7MM-08 Bullet

Just wondering what yall like to shoot in this caliber? I bought a model 70 extreme weather in this caliber at the end of last hunting season and only got to take it to the woods a few times with some cheap Hornady American whitetail that I sighted it in with. Before this I shot a 7 mag with 140 Accubonds and loved how they performed. I'm thinking on loading some of the Accubonds and trying them in the 7mm-08 but just wondering if they will expand at the lower velocity compared to the 7 mag with pretty much all of my shots being within 100 yards or a little over.

Accubonds will reliably expand at velocities down to at least 2000 FPS. Good bullet choice for this gun.

I load 120 grain Barnes ttsx for my son’s. Did the trick on this dude. He never moved a muscle

The 120 ballistic tip really does well also. The 7-08 is such a great caliber you can’t go wrong. Try loading those accubonds and see if they group for you. Since you have them already and like them. Nice rifle you picked up too.

Thanks I bought it from a member on here and really like it so far which worked out good because I got a new rifle and now I can put a face with the name when I see them on here. With those ballistic tips how do they do at close ranges? Just wondering because where I hunt I generally can't see over 100 yards so most of the time the shots are kinda close and have heard a lot of horror stories about ballistic tips at close range.

I would never use a Ballistic Tip on Big game.
I like 2 holes.

The 7mm 120 BT was beefed up for silhouette shooters a while ago.It is is a fine bullet for 7-08 and will give two holes on broadside shots easily.

I personally prefer an Accubond but would shoot whatever good bullet my gun liked best. They will all work.

A 140 Sierra will blow about a golf ball size or slightly bigger exit hole through a 200+ lb whitetail. Generally shred, break bones or whatever is in between.

I have loaded and shot deer with many more expensively touted bullets myself for 7mm-08.... but I'm not really sure there is any need to shoot a more expensive, faster, bonded or anything else kinda bullet. 140 Sierras will flat out grease even the biggest buck around these parts.

For things that shoot south of 3,000 fps you just don't need a bonded bullet on an Alabama Whitetail. Most are what 150lbs? If you are trying to shoot a 120 grain you might need bonded because you are knocking on 3,000 but I'm not sure why you would be shooting a 120 grain to begin with the ballistics are essentially the same as a 140 out of a 7mm-08 at 2800. Makes no sense. You probably won't make those load data numbers anyway if you don't have a 26" barrel so it's a moot point. Recoil is the only case for shooting a 120 grain.

I have thought about trying the game king after talking to a friend that shoots them in his 30-06 and he really likes them. With the game king do you get a consistent pass through? That is one thing that I really liked about the Accubond in my 7 mag is I always got a pass through and everything I shot with it but 1 was DRT. My only concern with it in the 7mm-08 is it not expanding at the lower velocity's and getting a pencil sized entry and exit wound.

You will get pass through with just about any bullet in the 7-08. Only reason to shoot bonded or mono is if you might need to put a bullet through one lengthwise.

I might disagree with that statement to some extent. I have shot a few dozen deer with 139-140 bullets in 7mm and it is the only bullet which has shown some tendency to only make one hole. Most of these deer were shot with a 7X57 at about 2950 FPS MV at ranges under 100 yards. The Hornady139 he SP always killed good but I probably recovered about half a dozen of these bullets under the skin on the off side. Switched to a 140 partition and always had 2 holes.

I've used 140 Accubonds in a 7mm RM and have recovered 3 of those out of about 10 shot with that rifle. All were DRT.

Two holes don't kill deer, massive internal damage kills them. If you ALWAYS want a pass through with massive internal damage, use a partition.

I lucked out. I’m getting 3000fps with my 120 grain NBTs and 2870fps with 140 grain Partitions out of a 20” tube. I’m curious to see how the 120 NBT does on whitetails this year. I hope to shoot an elk next year with the 140 Partitions.

That's why I shoot the Sierra bullets a lot of times... they are not as well constructed but our 150lb deer are just not that well constructed either. I would get a pencil hole with bonded bullets if I didn't shoot through the front shoulders or get some rib bone, etc.. Just wasn't getting the damage with a double lung. I don't want to step down and go to something like a 120 Barnes simply because I am a heavy for caliber bullet guy. The thought process being you are relying less on the bullet construction itself and more on energy and weight.

Bullets like Sierra, Core-lokt and similar have been getting it done for 50+ years. When we start hand loading we tend to want to get fancy, especially with the bullets because of the choices these days,.... but the fact of the matter is the old school stuff just plain gets it done. And to me with less fuss or question as to whether it is going to work as prescribed.

Unless there is some kind of bermuda triangle stuff going on I always get a pass through on a broadside shot with the 140 Sierras. The last deer I kilt with 7-08 was maybe 2 years ago. Deer was 200lbs dressed out so it was a big'un.... and it punched a very nice hole through it double lung shot.

I shot a deer last season with 7-mag 160 Sierra. I think I poured about 1/2 the deer out of the hole it left behind. Broke both front legs. Nice exit with a piece of bone sticking out. DRT. Shot it in the road so I could just pick it up on the way out and that's where it was when I drove back to the camp house. I would venture to guess most internet experts would tell you that Sierra would have blown up on the hide due to the velocity or some other similar wildly inaccurate story about how their uncle took a shot in 1982 with that bullet and it literally bounced off a jackrabbit.

Give it a shot. Kill a doe or two and decide for yourself. Does taste great.

139 LRX and Ramshot big game powder is the best thing I’ve found in my 7-08. Just a 19” barrel but a max charge produces no pressure signs and is a little over 2900 FPS according to 2 different chronographs.

Partitions are good. a mono or most bonded work just as well for pass through.

I wouldn't completly disagree with you. I likely should have said mostly get pass through. I don't think lungs and ribs will stop any of them,but you might get into a shoulder that would. With the standard bullets,I see no reason to push them and I think they perform a lot better from about 2400- 2700

Its just an oddity that I have experienced with that particular caliber/weight of bullet. No problems, because all of the deer died and right quickly. I haven't recovered but just a couple other bullets in the other calibers that I have used. YMMV.

I don't shoot cup and core in my 7 mag. i likely won't get two holes but the same bullet works wonders when slowed down to 7mm-08 speed.

A 140 sierra game king is my go to in a 7mm anything. That's a wonderful bullet.

I like pass thrus. The 120ttsx has done very well for me with good expansion.

140 Partition's

Yep

I shoot Sierra Gameking 160's in my 7 Mag and there is no question you will shoot right through a broadside whitetail, both shoulders, bone, whatever and blow a hole right out the other side as big as a post-it note.

Try it.

https://www.reloadingvalley.com/7mm-140gr-282-Fusion-p/rv7mmp140fuse282-0100.htm

The accubonds would be a fine choice as others have stated. I’ll probably get banned for saying this but I love 140 Nosler BT in a 7-08. I’ve got plenty of 180-210LB bucks that found out yes in deed a BT will not bounce off in fact penetrates both shoulders.

At 7-08 velocities, a 140 BT is a fine choice. Problems can occur when pushed to 7mm magnum velocities.

140gr Swift Scirocco.

Just my opinion, but I like speer 145 gr spritzers in my 7mm-08. I've had pass troughs on all deer even when through both shoulders. The only ones that didn't were length wise shots.Most bullets wont. I despise Hornady Interlocks, I've had bad experiences with them. Sierra pro hunters are good, deer generally run a short distance before stopping, however, a good blood trail can be expected Nosler partitions are very good. Probably optimal. The 139 gr.Hormady Interbonds and Nosler 140 gr. accubonds are near optimal as well. However, the Speer spritzer performs as well as any of the more expensive bullets. I've killed numerous deer with all the bullets listed except the Accubonds. They are similar to the Interbonds and should work just as well. I've been reloading for nearly thirty years and have shot just about all the big names. The partitions and the two bonded are standouts, however, I've found the speer to perform just as well on deer as the more expensive ones. I hunt swamps and need/demand a good blood trail.

I'm pretty happy with the accubond so far. I got to shoot my first deer last Sunday with the new rifle and caliber and am very happy. I only sat there about 45 minutes and I thought I heard something walking behind me but figured it was just a squirrel until it blew at me standing in the road I walked in on. I unzipped the back window of my blind and looked up to see a deer take off running out through the pines but I kept looking in that direction hoping that she may stop and look back but I never saw her again. While looking behind me though there was another big bodied doe at about 40 yards facing me looking straight at me. I shot her right in the chest facing me with the 140 accubond and she did a back flip hit the ground and kicked a few times and that was the end. As I was skinning her I found the bullet right in front of the left ham. I have not weighed the bullet yet to see how much it weighs but was very happy with it and this was the first bullet that I have ever found after shooting a deer.

Congratulations on the deer. And on the 7 mm 08. It’s my all time favorite.

If pic shows up this is a 120 NBT I done just to see how thick the jacket is.

It would be interesting to see how the jacket compared to a 140 gr BT.

If I can find a 140 I'll do one. I've seen pictures comparing them. My understanding is the 120 uses the same jacket as the 140 it is just cut shorter which makes it thicker at the tip. I know it is a tough little bullet in a 7mm-08.

That’s all I use in my 7 Mag. 120ttsx at 3400 is hard to beat.