Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Why won't Barnes make a 140 7mm-08

I've emailed them and the guy that answered me thought it was a good idea but nothing has ever happened. This would be the perfect load for the lead free areas. The only thing I can think of is they don't want to compete again the Remington 140 core lock. (Remington owns Barnes I think) Their 120 is great but I think the 140 for bigger stuff would be super.

Ummmm.... Do you mean a loaded cartridge or a bullet? Cuz there's this thing called reloading...

Velocity constraints?

I shoot 140 TSX in 7-08. why not you?


http://www.midwayusa.com/product/64...llow-point-boat-tail-lead-free-box-of-50

Because at 78 I have gotten rid of all my reloading equipment so only shoot factory shells anymore as I thought I was done hunting when I lost the sight in my right eye. Discovered LH rifles and back to hunting again.

Keep in mind that the barnes run longer than than lead core bullets. Longer bullets eat up powder space and can lower velocities. Could be barnes is not happy with performance of the 140s at the speed they can get comfortable. Also the 140 barnes is on the heavy side construction wise for typical 7mm08 game. Pretty much any monometal bullet allows you to step down a bit in weight and have similar if not better performance that the heavy bullets. I agree there are time that a heavier bullet has its place in the 7mm08. But too much of niche market for a ammo maker to cater to. They need to offer loads that are going to perform under the most typical conditions they will be used in.

I hear what you are saying but look how many manufactures make 7mm-08 loads up to 162 grains. I'm of the old school that weight in motion stays in motion. I see members using the 120 Barns for Elk which must be working for them but my preference is a heavier non lead bullet. Daughter is currently using the Hornaday 139 Grain GMX and has taken both Bucks she has shot at with them. In my early years of Gunsmithing I met Fred at his place and what a trip thst was so I have always had an affinity for his bullets. I'd like to hear from somebody that is using the 140 in their 7-08 and see what velocity they are getting out of it.

Strange, Federal used to load a 140gr TSX load for the 7mm-08. I bought a case of it when I lived in Germany and couldn't reload. Maybe you can find some old stock. It is still good as my brother in law used some this week deer hunting. The code is P708C. And the 140gr bullet gets more than 2800fps from several of my rifles. The 140gr works just fine in the 7-08.

Their old XFBs in the 140 weight were a fine bullet and worked very well on caribou and even moose. I know the original bullet with the fuller ogive (more meat up front) expanded better and more consistently than the XBTs and later XFBs with their sleeker ogives. I got very good (immediate) kills with those 140 XFBs and never recovered one. The later TSX kept the sleeker ogive and, even when driven at the speeds one can get with the 120 weights, it doesn't expand nearly as well. The only X bullets of current production that I'd run in my 7mm-08 would be the tipped ones. That 140 TTSX is going to be pretty deep (inside the case) due to the grooves and the extra length at the tip.

Double Tap does offer ammo loaded with the 140 TTSX BTW, @ 2850 fps in 22". However, it runs $2.70 a pop if you can stomach that.

Not trying to argue the point, but I've seen the 140gr TSX open quite well at 7-08 speeds, from coyotes to Mnt goats. Maybe there were differences in annealing of certain lots and some did expand better than others, but the lot of TSXs I used expanded well enough. I never actually caught one, but all caused major damage and nice exits.

That said, I do prefer the 120gr TTSX in the 7-08 and now use my 140gr TSX in the 7mmSAUM.

First time out with 120 TSXs and TTSXs..caribou....<200 yards. Didn't catch the TTs which were quite evidently expanding, but this TSX was shooting very tiny groups. Does that count?



I like 'em well-peeled and open (like this ^ XFB). Seems you don't find 'em in animals that are still standing around when they use what they have. So many of them (the slender ogived ones) seem to have a lot of cavity left unused inside.

Where there's a will, there's a way, good on ya coyote. If you want some 140's loaded up, let me know, I'll be happy to do it.

Thanks for the offer smokepole. I have a 7 mag for bigger stuff but thought it would be great to have some 140's for the 7-08 as I love to shoot it. Don't do Elk any more but my Daughter Sandi lovers her 7-08 over her 7 mag so I was really also looking for her as well as I can't get the 7-08 out of her hands. Boy, does she love that rifle and she keeps putting in for the Elk draw here.

My one experience with the 140 TTSX on game was this year's mule deer. My handload runs around 2850 out of a 22-inch barrel and hits out to 200 alongside the usual load with 139 grain Interlocks. It worked at 290 yards like I'd expect any decent hunting bullet to work when placed thru the heart and lungs.

Respectfully, I am wondering what the logic is for wanting the 140 grain in the 7mm-08? Not trying to pick a fight. Just trying to understand if it comes from people applying the old "heavier lead penetrates deeper" logic or if it is something else?
I shot another cow this year with the 120 ttsx and had complete pass through. What would the 140 do different? She walked 30 yards and put all 4 feet straight up in the air.
The 140 doesn't open any larger and it may have a little better bc but not really a factor in less than 400 yard shots.

I think 140 gr is borderline too heavy in a copper bullet at 7-08 velocities except at very close range. With copper bullets the 120's will penetrate just as deep as 140's. But once velocity drops below 2000-2200 fps you get very little expansion and 2500 fps is even better. At least with 30 cal and smaller bullets.

Also, copper will retain 100% of its weight at impact. The 120 copper bullets will still weigh 120 gr after they hit game. A 140 gr conventional jacketed lead bullet will do good to still weigh 100 gr after impact.

A good rule of thumb is to start them as close to 3000 fps at the muzzle as possible even if you have to drop down in bullet weight. The 140's would be a good choice in a 7 mag. 120's are a better option even on larger game from a 7-08, at least in my opinion

Typical copper bullets at varying impact speeds

I wouldn't choose the 120 for heavier big game and even the 140 is perhaps kind of light, at least at 7mm-08 speeds. I know I never had trouble shooting through caribou at various angles and distances with 140s, where a 120 with a jacked load of RL 15 failed to push through at a very moderate distance the first tie I tried them. Expansion was nothing to brag about either. (See the photo above.) Choosing stuff that will work when conditions are closer to ideal and hoping they will work as well under all conditions is a recipe for bitter tea IMO.

Weight does stay in motion. But since Barnes often looses nothing, thats why they take a step down.
120 retains as much or even mroe than cup and core 140 generally.

Unless you are of the mind to use 160ish cup and core to start with... or so on.

The hornady and nosler versions and a couple of others are all barnes X under a different name so to speak. Using the same technology.

They pay guys thousands of dollars a year to tell them what to offer for sale. Obviously, those guys don't thnk there's enough money in the idea. Get some pals to start pounding them with letters and emails.

You can get a Lee Loader for about $30 and a cheap e-scale and hand trimmer won't add much to the tab. Wouldn't take many boxes to pay for the investment.

Or just buy somebody else's similar stuff.

My only Barnes manual, number 3, lists 19 powders for the 7mm-08 with 140 grain bullets; four loads are over 2800 fps. I shoot a 7mm Mauser and it prefers the 150 grain TSX but they both expand well. What this post suggests is that you can use whatever Barnes X bullet you like. You can't let velocity drop too far, but in my experience the bullets work just fine at 7mm-08 velocities at normal game ranges. Have a friend load some ammo for you.