Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 120 grainers in a 7-08

Anybody shootin' any 120 gr pills out of your 7-08 for Whitetails? What brand bullet, powder and charge, etc. Daughters new rifle arrived yesterday and trying to get it rockin' & rollin' by the weekend. Thanks

CK

The "Campfire Classic" is RL15, 44 to 45 grains. I shot this in a new model 7 with 120 Nosler Solid Base and was not impressed. I am gonna try again with the proven 120 Ballistic tip. This is an easy thing to do a search on and has much input from valuable folks here.

I have a load using 120 grain Sierra ProHunter's. Don't have my load data in front of me, but I am sure it will handle whitetails just fine. I also have a load worked up using Speer 130 grain sp flatbases. Either bullet should perform well on deer size game.

44gr R15 120 NBT 2950 fps bug hole groups.

120 Barnes TSX, 45.0 RL-15, Rem case, WLR Primer....

Works great in my 22" Mountain rifle..

120 gr Barnes TSX, 44.5 gr RL-15, 0.60" 3 shot group, 4th shot brought group out to 1.1". Getting a higher velocity than anticipated out of a new Rem. Mtn. Guide (from Cliff444). 3080 fps - and that is a valid number - pretty fast with a 22" barrel. I am using Lapua .308 brass necked down, and Federal 210 primers, and did float the barrel. Very pleased with this performance.

Luv that RL15. About what I get with the Kimber I have. 45.5 gets me to 3150 but accuracy goes down.

Just got back from the range (actually my bottom field) again, using the above listed load, put 5 shots within 1" of the middle of the bullseye - total group was 1.3", closest 3 were about 0.4". Good consistency and repeatability - I think I can tell my wife I got 'er sighted in for her, and she's ready to go try it out herself. Thanks, Bruce (aka, Cliff), this is turning out to be a very nice gun. And yes, RL-15 in this gun and also my .308 is a good good thing.

I've had 7m-08's that loved Reloader 15, but the Rem CDL that I now have just cannot shoot with it. So I went to H4350 and it is a good deal. 120's in TSX or BT's work great. I load em warm at 48-50 grains. For your daughter maybe a lighter load would suffice although the recoil out of a 7m-08 isn't much.

Long

The kid shot a average buck at 50 yds with a 120 BT from a 7mm-08. MV was about 2900 fps. The bullet hit its liver and did not exit but the buck died after a 60 yd run

Considering everything it was ok as he got the buck.

In the future I am going to load 140 gr bullets in that case.

I don't think it's the weight of your bullet, it may be the bullet. BT's aren't known for exiting. Usually, they'll give an impressive kill, more than normal bloodshot meat, and no exit, with the core separating from the rest of the bullet. I think we have gotten somewhat spoiled these days, when a 60 yd run after a hit, gives us pause to reconsider our bullet choices. Sounds like your bullet did fine.

My son starts hunting this year after completing Hunter Ed this month...I am going with a 7/08 for him, since he is a lefty, as I can't find a lefty 260 Rem...


But am using the same load that I did for a niece in Montana... 22.5 grains of Blue Dot, and a 120 grain Ballistic tip.. gives an MV of 2400 fps... a good 200 to 250 yd load.. with the recoil of a 22.250...and very very accurate..

+1 on getting spoiled. As a bowhunter, a 60 yard tracking effort is quite easy and enjoyable!!!!!

45 grains varget and 120 ballistic tip work very well for me,at 2950fps,in two different rifles,very accurate, very low recoil, here is a link to a kill this year, not a big deer but the bullet took out the spine and exited,,,,,,,also shot one through 20+ inches of deer from behind the ribs through 3 or 4 ribs through the chest and way up into the neck this year.

http://groups.msn.com/ThePoseyClan/shoebox.msnw?Page=4

Shot a couple with the same combo last year as well, one at 2950fps impact he was 8 feet or so from the muzzle,,,,blew out the shoulder knuckle and exited the off side shoulder blade, not alot of damage. Shot a much larger buck last year the same shot as the veal deer in the link,,,,same results.

2 years ago my buddies and I took 3 antelope with 120 Ballistic tips. Shots were from 80 yards to 335. Bang flop. Never recovered a bullet. Velocity was 3100 fps from a 22" tube.