There was a reason Weatherby loaded the Hornady's in their factory ammo. Great little bullets. Rather funny that the 7-08 is the ballistic equal of the venerable 7X57, which has been knocking the dead for a loooong time. Action length in most (not all) cases being the only variable.
Best "All Around Bullet" for 7mm-08
- Thread starter billyc
- Start date
I know their reliable performance on deer, but just had to add the story seeing your similar findings with the 7mm-08 on moose as well.
I better be up front and report the rifle we use is in fact a 7x57 NOT a 7-08.
Pretty much the same as you already know, just more history behind it.
I tried to get Nugget to order his Kimber in 7-08 but he went with the 338 Fud instead, figured when he got tired of it we'd buy it for my wife to use seeing as she like plastic stocks and such. That's another story tho.....
FWIW the 154gr have all shot very well in this 7x57 rifle, Interbonds, SSTs, Spire point and Round nose.
- Location
- Back in the Peace Country
I shoot a sako battue 7mm-08....
Have shot moose, deer, black bear and coyote with it.
RL 19. RL 15 and varget have done well for me.
I use 43 gr varget with 140 gr tsx, ttsx and 139 gr gmx as well
I would not hesitate on a moose to 400 yards
120 gr tsx are very capable as well.
Nos partitions shot like #### from my gun
Have shot moose, deer, black bear and coyote with it.
RL 19. RL 15 and varget have done well for me.
I use 43 gr varget with 140 gr tsx, ttsx and 139 gr gmx as well
I would not hesitate on a moose to 400 yards
120 gr tsx are very capable as well.
Nos partitions shot like #### from my gun
Sealhunter makes a great point - a great bullet that is accurate in one rifle may not be so in another. Thats why handloading is so interesting.
A flat base bullet may be the only type that shoots worth a darn in a rifle (no matter what powder) or a boat tail may be excellent. We have all seen what dramatic differences a bullet switch can make to a "shot out" or "useless" rifle.
My 708 Vanguard youth just loves the ballistic tip or accubond or sst type bullet but is not happy with the flat base types.
My Euro 7x57s generally gobbles up the flat bases and merely puts up with the boattails...
I dont have any American 7x57 to compare to.
A flat base bullet may be the only type that shoots worth a darn in a rifle (no matter what powder) or a boat tail may be excellent. We have all seen what dramatic differences a bullet switch can make to a "shot out" or "useless" rifle.
My 708 Vanguard youth just loves the ballistic tip or accubond or sst type bullet but is not happy with the flat base types.
My Euro 7x57s generally gobbles up the flat bases and merely puts up with the boattails...
I dont have any American 7x57 to compare to.
A 140 gr 7mm bullet will penetrate about the same as a similarly constructed 180 gr .30 caliber bullet. Penetration has more to do with bullet construction than it does with velocity or caliber.
^This is good advice.
The 140 gr Sierra Pro-Hunter is a good bullet at 708 velocity.
The 120 gr Sierra Pro-Hunter is a fantastic deer/moose bullet if you keep the velocity under 2700 fps. The 120 gr Pro-Hunter is what i use for reduced loads for kid's hunting rifles. @MV 2500 fps it acts like a premium bullet.
IMR4064 is a very good powder with 120 and 140 gr. bullets.
- Location
- Eastern Edge of the Foothills
I absolutely agree with you. But I've never found a decent gun that won't shoot Sierra Gamekings and Nosler Accubonds very well. If the gun is capable of shooting good groups [of course not all are] then it'll do well with these bullets. There must be some exceptions out there, but I've not come across them.
I love the performance of SGK on deer, especially whitetails. And the NAB is a great all around big game bullet. Moose, Elk, Deer, Black Bear, whatever.
So to answer the OP's original question, if you want a good .284 all purpose bullet, get the 140 NAB.
I agree with most of the other posters.
140 grain bullets perfom very consistantly (Accubonds,Game Kings, or Interlocks)
The 7-08 is the perfect cartrige/velocity for those types of standard bullets.
The only bullet I would not reccommend for ANY hunting purposes is the Nosler Failsafes (A.K.A. FEEL SAFES).
Not in production anymore for a reason.
I have lost a few animals to very poor bullet performance!
For example, I shot a moose at 330yards facing me head on. I had a perfect rest and slammed a bullet into him lenghtwise.
He stumbled around for about a minute, not giving me a great second shot.
Finally he stood in the open broadside.
I put one more bullet into his heart.
Job done, but upon post mortem, the first round went completely through the Bull ( front to back)! Very little damage at all!
Next to nothing for energy transfer.
Just like a FMJ! There is no way a hunting bullet should ever penetrate "that" much.
This was a very big bull, the biggest I have ever seen while hunting.
The petals sheared off way to easily!
Pressures are higher with this bullet as well.
Not worth the bother IMO!
140 grain bullets perfom very consistantly (Accubonds,Game Kings, or Interlocks)
The 7-08 is the perfect cartrige/velocity for those types of standard bullets.
The only bullet I would not reccommend for ANY hunting purposes is the Nosler Failsafes (A.K.A. FEEL SAFES).
Not in production anymore for a reason.
I have lost a few animals to very poor bullet performance!
For example, I shot a moose at 330yards facing me head on. I had a perfect rest and slammed a bullet into him lenghtwise.
He stumbled around for about a minute, not giving me a great second shot.
Finally he stood in the open broadside.
I put one more bullet into his heart.
Job done, but upon post mortem, the first round went completely through the Bull ( front to back)! Very little damage at all!
Next to nothing for energy transfer.
Just like a FMJ! There is no way a hunting bullet should ever penetrate "that" much.
This was a very big bull, the biggest I have ever seen while hunting.
The petals sheared off way to easily!
Pressures are higher with this bullet as well.
Not worth the bother IMO!
Accubond in 140 grain dropped my moose nicely this year..
7mm8
Well I've tried a few different bullets in my Sako A7 SS. I tried the Hornady 139BTSP, Nosler 140 Accubond, Nosler 150 Partition and Sierra 168 HPBT. I've used IMR4064 and Varget. So far it does not like the Nosler bullets as much as the other ones but they would still produce sub-moa accuracy. I've got some Barnes 150 TTSX bullets loaded up ready for trial next. I would like to use these for my all round hunting bullet in this caliber. They seam to work very well in my 7mm RM.
I'll be taking the Sako Deer hunting this year so hopefully I'll have a bullet report.
Well I've tried a few different bullets in my Sako A7 SS. I tried the Hornady 139BTSP, Nosler 140 Accubond, Nosler 150 Partition and Sierra 168 HPBT. I've used IMR4064 and Varget. So far it does not like the Nosler bullets as much as the other ones but they would still produce sub-moa accuracy. I've got some Barnes 150 TTSX bullets loaded up ready for trial next. I would like to use these for my all round hunting bullet in this caliber. They seam to work very well in my 7mm RM.
I'll be taking the Sako Deer hunting this year so hopefully I'll have a bullet report.
Jordan Smith
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Calgary, AB
I would probably run with the 120gr TTSX or even 110gr TTSX for the 7-08 as an all-arounder.
Republic of Alberta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- ,location, location
I loaded up the 110g TTSX under 45g of varget for 2900fps out of a 20"bbl and excellent accuracy. I loaded this for a low recoiling elk, moose, deer load for woman and children.
Real world my 3" zero at 100 yards hits 8" low at 300 METERS.
I shot a hard clay bank to see what an expanded bullet looked like. Impact was 2500fps and the expanded bullet showed a longer shank than a 175g partition. I would happily shoot a moose in the shoulders with it.
I have a 7mm-08 in a savage and I love that rifle/round. I run mine a little hotter than most and for that the brass tends to fail sooner than later and even causes me some trouble, IE broken ejecter, twice.
That being said I have found that the 139 gr btsp works really well in my rifle. I am not a fan of Hordandy bullets because I have had many bullets fail.
In my rifle it likes win 760. I use 47.5 gr and a mag primer. I don't remember the exact fps but it is around 2800.
The most anything has ran on me was 20 yards. Most drop on the sopt. I tried the 154's but it wouldn't give me anything better than 1-1.5 moa which is not accetable in my books.
I would use the 139 for any game in AB. If I am worried about bone. It gets a neck shot.
The 7mm-08 is my go to rifle and will be until the barrel is burnt out. Then I will get another barrel
That being said I have found that the 139 gr btsp works really well in my rifle. I am not a fan of Hordandy bullets because I have had many bullets fail.
In my rifle it likes win 760. I use 47.5 gr and a mag primer. I don't remember the exact fps but it is around 2800.
The most anything has ran on me was 20 yards. Most drop on the sopt. I tried the 154's but it wouldn't give me anything better than 1-1.5 moa which is not accetable in my books.
I would use the 139 for any game in AB. If I am worried about bone. It gets a neck shot.
The 7mm-08 is my go to rifle and will be until the barrel is burnt out. Then I will get another barrel
