7mm-08 A-bolt bullet recommendations

[bdg146]

I just purchased a Browning A-bolt in 7mm-08. Beautiful gun with a stainless barrel and a walnut stock. I can't wait to get some rounds through it. For now I purchased some Remington Core-Lokt 120 gr for target shooting because they were cheap. I plan on using Hornady or Federal, but I wanted some info on what other people shoot out of their 7mm-08s.

Do they tend to like 120 or 140 gr? The rifle is for whitetail deer and I hunt in PA, so no 300 yard shots for me. I've gone to Wyoming a few times for mulies and antelope, but probably won't get out there again for another couple of years. It's got a 22" barrel if that changes things.

Thanks!

 

[ThomasT]

I use the Hornady 139 flat base interlocks in my two 7-08 model seven Remingtons. My groups run between 1-1.5" at a hundred and they kill deer just fine.

 

[bdg146]

Couple more questions. Do the A-bolts have adjustable triggers? Never did anything with triggers, but if it does, figured I might tinker with it.

Also, how much does stuff like BOSS matter? I don't think this one has the BOSS system (or whatever you call it). Just the standard A-bolts will be more accurate than me anyway, right? I was planning on an X-bolt, but when I saw this gun in the caliber I've been wanting, I couldn't pass it up.

 

[Water-Man]

I like the Federal AccuBond 140gr.

 

[MMCSRET]

My 7-08 is a semi-custom Mauser (Intermediate Length Oberndorf) with an A&B 20" medium weight barrel that dearly loves 140 gr. Remington PSP C/L or Hornady 139 gr. Spire Points over IMR4895 in whatever brass. 4X scope and on a good day it will do under an inch at 100 yds. I'm the handicapper when it doesn't do under.

 

[Schleprok62]

Mine loves the 140 gr Nosler balistic tips and Partitions... I reload myself though... I have a Stevens Model 200 7mm-08...

 

[Auburn1992]

I like to use either Winchester Ballistictip (140gr) or the Federal Fusion (140gr as well).

 

[bdg146]

I bought a press recently, but haven't had a chance to set things up yet, so for now it's factory ammunition only. So it sounds like I'll just have to try a few brands of good ammo and see what happens. 140 gr seems to be the consensus though.

I know advice at a gun shop is worth what you pay for it, but I was discussing ammunition with him today. I forget if it was the Nosler accubond or the ballistic tip, but he said that they tend to fragment a lot. He suggested the Nosler partitions for a good hunting bullet. Is this accurate? Which is it, the accubond or ballistic tip, that tend to fragment more? Are they meant as more of a target load, like the A-max from Hornady?

 

[Seafarer12]

I reload and have been using midway bulk 140 grain btsp in my encore. I paid 14 per 100 and they work great but I have no idea who made them. I tend to like the 140's for my 7mm-08. I have talked to guys running 120's with good luck too.

 

[NCsmitty]

The 7mm-08 is a sensible non-magnum cartridge that is often happy with the Nosler BT. The stories about BT fragmenting is usually due to magnum cartridges used at close range. The key is to use a bullet that's most accurate in your rifle. Any of the brand name bullets will work to your satisfaction. I too vote for 140gr.

NCsmitty

 

[bdg146]

I feel like I'm all over the place with this topic. Chalk it up to excitement I guess.

I've answered a couple questions on my own just looking through Browning's website and the manual for the A-bolt. It apparently does have an adjustable trigger, so I'll have to see what it feels like when I'm shooting. No BOSS on this rifle either. Didn't realize that was a basically a muzzle-break system. Not sure I'm a big fan of those, especially in a caliber on the milder side of things like the 7mm-08.

In the manual it mentions to not dry-fire the rifle. The reasoning they give is because you should treat every rifle like it's loaded, so pulling the trigger on an empty trigger is unsafe due to the possibility of an AD. While this is good advice, and safety is, of course, always the #1 priority with firearms, will it actually harm the rifle to dry fire it? I'd love to get some dummy rounds, but I'll probably have to order those, as 7mm-08 isn't the most common round.

 

[Seafarer12]

I doubt you will hurt anything by dry firing it but snap caps wont hurt. Just get on midways mailing list and wait till they trow a sale on around thanksgiving and order you some.