I have a Savage Axis in 7mm-08, my question is this: what do you out there in rifle land feel is the maximum effective range. By effective I mean with proper bullet placement you get a bang flop. Now for myself taking my current skill level into account I wouldn't shoot beyond 100-150yds but that is for me. I'm asking about cartridge itself
Maximum effective range
- Thread starter Albertarookie
- Start date
A 7mm bullet would penetrate far enough to pierce a deer heart at probably only 500 feet per second or do, which would mean the cartridge could in theory kill at well beyond 1000 yards, obviously the limit is the equipment and the shooter, and obviously a larger margin is deseriable energy wise if game is to be taken at long range. Generally hunting bullets suitable for the 7mm-08 don't expand well under 1800 fps, type your load into a ballistics calc and see what the theoretical max range is.
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Bang flops are not guaranteed at any range with any chambering unless you hit the CNS. A proper lung shot will quickly dispatch an animal, but will rarely cause a "bang-flop". My point is that you shouldn't equate bang-flops with effectiveness.
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
An effective kill shot won't be much further or closer than almost any other average SA cartridge out there.
I have seen 140gr bullets out of a 7-08 do exactly what they were intended to beyond 400 yards.Which would be the same for most chamberings out there.That being said , the effective range of any given chambering is almost always much further than the shooters abilities.
I'd say the cartridge itself on let's say whitetail deer with a decent quality bullet would be 550-600ish yards if it in the vitals, not a bang flop scenario.This is just my opinion no scientific studies.
I have seen 140gr bullets out of a 7-08 do exactly what they were intended to beyond 400 yards.Which would be the same for most chamberings out there.That being said , the effective range of any given chambering is almost always much further than the shooters abilities.
I'd say the cartridge itself on let's say whitetail deer with a decent quality bullet would be 550-600ish yards if it in the vitals, not a bang flop scenario.This is just my opinion no scientific studies.
I'd say with a proper bullet, you are good to minimum impact velocities of around 1400 fps.....Haven't ran the numbers on your cartridge but I'd guess 700-800 yards. At long range it becomes all about the bullet. Maybe not a bang flop but definitely deadly.
I agree that the effectiveness of any cartridge is no more than the abilities of the shooter. That is why I stated I personally wouldn't take a shot beyond 150yds and only then if the target was standing or a slow walk. As far as a bang flop scenario I guess that wasn't the best way to equate effectiveness. I will change that up to say a humane kill in the vitals. I know I personally would take a heart and lung shot over gambling on a back or neck breaker
Pick a bullet, look at its effective velocity envelope and you'll have your answer.
alberta_outdoors
Regular
- Location
- Fairview, Alberta
The first moose I shot with my 7-08 was just over 350yds. 140gr winchester power point. It didn't go 20yds. The calibre is better by far than I am.
The maximum effective range of virtually all modern centerfire rifle calibers is governed more by the guy squeezing the trigger than by the actual round itself.A 7mm-08 will kill an animal at substantial ranges based on bullet velocity and energy of many 100's of yards.But a shooter has to be able to put that bullet into the boiler room on a consistent basis at a given range in order to make a clean kill.I've known many guys who said they could shoot this or that at ranges of anywhere up to 500 yards plus.But when push came to shove just about all of these guys couldn't tell the difference between 200 yards versus 300-400 or more until they paced it off.
Only bang drop I have ever seen was an accidental headshot. On the other hand I have seen more then one whitetail shot, run 150/200 yrds before going down. On the dress the hearts were mush.
I think bang flops are as much a matter of chance as they are the bullet and the shooter doing their job.
Probably going to get ridiculed for this but on the Hornady website there is something called the "HITS" calculator". You can input your info (impact velocity instead of muzzle) and it will tell you whether or not in their opinion the round is suitable for what your asking of it.
I think bang flops are as much a matter of chance as they are the bullet and the shooter doing their job.
Probably going to get ridiculed for this but on the Hornady website there is something called the "HITS" calculator". You can input your info (impact velocity instead of muzzle) and it will tell you whether or not in their opinion the round is suitable for what your asking of it.
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Not sure why you'd get ridiculed.....If you remove the human factor, maximum range is all about bullet design and impact velocity.
Maximum range is all about the shooter, not the rifle. Good for you for limiting yourself to 150 yards. I shoot a lot and the longest shot that I have taken at an animal was 250 yards, and that was with a solid rest. Practice a lot and you will see how far you can consistently shoot.
I've shot a couple of pretty good sized deer at right around 350 yards with a 308 with a 150 gr ballistic tip that killed them very quickly.
That's my max range, in both cases I paced them off after and was a bit surprised they were that far away, my estimate in my head for both was under 300, if I had been wrong by another 50 or 75 yards I would have missed the centre mass on both.
All my life I have paced off golf shots so under 225 yards I am excellent at estimating distance, beyond how far I can hit a 3 wood not so much.
That's my max range, in both cases I paced them off after and was a bit surprised they were that far away, my estimate in my head for both was under 300, if I had been wrong by another 50 or 75 yards I would have missed the centre mass on both.
All my life I have paced off golf shots so under 225 yards I am excellent at estimating distance, beyond how far I can hit a 3 wood not so much.
Think the OP was curious what the max range for the cartridge was. Seems he already knew his max range as a shooter. Knowing the max range of a cartridge/bullet is a useful exercise too as in some cases it may be less than that of the shooter. I've got a few chamberings that the max range is limited by that of the cartridge/bullet and not my ability. In other cases, I'm the limiting factor. It's important to understand both.
If the bang flop is an essential effect, its impossible to give a straight answer. I've had 2/3 deer shot with my 300WM at 175 yards or less bang flop, but the one that I shot right through the heart let out an awefull holler and ran 30-40 yards.
My two longest shots were at 450ish, conditions were good otherwise I try to limit myself to 300-. I own a few rifles that are good to 1,000+, however I am not as good as the rifles, and I don't hunt from my target bench.
I have taken moose with my short barrelled 7mm08 at 300 yards, give or take 20 yards, with partitions, just as dead and as quick as with any supershortultrawhizbangwbyrumrcmrsauwsm AI Imp40 über caliber.
