7mm08 Deer hunting load

[six pack]

If you can get a 140 Accubond over 3,000 fps from a 7mm08, I wouldn't want to be around when you shot it...

46.5-47.0 grains of Ramshot Big Game will get you 2,800-2,900 fps muzzle velocity, depending on your barrel and brass. That's a great place to be...

Kimber7man, that is EXACTLY where you want to be. HOWEVER, I did NOT say you would get over 3000 with a 7-08. I said I would not use a 140g Accubond on elk...AND, I have had consistent poor performance with any Accubond over 3000fps at the muzzle. Two statements...not one and the same. With regard to the 7-08, I was saying that I think the 140 is not enough bullet for elk. Sorry for being unclear.

 

[YZ-80]

You are correct, Boom. That is very possible. However, I have never had a failure with any of the alternative bullets I suggested.....especially on an average Texas whitetail. Regardless of caliber, I have just found that avoiding big bones, using appropriate weight bullets, and checking the MV a bit is "best practice" for Accubonds. For example, last elk I shot was with my 300WM at about 30 yards using the 180g Accubond at 2990fps. Behind the shoulder, complete pass through, and lights out.

I'm running a 130 Accubond in my 6.5-284 at around 2920 FPS (H4831sc) and it hammers Swamp Donkeys out to 375 yards. I'm Running the same bullet w/ RL-15 in my 6.5 (I hate you) Creedmoore with similar results but in the 2650 FPS range at closer distances. So, I don't push it over 3k FPS and it performs well. The other thing I like about Accobonds is their ogive profile and they seem to allow more "shallow" seating depths than other premium bullets, particularly in my Norma. They consistently provide.5 MOA or less in my rifles. So I use them a lot.

Anyway, I don't have a 7mm-08 yet and one could probably argue that it is irresponsible for me to be without one. Once I get one, I share my pet load.

 

[jjmp]

For an Elk bullet in the 708 id step up to the140, 150 partition the 140,150 Barnes ttsx ,0r the 140,150 Swift A Frames ,I'm sure I missed a few but you get the idea . My 708 dotes on 150"s and 160"s& 168"s runs a longer 27 inch Lilja bbl 1/9 twist ,Cheers!!!

 

[jjmp]

OP, try these for deer 130 Speer sptzers ,139 Hornady soft point interlocks, 145 Speer sptizers ,&Hornadys 154 soft point interlocks ,all non Glamorous but do their job Very well & cost less ,Sierra,Barnes,Nosler&Lyman reloading manuals high lite their best reloads in their manuals to help Newbie & Seasoned reloaders as well ! Cheers, what have you tried in your Tikka ? Thks

 

[six pack]

OP, try these for deer 130 Speer sptzers ,139 Hornady soft point interlocks, 145 Speer sptizers ,&Hornadys 154 soft point interlocks ,all non Glamorous but do their job Very well & cost less ,Sierra,Barnes,Nosler&Lyman reloading manuals high lite their best reloads in their manuals to help Newbie & Seasoned reloaders as well ! Cheers, what have you tried in your Tikka ? Thks

I'm loading the 139g Interlocks right now for my grandson so he can get some trigger time with what he will hunt with and not break the bank. Excellent deer bullet for the money.

Here's a little buck my daughter got using the Hornady bullet in her 7-08.

 

[jjmp]

Fantastic 6pac,!!! Congrats to you both !!! Cheers !

 

[Deleted member 107796]

I just dialed in an excellent 140gn Berger VLD load with 45.5gn IMR4350. Close to 2900fps. Note that your ladder tests may show a drastic difference within 0.5gn of charge weight.

 

[Gwine]

My current hunting load is the 150 Swift Scirocco at 2730fps. It has dropped plenty, but I think I want to try the 131 or 136 hammers.

 

[fightthenoise]

I shoot 162 ELD-X's under 47.6 grains of RL-17 seated to 2.952" (I use the M+ magazines) out of the 20" barreled T3x compact at 2800 fps on the nose measured by a Magnetospeed. I was surprised to not get pressure signs at this speed, but I haven't in over 100 rounds fired. I had a very flat accuracy node from 47.4 - 47.8 grains. I tested up to 48 grains with no heavy bolt lift and a very faint ejector mark. Not sure about brass life yet but it only gets fired a few times a year. This is in Colorado at ~6000 feet elevation.

 

[Forcedoutage]

I am looking for a load for my Tikka 7mm08 stainless for whitetail deer hunting this fall. a long shot would be maybe 200 yards.
If you would share any loads that work well for you it would be very nice. I just got the rifle a couple of months ago for deer and elk. I have hunted many years with a 257 Roberts. I was told that I may
want to get a different rifle so after lots of shopping I got the 7mm08.
Thank you

For my 7-08 Tikka I loaded 139 Hornady interlock with 48.7 grains of 4350. Just over 2800 FPS. Mild load and very accurate. Plenty of power for deer. I have shot it out to 300 yds

 

[crazyhorse]

Been shooting the 7-08 with IMR Enduron 4166 and 150 Nosler BT Hunting with great results! Super accurate load that has taken numerous deer from 75 - 175yds. All DRT!

Just for fun I took it out to 1000yds last fall (steel targets) and it was very accurate and consistent.

 

[Thorny]

I have had a stainless Tikka in 7mm-08 for several years now. I've shot numerous mule deer and a few elk (25 to 250 yard ranges) with no problems. The farthest any animal has gone after being shot only once is 40 yards. I use, and my gun likes, the Barnes 140 TSX with a max load of Ramshot Big Game with Federal match primers. I have over 1,200 shots through the barrel (I like to target practice with it). The rifle still shoots clover leafs!

Recently, I bought a box of Hornady Precision Hunter with the 150 ELDx just to see what the rifle would do. Everybody on the range was amazed I and others were getting clover leafs with it.

 

[pd721el]

I shoot and have great luck with the 130 Speer Btsp. The last big mule I shot at 134 yards and the recovered bullet weighed 129 Grns. My father used the 145 Speer Btsp and both have performed perfectly and sub moa with reloads. Guns are a Kimber Montana, r700 and win Xpr. I'd look at the 150 partition or Barnes if elk was the target

 

[the blur]

I have killed Elk with a 7mm-08. 140g Partition. They don't run very far, 30 yards at most. Especially when you take out both lungs. The partition is very destructive, however, the exit wound is not much, like a pencil hole.

I have also killed bear with the same gun. Same bullet, 1 shot, the heart was destroyed. Nothing left but shreds of heart muscle. and the bear still ran 50 yards. Same exit hole problem, like a pencil, and no blood.