Best "All Around Bullet" for 7mm-08

billyc

billyc

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So finally picked up a 7mm-08 in a Browning Stainless Stalker. This is gonna be primarily my deer gun. But this year in one of our whitetail spots we also pulled a cow moose tag. This is the rifle I plan to hunt with there. Researched a bit on here and it looks like 140gr TTSX, or Partition might be the choice. Also considering Accubonds and Swift bullets. Gonna reload over top of 8208 XBR, as well as Imr 4895, and H4350 to see what gives me the best results. Like to hear results on game being taken with this caliber and bullet powder combos used.
Thanks
P.S.
Would the 120gr barnes be to light for moose?
 
nice rifle that you chose, my new one is a Sako A7 s/s in 7mm-08. I shall watch this thread with interest, to learn about this cal and bullets for it.
 
I'm not a big ammo and reloading guy, but I wouldn't use anything less then 180 gr. for a moose... you may not always have tht perfect shot and I've heard of even heavier bullets no doing damage if moose skin is out of water and tougher when wet...etc...

I'd go with high weight with deep penetration bullet design....that you can get out of a 7mm-08
 
At the velocity that the 7-08 pushes a 140gr bullet, you would get along just fine with a conventional design bullet. I've got a sweet load worked up for my father's Marlin XS7 in 7-08 that uses a 139gr Horn BTIL at 2755fps over top of 41.5gr Varget and Fed210 primers in WW brass. You wouldn't beleive me if I told you the group sizes that we're getting with this load, but let's just say that quite often you can cover 3 shots with a loonie at 200 yards. If you really wanted to maximize penetration, I sure do love the 140gr TTSX, but I mainly use it in my .280 and 7RM where the velocity is a little more demanding of a high-integrity bullet.

I would either use the 139gr Horn or else if you're going to run a 120gr bullet, I would run the TTSX since it'll be going a fair bit faster than the 140gr group of bullets. I must say, though, the 120gr BT is a VERY tough version of the BT, and I've seen many a picture of moose that were made very dead by that bullet out of the 7-08. You may want to develop a load with the 120 BT as well as the 120 TTSX and if you can get them to his the same POI you could use the BT for practice and deer, and then the TTSX for moose.

For powders in the 7-08, Varget and RL-15 seem to be the most popular powders that are used with great success. Varget gives superior accuracy over everything else in my father's rifle, so we use that. Many guys say the same about RL-15.
 
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I'm not a big ammo and reloading guy, but I wouldn't use anything less then 180 gr. for a moose... you may not always have tht perfect shot and I've heard of even heavier bullets no doing damage if moose skin is out of water and tougher when wet...etc...

I'd go with high weight with deep penetration bullet design....that you can get out of a 7mm-08
Click to expand...

Bullet construction is much more of a factor than bullet weight where penetration is concerned.A 140gr TSX can easily penetrate as much as a 175gr Power Point or Corelokt.As well,a 175 gr bullet out of a 7mm-08,may not have enough velocity to expand properly at longer ranges.
 
I'm using 140 grain accubonds at about 2900 fps out of my .280 Remington. Got a buck last weak and the performance of the bullet was excellent. I'm going to use it as a do everything bullet.
 
Moose are really not that tough - I've shot lots through the years with "little" guns like 25-06 and .243. Wasn't by choice, had tag, out deer hunting - out walks the moose to fill the tag. What do you do? SHOOT of course! Suddenly aim went from boiler room to neck though....never had anything take another step from being hit in the neck.
 
120-140gr TTSX, 140-150gr Partition, 150gr E-Tip, 140gr Accubond, 150gr Scirroco, 140-150gr A-frame, and if you can find them Failsafes too. Otherwise a 154gr Hornady Interlock, and stay away from heavy bone. Nice little cartridge.
 
For me over the years the 140gr range seem to give the best energy and velocity. A quality 140 will be close and sometimes exceed 308 and 30-06 150 grains down range. Remington accutips and hornady light magnums if you want the factory top performers ballistically. Swift Sciroccos in 150 grain if you are hand loading are excellent. Mine are still doing 1972ft/sec , 1296ft/lbs at 500 with a muzzle velocity of 2750. excellent BC on these and excellent on game performance.
 
120 barnes should work, but I'd go 140 TTSX or TSX for all'round use

140 or 150gr Partition and 140gr Accubond also would be in the running, or a 150gr Scirocco
 
I use the 139 Hornady SST in my .280 Rem and would use it on Bullwinkle. That said, a 140 Partition would be an even better choice for moose. I load 154 Hornady SST's in the .280 as well; not sure what kind of velocity you'd get in a 7mm-08, but that's a viable choice as well. I've been using the SST since they were introduced and they are, in my experience, a VERY tough bullet considering the polycarbonate nose.
 
I am using the 140 Accubond in my 7x57, a ballistic twin to the 7-08. The Partition, or Barnes TTSX are both fine bullets as well. Regards, Eagleye.
 
I shot a whole bunch of game with 140
Ballistic tips. They are not going fast enough to have bullet failures, and are very accurate while being cost effective. The 120s also hold together way better than I would expect.

That said, if I could only shoot one bullet for ever, it would be a partition.
 
I use 140 Accubonds out of my 708 and I am currently hunting elk. I have no problem using a 708 on elk and mine is very accurate with the 140 Accubonds...

I think the 140 TTSX or TSX from Barnes would be a good choice as well.
 
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