...taking the .7mm-08 to the big state up North for Dall Sheep and just found out Carabou will also be in play on this trip. Not so much worried about the .7mm-08 with the Ram but this Carabou variable is going to take some planning. I think I'm limited to a 140 gr bullet in this caliber (?) but I need to max this sucker out...any experience out there with premium bullets in this round? -thanks

stiff handloads with 120gr Nosler BTs should do for both. If you just have to have something tougher, go with a barnes in the same weight range

TTSX

It doesn't take much to kill a 'bou. Whatever bullet you're using for ram will work for caribou...






140gr TTSX...

120 TSX is what i'd use...

140gr Nosler BT
140gr Nosler AB
140gr Nosler PT

139gr Hornady SPBT
139gr Hornady IB

and a few others.......

MtnHtr

I would have zero qualms, either, about running with a 140 Partition, or simply the 139 Interlock. Heck, I actually have a hard time thinking of the bullets I wouldn't want in my 7mm-08 for sheep or 'bou. It's a bit difficult to recall the caribou I've taken with the 7mm-08, but I know I've used Pro-hunters, Hot-Cors, Interlocks, XFBs, Partitions, Ballistic Tips, and PowerPoints in this cartridge alone. They work....well; all of them. Don't make this difficult.

+1

The 120 would be plenty for the 'bou.
Question on reloading, can a fella get 3000 fps with a 140 grain pill? RL15?
Thanks.
R.

i'm getting 2950 with 120's both nbt's and tsx's...

140's or 120's?

R.

About 2800-2850 with 20"-22.5" bbls using RL15 ime. I like the 140s, they shoot plenty flat and buck the wind better than the 120s.

MtnHtr

140 grn Nos Accubonds is all I use now..I wouldn't use a Barnes bullet from a 7-08

The 120gr TSX is a wicked slayer from the 7mm-08. Truly wicked.

There's something about launching that bullet around 2900 - 3000 fps that just works.

120's, It's the go to load for me, steelhead when he had one. Stick uses the same load... Minus the BT's of coarse...

Sheep are generally tougher than caribou.

One of the members here has killed a moose with a 7-08 and 120 tsx, so I'd say you'll have no problem with that combo against caribou.

...thanks guys, I have much more horsepower in the gunsafe but I had MUCH rather take this little lightweight 708 hiking as long as it will do the job. Unfortunately, I only have firsthand experience with whitetail using this caliber and just not sure what the potential/limitations are with the cal. 'Preciate the advice -

120 BT, 120 or 140 TTSX, 140 NP. Whichever the gun shoots best and don't worry about the results. Any of those bullets in the 7-08 is plenty for sheep and bou.

Never killed either of those critters but have killed a couple 200-250 pound boars and lots of smaller critters with the 120 bt right at 3000fps,,, it works well,,

When I first saw this "larger game" I thought you were going elk or moose hunting. But sheep and bou, those critters aren't exactly what I'd call big so I'd say just use what you use for deer where you live.

I know of more than a couple sheep and bou's taken with 22/250's and Swifts and 243's and the like. So, your lil 7 won't have any issues at all.

If I were taking a 7/08 I'd use a 139 Horn coupled with R17 and call it a day.

Are you hunting this fall?

Thx and best of luck to you (take lots of pics and come back and share)

Dober

140-gr. North Fork's should work well on both animals.

As well as most trains...grin

Dober

140gr or 150gr Nosler Part.Simple and effective.

140gr Accubonds, or the 139gr Hornady GMX.

Too true Mark, too true. (The OP did capitalize the word "NASTY" though.)

A "bou" goes 500ish a sheep 225ish,on the hoof. Find one that shoots good and take lots of pictures!

Check this, aalf says 3175 with a 120 and H414:

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/5003999/H414_and_7_08#Post5003999

They don't open up? Or is it something else?

GD. If you live in Columbia Missouri just walk over to Midway USA and pick up 2 or 3 boxes of 7mm08.... The 120gr TTSX is what I would use....

link: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=192125

120TTSX.

Plenty of great 7mm bullets out there.

I'd opt for the 140 or 150 Partition, the 140 TSX, or the 150 SSII.

Shoot them and your rifle will tell you which it likes best.

STA...I've spent more money there (Midway) than my wife has at Macy's over the years, and that is saying something buddy! I got a chuckle out of you sending me that link - but thanks anyway.

My son shot a cow moose w/ his model 7 7mm-08 using a 120gr Barnes TTSX. No issues at all on sheep or caribou.

I've shot 5 sheep and 7 caribou. As North American game go, these two animals are, pound-for-pound, among the easiest animals to put down. They aren't even in the same league with an elk or goat or even a whitetail. Put a proper bullet in the right place, and you'll have meat in the freezer and horns on the wall. But make a bad shot, and you'll be in for an adventure, with any bullet.

My choice would be the 140 Nosler PT for both animals. In fact, this is the bullet I used for my bighorn, my Stone, and a west Texas aoudad. And out of a 7mm Mag, this bullet claimed two NWT caribou.

Go forth and have fun, and don't fret over your bullet.

I had a friend carry a 7mm-08 for caribou. The rifle was so light we had to keep opening the rifle case just to make sure the thing was in there. He used 140gr Ballistic Tips to drop a couple bulls on the spot with shoulder shots. He said one did come apart pretty good after hitting the front point of a shoulder, but it came apart in the lungs so he didn't care. Dead critter!

As a side note, he lost most everything on those animals except the antlers. As he was flying from Canada to New York, his jet was suddenly diverted to Wisconsin. He had to try and haul that meat via a rented pickup from Green Bay to Flagstaff, Arizona since he was not allowed to fly anywhere. He hated to lose all that meat and hide, but that paled in comparison considering everything else that went on that September 11 day.

Just my experience here but 500 lbs sounds awfully heavy for bous, I'd say more like 275-350 on the top end. Reminded me a lot like spike here in Montana.

Dober

I've not seen 3k yet with 140's in a 7-08. Seems like a stretch to me with any tube.

I'm with Mark on the size of caribou. I've hunted them across the continent and have yet to see a 500-pound bull--though some mountain caribou reach that size. The biggest-bodied caribou live near the 60th parallel of latitude, the northern border of BC, Alberta, Sakatchewan and Manitoba, which is a lot further south than Alaska. About 350 pounds is closer to average for a mature Alaskan bull.

What this thread is proving so far as that about any bullet works well in the 7mm-08, because like the 7x57 it doesn't put too much stress on bullets. I also like Mark's suggestion of the 139 Hornady Spire Point, partly because I've taken caribou with it. The bullet holds up fine, even when shot faster at close range, and kills quicker on average than some of the super-bullets suggested--which sometimes helps when anchoring a sheep where it won't fall off a cliff. The 140 Ballistic Tip would be another good one.

I have used Hornady HE ammo. It was capable of throwing a 140 gr. TBB @ 3020 fps (as advertised) outta my MkV in 7-08. FWIW, it does have a 24" barrel.

I'm new to the 7-08 game but have one load of 45.7 of H414, 140 Nosler BT, that gets 2898 out of a 22" barrel. Kills Mule Deer , white tail and antelope very quickly and effectively. 120 Nosler BT's work just as effectively at about 3140. Should both work on Caribou and Sheep I would bet.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthread...922/7mm_08_elk_rifle_wannabe#Post5005922

It obviously can't take an elk at 80 yds so you may want to forget it and get something with a 'bigger bang'. Best leave the 7-80 for varmints and roe deer!

I used 140 TSX for the moose I took this fall. The shot was 240 yards on the range finder, it done some massive internal damage to the lungs and I recovered the bullet sticking out of the hide on the far side, the Moose took three steps and fell over.Broke a pedal of cleaning the meat out of the bullet. Moose took three steps and fell over. I think pretty much any well constructed bullte in the 120gr to 140gr class should work well on caribou.

Man should have bought a chest freezer just small enough to fit in that pickup,,,, make sure you can plug it in and run the freezer some every few hours,,, all the jiggling may have killed the compressor or it may have not, helped haul a huge load of frozen elk from Ut to TN like that,,, drive 4-5 hours and take a hour break

120 NBT
140 NAB

I've used he 140gr TSX for years in my 7mm-08s with good success on deer and hogs. Recently started using 120gr TSX's and they are wicked on game as well....CT

I'd use whatever you already use for deer, and not worry about it. Your odds of encountering a 500lb caribou, while sheep hunting, are about the same as winning the lottery. If it will kill a deer, it'll kill a sheep and 'bou. Relax, get in shape(if you aren't)practice a lot, and have a great hunt! Spend more time worrying about good boots, rain gear, clothes, and glass.

Jeff

I'd be inclined to use the 150 Ballistic Tip and call it good...

Loaded some 140gr NP's for a 14 yo girl this past fall.
Her Dad's choice BTW.

The Partition worked beautifully on her cow elk.

So I would pick any bonded, mono, or partition 140gr bullet and go forth. I cannot imagine one being able to tell the difference in the field.

I think the non premiums would be more than adequate also.

A fairly ordinary/average bull getting undressed. I've killed a few big bulls though I prefer better eating animals. I have never killed a big bull I could not drag though the big ones are pretty hard to load into the sled without some field dressing, (something we sometimes do in order to congregate several into one place when we've killed more than one.)

I think what I've taken from this thread is to try some H414 <grin>.

My near-useless opinion, having only shot deer with a 7-08, would be to run the 140-Accubond or 150-gn NBT. You did say nasty, and the 150 NBT is all that.

Unless there were big bears around. Then I might load TSX's, probably a 140-gn.

Again, this is from the cheap seats.

22" tube on my Kimber 84M gets 3016 fps from Hornady Light Mag 139 SST...but I never liked the SST

This comment is not based on experience, only years of armchair hunting on Saturday mornings. But the Caribou, appears to be the bonafide pu$$y's of the Cervidae family. I would not feel under-gunned with a 243 and Remington softpoints.

Personally I still feel that the 130 NBT is a better way to go...

Dober

consistency is a virtue...

The 7mm caliber handloaded with a 140gn bulet to anything above 2800fps is grossly underrated by those that have not used it.

John

i slum griz turf some, and the rifle i'm most apt to have is a M7 7mm-08 stoked with 120 TSXs over RE 15

LOL

My 7mm RM really likes North Forks in 140g and 160g weights, as do I.

Being one with a strong preference for good premiums, and realizing full well they are rarely really needed:

120g TTSX
139g GMX
140g TTSX
140g AccuBond
140g Trophy Bonded Tip (Federal factory load)

And, of course, my favorite 7mm bullet...
140g North Fork

Traitor. We were talking about 7mm, not the bigger or small cousins.

Something that has worked for us is to use the big Igloo ice chests. We pack ice around the meat to get it cooled down quickly and throw dry ice in on top. We've done that with elk and kept the meat good for days. Also worked for antelope in Wyoming in much warmer temps and when we got the meat to the processor in Colorado a couple days later some of it was frozen. Longer trips might require more ice and dry ice but its easy to monitor and the water from melted ice is easily drained.

Dawg.......NO sir! You can go up to the 175 grain bullet and I will recommend the Nosler Accubond or the Swift A Frame bullet.

You can drive that 175 grn up to 2500-fps. I personally like the 160 grain a little better for down range trajectory but both have very good Sectional Density numbers for penetration purposes

I've seen my fair share of caribou killed, as well as a handful of mountain sheep, and I will repeat that any bullet that will reliably kill large deer will work fine on those animals.

My experience with 'bou is that if you hit them in the right spot, they go down with just about any bullet that you can send into their vitals. Hit them wrong, and they are liable to go for miles, regardless of caliber or cartridge used. I've seen them put down with authority with the .25-06, .257WM, .243, .308, etc, etc, and I've also seen them stand there and absorb four 225gr Fed SP's from a .338WM. Some are tougher than others, but if the first shot hits the boiler room, they are going down for the count, pronto. Sheep are just as easy to put down, IME.

Never hunted either sheep or caribou, so what happens if you gotta argue with a griz about whose sheep meat it is, that you are packing out on your back?Still 7-08 territory? Or is this a valid question? Seems like the same one was asked by Layne Simpson while he was packing out a Dall and carrying a 280 with 140 BT's? Will 150 or 160 NPT's overkill your sheep or bou while providing worst case scenario insurance? Just askin you know Magnum Man

The last time I was up on the tundra guiding, I ran into 16 different grizzlies during the 35-day season, some near and some far. I got into a stand-off argument or two, but it never came down to dancing toe-to-toe with a grizz *grin* Essentially what I'm saying, is that I've never had to settle an argument over sheep meat with a grizz. I had a standoff at 10-15 feet with one, but he decided to hurry off in the other direction rather than in my direction!

Is it still 7-08 territory? Yup. If the 150-160gr PT will work, so will a 140gr bullet. Throw a 140gr slug through the grizz's head or spine, and he won't notice that you're lacking 10-20gr of bullet weight. Even then, my original suggestion of the 140gr TTSX pretty well settles that argument

Great photo, Toad. I'm already jealous...

I agree with you. A Barnes with some steam behind it is a penetrating machine. And by going with the lighter bullets, you still have the penetration and a velocity bonus.

Now, all you gotta do it hit'em.

DF

When I killed a cow elk in Colorado I still had a NE Oregon elk camp ahead of me... going home before the Oregon hunt would have added a whole day of driving. Left Colorado with a butchered/wrapped elk frozen hard and in coolers packed with dry ice (from Wal-Mart). Spent the night in Idaho and bought more dry ice. When I got to camp I put the coolers on the cold side of the tent, and then packed around them with tarps and hay. It was getting around 32F at night, mid-50's in the day... The meat was still frozen (though not "hard") a week later when I left for home with a whole 'nuther elk (quartered).

7mm-08 with a 140gr premium bullet will do whatever you ask it to do. Caribou are not much bigger than a big bodied muley or maybe about the same as a small cow elk, It is more than adequate for that.
I've used WW760 and a 140 partition for 25 yrs now, works for me.
2860 out of a 22" tube.

I have shot lengthwise through wild horses with 140gn X's loaded to 2900fps in my Rigby. That means 5 and sometmes 6 feet of penetration. Talk of adequacy for anything is pointless once there is agreement that the caliber itself is adequate.

Complete penetration is complete penetration.

John