Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 7mm-08 with 120gr Sierra Pro Hunter bullets?

I was given a pile (nearly 200) of 120gr Sierra Pro Hunters in .284 cal.

However, being a faithful follower of the 'fire, I'm almost afraid to use anything in my new 7mm-08 of the 120gr persuasion except Nosler Ballistic Tips or Barnes TTSX! Certainly, there has been almost nothing written of alternatives to the NBT or TTSX for the 7mm at this weight.

In truth, since I won't be chasing the highest possible velocity with them, I'm expecting that nearly any cup-and-core bullet will function well at the 2900-3000fps speed I'm planning to employ, especially when used for my intended quarry: Nevada antelope and possibly Colorado deer.

Has anyone here defied the collective wisdom of our esteemed members and had actual experience with 7mm Pro Hunters in 120gr?

When the 120 NBT dried up here a few years ago I switched to the Sierra
in my grand daughters 7-08. She has taken 2 deer with them one at about
140 yards that took out the shoulder joint going in and a rib going out. The other was close to 300 yards behind the shoulder it also exited. Both were DRT.
They are very accurate in her Rem. 700 youth rifle. Starting velocity was 2940 about all I can get out of that 20 inch barrel plus that was where accuracy was the best.
Couldn't see much difference between them and the NBT which were used on her first two deer.

If you were to call Sierra that is the bullet they would recommend for the 7-08. I know Sierra gets a lot of heat but on deer I have never seen any issues.

I wouldn't worry about them at those speeds. They are accurate in my gun at about 2800 fps. Felt that was a good speed for the bullet and deer in VA.

Son-in-law uses them at reduced velocities for my Grandkids. No problems though we've never chrono'd them. Think he said he just used the starting load in one of the reloading manuals.

Hi Czech,

I have loaded this bullet over a minimum book charge of IMR 4350 for my nephew. He borrowed a 7mm-08 of mine and hunted blacktail deer with it. The load will group 3 shots under and inch, and the only buck he shot was through the lungs and it died after walking 50 feet. I can’t recall if the bullet exited or not.

You say that antelope is on the menu. I suppose you’ve researched the bullet and found out that its BC is .326. I don’t know what range you are planning to from and what wind you might have to consider, but obviously the bullet isn't doing much to help in that regard.

That’s all I can offer. Good luck!

Thanks, all. And yes, the BC isn't inspiring, but when ranges get much past 350 yards, I'll just get closer!

Would make a good pratice bullet for off hand shooting...

I loaded them over a max charge of Rl-15 for my wife and daughter for an antelope hunt about eight years ago. My wife hit her antelope three times in a spot that you could cover with your hand at distances between 200-300 yards just behind the front leg. Nothing exited and the wound looked like something from the Walking Dead. The animal finally bled out because the heart was macerated like it had gone through a food processor.

My daughter shot her antelope at 200 yards. The animal was quartering towards her and she hit it in the upper leg. The bullet fragged and opened the antelope up like a scalpel. It had it's stomach and intestines hanging out of the opening. She finished it off with a second shot just behind the shoulder.

We stick with 120gr. TTSX and BT's now and use the Sierra's for practice.

I have shot a bunch of whitetail's over the years. Probably dang near 100 with a 30-06 and 150 grain Sierra bullets. I have yet to have a problem. They kill quick and do the intended job. When I lived in GA I shot a bunch of hogs with the same setup and I never ever had a problem.

Loaded for daughter 7-08 for whitetail but down around the 2800-2850fps area. Mild load, worked well w/exits.

Thanks, all. I've decided these will be reserved for reduced loads in my loaner rifle and for practice for myself to get used to my new 7mm-08 before a Wyoming elk hunt later this year.

FWIW, I loaded 120 gr Sierra Pro Hunters in my daughter's 7mm08, albeit to a modest 2800ish fps muzzle velocity (she was 12 years old at the time, and a tad recoil shy, so I'd dropped down from my usual 140 gr. pet load).

She pulled the trigger on a mature WT buck, her first, standing broadside right at 100 yds.

Long story short, it didn't turn out well: lost deer with no blood trail.

Three weeks later, I found that deer floating in a stock tank. I field dressed it for curiosity's sake. Solid hit with entry wound in the near side chest, taking out that lung, but dipping just under the off-side diaphragm (deer must have been slightly quartering, or maybe rib impact changed trajectory slightly), and lodging under the skin on the off-side.

Bullet was retrieved and intact, mushroomed nicely, but, obviously, there was no exit wound.

So, admittedly, a very small sample size, but I'm 0 for 1 on Sierra 120s.

Can't help but think that a heavier bullet, or a premium bullet, would have made for a very happy young girl that day.

If its potentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I'd advise to not unnecessarily leave anything to chance.

I've killed several whitetails with the 120 Sierra and my 7-08. Using a max charge of H4895 gives about 3k fps and slightly under MOA groups. I've never had an issue with penetration using this bullet on deer. Most of my shots have been fairly short with resultant high impact velocities. If anything, I've been surprised that it doesn't produce very dramatic exit wounds.

Don't be afraid to use them on game. I doubt that there's a bullet out there that hasn't been involved in a perfect storm of bad circumstances that resulted in a lost animal. Heck, I was hunting with a guy once who was a very good shot who put a 180 gr Corelokt from his '06 through a broadside doe. We never found a speck of blood and the deer was only found when someone came across her during a deer drive.

I have loaded alot of these bullets for 7-30 Waters in my nieces 16" TC Carbine and a buddy's 7-08 Encore 15" pistol and have excellent results.. My niece was getting runners and not good blood trails with her 7-30 with 140 gr btips.. switched her to 120 Sierras and she has dropped most of the deer she has shot at with them in their tracks or had excellent blood trails to follow. One a side note, I bought my dad a Abolt in 7-08 a few years back and loaded him some 140 Btips. He hunted with that rifle for 2 years and almost every deer he shot with it ran and didnt bleed much. I wish I tried the Sierras before I sold the rifle.

I agree. I rarely get blood trails with the 120 or 140 BT's in the 7mm-08 either. But I rarely need to follow a blood trail. With the Sierra's I usually get a good blood trail but again rarely need to follow the blood trail.

Terrible bullets! No good, awful, and what's even worse they have horrible, toxic, lead cores. I'm in charge of the Hazardous Waste program here at work, so just mail ALL of them to me and I'll see that they're properly disposed of.






Seriously, keep them below 3000 fps, and even better, around 2800 to 2850 fps and you'll have no problem with them on deer and antelope. And they've been wonderfully accurate out of my .280 and 7mm Mauser (that's not supposed to like lighter bullets), and friend's 7mm-08.