7mm-08 blood trail

My son shot a spike last Friday afternoon. The deer was about 95 yards and standing broadside. Double lung shot. The deer ran about 60 yards. The little 08 put a whipping on him. The trail the deer went down was about 18" from this pine tree. If I've got to trail one, I like this sort of blood trail. 140 grain Hornady Whitetail.

I love blood trail pics.

All you have to do! Shoot behind the shoulder, not in the shoulder. That's the same caliber and load I shoot as well.

Same thing I shoot as well. The gun shot 3 bucks this season between my and my fiancé and all were dropped right there. Two big bucks one of them on the run and it made him do a couple front flips

I could probably find that one without my dog!

My son has finally grown into a full size rifle and I am going to buy him his own rifle over the summer. It's going to have to be a left handed bolt action. I am leaning hard towards the 7-08. I want to get him a 308 because I have 3 already and we would shoot the same round in all guns. But I really like the 7-08. Guess I'm gonna have to flip a coin to decide.

Bad little bullets, I won a Ruger American in 7mm-08 a couple years ago at the NWTF dinner and finally put a scope on it this year and killed 3 with it and all dropped in there tracks.

Hornady American Whitetail?

If so, there is more blood in that single photo than all of the deer my boys have killed combined.

We're in the process of changing bullets as I type.

Edit: I see you mentioned the Whitetail there at the end. Glad you're results have been good. Accuracy is top notch but terminal performance has been disappointing for us.

Yes, its the Hornady AW. We killed 4 deer with it. Only one dropped in his tracks. The other 3 required tracking, but 2 of the 3 had good blood trails. The other was hit too far back but didn't run but about 50 yards.

I will likely work up a good hand load before next season. I tried Fusion ammo in the gun and it wasn't as accurate as I wanted it to be.

This is a left handed Remington 700 SPS. I'm LH and my son is left eye dominant so I started him shooting left handed at 4 years old with his BB gun. This is a great little rifle.

We shoot em square in the shoulder blade.

I shot this buck with the same bullet, but with a 270....It's the only one I shot behind the shoulder all year, and from the looks of it you would think it was DRT....of course that's the exit wound. I guess the bullet went to pieces. You can see in the hide where there is more than one exit hole. He only ran right at about 100 yards, and you'd also think there was just tons and tons of blood to follow, but there wasn't. Just a small blood trail, drop by drop. Now every other deer I shot this year, with the same gun and same bullets, I shot square in the shoulder. Non of them ran more than a few yards without falling over dead. Both shot placements kill deer dead... I guess it's just a matter of opinion on which is better. I prefer shooting straight in the shoulder blade.
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My wife shoots 7-08 also but shoots the Winchester supreme ballistic silver tips! Always puts a big hole in them!

I love my 7-08s with 140 Accubonds.
Matt Brock wasn't impressed with the Hornady American Whitetail in .308.

http://www.aldeer.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1409056&page=1

7-08 with hornady sst. Doa

I will likely work up a good hand load before next season. I tried Fusion ammo in the gun and it wasn't as accurate as I wanted it to be. [/quote]
I shoot the federal fusions in mine and my wife's rifles. They shoot better than any other round I've tried. Never had one run out of sight after hit.

I shoot a 7-08 with good old Core-Lokt's with zero complaints

X 2

TSX has given the best blood trails for me.

Got to try Fusion 140 on a deer a couple of weeks ago. GF shot a 90# doe at about 60 yards broadside. Was a complete pass thru with a small exit. It did not leave a drop of blood but it was piled up about 40 yards into the woodline.

X3 on the CL's

I know furs gun and it shot the AW round sub MOA. I killed a doe with that round and it ran but didn't leave much blood. Did its job, but I love a big exit hole if possible. I think hornady just had a bad run or something. Typically interlock bullets get it done.

I shoot a 7-08 after shoulder surgery and every deer so far has dropped in its tracks

My son shoots a 7-08 and we've seen mixed results that seem totally dependent on the round. SST's have resulted in very little blood trail while Accubon and TTSX created a much larger exit, much better blood and very short tracking jobs (if any). Most shots were just behind the shoulder.
We love the 7-08....great caliber. Hard hitting and pretty flat. Great ammo choices and a wide variety of rifles out there.

X4 on the CLs for me...I've tried em all but came back to what works good for me

Back many years ago, I was on the fence about a 7mm-08 vs. a 308; went w/the 308, but both are great guns & will lay 'em down. Re: bullets, my brother's gotten great results out of Hornady; I tried a Winchester ballistic silvertip & I'm not too happy w/the exit wounds I'm getting; I've had very little blood & rough tracking experiences with 'em. So, I'm going back to a BTSP of some brand next season (prob Core-Lokts).

The problem with CL's is that they are nearly as expensive as the premium bullets. Every box I've found for the 7/08 is $35+.

Fur, you looking to unload any of those Fusions?

$25 a box here for the corelokts. http://www.ammunitionsupplycompany.com/R...htm?Click=30236
Even at that price a little high. Ive caught AW for $13 and Fusions for $16 on sale and stocked up.

Blood trail? What's that? Last 10 deer I've shot with CL in my 270 have either dropped in their tracks or could be seen from the point of contact.... after losing a few deer, including one monster, bc of spotty trails i don't care if i spend extra $$$ on a round if it saves me uncountable trailing hours or a wasted deer.... just my $.02

I'll see if I still have them.

I shoot the Hornady Whitetail as well. I used to think the 30-06 was king and anything less wouldn't cut it. Well I went to the 7mm-08 and cut down some recoil and I believe it kills them better than the 30-06 ever did. I can't tell you how or why it does but it is one ferocious round on whitetails.

For some reason, every box of 7mm-08 I've seen is $7-$10 more than a box of 308. Don't really understand why, same brass, less bullet material. Guess it's just one of those things.

I shoot a Model 7 7mm-08. Shot core lokts for years, and they work, but i wanted to try something different.
The Hornady Whitetail doesnt group for anything in my gun for some reason. Emily's Savage model 11 308 will shoot them lights out. Hoping to try some TSX this summer and see how it does.
However, from 20 yards to 170 yards, I have never had a deer run more than 50 yards with my 7-08. Most are DRT or within 20 yards. No need for blood trails there, but I have not been getting good trails from the corelokt when I do try to follow them.. Not a big hole typically, but it does some damage on the interior without a doubt.
One gun that has surprised the hell out of me though, is dads Model 700 .260. That thing demolishes the insides of every deer he has shot.

.260 Remington kills more deer than CWD

I agree; this was another reason why I opted for the 308, as well

Shot this 9 pt. Monday with a 140 grain Fusion. Slightly quartering to me at 30 yards. Ran about 30 yards. No exit wound but I dug the bullet out from the backside. Nice wide blood trail.

I've shot a Tikka 7mm08 for a lotta years now. I shoot the good ol Winchester 140gr Power Points. I can usually stick my fist through the exit wound. Absolutely ferocious caliber/bullet!

I'll never change calibers for southern whitetail.