept with all sorts of potential.

As for monolithic bullet designs, you don't really believe you're the only one that understands the concept???
 
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