Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Deer hunting bullet in 7-08

I need to get a 7-08 one day. It's an intriguing round.

Woods yardage mostly, but could stretch to 250-300 yards. Best answer would be less than 300 yards.

Thanks.

120NBT

140 NPT.

140 nbt over a stout charge of re-15.

Ron

140 BTs!
I've put over 100 of those in deer before I started handloading. Never recovered one out to 300 or so. Mostly does, but it will drill the shoulders of big bucks and hogs too.
Great performance at 7-08 speeds.
With all that being said since I handload now I'd have to try the lighter TSX's too.

Mine likes 120gr. TSX and H414.Wrecks HAVOC on everything I've shot so far.

I've been using the Nosler 140 grain Partions in my nephew's Model 7..

120 TTSX

Gunner

I have tried just about every factory round available in the 7mm-08. They have all worked but my favorite two have been the 139 grain SST and the 140 grain Corelokt. But no matter what bullet you pick, you will find the 7mm-08 is just about the perfect round for deer. I've killed over 30 deer with mine.

Several bullets work REALLY well in the .08. I have killed about 30 deer and about the same amount of hogs out to over 500 yards. The bullet that has worked well with 95% exit holes is the 120 grain Hornady hollow point at 3,000 fps. Bang flops. I do like the 140 ballistic tip and accubonds too. Heck, the 139 grain Hornady is another winner. There are so many great choices. Flinch

I've been thinking the same thing...

I shot a 140 grain partition over a drop-tubed and still compressed heap of RL19.

Tom

same here. it's what me, wife and daughter all use with great success.
my son, the oddball, uses a BAR 270.

My brother has been using a 7-08 for about ten years now. He dropped down from a 30-06 and has never looked back. He's taken at least 75 deer with the little mountain rifle, and in all honesty, probably more like 90 or 100. He's tried several bullets and swears by the 140 grain core-lokt. I shot two deer with his rifle using the core-lokts with one at about 175 yards and the other at around 50 and both dropped on the spot with nice exit wounds. It's a sweet little caliber that kills far better than you would expect. The nice thing is the recoil is so mild that you can watch the bullet impact.

The one bullet he would never use again is the Hornady 139 SST.

Spot on....'cept it is officially called a 139 grainer. I have used this bullet in the 7mmX08 and the 7X57 for over 20 years with no problems whatsoever. For deer, there is no need for anything but a cup and core standard bullet. The equivalent weight R-P coreloct, Federal, or Winchester bullets will likely perform the same.

I shoot a 7x57 and a 280. The 150BT is the bullet you want. It's a little tougher than the 140s and is an excellent one. capt david

My son's killed lots of mule deer and whiteys with 140gr green box corelokts with no issues. It's deer we're talking about....they're not difficult to bring down, even the biggest ones.

I have studied ballistic charts for hours and hours, and I can't find a place where the .308 Winchester beats the 7mm-08. Better ballistic coefficient, better sectional density, less recoil, all for the 7mm-08. You have to get up to the 180 grain bullet in the 308 where you beat the 7mm-08 in a 175 grain bullet, and that's only in velocity. The 7mm-08 in the 175 whips the 308 Winchester in the 180 grain bullet in sectional density, and ballistic coefficient.

Sorry for getting off subject, but back to the question, 139 or 140 grain bullets are about ideal for deer. The ballistic advantages of the 7mm bullets, out perform the .30 caliber bullets all the time. You have to drive the 30 caliber bullets at substantial higher velocities to beat the 7mm. This is from a guy who owns 4 308 Winchester chambered rifles. In my Winchester model 70 in the 300WSM, the lightest bullet I use is the 180 Nosler Partition or the Hornady 190 grain interlock btsp. I also own a Browning X-bolt in the .338 win mag. If I had it to do over, I wouldn't own 30 caliber rifles, just the 7mm's. Now for the people who don't reload, they probably are better served by the 308 Winchester, over the 7mm-08. I still wouldn't get rid of my .338 or my 35 Whelen, for elk or big bears.

The 154 Horn RN is a beast in thickets. I've downed a couple deer with this bullet now and I really like it. I Also like the 140 NPT for 7-08 as well.