Aside from the price is there any reason to consider another bullet for a “do it all” bullet for the 7mm-08?

Most of my hunting is done for white tails and I’ve been using 120 Ballistic Tips but was thinking the 140 grain partition might be a bit more versatile for other game as well as hold up a bit better than the Ballistic tips on close shots.

Was also considering the 140 Accubond but not sure if they will expand as well as the partition on shots that are 300 yards plus.

Probably overthinking this but would like to see what others with more experience with this round think.

Thanks

Well now...

When I started my career with the 7mm-08 I focused on the 140 Partition. 47.5 grains Big Game, WLRM primer, Remington brass, 2890 fps, little bitty groups. Killed antelope at 350, elk at 346, and deer to 541 yards. Nothing needed a second shot.

My dad’s rifle preferred the AccuBond. No antelope but elk at 225 and deer out to 475 yards.

Whichever shoots better but I prefer the Partition.




P

I am an Accubond fan in the 7-08. I have killed whitetails from 5 to 300 yards with a 140 grain Accubond in my 7-08. No problems with expansion at any of those distances. I have yet to catch one, but every deer I hit with them died.

I am with Pharm. Whichever one shoots better, use it.

No, there is not another reason to consider another “do it all” bullet. The partition is the definition of the do it all hunting bullet. Many powders will send that 140 partition 2,800-2,900 FPS, which will be highly affective.

The Partition is a GREAT bullet. It has been the "gold standard" for better than 60 years. My 7-08 really likes them. However, I have since started using Big Game powder.

A Partition is never a bad choice

Like others said it works well.

I went back and forth between the 150 gr. Ballistic Tips and the 140 gr. Nosler Partitions. Both great bullets at 7-08/7x57 velocities.

Brilliant!

And they’re in stock at Midway right now.

I,ll throw out one more choice. The 140grTrophy Bonded Tipped from Federal. In 2018 a 160gr Trophy Bonded Tipped out penetrated the 160gr Nosler Partition

in a moose at 240 yards both rifles were 7mm Mags. For deer I,d use the 140gr Accubond, or the 140gr Nosler Partition. The one I would pick is the one the rifle

shot best. For instance my 257 Roberts is not crazy about 110gr Accubonds but loves 115gr Nosler Partitions so when hunting I use the 115gr Partitions all the time.

For deer I would also look at the 130gr Speer and the 145gr Speer. My TIKKA likes the 130gr Speer better than any other bullet. Anyway take your pick.

Have you shot deer with the 130 speer? If so, how do they hold up on closer range shots? Thanks

My son killed many deer with the 140 Sierra Prohunter. Never had a problem with not getting pass throughs.

If you are worried about Accubombs expanding, yes, you are overthinking it.

The Accubond is the modern version of the partition, for people not stuck in the 1960's.

The 120 BT you’ve been using is a do it all bullet in the 7-08.

It’s a whitetail killing machine.

Since you said "do it all" and not whitetail, I'll vote for the NPT too. When my wife got her Remington M7 in 7-08 I loaded the 140 NPT over H4350 and she set out to hunt. Since we move with the Army she has had the chance to kill whitetails, blacktails, hogs, antelope, caribou, black bear, and a moose. She put a second bullet in to a couple animals before they could fall but I think any of the shots she has taken would have been fatal. We did recover 1 of the 2 bullets from the moose, the first one passed through the lungs and the second was under the hide after passing thru on a quartering shot. Load it and shoot it with confidence.

i have always liked Nosler Partitions but Berger makes some very good bullets too and they are a little cheaper sold by a 100 per pack .

A 7mm-08 with 140 or 150 grain partitions is pretty hard to argue with. Same for 140 grain Accubonds. I would expect the accubond to expand farther downrange than the partition because the higher BC retains velocity better and the farther you are from the muzzle, the greater the difference gets. I would prefer the accubond over the partition past 300 yards .. closer I'd pick which ever is more accurate in my rifle. I have found the flat based bullets to be more accurate more often but no guarantees.

Tom

140 AB bc is .485. Partition is .434. The same load (47.5 gr Big Game) generates slightly (30 fps or so) less velocity in the AB compared to the PT. So here’s the math, velocity only:

140 PT, .434, 2890 fps
300 yards 2280
400 yards. 2095
500 yards. 1919
600 yards. 1752


140 AB, .485, 2860 fps
300 yards. 2314
400 yards. 2147
500 yards. 1986
600 yards. 1833


81 fps at 600 yards isn’t impressive.



P

And hogs and black bear.

Good stuff. What's the wind drift numbers for those?

No I have not shot anything with that rifle. Got it just before COVID-19 started. I did see a video on you-tube

where the 130gr speer penetrated the ballistic gel very well. It was the best round in the test. I might add

I would also look at the 120gr Barnes TTSX.

If your rifle shoots the 120’s well and you want a stouter bullet than the 120 BT, I would consider a 120 TTSX. I shoot a 7mm SAUM and have had so much success with the 120 bullets I have felt no need to go heavier. I have witnessed a 120 BT take down a bull elk with one shot. The TTSX at SAUM speeds is a death ray and will out penetrate a partition. Not knocking partitions I still use them and Barnes almost exclusively for hunting. Nothing wrong with trying heavier bullets... I have some 139 LRX I plan to experiment with just to see not because I feel I need a better bullet than the 120’s.....Good luck

YMMV

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I’ll stick with the 120 Ballistic Tips for deer and when I shootout my supply switch over to the partition. I’ve only shot one deer with the 120BT but was surprised to not get a pass thru on a broadside shot at roughly 200 yds. Sample size of one so I guess can’t put too much weight on it. Plus, the deer did go down quickly.

I haven't shot any 7mm bt" but I've killed a lot of deer with with the 6.5 bt 120gr. , no pass through, and no tracking all dead in sight. I have come to believe that a 120 grain bullet at 2800 or 2900 fps is all you need for deer.

No clue.

Pharmseller, which was more accurate, AB's or NP's? I have a supply of both and will be trying Big Game as well.

In my rifle the Partitions won. In my dad’s rifle it was the AccuBond. Both Tikkas.



P

That's fairly important when you're shooting over 400-600 yards.

I just hold into the wind about that much. Sure, sometimes I hit them in the ass, but sometimes I hit just where I want.



P

Honestly nothing I’ve ever seen kills better than a 140grNP at 7mm-08, .260rem , 6.5 CM velocities. Elk and deer. FWIW the Accubond at those velocities is extremely partition like.