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

I think people worry to much about being close to the lands, particularly in hunting rifles. I have several 308's that have bullets jumping .100" and yet they regularly deliver 1/2 to 5/8 moa five shot groups.

Not being close to the lands is often not a problem, but it sometimes helps. It does with that rifle. Others I have are shooting great while pole vaulting to the rifling.

I get that, you actually tested in the rifle. I was thinking of seeing a lot of agonizing over it before any testing has even been done.

Yep, that is a good point. It's not critical more often than it is.

I've had limited experience with the 7mm-08, but the 140 Sierra PH at 2815fps gave me excellent accuracy and terminal performance at reasonable ranges. I switched to the 120 NBT after hearing all the great reviews on here. It's giving me one-hole groups at 3030fps but I haven't had a chance to try it out in the field yet. Rifle is a stainless Marlin XS-7.

I hear You mathman. Closer to lands relly helped my 243 but isn't an option on this gun with mag length. I am going to try 140's next and see what happens.

Please indulge me, I want to make sure I understand your earlier answer to my question about magazine box binding.

I wasn't asking about the follower and spring being free to move and allow good feeding. I meant was the box itself in a bind? With the rifle assembled without the follower and spring, with the bolt withdrawn, can you reach down into the magazine with a finger and get the magazine box to wiggle a bit?

If you want to try a 120 go with a 120 grain Sierra ProHunter.

Mathman, I took gun apart to adjust trigger, and after putting back together it wouldn't feed correctly. I realized the mag box wasn't seated in the groove of the floorplate, and was pinched tight. I disassembled again and have mag box floating now, and it feeds correctly. This was all before I tested my loads. But yes it is the metal mag box that I can reach in and "wiggle". I went to local reload supply and got re-15 to try with my remaining 120's, and a box of 140 sierra game kings to try when I get h414 and Big Game powder. I really appreciate all of the responses so far!

Thanks.

I "cured" a friend's M7 by freeing up the mag box so I was thinking about it.

Thank You mathman. I do have to be particularly aware of that putting it back together, seems to be easier to get it wrong than right.

I’d go buy a box of Hornady American Whitetail ammo with the 139 interlock bullet and try those out.

I bought some of that ammo to zero my scope cause it was cheap. It wasn't accurate and was very slow in my rifle.

Although I've had good luck with my Varget load and140's, I'm going to give BG & WLRMs a whirl. Pharmseller and JB can't both be wrong........

I load for four 7mm-08s, all Tikkas. All four shoot 140 grain bullets sub-MOA. Three of the four shoot 150 ELDX sub-MOA, the fourth might, I just haven't tried it yet.

Every load for every rifle uses Big Game and Winchester Large Rifle Magnum primers.





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I load the 7/08 for my daughter who only hunts with me, and usually at powder burn range. The 140 NBT over 40 grains of Varget flattens then.

I have used that same bullet extensively in the STW, and they don't take any prisoners at MV of 3500 either.

Update. Sierra 140 game kings are touching lands at 2.285 to ogive. Loaded rl-15 from 39 gr to 41 gr. seated bullets .015 from lands and ave. 2- 3 shot groups went .73 for 39 gr. to 1.35 at 41 grain. Loaded imr 4350 also but really no improvement over the 120 gr nbt. So I think the rl-15 powder had more to do with it than seating depth. Still waiting on mailman for brass and the rest of the 120 bt. Anyone have experience with the 140 game kings? I am pleased with the 39 gr rl-15 load. Thanks. Still want to try big game powder also.

I'd really not be afraid of any 140-150gr cup/core on deer at 7mm-08 speeds. I've always seen them perform rather well, much like 150-165gr stuff in the .308win. You may catch a Gameking on a quartering shot into a shoulder, but they should work fine overall. That's about how the Speer 145 works for me, and it's very tough on vitals at 2,700fps.

IMR 4064 with Speer 130 BTSP

That's kinda what I was thinking Jpro. Sierra load data basically shows 39 gr. rl-15 2650 fps from 26 in. barrel, mine is only 20 in. so would be slower. Am I thinking right, that lower velocity would help cup and core at close range?