who is shooting this combo? Wondering about accuracy and what your load is. Seems like it should be a great for deer.

Thanks

Not shooting that combo but the only 2 powders that worked thus far in a finicky Cooper were H414 and IMR 4064. I'm running H414 and 140 Barnes TTSX. The other load is a 130 Speer with IMR 4064.

I shot this combo, shot a deer this year with the 140grg HPBT, that being said. I'm going back to my go to load with Nosler 120 Ballistic tips.

Spill it........... What happened?

shoulder shot, longest tracking I ever done. Shot a second large doe after the first one with a 120gr Nosler at the same place as the first, second deer out weighed the first one by 37 pounds, no tracking at all DRT. Load for the 140gr Sierra was 44.5gr of Varget for 2890fps and the Nosler 120gr was 48gr of varget for 3227fps

Nosler 120gr ballistic tips smoke deer

Just got a 7-08 in a Marlin XS-7 stainless. Bought Horn American Whitetail factory loads for the brass. If I can equal the accuracy of those 139 gr Horn SP's I'll be lucky. I picked up a half box of 140 gr Sierra Gamekings a couple of gunshows a go for $5 and am working them with WW760 at the OAL suggested by the Sierra Manual. They show promise accuracy wise. Most Sierra's are very accurate but for other than ribcage shots I'd pick something else. The 120 NBT is next or 139gr Hornady SP. Magnum Man

Can you tell us a little more about the bullet performance? Where on the shoulder? Penetration? Did it blow up and not reach the vitals? Large surface wound? Thanks.

Something sure went wrong on a shoulder shot whitetail hit with a 140 grain game bullet.

Note that Gemby58 didn't say how far the deer was tracked. Muddy

this

I ran a great load of Varget over a hornady 139btsp. Took a muley at 385 with it. I'd think that would be similar to the GK, although I do think the interlok ring helps.

Out of curiosity, anyone shoot a mule deer with the 120? I'm thinking of trying it with all the praise I hear.

I like the 139 Hornady a lot, but it also can get ugly if it hits shoulders.

Been doin that for a while and want to try something diff.

I ran to the loading room and looked. I have 9 different 284 bullets 139-145 including almost empty boxes of PHs and GKs. Time to shop

Well I just loaded up 30 of em in 3 different powders. I'll show ya.

Deer was shot at 217 yards and was tracked at least 500 yards if not more, she was not dead when got up to her, she couldn't get up and was not going anywhere, head shot took care of that, Bullet entered behind the shoulder shooting back to front and was found 2" deep on the side she was hit on in small pieces. Would have thought going at almost 2900fps it would have been a exit hole. Called Seirra and told of my experience and then tech said must of been a bad batch. Shot a bigger doe the next day just a little farther at about the same angle with a Nosler 120gr BT and she was plowing snow, it came out in front of the other shoulder.

yeah the bullet blew up, I love the 308 165gr HPBT Game King it always did the job for me. When they came out with the 7mm 104gr HPBT Game King I was looking high and low to get a box. The box I have shot really good but was disappointed on there killing.

I like the Nosler 120gr BT better than the Barnes 120gr TTSX

NTG,

The 139 Hornady Interlock is NOT similar to the 140 GameKing in performance on game. There are two major differences: The interlock ring reinforcing the rear of the bullet, and a harder core. My wife and I have used the 139 Hornady at 3100+ fps from the .280 Remington and 2800-2900 from the 7x57 on a number of big game animals, and have recovered on one, found under the hide on the far side of the chest on a big bull caribou. Have seen it break both shoulders of a mature mule deer buck and exit.

In my experience the 160 GameKing performs about right at 7x57 muzzle velocities of 2650-2700 fps.

That's crazy talk. Only a true gun nut wound say "it always works so I'm trying something new"

Not exactly: A true rifle loony often says "It always works so it bores me, so I'm trying something new, hoping the new whatever will transform my life, unlike the reliable bullet/cartridge/scope/rifle I've used long enough to be bored."

So funny and so true. Always doing load development for next year even if last years load killed them dead. I think it's because I have too may bullets and calibers and I need to see if they all work.

I have a free range Axis hunt in June and I'm screwing around with three different rifles in three different caliber trying to figure out which rifle and load will kill the deer the deadest. One of the rifles is a 7mm-08 and I'm getting good results with 145 Hot Cors.

If you use that rifle and load, the axis will no doubt die of sheer boredom.

You simply MUST AI the 7-08 and use either the latest monometal super-premium or the target bullet with the highest BC.

I'm loading 140 GameKings under IMR 4064 in my Model 700 XHR.
I used Sierra 50th anniversary manual (all I had at the time). My load was 44.0 grains in Winchester brass and WLR primers. Chronographed speed was 2940 fps.
The 5th Edition Sierra manual has reduced the max load to 42.2 grains.
I experience absolutely no pressure signs with the 44.0 grain load. I'm on the 5th reload of the brass with nice tight primer pockets and easy extraction of brass.

This load has never given a 3-shot group over 1"

Nice! Killed anything with em sniper58?

I'm curious how the 140 TTSX will perform at 7mm-08 velocities on deer?

Good idea......

Well, there is that...

shot a spiker mule deer last fall. He went about 30 ft and went to sleep permanently. Quartering away at about 80 yds. did not recover the bullet.

I just re-checked my data for this rifle. The only powder I've ever used is IMR 4064.........................Why change if it's working so well?

The two bullets I've used most from my 7mm-08 for caribou are the 139 SP Interlock and the 140 XFB. The XFB always worked very well in putting those 'deer down quickly. Shooting for bone is never a mistake with that combo.

My 7/08 Sako dotes on 140gr GK over H4350. Have never chronographed the load which is 1/2 grain under Sierra manual max, but it shoots the lights out for me.
The two whitetails I have taken, one at 125yd and 270yd, never complained about performance, and no bullets were recovered.

That said, I use 120gr TTSX in my other 7/08. They never performed that well in the Sako.

Thanks Klik,

I plan on using them for hogs, but if I happen on a deer I didn't want it to act like a FMJ so good to hear.

I shot a muley this past year at a very slight quartering (almost head-on) with the 140 Sierra Pro-Hunter, not the GK. I use that flat based bullet out of my 7-08 since I don't expect to shoot at any distances where the boattail would help me. Anyhow, hit him at about 30-35 yards in the right shoulder. It went all the way through him diagonally, and I assumed was in the hind since there was no exit wound. (I kick myself for not digging around and finding it, but I was on borrowed time skinning and butchering the buck in my friend's garage while his wife waited to go to bed.)

Used Varget, MV = 2,775

Deer made it about 40 yards before piling up. Not sure how it made it that far, since its boiler room had exploded.

Long story short, if you're shooting < 400 yards, the Pro-Hunter configuration is one to consider.

I have loaded my son the Sierra pro hunters with 46.5gr IMR 4340 for 2 years. He has taken several whitetail with it and all have been pass throughs. I have shot the 140gr game kings in my 280 and 7mm mag around 3000fps and had pass throughs on all but one.

Good to know JP, wondered if they could take 3k.