7mm08 Hide Damage?

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Grazing Bit

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I intend to procure a 7mm08 Browning BLR as a sort of all rounder saddle gun for use on big game as well as coyotes. The problem is that I would find it agreeable if the coyotes' hides were suitable to be skinned out and tanned, but, a 7mm08 does not seem, to me, that it would be very conducive to intact hides. If this rifle were to be used only for prognhorn, coyotes, and the odd deer I would have no objection to it being chambered in .243; a much more suitable and fur friendly predator round. However, as it would be a convenience if this rifle were suitable to elk hunting (yes, I am aware that a .243 is capable of dropping an elk, but that is, nonethelesss, a situation I would prefer to avoid) I am not willing to concede to such a degradtion of calibre.
I was thinking that perhaps using a heavy, and therefore slower, and tougher bullet, such as a 140 grain Federal Trophy Copper, while avoiding large bones wouldn't be to terrible an option because, while it would still have an exit hole, it wouldn't be excssively large as such a light and small animal would not give the bullet much oportunity to expand. Any thoughts?
 
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My coyote rifle is a bolt action Marlin in 22MAG. No exit hole but the chest organs are destroyed. This rifle has made kills at distances up to approx. 125 yards.

TR
 
I think your on the right path with the heavier big game 7mm bullets for the coyotes. Maybe even go with an FMJ?
The match bullets I've used (168 grain Sierra .308 match ) on woodchucks are devastating! Nothing left but a mess.
 
My dad always used 6mm Remington and sewed up the hole from the inside. 100gr. Is plenty powerful.
 
#1895 .100grn Sierra might fit the bill. The jacket is thin but not fluted possibly keeping entrance holes minimal and failing to exit.

Another option would be a heavy monolithic loaded as slowly as practical. It will pass clean through but might keep holes small.
 
Do you reload? If so you could try to put together an FMJ load or cast bullet load. If you are open to the idea of .308, FMJ loads are readily available for it.
 
IMHO -

There are varmint only guns, there are varmint to deer guns, there are deer to elk guns, there are elk to bear guns, and there are bear to Africa guns. There are some guns that can overlap - even more so with today's bullet technology, but there are no varmint to elk guns without giving up something on one end or the other.
 
@eldon,
unfortunately, I rely on producers to meet my ammunition needs. I have never been an accuracy addict and have always found suitable ammunition for my needs in the calibres I use and so have never viewed reloading as an investment which I would gain much from. However, giving the subject more thought, it probably would yield more benefits than I have previously assumed.
I also appreciate your suggestion that I consider a .308, but I intend to keep this purchase under .30 calibre.

@cougar,
that is very understandable logic and I'd say that most of what you said is true; but I am willing to sacrifice somethings. Despite my view that magnums such as the .338 WN are ideal for for large ungulates like elk, I know for certain that the 7mm08, especially with todays bullets, is a suitable cartridge for elk and lower 48 black bear. Yes, I'd be giving quite a bit of destructive power, but I'd also be giving up quite a bit recoil and weight; as well gaining quite a bit of handiness in the woods. So I will be losing, but also gaining. With coyotes though, it seems I only things to lose. Which is disappointing, because I really would to have a fur friendly all rounder, especially one that fits nicely into a saddle scabbard.
 
To have a fur friendly all rounder you can either just change ammo by carrying coyote fur bulleted(like a Sierra 130 Matchking. Their 100 grainer is a varmint bullet.) in your pocket and reloading(easiest with an extra mag at an MSRP of $125.00 each.) when you see Wiley or an elk. Not exactly practical in most cases though.
Mind you, Wiley's hide is really only worth keeping in winter. Nice thick fur then. Not so much in warm weather. Positively ratty in between.
 
There are no free lunches in life. Pick which is more important to you, to be able to have the additional power/bullet weight for an elk, or to have un-shredded coyote pelts. The problem with switching ammo is that seldom do two radically different bullets shoot to the same point of impact. If it were me, I would take the 7-08 and load it with Barnes TSX's or Hornady GMX and shot it at whatever the target was. Or pick whatever ammo you want for elk/deer and coyotes will just have to be however they end up.
 
My experience with larger projectile shooting cartridges, such as anything from .243 and up, coyotes don't hold up well, it will blow a big hole out the other side.

I thought I could fix this problem by using a real light weight HP with my .270 win, but all it did was literally explode the yotes, and I do mean explode. Bigger heavier soft point 130 gr. bullets didn't make as big of mess of them, but they still had very large missing portions of the hide on the exit side.

Shoot yotes with little tiny bullets, like a 22-250 shooting a really light bullet that will expand after entering maybe. I don't know, I gave up on this, everything I load still makes a pretty good exit hole. I did load some 52 gr. SP's for a buddy who shoots yotes with them from his 22-260, and he says they don't tear them up too badly.

So it's still a work in progress. I would recommend buying a 22 lr or a 17 RF for yotes, and save the 7mm -08 for big game, that's what it made for really.

GS
 
There's no free lunch. Anything adequate for elk will do a number on an animal less than a tenth it's size. Bullet selection can help to a degree.
 
I have shot several coyotes with a .270 win using 130 gr. deer loads, including Core Lokt and Ballistic Tip projectiles. The .270 is somewhat faster than the 7mm-08, but not that different. The coyotes were uniformly destroyed. Massive exit wounds. If you do your own loading, you could make up some highly reduced loads expressly for coyotes. Just make sure you have a way of making sure you don't use a coyote load on an elk. I have done this kind of thing before and I like to use nickel plated casings for the reduced load. Or you could use a plastic tip bullet on coyotes and a soft point for larger game.
 
I appeciate all of the responses. It looks like I'll have to get the rifle and do some experimenting on my own. Personally, if anything will work to my satisfaction, my money is on tough copper or bonded bullets.
After this saddle gun I'll need to get a rifle chambered in a proper predaror calibre specifically for going coyote hunting. I must admitt I'm just getting into predator hunting so the closest gun I have to a predator rifle at the moment is a .25-06. Be nice if this purchase could double as a security rifle. Any problems with .223s from a 16" barrel for under 300 yard coyote hunting? I might have to start another thread.
 
Shoot the 'yotes in the eye and have it exit the butthole ;)

OR..........accept the fact you need to choose which animal you want to hunt the most on any particular day
 
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