Best bullet weights for hunting in 7mm-08?

JohnC

JohnC

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Just getting set up in 7mm-08 and was wondering what is the most appropriate bullet weight for deer (80-90% of time) & possibly black bear or moose ( 10%-20% of time). reading ot date indicates a choice between 140 grains and 160 grains. The rifle is a Ruger Compact with a 16.5" barrel so will lose about 150- 200fps muzzle velocity relative to "factory" velocities. All advice/shared experience gratefully accepted.
 
Ditto,, 140 is a sweet spot for the 7mm-08.

Since you include moose and bear, I would go with a 150 gr Nosler partition to cover all the bases.

Edited to add: If you go much higher than 150gr, the bullet starts to take up quite a bit of powder space in the casing. With the Remington I have, I can't load the bullet out at all in order to still use them in the magazine.
 
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I would go 140 grain, and if I needed more penetration for bigger game like moose I would go with a tougher constructed bullet like an X bullet or Partition etc rather than a heavier one
 
Work loads with 140gr Nosler BT the Partitions or accubonds will be for hunting. I have killed a moose at 420 yards with a .308 150gr nosler and the 140 gr 7mm/08 will do the same or better with 140gr partition
 
I've recently purchased a 7x57. Have some 139 and 154gr Hornady SPs on the way as well as some 175gr RNs for a fudd style moose load. I've had good luck with the 154s in the past and would use them for anything here in NB.



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I would have to agree with supercub. I think that either the Hornady 139gr interlock, or the 154gr interlock would suit. The 139gr would be THE bullet for the 7mm-08, but if you plan on going after the big moose, then the 154gr may give a bit more margin for error.
Mike
 
I bought a 7-08 Ruger Frontier about a month ago, so far the accuracy winner is the 175 Hornady R.N. I have a thousand of them so can't complain, but the 154 Hornady would be my first choice for a do everything bullet for the 7-08.
 
If you think you may be going after heavier game consider the 140 grain Barnes Triple Shock. I was recently surprised to see an average velocity just over 2,800 fps out of a Kimber 84M in 7mm-08 (in fact, the best velocity and accuracy out of a handful of loads tried in that rifle so far).

Having seen how well the 7mm 140 grain TSX's worked on Plains game and a bull elk (in a 7x57) in '07 I was curious to see how it would perform in the little 7mm-08 Kimber. The results were excellent, producing the tightest groups and very decent velocity.
 
Normally I'd say a 120 TSX IF your rifle will shoot them straight, but I'm on the fence again about the Barnes. When they shoot well they do it real well, but in all honesty I think the initial hype is over for me and I've gone back to the 140 Accubond. Most of the plastic tipped boat-tails are probably a better choice for most deer anyway, be they a Hornady, Sierra, Nosler, whatever. The added B.C. and S.D. of the 7mm bullets in the 139-140-154 weights put the little 7-08 at a pretty close rival to the great .270 Winchester, but with better or equal trajectories plus a bit more frontal area. All that with minimal recoil and blast and usually in a lighter gun (shorter actions) so what's not to like? The TSX is no doubt a great choice in heavier weights for bigger calibers, but we can get too wrapped up in the Barnes theory sometimes. A conventional bullet that doesn't retain all it's weight and often can be found on the far side of a deer under the hide is one that worked perfectly, IMHO.
 
139gr. plain old Hornady SP's, or BTSP's.
Your not going to surpass 2900fps, anyway you slice it so why all the uber, ultra, super duper, controlled expansion bullets?

KISS
 
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