7-08 rem on deer

[littlebear]

Hey
Anyone have experience with the 7-08 on deer and antelope.'
What bullet and barrels ect.
Littlebear

 

[Truc]

when I used the 7/08 my load was 43 gr Varget w/ 139 Hornady BTSP. don't need a premium bullet with that case capacity unless you wanted to try the 140 Berger. Dropped them deer hard here on the East coast

 

[MudRunner2005]

Hunted deer with a 7mm-08 for many years. Still got it, but it sits in the safe these days.

I would use Varget powder, Nosler brass, Berger 140 VLD's (or 168 VLD's if you don't mind the slightly slower speed, but more energy), and Federal 210M primers. Your powder charge is up to you to work up to your max load for your individual rifle.

As for barrels, I would go with a 1:9, 26" if I was to build one. It would also be with a Bartlein 5R barrel. Heavy barrel or sporter contour is your choice. With a small (non-magnum) caliber like the 7mm-08, you won't have to worry quite as bad about the barrel being extremely picky, like with a big magnum caliber with tons of powder, huge pressures and horsepower forcing the bullet out of the barrel.

If I were to build one it would be a lightweight 26" rig with about a #3 contour sporter or magnum sporter contour barrel.

But barrel weight is all personal preference.

 

[jammer300]

I bought my wife a Savage Axis 7mm/08 for hunting deer and elk and she loves it. I load a 150 gr. Nosler ballistic tip with 43.5 grs. of H380. She killed her first deer with that load and it didn't go more than 30 yards before it fell.

 

[ntg]

I'm new to the 7-08, but killed a nice muley last year with it. I loaded a Hornady 139BTSP to 2820 with varget behind it. It did the job very well. IMO, the 7-08 is under rated and more than enough to do the job.

 

[thekyrifleman]

Great caliber for deer. Kills them DRT!!! My load in my Rem 700 Ti is 42 gr IMR 4064, 140 gr Sierra Pro Hunter...about 2700 fps, under a 1/2 inch @ 100... Light, fast, accurate and deadly!!

 

[Marble]

I've shot blacktails and muleys with my 7-08 AI. I shoot 140 ABs with 44g of RL 15. It's not too hot for the gun, but the most accurate at 2950. At 600 yards and on 3 power (3x9 30mm tube, 50mm bell on a Leupold) the top of the heavy cross hair is zero. I can hit a 6" plate almost every time. I know it's not extreme accuracy as it's shown by many other guns here, but for a hunting rifle it does really well. Stock rifle, trigger, stock. Super light rifle and the ABs work great. I did glass bed the stock a few years ago.

 

[J E Custom]

I am a big fan of the 7/08 and It is one of the best White Tail cartridges around. Not to much power,
very accurate, easy to load for and shoot.

My preference is a 22" heavy barrel, 120gr ballistic tips, CCI br2 primers, 49.5 grains of H414 for 3010 ft/sec. I have used this combo out past 500 yards with 100% success.

The short heavy barrel lends it's self to running targets also.

My best group with this setup was .053 @ 100 yards. the rifle is way better than I am and if I do my part it will consistently shoot under 1/10th MOA.

Normally deer drop in there tracks .

J E CUSTOM