In a moment of weakness I picked up a nifty little semi-custom Model 700 chambered in 7mm-08 and I decided to take in on an upcoming hunt in an area where the bucks typically have large bodies (200 lbs+) and a shot longer than 200 yards is rare.

I've mounted a Z3 Swarovski 3-10x42 with a #4a reticle in ltwt Talley's (7 1/4 lbs) and I'd like a suggestion of a good factory load - the only restriction being the ranch manager has made it clear --- no ballistic tip, or similar bullets allowed due to past experiences with poor penetration.

Will probably take a couple of boxes of the top 2 or 3 suggestions to the range to see which shoots the best and go with that.

Blue box federal.

And the ranch manager is an idiot.

This

I've had pretty good results with the Winchester 139 gr PSPs.

I've been using the hornady american whitetails. Great performance

I've never shot anything bigger than a groundhog with a Nosler 223 BT and since I'm going as a guest I'm not about to make waves.

That federal fusion bullet has performed excellent in 243 for me. I haven't bought any loaded ammo in 7-08, and prefer those BTs the ranch mgr doesn't like, for my 284s. I might be suspect of the ranch conditions there.

Tried Hornady, Fusion, etc. ;For my 7mm-08,Barnes VorTx 120g TTSX, by far the most accurate. And effective,This one went 30yds:

If you need premium performance on tough animals, I could advocate the Barnes stuff. I think cc/bonded stuff works as well or better on deer/hogs, taking nothing away from monos.

But no plastic tips! Better not use a ttsx..

Since when do retards start managing ranches?

No plastic tips!

Federal Fusion, 140 grain, and a sharp knife.

You're a guest, I get that.




P

It ain't sexy, but try Remington Corelokts. Better yet the Express ones. I've had good luck with both terminal performance and accuracy with them.

I've killed a chit-load of caribou (white-tail size at least) with factory Corelokts or Speer hot-core handloads, mostly beyond 200 yards, in various calibers, tho not 7mm-08.. Not to mention other Alaskan stuff.

My .260 (I was looking for a 7mm-08 bbl at the time!) likes 140 gr factory Corelokts. It's taken, in order, a caribou for my son at @200, then for myself an elk at @150, and a wolf at 40, all within 6 weeks. Since then several caribou in excess of 300 yards. I'm looking to whack a moose with it...

See what the rifle likes for accuracy in both brand and bullet weight (I'd prefer the 120's, but my rifle doesn't!) and don't look back. White-tails ain't tough to kill, and 200 yards is a gimmee with a good rest and an accurate load.

While I've found some differences in POI between brands, similar bullet weights pretty much give similar groupings in my .260. In 140 gr. The '06 is somewhat less particular... The .338 just don't give a damn, mostly...

I would look at the fusions 140 and the vortex in 120 gr. either will do the job. I would start with the fusions as they seem to shoot well in the guns I have seen them used in.

Best factory loads I have shot from my 7mm-08 are the 140 grain nosler partitions and the 140 grain Winchester power points. The noslers were just slightly more accurate but were twice the cost. I killed my biggest and heaviest buck ever with the power points and doubt any bullet would have been more effective than it was on that deer. They just plain work.

They don't have to let him hunt period and if they don't want BT's used it's their prerogative. Idiot or not. When the BT's first came out they were explosive as varmint bullets ,accurate more than most but explosive. I had fails with the 130 gr 270 using them. I've learned to avoid the early vintage ones by simply not buying the old red/green labeled boxes with 100 ct and they are still floating around gunshows as I see them all the time. The newer ones in 50 count boxes with the trick lids are as good as any cup & core made today. So maybe the RM got a buy on the old ones and had crappy luck thus forming his opinion about them or is uninformed about the changes made to the current crop of BT's coming out of Nosler today. In his boots I wouldn't want a bunch of dicks using blow-up bullets on my ranch either. When you really get around to thinking about it the situation and request are more about respecting his wishes as the host than trying to shove his predujiced old opinions up his ass. Lotta loaded ammo out there with bullets other than NBT's and SST's. Good luck on the hunt OP. Magnum Man

He's an idiot.

Federal Premium with a 140gr. Partition.

The ranch manager is an idiot. My wife has settled on 120gr TTSX in her 7mm-08. Barnes loads the same bullet. I'd have no problem with her hunting elk with that load.

las has the right answer.

BTW, DB Bill, there was nothing weak about your buying a 7MM-08 Rem. I'd like anyone to tell me what the 7MM-08 Rem won't kill, and it will kill everything in the lower 48 outta a short-action, and it will do all that killin' with 100% efficiency.

No. I don't own a 7MM-08 Rem or a .280 Rem. Only reason I don't is because when I was older than I am now I was a whole lot smarter than I am now, which means I needed a cartridge with a belt when I really needed a belt of sense. I do own a .308 Win. If I had it do do over I'd of bought a .280 Rem and never looked back 'cept if I wanted a short-action, then I'd of picked up a 7MM-08 Rem and never looked back. But then again, the 7MM Rem Mag, which I do own, ain't half-bad. But the reality is what it'll do so will the .280 Rem.

In 1984 when the BT was introduced, it was a varmint bullet. Why Nosler didn't bother to rename it when they redesigned, improved it is a puzzle to me..

Is kinda lame for the RM to tell hunters what bullet to use or not to use..still living in the '80s. Wonder if he has fish ponds... and if so, what hooks are disallowed?

Another vote for the Federal Fusion.

hornady american whitetail

Won't work on mulies or blacktails.

I too found the humor in the name they put on that load. Oddly, my Hornady 139btsp handload clocking along at 2820 did a nice job on my '13 mulie at 330 yards. Must be the boat tail difference!

120 gr Federal Fusions are like claymore on deer. Spectacular performance. Ive tried a bunch of different ammo... Prvi, Remington, Winchester, Hornady..... they all worked.... Make sure the knife is sharp.

Another vote to the Fusion line by Federal. Either the 120 or 140gr load will suffice. Get a box of each and see which it prefers. I'll bet your new rifle will take a liking to one over the other. Every 7/08 I've come across tends to be somewhat picky in regards to factory ammo.

Tried some 180g Federal Deer Thugs in my Ruger American .30-06 last weekend.

Since I own't have time for load development before elk season, these may well be the load I use. If not these, 180g WW Power Points have shot well, too. I doubt the elk would notice the difference.

You just need to get a few boxes of non tipped ammo and try it out. The Hornady American Whitetail shot well in mine as did the 120 Fusion.

Federal Fusion

Federal Fusion & Hornady American Whitetail .I have used both with great results . I lean to the Hornady though .

Hornady with the 139 Interlock. I have the same bullet from a 7x57 factory load somewhere around here that penetrated a mature doe from left neck/shoulder junction to right femur. Bone left a flat spot on the mushroom where it bounced off. Not a lot of velocity by then but it penetrated a lot of deer. Just one example.