Suggestions for 7mm-08 hunting ammo

[Joe Vaquero]

I ordered a Marlin xs7y in 7mm-08 for my son. We should have it in later this week. Does anyone have any recommendations on a good hunting round for whitetail?

 

[T Bran]

These days I reload but before that started to take up all of my time I used Remington Corelocked in several different calibers. Never had a rifle that did not shoot it well.
140 grain PSP would be my first choice and it is cheap enough to site in and practice with at 28.00 or less a box. There are so many choices these days that it really depends on your budget. What your gun likes is the most important part ive just been lucky with the CL line.
Good hunting.
T

 

[RhinoDefense]

Winchester 140gr Power Point SP from their Super X line. Wonderful load.

 

[Flintknapper]

If you don't mind paying for premium ammo, Winchester Supreme Ballistic Silvertip.

http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/63...ngton-140-grain-ballistic-silvertip-box-of-20

Its NOT for plinking (use cheap stuff for that), sight in your rifle with it then use it only for hunting. I tried several different loads in my Daughters 7mm-08 before finding the Winchester Supreme and nothing shot as accurately or takes deer down as decisively as it.

If you hand-load, you can replicate the round...since you can now buy the same bullet (Combined Technology 140 gr. BST Lubalox coated) and load it up to about 2750-2770 fps. That's what I do.

 

[interlock]

I really rate the hornady 139 gr interlock in my 7mm08. i have killed lots of deer with it. really i have to say any 140gr psp factory rounds will be adequate if you don't reload.

 

[oneounceload]

MY 7-08, a Model 7, likes my handload with a 140 grain bullet. Sierra, Barnes and Nosler are currently close enough - accuracy-wise - to call it a toss-up

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

I too hand load and, in all 3 of my 7mm.08's, they all seem to love the Hornady interlocks. If you do not reload, That federal premium with the 140gr Nosler ballistic Tip I hear is pretty sporty for deer. That Remington Express with 140gr Corelokt is damn hard medicine for deer as well. You will need to spend some money if you don't reload and find whatever that rifle likes to eat the most. White-Tail aren't that hard to kill. You just need to find the cartridge that your son's new rifle is the most accurate with. That is a fine choice in cartridge selection for your boy. Low recoil and it will smack the dickens out of a deer or hog. Good luck and safe hunting.

 

[hardluk1]

You can use about any of the 140gr class loads standards out thee. Stay with a more expansive round. I am found of the hornady sst bullets that weigh 139gr. but used nosler partition for some years too. Just keep these soft bullets in the forward chest area and deer darn near drop very close.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Hardluk1, I had a bit of a problem with the 139gr SST's out of my 7mm.08 at close range. Had a couple blow up on the shoulder. It's why I switched to the Interlocks and Interbonds. I recovered them both with followup shots but upon recovery I found that, at close range (50 yards and 35 yards), they had a bit of a blowup problem. Now granted, I had them cooking off at a smidge over 3050fps so that MAY have had a little something to do with it but it was enough to make me switch to a bit tougher bullet. The interlocks seem to have that magic combination of penetration and expansion for white-tail at both close and longer ranges.

 

[Joe Vaquero]

I don't reload but plan to in the future. My 25-06 Ruger shoots the remington coreloct pretty well, so I plan to try these in my sons gun as well. What about the 120gr loads? Shouldn't they have a little less recoil? I'm buying the gun for my 12yr old, but his 9 yr old brother is going to hunt with it as well so the less recoil the better.

 

[RhinoDefense]

The 120s are varmint bullets and will not hold up on a deer at close range.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Uhhh Rhino, not all the 120gr bullets are for varmint. Hornady makes an SP 120gr that would make for a very good bullet for white-tail as long as it is well placed.

Joe, Remington makes a reduced recoil load for the 7mm.08 that would be great for the little one to practice with. When you do start reloading, make some reduced loads and just work up to full power for the little one.

 

[Flintknapper]

I wouldn't drop down to a 120 grain bullet for recoils sake. The difference is not that great.

The 7mm-08 is not a hard kicking cartridge (in a reasonably weighted rifle), but it benefits most by installing a Pachmayr Decelerator Recoil Pad, you can buy them pre-fit or slip on for many rifles.

My Daughter's '08 is pleasure to shoot even full house loads.

I reload for it and make up two loads. One load at 2750 fps and one reduced load at 2450 fps., both using RE-15.

Depending upon where we hunt on the property...a shot over 75 yds. can not be had (use the reduced load). Conversely, there are places where you could shoot 500 yds, though we wouldn't shoot over 300 (use full house loads there).

Both reduced loads (and I believe Light Magnum) are available commercially for the 7mm-08.

Compare the Pachmayr Decelerator Recoil Pad to what comes on the rifle and see if you think it is worth putting on there, it really helps IMO.

 

[ritepath]

We shoot the remington managed recoil in my sons 5# 7mm-08 handi rifle. It still has plenty of kick in a gun this small and my son's only 7yo but 81 pounds.

 

[RhinoDefense]

Didn't know where was a 120gr SP, only 120s I've seen were thin jacket HPs.

 

[interlock]

I have used the sierra 120gr prohunter in my 7mm08. if loaded fast this is very destructive and expands very very quickly. i have moved away from them.

 

[hardluk1]

Freedom Notice I only shot them into the heart/lung chest area. Different bullets for different needs. My 7mm is a rem mag with the old hornady heavy mag loads in a 28" barrel. they come out at 3410fps. i have shot camp meat at 20 feet during a drive and that deer just tripped and was died. I do watch my placement . My old 308 is used for thick bottoms and is shooting some GA 125gr nosler ballistic tips at 3000fps. But i also have some slow lead loads for my girls. Same shot placement . Deer act like lighting hit with the SST or NBT and at the most falling with in 20 to 30 feet. I hate tracking deer and will pass i on a shot till i can get that heart/lung chest area. My life long hunting buddy has used a 7mm stw and 140gr NBT doe 16 years and has killed a pile of deer with it and only grenaded one when the shot went to far to the rear on a running deer. Really bad. green lumpy liquid. I do realize we have to place the shot well and if I was travrling to hunt a whopper I would take a bullet design that offerd bone shattering abilities and hope it does not whistle thru the ribs and run a darn 1/2 mile.hehe Just some of the give and take in hunting. kinda like which broad head is the best.

 

[slicksleeve]

My experience with the 7mm-08 is that Remington Core-lokt ammo in 140 grain will make a deer go from living in the woods to living in a freezer in no time flat.

 

[LoonWulf]

As an aside, ive cut a 120btip up and they are pretty tough looking on the inside. Ive also shot a few axis deer with them and have had no issues (impact velocity on a few shots was still above 3k).
That said i Normally like my launch velocity to be around 2800fps for pretty much every cartridge i use. So ANY139-140s would probably be a good choice.

 

[Jared02]

My brother and I both use 7mm-08 for deer and bear. We have had great luck with the Remington corelokt in 140g. And 139g reloads. I have tried the 120g corelokts and they didnt seem to shoot as well from my Model 7

 

[Fred in Wisc]

Another vote for the Remington 140 grain Core-lokt. Has been very effective on several whitetails with my Model 7.

 

[LeonCarr]

Another vote for the 140 grain Remington Core-Lokt.

In handloads with IMR-4895 it will shoot MOA or better from a 15 inch T/C Encore. The pigs hate them .

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[Pacsd]

When I first got my Weatherby Vanguard carbine (20 inch barrel) A friend gave me a box of 140 Fusions that I used before I started working up a load with 130 Sierras. I found them to be JUST over MOA at 100 yards which I was pleased with until I got my reloads down to .65. I've only shot twice at two deer that dropped ead right where they stood. One was 185 the other was 235. Love that gun so much my 1979 .270 Rem ADL, Smith & Wesson 1500 '06 and the Model 7 .243 have been semi retired. I did drop a Timney in it before I even took it to the range.

 

[nathan]

The Remington PSP should be pretty good.

 

[chas08]

Winchester 140gr Power Point SP from their Super X line. Wonderful load.

This brand of ammo shoots pretty well in my Remington 700 LSS mountain rifle too. Not quite as good as the old Hornady Light Magnums did, before Hornady ruined their recipe and named it Superformance.