Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game 7mm-08

What are y'all's thoughts on the 7mm-08 as a 400yd Deer and under 300yd Elk round given good shot placement? Am I asking too much? Thinking of using either 120 or 140 grain Barnes TTSX, what are y'all's thoughts?

It will do just fine...my wife took her last Saskatchewan buck at just a hair under 400 yards with her 7-08 and not an issue. Complete pass thru and he fell over dead. That was with a 140gr Partition.

I wouldn't hesitate to take an elk at 300 yards with it given the chance.

If the rifle is accurate and you can shoot it accurately, it will work just fine. My 14-year-old grandson shot a very large cow elk at 307 yards last November. He was using his mother's 7mm-08 with 120-grain Nosler Ballistic Tips. One shot--bullet entered and exited, taking out the upper lobes of both lungs. Cow ran about 20 yards and died. My daughter has taken several deer, both desert mule deer and Coues whitetails, with that rifle and bullet combination--all one-shot kills.

Buddy shot his first elk with a 7mm-08 last year at a little over 300 yards, 1 shot with a 140 Accubond sailed right through the elk. I think it hit a rib and took out the liver if I recall correctly? The elk was down immediately.

The 7mm/08 is an evil killing Mo Sheen. The application you ask about is well within the capabilities of the cartridge.

I'm not sold on the copper bullets at longer ranges, but with a different bullet I'd not hesitate at those ranges. The only reason I'd not shoot past 400 yards is because of the lack of skill on my part, not the rifle or load.

On the TTSX's. Everything I've seen and read says you need 2000 fps at impact to get expansion and 2200 fps is better. There is no doubt they kill stuff and do it well if they expand. But if they don't expand you get a FMJ. With those bullets I'd limit my range to where they dropped below 2000 fps. If I wanted to shoot longer I'd use a different bullet.

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What he says. Work up a good load with a 140gr Partition and go kill chit of all sizes and distances. My wife and daughter do so from powder burn ranges out to 400 yards; from pronghorns to elk. The front of a Partition is soft enough that it will expand at velocities quite a bit lower than TTSX.

Wife tipped her elk over last year at 398 yards 140 grain accubonds

I use the 7MM-08 as an Elk rifle --- but with a 140 grain Nosler Partition. I wouldn't consider a monolithic bullet a good choice.

Dissecting the bull that daughter killed with a 140AB out the 7-08 made me wonder why I needed more abuse than that....

Until they make monolithic bullets expand at more reasonable velocities I'll steer clear of them.

The 7-08 is pretty close to a one and done caliber as it gets for less than grizzly. Never hunted grizz but something about that big with teeth and bad attitude screams big azz gun I know that it knocks the crap out of whitetail and black bear.

For those that have experience, how would you compare the performance of the 260 with the 7-08?

Barnes data shows a 140 grain TTSX at a max of 2884fps from a 24" barrel. So figure 2800fps from a 22", ballpark. At 300 it's down to 2157 fps. That's 2487 foot pounds at 300. The minimum energy I've read for elk is 2000 foot pounds ( I have never hunted elk) but I think that considers all angles. That would put this round in at 335 yards or so.

Logically on a dead broadside shot it would seem to be less. Catch a large chunk of non-vital tissue and then I think that would be reasonable. I have not killed an elk but have seen one cut up. That shoulder would eat up a good bit of energy before the bullet got to vitals.

On deer and hogs they're both surefire killers with a variety of bullets.

It's just fine.
I would tend towards a good tough bullet, but you have all the power you need. I have never used a 7-08 myself, but I have killed with 270s and with a 7X57. They work great and I have never had any reason to complain at all. the 7-08 and the 7x57 are so close that they could be considered twins ballisticly. I am very sure if you use bullets of similar construction you will get identical performance.

I am taking 2 friends out this season for elk and both are bringing their 7-08s
Both are using the 154 grain Hornady spire points. I hope to have reports as to how well those bullets work but that won't be until late October.

In my 7X57 I used 150, 160 and 175 grain Nosler Partition bullets. In my 270s I have used Nosler Partitions in 150 and 160 grain, and also Remington Cor-lokt in 150 grains. All worked to perfection. In my many years of elk hunting I have shot many elk with 270s and a small number with the 7MM Mauser. No criticisms, no complaints.

Funny thing........ I have killed elk with many guns more powerful than either the 7X57 or the 270 win or 270 Short mag. And the only ones I killed that didn't drop as fast as I like (and what I am used to) were killed with 300 magnums and 338 magnums. Wrong bullets (that didn't hold together. My fault, but I was young then, and didn't listen to the old men that told me not to use bullets that break up) but that proved to me it's far more important what bullet you shoot then what gun or shell you shoot.

The 7-08 is just fine.

It kills stuff just fine. And it's fun to shoot.

It's excellent!
Surprised no one has posted it's not as good as the "The Creed" yet.
Ignore them, 7-08 is efficient, great bullet choices, accurate in accurate rifles, easy on the shoulder, kills deer dead as dead can be.

Just wait till the 7mm Creedmoor comes out

7-08 kills better than its size indicates......

I would load Accubonds.

Its the best of the best imho and will do all you ask and much much more

Look up Randy Newberg's videos on YouTube. He posts here as BigFIn. His t.v. show was On Your Own Adventures. Now it's Fresh Tracks. He stacks dead Elk & lesser critters with a 7-08 & 308 at such ranges you cited.

Well I don't see why not? Frankly I'd be more incline to go with the Nosler Partition or Accubond but that's me.
One, I don't own a rifle in 7-08, not because I don't the cartridge but I have three rifles already in 7x57 that I load to 7-08 ballistics or slightly better. I'be been playing with the 120 and 140 gr. barnes TSX bullets but so far the rifles hate those bullets. Currently starting tests with the 160 gr. Speer Grand slams for one of the rifles looking for decent speed and accuracy. I want to use that rifle on my next elk hunt. Next choice bullet is the 150 gr. Nosler Partition.

Shots at elk where I hunt can range from 100 yards or less to way the hell out yonder. Longest shot I've had was at a lasered 350 yard but two of my hunting partners have had shots at 400 yards plus. Most of my shots have been in the 200/250 yard range.
The monometal bullets interest me but the only game I've taken with any are 5 cow elk with the .35 Whelen and Barnes 225 Gr. TSX. They do smack down cow elk like the hammer of Thor. That includes the 350 yard shot so whomever says the .35 Whelen in only a short range gun does not know of what he speaks.

Bullet choices I thinking of working with start with the 160 gr. Speer Grand slams, both old two core version and the newer cup & core, straight Speer 160 gr. Hot Cores, (Basically for one particular rifle), 150 gr. Nosler Partitons and possibly Accubonds and last on the list 140 gr. Nosler Partitions and maybe Accubonds. Looking for velocity in the 2600+FPS with the 160's, 2700+ FPS with the 150's and I have a 2800 FPS load with the 140 gr. Ballisitic Tip so I believe that is a possibility with the 140s mentioned. The Ballistic Tips I have are from the early runs from when they came 100 to the box. They cost me a deer about 17 years ago when the bullet blew up like a bomb on the shoulder. I haven't shot anything with them since then. Paper only.

Just me, but if I were to do an elk hunt with the 7-08 I do believe id got with the 150 gr. Nosler Partition or Accubond if you rifle likes them. I'd maybe stay away from the Nosler Accubond Long Range and they've been a disaster in three 7x57's, a .280 Remington and 7MM Rem. Mag. My guide on my elk hunts told me they're iffy at 150 yards or less, especially from higher velocity guns. Said they had a tendency not hold together at short ranges. I snagged a whole bunch as I figured they'd be fine at what I could push them from my 7x57 and consequently what a 7-08 could do with them, not to mention the increase in reach. Mine are the 150 gr. ABLRs. I'll keep trying and maybe I'll get lucky.
Paul b.

The cartridge will work just fine as many have reported. My wife has taken two bull elk with a 7-08AI. First was a 5x5 at 315 yds with a 140 gr TSX at about 2940 fps mv, second was a big 7x8 bull at 400 yds with 120 gr TTSX at about 3120 fps mv. The 120 gr TTSX was about maxed out on the 400yd shot. The bull walked about 40 yds uphill, laid down and didn't get back up but required one more finishing shot once she got up to him. Here's a pic.





Her rifle had a 24" barrel. The 140 gr velocity might be a bit of a stretch for std 7-08, but the 120 TTSX at 3120 is safely and easily achievable with Big Game, 2000MR, or CFE-223 in a std 7-08. Great cartridge.

Here's some great responses to a question asked by a guy named 10 Ringer:


http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f17/7mm-08-a-187485/






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Browning BLR take down in 7mm-08 will kill elk all day long and then some.

Pretty interchangeable....

I made the mistake of looking up Randy Newburg and lost half a day watching videos. I subscribed and am now hooked. Just what I needed.

Hey, if it keeps you off the pole, it's time well spent.





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It’s as good as the Creedmoor. I my get burned at the stake for that!!!

It's more versatile than the Creed but it all simply depends on the users skills, like every cartridge and their capability....

If after only deer, Creed wins simply because of bullets under 800 yards and factory offerings....

If overall versatility and because folks can't shoot or choose the proper bullet or rifle platform and they handload (99 % of time), 7
7-08 wins...

Splitting hairs​ regardless and only applicable to fringe shots (99% of time)...

I own only 7-08's....

I’d load 140 or 150 NBTs personally...

Depending on what bullets the rifle will shoot well, the round will do much more than you need.

Both of my hunting rifles are 7+08 Kills everything I've shot at so far.

Awesome!

I found out Wed. that my RAR Compact with a 140 grain NPT will kill a Coyote @ 200 (or so) yards. Only needed one shot. Now for the big stuff.

well there ya go MR 10ringer, welcome to the forum great Q. many great answers , i'd easly say the 708 covers 90% of what the great 270 Winchester does, and that's a lot........rest easy 6.5 fans theres time and room for you to Still get yours...lol... hanco got yur back . thanking everone that posted ,bludog hows yur wife gonna top that great bull , wow !! LFB .....that load will drop T-REX .