Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7mm-08 close range deer bullets?

I just picked up a Model 7 7mm-08. I was wondering what bullet and powder to start with for deer hunting in the woods, shots from 10-100 yards. I have tried 120 gn nbt with varget, IMR 4350, and IMR 4064. It doesn't seem to shoot the 120's very well (groups around 1 1/2 in but always have a flyer out to 2 in or over). Thanks.

140 Accubonds have been great performers for me. I've seen my buddy shoot a big mule deer at 30 yds with his 7STW and 140AB's. Bullet performance was exemplary, entering the back ham, and found underneath skin in front of front shoulder. Still retained over 60% of its weight. The sweet spot for me has been with 41-42g Varget.

Thanks JG. I am hoping going to 140 grains gets rid of the fliers. I am seating bullets to mag length, but the lands are out much further.

It seems contrary to me that you'd worry about group size in a thread about close-range deer shooting. My advice: stop it and go kill deer, or redefine your needs.

If 100 yds is your limit, I'd use something heavier and slower to minimize meat loss. 154, 162 or 175 Hornady Interlock would be good, but so would similar Sierras, Speer or Nosler BT. You don't have to run them at max speed either.

I know what You mean HuntnShoot. The fliers just drive me crazy. I am fine with 1 1/2 in groups, but random shots to over 2 in is something I feel I should try to eliminate.

Is the magazine box in a bind?

No it isn,t in a bind. I can reach a finger in and feel play in it. I went through all of that to get it to feed all shells properly.

Is your barrel free floated?

I run 140 bt over a slightly over max load of H414. Ragged single hole for groups. Hotter I go the tighter it shoots.

Knocks deer flat. Taken deer from about 50 yards out to 350. Never had to track one yet. All have dropped where they stood. Only draw back is they can be a bit messy. Keep them in the ribs.

This is also a model 7. Does not like 120 grain bullets either. Only other thing close accuracy wise was 160 accubonds. Used those on a bison cow.

The load we've used for the 7-08 under those conditions has been the 140 gr NBT driven by 38 gr of Varget. Performance is quite good on whitetail.

If a 7mm08 doesn't shot a 120gr BT's well you have either a rifle/scope/mounting system issue

he does't savvy what you mean

120 TTSX

140 or 150gr Partitions. Short range or long range they perform the same...........

45 grs of H414 under a 140 gr Partition gives me .390 at 100 yds and dead deer no matter if close or far...

I'm confident scope and mounts are good. Everything I found on forums says to not float model 7 barrel. I had a 7 in 243 that would shoot around 1 1/4 until I found out about seating bullets close to lands. It didn't take much to get it around 3/4. I can't do that with this gun. Magazine length has ogive at 2.222, lands are 2.326.

Thanks Mike7mm08. I am hoping that is this model 7's problem.

I have had a Remington Model Seven in 7mm-08 since I bought it new in 1991. I floated the barrel immediately, and epoxy bedded the action. Mine is the early model with 18-1/2" blued barrel. I have owned three other Model Sevens, floated the barrels on all of them. My 7mm-08 shoots loads it likes into 1" or less at 100 yards.

My go-to load is from Ken Waters - 43.0 grains of WW-748 under a 139 grain Hornady spire point. Other bullets in the 139-140 range work fine, too. The late Ed Matunas was something of a Model Seven fan, and he floated his barrels. I tried full-length bedding my barrel once, and ended up grinding out all the epoxy.

Try yours with the bump in the barrel channel. If it doesn't shoot, remove the bump.

I have owned half a dozen 7mm-08s, and all shoot that 748 load well. Another good load is 47 grains of WW-760, same bullet. Mule Deer says to use 46 grains of Ramshot Big Game. I tried that, and it works, too. In my short barrel the 748 load chronographs around 2,650 fps. In a 24" barrel it's more like 2,850 fps. H380 is another powder which has worked well in the 7mm-08. My hunting buddy has a newer Model Seven with 18" barrel. He loads 140 grain Sierras over Varget, I think. He killed his buck this year with one shot. We're hunting here in the Northeast, lower NY State. there are few long shots in our area.

I bought a new Model Seven SS 7-08 with a 20" barrel a couple of months ago. I put a B&C stock on it, so the barrel is free floated. Mine shoots 120 grain NBTs and 140 grain Accubonds less than an 1" at 100 yards.