Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Best 7-08 bullet

I'd just purchase the 139 Hornady SP.. It has never failed to do what it was suppose to.. Same with the 129 grainer SP in 6.5 mm...

In my world of 7mm, I use the Hornady or a 140 grain ballistic tip... ( 7/08 or 7 x 57 )

For the 7 "Nag"... I use the 160 Speer SP...

In my 275 Rigby (aka 7x57) I use 120gr NBTs for deer and 160gr NPs for moose.

Barnes 140 gr. TTSX. Good for anything you will want to shoot with a 7mm-08. They just work.

I am with Pharmseller and the 150 grain Eld-x. My CVA Cascade WILL NOT shoot 140's or lighter of any kind no matter what I tried. 150's and also Speer GS 145 shoot great only with IMR 4064 and hammer anything they hit. Let your gun tell you what it likes.

Barnes 120 TTSX, Partition 150, Hornady 154 SP and 162 AMax and Hot Cor 145.All of these are excellent big game bullets in either 7mm08 or 7x57

Anyone shot a critter with one of the Hammer bullet of any flavor? Curious to hear how it performed.

There is one dude on YouTube (so he MUST be an expert) saying don’t use them because due to potential for lack of expansion and tissue damage.

Ron Spomer is on Youtube and he says they are great bullets.

^^^ That's the bullet I used on a small bull 1.6 years ago and it worked well.

I would recommend against selecting one bullet; eventually it will be out of stock and you will spend extra time and money trying to find it.

Many good bullet and powder combos for the 7mm08. Standard cup and core work so well on game at 7mm08 speeds, I would recommend starting with them in leu of more expensive options. I have yet to catch any bullet from my 7mm08 in a deer or hog; always exited (broadside or quartering shots).

A few options that work well for me, all producing 1/4" 3 shot groups, speeds are from a 22":

120 Nosler BT & Varget, ~44.5 grains, 2.790"oal, 2935fps (you can add about 0.5-1.0 grain more if you want to hit 3k, group is slightly larger but still sub moa)
139 Hornady interlock SP or BTSP / 140 Sierra PH or GK, ~48.5-49.0 H4350, 2,875fps, use a drop funnel as this will be compressed at 2.790" oal

If you are concerned about deep penetration, slap a 140 partition on top of H4350 for 2,875fps.

Big Game is the swiss army knife of powders for 7mm08; works well from the 100 Sierra HP up to 150s. Accuracy is sub MOA, just not as accurate as Varget and H4350 in my rifle.

If you really want to shoot a mono, either the 120 or 140 TTSX on top of Varget or Big Game (you will have case capacity challenges with H4350 and a 140TTSX if you are limited to 2.800" oal, not to say it can't be done, but it is a hassle).

I don't have anything against Accubonds, but my on game experience w/ them has been so similar to standard cup and cores, the marginal benefit does not out weight the marginal cost.

Hope that helps. Shoot whatever makes you happy.

gte201M.....good stuff and not much a guy can argue with there.

Gte,

I agree as well. That pretty much sums it up.

Have shot Hornady 139gr. SP for many years. Never had any problem.

I really do not believe there is a best bullet. The 120 BT gets a lot of use but I have always found the 139gr IL to be cheap, available, and accurate with perfect performance on deer sized game. I have also used 139gr IB without any disappointment except that they can be finicky to get accurate.

The two I have settled on is the 139 IL for deer and 139gr LRX for elk.

The best bullet that shoots well out of your rifle that does the job well enough.

Here is another load I worked up in my Savage 7mm-08.




IMHO it will do fo mice to moose.

IMHO it may not and most likely not work in thier rifle. It boggles my mind why people share thier loads to try in someone else's rifle. I know you didn't say try this in your rifle, but it means that.

I think the point is that the combo shoots well. Obviously the load would need to be worked up and tuned for a different rifle. Big Game just works well in 7-08.

My 280 700 shoots groups identical to that with the 145 LRX and Ramshot Hunter. I’ve found Hunter to work just as well or better in the 280 as Big Game does in the 7-08.

I think the point is that the combo shoots well.......In HIS rifle.

Now you're trying to make it sound like it will for some one else LOL Sending some one to the range with their worked up loads is better and can more likely find a great load than to be disappointed with some one else's load, that most likely won't shoot well AND wasting components. Been there, done that !

If rifles chambered for a particular cartridge are all so radically different that what works in one most likely won't work in another, then how did the various "standards" that typically work quite well in most any rifle come to the fore over the years?

Examples:

308 Winchester: Federal Gold Medal Match, or 41.5 gr IMR4895 (or 42 gr. IMR4064 or 39 gr. IMR3031) and a 168 SMK in military brass

270 Winchester: 55 gr. IMR4350 and a 130 gr. bullet

30-06: 52 gr. IMR4064 and a 150 gr. bullet


I could go on.

Arguing with kids who don't actually shoot is pointless.

As I improved the rifle I shoot, and the handloading techniques, maybe they would be a standard. The variables that effect a load have to be taken into consideration, not just a "Load".

Bad advice to give some one a Standard load, before knowing them or thier equipment.