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7mm-08 Fans

Gunner46

Gunner46

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Joined
Dec 6, 2003
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If you have read many/any of my posts, you'll recognized that I have been a true 7mm/08 fan for quite some time. I've pretty much been shooting a single load since my start with this cartridge (150 gr Nosler BT, RL-19 @ 2650 fps). It's served me very nicely, Thank You, on several pigs and a few whitetails. 100% one shot kills, zero misses. Couldn't wish for anything more.

If I make it to next hunting season I am going to have survived 60 yrs. ONLY God knows why! And with that, I know there are far fewer seasons ahead than there are behind. My plan is to do my traditional NC coastal whitetail, fill the freezer hunt, a Ohio 'Good Luck in getting a Bruiser' (44 Mag) hunt, add a pronghorn somewhere, and one more black bear (maybe 2016 spring).

Here's the dilemma. That Nosler BT is not going do it by itself. INPUT !

I need in field, real life experiences with a 7mm/08. What worked in a 7 RM, 280, 7 STW is not going to really help much.

I'm thinking of a 140 TTSX, or E-Tip, but not married to it right now.
 
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I shoot a 160 grain accubond out of my 7mm. Go to a 140 accubond or partition out of your 7-08 and you will be happy with the results.
 
Although I probably would not recommend it for bear, I have killed a pile of deer with the Nosler BT. I would not hesitate to use it on whitetails. Myself and family members have used Ballistic Tips on quite a few elk over the years, with great results too.

If you are dead set on going away from the ballistic tip, 140 accubond is where I would start. I have had good results with a 7 RM at 7mm-08 velocities (think longer range).
 
For the pronghorn, a 120 gr balistic tip will do just fine as well as 140 gr which is what I have used. I like the balistic tip because it opens up quickly at slower speeds on thin boned animals like pronhorn. Even at 300 yards the bullet is going to open quickly and drop them quickly. Had a buddy shoot one with failsafes out of a 300 mag and it looked like he shot it with a musket ball. 4631 has been a great powder for me. Cant help you with any experience on bears. Why the 44 mag in ohio? Any straight wall case is legal as well as a muzzle loader or shotgun during gun season. You might appreciate the reach any of these have over the 44 mag. My personal favorite is the 444 marlin. With levrolution loads from hornady it is a 250 yard gun easily, 300 with practice.
 
Do the 140 gr. in the TTSX Barnes, you won't be unhappy you did. You could even drop down to a120 grain TTSX and soup it up. The bullet can take it.
 
Hope you don't think I was being a smart a, I had a friend argue with me that it was pistol cartridges only. Just making sure you knew there were options. Is this your first time to Ohio?
 
Yeah, S-S and Blacktail, that's the rub ...distance. I have a couple 120 TSX that I have been playing with and have no qualms using it for Lopes and even any deer in NC, or elsewhere, it's the bear thing I'm iffy on. Eastern coastal bears are usually shorter range and can be alot bigger (cross fingers) than you may think. And I am looking at Maine, or Ontario. The bullet has to hold.

VA...Nahhhh... I shot my 1st whitetail in Oh 42yrs ago, with a12ga slug out of a borrowed pump that was supposed to be a pheasant gun. I'm very, very accustomed to hunting the thick, nasty stuff.

A DIY, on public land in OH, means ya gotta go deep & dirty, or deal with Bobby Book Keeper riding his bike along a state forest trail, w/o any orange on, and his frickin' bike mounted radio blasting Blondie.

(I'm good with the 44 ;) )
 
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10 4, had bean fields on my mind, forgot about the buckeye nf and other state forest parcels. Good luck. I have hunted maine for deer around moosehead lake. The north woods are awesome.
 
Ballistic tips.

I used 165 Bts in my 308 for a couple of years until I got tired of finding copper jacket fragments in my meat. Those bullets drop game very well, but also create a large amount of blood shot meat. If you hit the shoulder on a big bone animal you might as well throw a majority of the shoulder away. My experience is mostly hog hunting and blacktail deer in California. Currently I used the Barnes TTSX 150s in that rifle. Dropped a cow elk at 275 yds with no problem, the animal was found 20 yds from where it was hit. I hope this info helps. THE MUZZLE VELOCITY WITH THAT LOAD IS 2800 FPS
 
Robin, Not being rude, but I specifically asked about the 7mm/08 for a reason.

I have a 308 that I used 20 years.180 Win PP's dropped any and all in it's path very, very DRT.

There is also a 7MM RM along the way, that equally did DRT, when I did my duty, with 162 Nosler Solid base.

A short lived affair with a 338 Win Mag that granted me a one shot, one kill into B&C, 200 gr Hornady's.

Every cartridge/ bullet/ vol combo is unique in & of itself. Each requires it's own consideration.

That is why I am seeking input from 7mm/08 field experience members only.
 
I think the 150 BT will do just fine for you.

But experimentation is fun, and if you want to play around, try the 140 Accubond.
 
IMO/E, hard to go wrong with the 140 accubond in the 7-08.

Kills well on everything from antelope to elk.
 
When I first started hunting My Dad had a Rem M7 Youth in 7-08. Really enjoyed that rifle. We ran 150g Partitions. That rifle folded a few elk along with a fair pile of Deer and Lopes between my Brother and I. Enjoyed that rifle for the few years I shot it.
 
I just started loading for my Tikka 7mm08 last year. I load 140 grain accubonds with IMR 4350, I get about 1 1/4 in groups at 100 yards. This load dropped a cow elk in her tracks this year, complete pass through at 217 yards. So far so good!
 
7mm-08

I've been using the 120 TSX over 44.5 RL-15 for right at 3000 fps in my 700 titanium for the past several years...it's also been loaned to a good friend for a couple trips. Between the two of us it has accounted for two cow elk, lasered at 310 and 280 yards, a medium sized bull caribou at about 150, two mountain goats (approx. 60 and 75 yards) and at least a couple black bears--that I can remember-- at about 200. All except one cow elk were one shot kills with complete penetration, and she was hit hard but still on her feet, so we shot again. Have not recovered a bullet yet.
 
You can't go wrong with the 7-08. I shoot the 140gn Accubond as well, and although I haven't shot as many critters as Buzz...I can vouch for the accuracy and the comfort-ability in shooting it over, and over again.
 
Been a fan of the 7mm-08 for years. Switched to Barnes a few years ago. I've shot My goats, Bighorn sheep, javelins, moose, whitetails, and antelope with one. The 120 TTSX is great...I even used one on a moose....but I'd use the 140 if moose or elk was the main focus.
 
I shoot 140gr Etips over near max load of H4350...killed an antelope and 2 mule deer out to 218 yards (never shot at anything other than targets beyond this distance). After this season, I decided that, in my opinion, the 140 Etip wasn't the right bullet so I'm likely switching to a standard Soft Point bullet. The 120gr TTSX does have my attention though.
 
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