7mm08 Deer hunting load

[Weaselthis]

Gotta love the 7-08. It's my 1000y target round and wife's hunting round.
I shoot 162 ELDM's over 47g H4350 at 2820 fps. (28" bbl.).

Wife took her Tikka T3Lite to Africa in 2013....6 animals, 6 shots, NO tracking.
175y full frontal on a zebra stallion, took out the top of the lungs and stopped in the rear right ham. 140 Accubonds at about 2650fps over mild load of Varget (I know, Yawn!) but VERY accurate. Kudu, Gemsbok, Blesbok, Impala, Springbok.....none went much further than 30-40 yds.

Not sure if elk are tougher than zebra or gemsbok, but I'll be taking that rifle/load with me the next elk trip with the grandkids.

 

[Overkill338]

I am a die hard fan of the whomper stomper teeth rattling Magnums. That said, I absolutely LOVE the 7-08 !! That has got to be at the top, as one of if not the greatest deer cartridge ever.

So easy to load for, soft shooting, flies flat enough, and they just shut'em down in short order!

.243, 7-08 .308, and .338 Federal, I love them all!! Never used a .260, or a .358 Win though.

I asked my buddy about his. 46.9gr of RL16, CCI200, with a 140 Nosler Partition. Average 2892 fps, and groups between 0.50"-0.75". Varies by the day (heat, humidity etc etc). He put down a nice 5 pointer last season. I wasn't there, but he said it was 125-150 yards, entered behind the right shoulder, broke left shoulder, and the bullet didn't quite make it out of the shoulder.

Hope that helps. Please work up slow, as I think he is around max.

 

[wv270wsm]

I've found that the 120 gr ballistic tip over a mild charge of imr 4064 shoots crazy good groups out of my prohunter 10 shot group mic measured .693 . With a average velocity of 2975 . I was really hoping to get over 3000 with it but I have fiddled around with charge weights and different powders and nothing shoots that good close but no cigar . And yes I tried varget it shot roughly a 1 1/2 " group. I have not tried imr 4350 in it yet though I'm afraid if my youngest son sees me using his 260 rem powder he'd beat me up lol

 

[povertyknob]

The 120 Nosler BT is a hammer in a 708. Took me a while to try them but Im glad I did. Nosler talked me in to trying them after I called them for their thoughts on the best bullet for deer out to 300 yds.

 

[ROCKCREEKARMS]

nosler bt factory ammo use it in both of my 708s a bolt gun and gas gun they both shoot the nosler well and never a missed shot or one run off I came to this when the first shot after eye surgery was dead on at 220 yd the weapon had set for a year that was the bolt gun built a gas gun for grins and it shoots just as well both weigh about the same my granddaughter just loves the ar for field carry

 

[Owyheehuntr]

140 grain accubonds have been great in my kids Ruger 7mm-08

 

[Oldschool280]

We shoot 150 nosler ballistic tips at around 2650 ( which is a cloverleaf at 100) and are very pleased. Kills hogs dead. Never bothered to hit the next accuracy node.

 

[Ginga]

140 ballistic tip. 42-43 grains varget.

120 ballistic tip. 44-45 grains varget.

 

[wv270wsm]

140 ballistic tip. 42-43 grains varget.

120 ballistic tip. 44-45 grains varget.

I believe I have the only 7mm08 that was ever made that does not digest varget well . I've tried from 41 to 45. And it wasn't patterns but it wasn't groups either. And that's with 4 different bullets, that shoot fairly decent with other powders. As I stated previously 120 gr ballistic tips over a healthy dose of imr 4064 shoots the best out of mine so far

 

[Oldschool280]

I believe I have the only 7mm08 that was ever made that does not digest varget well . I've tried from 41 to 45. And it wasn't patterns but it wasn't groups either. And that's with 4 different bullets, that shoot fairly decent with other powders. As I stated previously 120 gr ballistic tips over a healthy dose of imr 4064 shoots the best out of mine so far

W760 42 grains mild but bugholes

 

[rockwallraider]

i have a 20 inch 7mm 08 that I plan to shoot suppressed. want to shoot the 120 nosler bsllistic tip or the 120 ttsx. whats a good powder for the shorter barrels?

 

[LVJ76]

IMR-4895 and 4064, Varget also works good, Varget I believe is the fastest burning one

 

[LVJ76]

i have a 20 inch 7mm 08 that I plan to shoot suppressed. want to shoot the 120 nosler bsllistic tip or the 120 ttsx. whats a good powder for the shorter barrels?

IMR-4895 and 4064, Varget also works good, Varget I believe is the fastest burning one.

 

[rockwallraider]

thank you