Wife's new 7mm-08... Bullet recommendation

[Nikolakangrga]

My wife is just getting into hunting and I've decided it was time to get her a rifle she can call her own. We decided on a

Tikka t3 lite
7mm-08
Bell and Carlson stock
Trijicon Accupoint (crosshair with dot)

Her shots will be within 0-300 yards TOPS. 99% of all shots will be within 150 yards. I would like to load up one bullet she can rely on for blacktail deer, hogs (50lbs - 350lbs) and black bear.

I will stress shot placement and PRACTICE to her but would also like a bullet which will reliably do the job on all three game animals with a behind the shoulder shot. I have never been big on shoulder shots due to meat loss.

I was thinking about trying the 120gr ttsx but I'm not sure if they would be reliable without hitting heavy bone. Losing a deer or any animal happens to all of us atleast once but I would like to reduce the chance of failure for my wife as I want hunting to be a happy positive experience for her.

Thanks all for your input
Nick

 

[Daveinjax]

I shoot the 139gr sst from hornady for deer . I've killed north of a hundred of them up to @ 225lbs and all I did my part on were drt. The 145 gr btsp from speer works well also and is a good bit tougher for bear and large hogs. They both perform well in the 7-08 velocity range and are inexpensive to shoot. The barnes bullets are work around for a bad california law and way over priced. Barnes bullets are poor performance and high cost , the worst combo. The nosler bt is no better bullet than the sst but cost half again as much. I don't have bear where I hunt but plenty of hogs. If you don't try to shoot a boar through the shields the 139gr sst will do the job all day , through the shields you better bring a cannon.

 

[Joe King]

Indifference to the Bear and Pigs I'd look at Bonded bullets, or partition type bullets, in the 150 - 160 gr range. 300 yrds is pretty short so you wont need to worry about retained energy or velocity so much.

 

[barnesuser28]

+1 ^ the 150-160 Partition would be my choice or the 145 grain Barnes LRX.

 

[rscott5028]

The 120 TTSX is a good choice for a light weight rifle inside of 300 yds.

You should get plenty of impact velocity for proper bullet expansion without the recoil/torque of the heavier bullets.

-- richard

 

[Edd]

My choice would be 140gr TTSX.

 

[reeldawg]

I shoot both the 139 SST and the 140 BT. They work well. I have some 140 Bergers, but haven't tried them on game.

 

[bronco]

Lead Free area... 7-08 inside 300 with tough game up to 350lbs, to me spells Nosler 150 E-Tip. Lead Free with LOTS of smack down. But I guess it should come down to what the rifle shoots best. Personally, whatever lead free bullet you start with I would try to stay above 140 grains if bear and pig are on the menu. If its not lead free, go 150-160 Partition like the others have said.

 

[Nikolakangrga]

Thanks guys,
The area's in California we hunt do not have the lead free banned. We are able to shoot whatever we would like.

Would the 150-160 partitions reliably expand with a behind the shoulder lung shot on a small blacktail deer? Would the 140gr accubond be a better choice if looking for expansion?

 

[Truc]

when I shot the 7mm08, all I shot was the 139 Hornady BTSP always stopped deer cold. Good bullet and cheap to shoot along w/ Varget powder.

 

[redneckclimbing]

I shot three elk last year with the 168gr. Berger HVLD. One dropped in it's tracks, one went 5 steps, and one went 8 steps! All were shot behind the shoulder from 250 - 300 yds. After that I will defenitely be using them again this year. This was out of a 7mm RM but with the 150's you should still be pretty good and closer in speed.
Another one I have been thinking about for bears and elk in the brush, is the Speer Deep Curl 160 gr. they claim 95% weight retention, slightly rounded nose should open up well and penetrate like crazy with that weight retention, and the best part, they are pretty **** cheap! Could be a great 300yd. and in bullet on just about anything.

 

[Joe King]

Thanks guys,
The area's in California we hunt do not have the lead free banned. We are able to shoot whatever we would like.

Would the 150-160 partitions reliably expand with a behind the shoulder lung shot on a small blacktail deer? Would the 140gr accubond be a better choice if looking for expansion?

Yes. I shot a small whitetail does last year with my 270 at 400yrds, I use 150gr partitions in that, with a muzzle vel of 2750. She dropped in her tracks, I hit the edge of one rib.

 

[Forrest Ebert]

My wife shoots the same rifle and has taken nice Whitetails in Texas with the 140 grain Berger Hunting VLD and the Sierra 150 grain Game King.

 

[Nikolakangrga]

Ok thanks guys...
So I think I'm down to these choices:

140gr Berger vld
150gr partition
140gr accubond

Of those 3, which would you feel most comfortable with on blacktail deer, hogs, and Black bear?
All behind the shoulder shots.