7mm-08 Plinking 140 gr – Berger VLD Hunting or Sierra HPBT Game King?

[RonR]

7mm-08 Plinking 140 gr – Berger VLD Hunting or Sierra HPBT Game King?

Looking for some experience on a choice of bullet for plinking....

The aim is to eventually develop hunting loads with Nosler bullets, but for now we will be reloading for some fire forming and trigger time for my son and his rifle. We’ve tried SST’s but were not impressed with the hunting results at all so not looking to send them down the barrel at this point. Looking to try other bullets to gain some experience at the range with our rifles and other bullet combinations.

Based on the threads I have read, and especially EagleEye’s comments on the VLD, the VLD is not recommended for hunting with other choices available. Seems the construction is similar to SST and I don’t want that for sure. However the bullets seem to be accurate.

These are the questions I have.
1. I haven’t read much about Sierra’s hunting bullets in the reloading section. Is the GK a cup and core bullet? The information on the Sierra site was not clear for me. The price is not that much different per 100 over the VLD hunting.
2. Has anyone used the GK HPBT for hunting? If there is positive feedback, we may try and develop a load to try in the field.
3. Which would you use/recommend in this situation? VLD or HPBT Game King? <<< for range time only.
4. If the recommendation is VLD’s, what distance off the lands worked for you? ( I know every rifle and combination is unique but darn it, I can’t find the thread/good enough thread capturing the uniqueness of the VLD. I know mono bullets like a bit of jump and I believe the VLDs prefer to be closer.)
5. If there is another tipped or HP bullet to try for plinking that’s easy on the pocket book then feel free to share.

Of note the following
- We are novice reloaders, about a year under our belts with good success. Getting deeper into this with every loading session.
- Trying to keep trigger time and reloading of interest to my son who’s 16 therefore seeing accuracy improvements at the range is extremely beneficial. Having a few different tips to look at and launch in one session also helps.
- VLD’s are local on the shelf in Saskatoon, Sierra’s HPBT’s in 140 are a mail order
- Varget is the powder we have on hand, and at this point don’t want to introduce another variable. One powder, same charges with different bullets and compare differences.
- The difference in cost between either bullet outlined above is not concerning...but the amount of range time this spring/summer with my son is We'll have to keep it to one projectile or the other.

Thanks for your time.
Regards
Ron

 

[hometownhero]

For cheaper plinking bullets use 139gr interlock. I am shooting them with a case full of h4350 with amazing results and very good speed numbers.

Where is Sk are you located??

 

[RonR]

Saskatoon. Waiting for news on the new Swf range.

 

[hometownhero]

Sent you a pm

 

[Kelly Timoffee]

I would go with Sierra , their profile is much more forgiving than the VLD , the VLD bullets are sometimes extremely fussy.

Load the GK bullets to the mag length required, do your load development and pick a winner.

There are cheaper options also if that is a factor.

 

[ackertjosh]

i shoot the 160gr Sierra GK in my 7mm-08. Accuracy wise i have never had an issue. they have the SPBT and HPBT. Point of impact is the same out to 300. i find the HPBT to be a little bit tougher as well which works good. i use the HPBT for plinking and anything upto deer.(but wouldnt hesitate to use it on moose) and got thr HPBT for deer/moose combo. like i said. its nice there is no change in the point of impact but i found the HPBT to be a bit tougher when shot into 5 gal pales of water.

on a side note.. A friend of mine on here is trying to sell his 162gr Hornady ELD match bullets... 200 for 100 bucks...

Cheers

 

[galamb]

Bergers are a little pricey for "plinking".

I have used GK HPBT's for deer hunting, but with my 243, not my 7.08 (which I use for moose).

Although you say you don't like the SST's for hunting, the "almost the same" Ballistic Tips fly pretty much the same as the Accubonds, so if you are looking to develop and dial in a load you can shoot the lower cost BT's at the range and then hunt with the Accubonds.

For my 7.08 I load either Partitions or A-Frames for hunting. The rifle was dialed in with SST's (I get free stuff from my Hornady rep) and took almost "no fiddling" to adjust for either of the partition style bullets (at least out to typical hunting ranges of 300 yards or less).

Unless you are really "pushing the envelope", if you stick with the same weight (say 140 grains), in a "hunting rifle", you won't see a great deal of change in the impact point. Most Whitetails are taken at 100 yards or less, and at that range I really doesn't matter a great deal what you hit them with - they will go down...

 

[Prairie Plinker]

Although you say you don't like the SST's for hunting, the "almost the same" Ballistic Tips fly pretty much the same as the Accubonds, so if you are looking to develop and dial in a load you can shoot the lower cost BT's at the range and then hunt with the Accubonds.

For my 7.08 I load either Partitions or A-Frames for hunting. The rifle was dialed in with SST's (I get free stuff from my Hornady rep) and took almost "no fiddling" to adjust for either of the partition style bullets (at least out to typical hunting ranges of 300 yards or less).

Unless you are really "pushing the envelope", if you stick with the same weight (say 140 grains), in a "hunting rifle", you won't see a great deal of change in the impact point. Most Whitetails are taken at 100 yards or less, and at that range I really doesn't matter a great deal what you hit them with - they will go down...

Beat me to it! Load up some Ballistic Tips for range time and practice, Accubonds for hunting as they seem to fly the same. My go-to bullet for my 7mm-08 is a 140gr Partition for what it's worth.

 

[RonR]

I would go with Sierra , their profile is much more forgiving than the VLD , the VLD bullets are sometimes extremely fussy.

Load the GK bullets to the mag length required, do your load development and pick a winner.

There are cheaper options also if that is a factor.

Thanks for weighing in...I was hoping you were going to respond. It's loaded with experience that I am going to follow.

Thanks Kelly,
Ron

 

[RonR]

i shoot the 160gr Sierra GK in my 7mm-08. Accuracy wise i have never had an issue. they have the SPBT and HPBT. Point of impact is the same out to 300. i find the HPBT to be a little bit tougher as well which works good. i use the HPBT for plinking and anything upto deer.(but wouldnt hesitate to use it on moose) and got thr HPBT for deer/moose combo. like i said. its nice there is no change in the point of impact but i found the HPBT to be a bit tougher when shot into 5 gal pales of water.

on a side note.. A friend of mine on here is trying to sell his 162gr Hornady ELD match bullets... 200 for 100 bucks...

Cheers

That's what I was looking for and thanks for reading closely. Game kings have worked for someone and that makes range time with these bullets somewhat more meaningful.

If your friend had 140's I would follow up...but the 162's is a weight I don't want to dabble in...yet.

Much obliged.

Regards
Ron

 

[RonR]

Bergers are a little pricey for "plinking".

I have used GK HPBT's for deer hunting, but with my 243, not my 7.08 (which I use for moose).

Although you say you don't like the SST's for hunting, the "almost the same" Ballistic Tips fly pretty much the same as the Accubonds, so if you are looking to develop and dial in a load you can shoot the lower cost BT's at the range and then hunt with the Accubonds.

For my 7.08 I load either Partitions or A-Frames for hunting. The rifle was dialed in with SST's (I get free stuff from my Hornady rep) and took almost "no fiddling" to adjust for either of the partition style bullets (at least out to typical hunting ranges of 300 yards or less).

Unless you are really "pushing the envelope", if you stick with the same weight (say 140 grains), in a "hunting rifle", you won't see a great deal of change in the impact point. Most Whitetails are taken at 100 yards or less, and at that range I really doesn't matter a great deal what you hit them with - they will go down...

BT's followed by Accubonds is exactly the path that's charted. I have BT's already but looking at the availability of the Accubonds I am getting concerned about whether there will be any by hunting season.

Good to know you use 7/08 for moose.

2 x boxes of 50 BT's is almost the same as a box of 100 VLDs, at least here.

SST's just didn't have the penetration for us. My son harvested his deer but damage results weren't convincing. My longer shot seemed to provide superficial damage and that buck never got harvested...something that still bothers me. Ergo the Accubond as noted.

We want a selection of bullets to burn at the range to keep the interest up for my son. There's 2 sides to spending time at the range for us this year...either something that is head and shoulders surprising for accuracy or something that can be used for hunting if availability is not there for what we want in the fall.

True, our shots here historically have been around the 100 yd mark but we are making shots up to 300 especially after reloading

Appreciate the response.

Regards
Ron

 

[RonR]

Beat me to it! Load up some Ballistic Tips for range time and practice, Accubonds for hunting as they seem to fly the same. My go-to bullet for my 7mm-08 is a 140gr Partition for what it's worth.

As stated above...exactly the plan.

Much obliged!

Regards
Ron

 

[wilbar]

I was going to second the 139 Interlock... I've had great accuracy with the BTSP easy to load for and a dozen animals in the freezer. I didn't get the same accuracy with SSTs so I never hunted with them. My daughter took a cow elk with a 139gr Interbond at 260yds. First shot through the heart and second through and through ribs and lungs decent accuracy. Playing with 150ABLRs now.

Willy

 

[RonR]

I was going to second the 139 Interlock... I've had great accuracy with the BTSP easy to load for and a dozen animals in the freezer. I didn't get the same accuracy with SSTs so I never hunted with them. My daughter took a cow elk with a 139gr Interbond at 260yds. First shot through the heart and second through and through ribs and lungs decent accuracy. Playing with 150ABLRs now.

Willy

Thanks for the post. Interbonds are definitely something I want to try if they become available again.

Pardon my ignorance on "150 ABLR" - Accubond Long Range?

Regards
Ron

 

[Kelly Timoffee]

That's what I was looking for and thanks for reading closely. Game kings have worked for someone and that makes range time with these bullets somewhat more meaningful.

If your friend had 140's I would follow up...but the 162's is a weight I don't want to dabble in...yet.

Much obliged.

Regards
Ron

I have and they just are at that point where you will have diminishing returns , the factory 7-08 twist rates really are well suited for 140gr projectiles, bearing surface and profiles also having a slight effect.

150gr also work ok.

One bullet I do use for my hunting loads exclusively is the Swift Scirocco 150gr , I got amazing accuracy out of them, and pretty good velocity even at my most accurate load.They have a nice BC of .515 and fly like a bastard.Downside, a buck a piece.

When I tested up to 168gr in a slightly faster and longer barrel it was in this area 162/168gr where things began to unravel, where stability started to diminish, velocities very mediocre and I wasn't able to maximize powder burn any further.Wasn't worth the poor ballistics to me to have a heavy bullet and no benefits.

A nice target load I have is 150gr SMK over H4350 , awesome accuracy but not a hunting projectile hence why I suggest the GK with the similar profile.

Get a nice 140gr projectile moving at 2850 ft/sec or more , what more do you need?

FYI , for some odd reason 140's shooting at 2800 to 2850ish always seem to group in factory 7-08 rifles.

I do stay away from SST's and ballistic tips as I do not like their fragile jacket, even at 7-08 velocities I had results I didn't like, yes, dead is dead but I prefer a more stout bullet for game.For target and varmint, have at it IMO as they can be very accurate also.

Hope this is more useful info for you.

 

[Eagleye]

Anyone who knows me is aware of my love for the Nosler Partition.

I have a 700 "Classic" chambered in 7x57, and I have loads for the 140 NP & the 140 AB. Both shoot sub-moa
at 2900 or so. These kill anything I have ever shot them at, and that includes both Elk and Moose.

Now I'm not about to rush out and recommend them for hunting, but the new "hunting" Ballistic Tip
is not at all like the original was. The Jacket is much stouter, and I believe they would stand up considerably better
than we saw with the original design.

I will never hunt with the SST....too much meat damage. My buddy shot two deer with them in his 7-08, and
I did not like the results.

Regards, Dave.

 

[RonR]

Now I'm not about to rush out and recommend them for hunting, but the new "hunting" Ballistic Tip
is not at all like the original was. The Jacket is much stouter, and I believe they would stand up considerably better
than we saw with the original design.

I will never hunt with the SST....too much meat damage. My buddy shot two deer with them in his 7-08, and
I did not like the results.

Regards, Dave.

We'll see how the BT's perform at the range and we'll go from there, based on your wisdom I won't hesitate to try and see how they work in the field.

Regarding SST's, that is exactly my experiences.

I appreciate and value and the wisdom EE.
Best Regards

Ron

 

[RonR]

I have and they just are at that point where you will have diminishing returns , the factory 7-08 twist rates really are well suited for 140gr projectiles, bearing surface and profiles also having a slight effect.

150gr also work ok.

One bullet I do use for my hunting loads exclusively is the Swift Scirocco 150gr , I got amazing accuracy out of them, and pretty good velocity even at my most accurate load.They have a nice BC of .515 and fly like a bastard.Downside, a buck a piece.

When I tested up to 168gr in a slightly faster and longer barrel it was in this area 162/168gr where things began to unravel, where stability started to diminish, velocities very mediocre and I wasn't able to maximize powder burn any further.Wasn't worth the poor ballistics to me to have a heavy bullet and no benefits.

A nice target load I have is 150gr SMK over H4350 , awesome accuracy but not a hunting projectile hence why I suggest the GK with the similar profile.

Get a nice 140gr projectile moving at 2850 ft/sec or more , what more do you need?

FYI , for some odd reason 140's shooting at 2800 to 2850ish always seem to group in factory 7-08 rifles.

I do stay away from SST's and ballistic tips as I do not like their fragile jacket, even at 7-08 velocities I had results I didn't like, yes, dead is dead but I prefer a more stout bullet for game.For target and varmint, have at it IMO as they can be very accurate also.

Hope this is more useful info for you.

Right on Kelly!!! Appreciate your time to respond. That's the exact kind of techy I am searching for our situation. Very well stated. I have been eyeing up the Scirocco's for quite a while now and short of bonded bullet alternative availability, I will definitely try that.

Best Regards
Ron

 

[Prairie Plinker]

My son harvested his deer but damage results weren't convincing. My longer shot seemed to provide superficial damage and that buck never got harvested...something that still bothers me. Ergo the Accubond as noted.

I'm sorry to hear you never found your buck. Long story short I got a shot off at what would have been the biggest buck I've ever harvested, only had time for the one shot as the "fold" in the land hid him from me the second I pulled the trigger. First animal I've ever hit and not recovered, hit him in the shoulder and as far as I can tell the bullet blew up. I was using my new "flamo" .308 Vanguard, with factory Winchester ammo loaded with these "Extreme Point" bullets, which looked like Ballistic Tips but with a MASSIVE tip, almost the width of the bullet itself. NEVER AGAIN will I use a bullet I'm not completely confident in. Had I been using my trusty ol' 7mm-08 with my home-rolled ammo that buck's rack would be on the wall right now, and some roasts in the freezer.

Here's to never losing another animal again due to bullet design!

You are right about the 140gr AB availability though, if you find some, buy a few boxes as they don't seem to show up very often.

 

[coleman1495]

Another option is using SST's for target practice/general shooting. The interbonds are almost interchangeable (same BC) and can be used as your "good hunting bullets".

Err on second thought leave the Hornady bullets for me.