I just won a XPR in 7mm-08 with a Bushnell R5 3-9x40 illuminated DDA-LRH800 reticle scope… what should I expect with this combo? I currently shoot a couple of 308’s, a CZ557 Ranger and a Vanguard. Also shoot a S&W 1500 in 30-06. First time for an illuminated scope for me too. I assume slightly less recoil than the 30-06, but more recoil than my 308’s because both of mine have brakes. I also assume a flatter shooting and higher velocity round on average. Anything else I should expect, and anything that might surprise me?
Winchester XPR 7mm-08.
- Thread starter CaribooBC
- Start date
Thunderhog
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- East Kootneys
My wife shot a 7mm-08 in a Browning A-Bolt Medallion for close to eight years. She harvested a 7'x7'2" squared male grizzly in the Kaslo area when we still had LEH grizzly hunts.
She also shot a 6x6 bull elk in September near Elko, BC. Countless WT deer and a coyote. All one shot kills, with mild recoil and just a fine cartridge. You will love your new 7mm-08.
I used to own a Winchester XPR in 350 Legend, Bergara barrels I'm told, they shoot like a laser beam. That rifle would should 1/4" groups at 100 yards with Winchester 180 grain factory Power Point ammunition. Unfortunately sold it when I needed money for new tires!.....
LOLI picked it up this morning. It definitely is a “value priced” firearm. My CZ600 Alpha has a much nicer finish, smoother bolt and much nicer feeling stock. Nicer features on the CZ too, threaded barrel, larger mag capacity, much easier adjustment for trigger and quieter operation of the safety and bolt…. But the price was right.
Question about the scope, Bushnell R5 has a very stiff parallax adjustment. The dial moves but with great difficulty. Is this normal for this scope when new, will it loosen with use?
Question about the scope, Bushnell R5 has a very stiff parallax adjustment. The dial moves but with great difficulty. Is this normal for this scope when new, will it loosen with use?
byronick87
Member
- Location
- Cowtown, AB
in my opinion, its a very big step above a ruger american, and very very close to a browning a bolt and very accurate. at least the 3 i own.
its what a raceway bolt gun should be benchmarked on. made in portugal, fit and finish are above its class for the price. the teflon bolt does do its job with keeping things clean and isnt a gimmick for once.
you cant go wrong with 7-08
I'd upgrade the scope to something a bit more reliable...ive had a few lower end bushnells go south on me with zero retention. i had a bushnell match pro hd that had a stiff parallax knob...i thought the same thing, maybe over use it will loosen up...never happened - got worse with the cold. called bushnell; it was a 6 month ordeal but they did pull thru in the end so i did appreciate that.
enjoy the new rifle - congrats
its what a raceway bolt gun should be benchmarked on. made in portugal, fit and finish are above its class for the price. the teflon bolt does do its job with keeping things clean and isnt a gimmick for once.
you cant go wrong with 7-08
I'd upgrade the scope to something a bit more reliable...ive had a few lower end bushnells go south on me with zero retention. i had a bushnell match pro hd that had a stiff parallax knob...i thought the same thing, maybe over use it will loosen up...never happened - got worse with the cold. called bushnell; it was a 6 month ordeal but they did pull thru in the end so i did appreciate that.
enjoy the new rifle - congrats
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I agree about the Ruger American… the ones that I have handed felt like junk. My Vanguard also feels nicer than the XPR, except for the bolt. The XPR is smoother. My Vanguard is in 308 Win.
Bushnell now states that their “Lifetime Warranty” is only valid in the USA… no service in Canada apparently. Might upgrade the scope and save the R5 as a “just in case” backup.
I have a few 308 Win and 30-06 guns, 7-08 is a new caliber to me. I bought dies and cases today, need to find a good quality but not break the bank bullet, I was thinking about Hornady SST’s in 139gr.
Also, will need a spare magazine, don’t leave home without one….my LGS had all magazines for the XPR, except the standard short action mag.
###x
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byronick87
Member
- Location
- Cowtown, AB
Look into the 120gr ttsx barnes. lethal on deer within reasonable hunting distances.
byronick87
Member
- Location
- Cowtown, AB
i reallllly wanted to like the hotcor - good groups and cheap. unfortunately, twice now the hotcor has let me down..
first "failure"was a perfect broadside on a whitetail shot about 100 yds away from a 30-06. he stepped out into a cutline i was watching. perfect heart shot that somehow ended up in the guts. thankfully we found him. only way we did was we followed the sound of his hind legs kicking a tree stump.
second "failure" was the same rifle bullet combo
buck watched me for what felt like 30 mins. quartering to, no ideal shot. same distance approx 100yds.
shot the brisket. bullet exploded. fragments found in the heart.
at the end of the day, i recovered both bucks but definitely not ideally.
ive used cup and core interlocks and sierra pro hunters with great success
first "failure"was a perfect broadside on a whitetail shot about 100 yds away from a 30-06. he stepped out into a cutline i was watching. perfect heart shot that somehow ended up in the guts. thankfully we found him. only way we did was we followed the sound of his hind legs kicking a tree stump.
second "failure" was the same rifle bullet combo
buck watched me for what felt like 30 mins. quartering to, no ideal shot. same distance approx 100yds.
shot the brisket. bullet exploded. fragments found in the heart.
at the end of the day, i recovered both bucks but definitely not ideally.
ive used cup and core interlocks and sierra pro hunters with great success
I’ve shot a lot of 7-08 s over the years and one of my favourite loads is 49.5 grs of H414 or W760 under a Barnes 120 TTSX
Deer don’t like it
Deer don’t like it
The Winchester XPR rifles and Winchester Mod 70 rifles are now being built in Portugal by the Herstal group.
I've only seen a couple of each type, but the Mod 70 was finished better and had a Walnut stock.
The Herstal group has bought up different brand names and design models from old, now defunct, original manufacturers, all over the world.
They manufacture firearms in Europe, North America, Portugal, Turkey, and Japan.
Your XPR rifle is a very nicely designed rifle, and usually they're manufactured to very tight tolerances, so, IMHO, you won a very serviceable rifle, that should be quite accurate.
I haven't seen the scope, so no comment.
The XPR is a conglomeration of tested and proven reliable features, which the company has accumulated rights to manufacture from half a dozen different companies bought up over the past 20 years.
Many people say they look like a Tikka, or Browning, or even a Ruger, because of this.
The XPR has a "pencil" barrel, and very likely it's a "three shot" rifle, before the groups start to open. That's just an assumption, of course, but based on personal experiences with such barrels.
The 7-08 cartridge has no flies on it. Many folks like to compare it to the 7x57 Mauser, but when pressures, bullet weights, and barrel lengths are equal, they're kissing cousins.
I like just about anything 7mm, from 7BR to 7mmPRC, and 7mm Rem Mag.
As far as real world field performance on game, when comparing it to your 308 Winchester, IMHO, there is little if any difference, other than you have heavier bullets available, but when comparing the performance on a game animal, with similar SD bullets, at similar velocities, there isn't much difference.
Some folks say the recoil on the 7mm-08 is less than that of the 308 Winchester, but with equal loads, there isn't much difference.
Just like the 7x57, when loads are low pressure, even with heavy bullets, people claim the felt recoil is less than that of other modern cartridges, but when push comes ot shove, and the old school cartridges are loaded to the same pressures, in modern rifles, the recoil is almost identical, as are velocities.
I'm sure you will come to love that 7-08 rifle/cartridge combo, and it should be reliable and accurate for many decades.
Congrats on a nice win
I've only seen a couple of each type, but the Mod 70 was finished better and had a Walnut stock.
The Herstal group has bought up different brand names and design models from old, now defunct, original manufacturers, all over the world.
They manufacture firearms in Europe, North America, Portugal, Turkey, and Japan.
Your XPR rifle is a very nicely designed rifle, and usually they're manufactured to very tight tolerances, so, IMHO, you won a very serviceable rifle, that should be quite accurate.
I haven't seen the scope, so no comment.
The XPR is a conglomeration of tested and proven reliable features, which the company has accumulated rights to manufacture from half a dozen different companies bought up over the past 20 years.
Many people say they look like a Tikka, or Browning, or even a Ruger, because of this.
The XPR has a "pencil" barrel, and very likely it's a "three shot" rifle, before the groups start to open. That's just an assumption, of course, but based on personal experiences with such barrels.
The 7-08 cartridge has no flies on it. Many folks like to compare it to the 7x57 Mauser, but when pressures, bullet weights, and barrel lengths are equal, they're kissing cousins.
I like just about anything 7mm, from 7BR to 7mmPRC, and 7mm Rem Mag.
As far as real world field performance on game, when comparing it to your 308 Winchester, IMHO, there is little if any difference, other than you have heavier bullets available, but when comparing the performance on a game animal, with similar SD bullets, at similar velocities, there isn't much difference.
Some folks say the recoil on the 7mm-08 is less than that of the 308 Winchester, but with equal loads, there isn't much difference.
Just like the 7x57, when loads are low pressure, even with heavy bullets, people claim the felt recoil is less than that of other modern cartridges, but when push comes ot shove, and the old school cartridges are loaded to the same pressures, in modern rifles, the recoil is almost identical, as are velocities.
I'm sure you will come to love that 7-08 rifle/cartridge combo, and it should be reliable and accurate for many decades.
Congrats on a nice win
The 130 grain Hot Core is not a "big game" bullet, and was never designed to be.
The bullet jackets are too thin, and the bullet will likely come apart before penetrating deep enough for a clean kill.
IMHO, they are Varmint bullets, intended for Coyote sized game.
Brynonick87 is telling you this with his experiences. Too bad it took him "twice" to figure it out, but it happens.
Suther, go onto the Speer website and have a look at their bullet profiles. They have pictures of "cross sections" showing sidewall thicknesses.
This is the quickest way to explain the Hot Core bonding process;
"The process of bonding Hot Core bullets to their jackets involves the injection of molten lead into a preformed jacket, which is then cooled and solidified. This method is designed to prevent the core from slipping from the jacket after impact, resulting in better weight retention and deeper penetration. The bonding process is crucial for the performance of Hot Core bullets, especially in applications where a bullet's ability to retain energy and penetrate deeply is essential."
They were cutting edge tech back in the day, but that was several decades back.
Many folks are getting too complacent about doing proper due diligence when selecting bullets these days.
I blame this on H mantle, then monolithic bullets, which are much heavier in construction, but also longer for their light weight. They perform very well, but for different reasons than the old tech Hot Core bullets of similar weights but much more lightly constructed.
Was it the Hot-Cores or the Grand Slams some of the members here were using as alts after setting up their Nos Pars?
I vaguely remember someone suggesting that they had worked up a load of Nos Pars and then one of the two Speers secondary to get close to the Pars without having to re-sight in.
I vaguely remember someone suggesting that they had worked up a load of Nos Pars and then one of the two Speers secondary to get close to the Pars without having to re-sight in.
I can't find those pictures can you help me out with a link?
As for thinking they're big game bullets, Speer calls them big game bullets so why WOULDN'T I think that?
https://www.speer.com/bullets/rifle-bullets/hot-cor-rifle-bullet/19-1623.html
They even recommend the hotcor for bear and elk:
https://www.speer.com/speer-stories/how-to-select-the-right-big-game-bullet.html
So if I was gonna blame anyone, I'd be blaming Speer...
Joel wrote:
I can't find those pictures can you help me out with a link?
As for thinking they're big game bullets, Speer calls them big game bullets so why WOULDN'T I think that?
--------------------------------------------
You're right Joel they no longer show the cross sections, and they're saying it's suitable for "big game."
What velocities are Speer Hot Core 130 grain bullets suitable for big game
This is what is on their site now:
3800 fps
The suitability of Speer Hot Core 130 grain bullets for big game hunting is determined by their ability to deliver the necessary energy and velocity to effectively take down large game. The following table provides a range of velocities that are considered suitable for big game hunting with Speer Hot Core 130 grain bullets:
| Bullet Weight | Recommended Velocity |
| --- | --- |
| 130 grain | 3800 fps |
| 140 grain | 3535 fps |
| 150 grain | 3500-3800 fps |
These velocities are based on the performance of the bullets in various calibers and are intended for use in hunting scenarios where quick and clean kills are the goal. It is important to note that velocities may vary based on the specific bullet design, the rifle used, and the hunting conditions. Always consult with a professional or refer to the manufacturer's guidelines for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
Speer Ammo+2
When you look at the description of the jackets being used in their modern versions, they state they have "tapered" thickness.
When I used those bullets, they were recommended for cartridge velocities such as those delivered from the 7.62x39 and 30-30 Win.
I know they did a lot of design changes about 15 years ago, when they started producing "Light" ammunition. This may be the result.
Your post got me curious last night, so I cut open one of the older 130 grain hot core bullets from a couple of decades ago. There isn't any taper in the jacket, and it's light. I would suspect impacts on any game animal at 3800fps would be explosive, with very little penetration, especially on Deer size game.
I bought those bullets for a Mini Mauser I had chambered for the 7.62x39. Other folks used them in Ruger Mini 30s and the Canoe Paddle Ruger M77s.
I'm old school on light bullets, so they wouldn't be my first choice, especially at higher velocities or longer ranges.
When you search their site for bullets recommended for Deer, these bullets are not on their list.
I can't find those pictures can you help me out with a link?
As for thinking they're big game bullets, Speer calls them big game bullets so why WOULDN'T I think that?
--------------------------------------------
You're right Joel they no longer show the cross sections, and they're saying it's suitable for "big game."
What velocities are Speer Hot Core 130 grain bullets suitable for big game
This is what is on their site now:
3800 fps
The suitability of Speer Hot Core 130 grain bullets for big game hunting is determined by their ability to deliver the necessary energy and velocity to effectively take down large game. The following table provides a range of velocities that are considered suitable for big game hunting with Speer Hot Core 130 grain bullets:
| Bullet Weight | Recommended Velocity |
| --- | --- |
| 130 grain | 3800 fps |
| 140 grain | 3535 fps |
| 150 grain | 3500-3800 fps |
These velocities are based on the performance of the bullets in various calibers and are intended for use in hunting scenarios where quick and clean kills are the goal. It is important to note that velocities may vary based on the specific bullet design, the rifle used, and the hunting conditions. Always consult with a professional or refer to the manufacturer's guidelines for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
Speer Ammo+2
When you look at the description of the jackets being used in their modern versions, they state they have "tapered" thickness.
When I used those bullets, they were recommended for cartridge velocities such as those delivered from the 7.62x39 and 30-30 Win.
I know they did a lot of design changes about 15 years ago, when they started producing "Light" ammunition. This may be the result.
Your post got me curious last night, so I cut open one of the older 130 grain hot core bullets from a couple of decades ago. There isn't any taper in the jacket, and it's light. I would suspect impacts on any game animal at 3800fps would be explosive, with very little penetration, especially on Deer size game.
I bought those bullets for a Mini Mauser I had chambered for the 7.62x39. Other folks used them in Ruger Mini 30s and the Canoe Paddle Ruger M77s.
I'm old school on light bullets, so they wouldn't be my first choice, especially at higher velocities or longer ranges.
When you search their site for bullets recommended for Deer, these bullets are not on their list.
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1) not Joel. Lol
2) with the quoted statement are you referring to the old bullets you have with no taper?
Either way, thanks for the info about them making changes ~15 years ago. That would be right before I got into guns, so I was not privy to this info.
