Terminal performance 7mm-08 120-130 grain

[frednaz]

I am toying with an idea. I have not reloaded in a while, but am about to begin again. I believe that the .270 winchester, with 130gr bullet, is as close to perfect performance on deer at reasonable distances (out to 300) as anything. I do not now own a .270. But in my estimation my 7mm-08 with speer's 130 grain bullet could be pushed to nearly 3000 fps. I'm not sure whether a deer knows the difference between a .277 bullet and a .284 bullet and + or - 50-75 fps.
I am also considering loading the sierra 120 grain flatbased bullet, which I believe will exceed 3000 fps in a 22" barrel.
What I need to know is: "What has been your experience with these types of loads in the field?" "Will a 120 grain bullet be too light on whitetail or mule deer ?" "Is the 130 grain bullet a better choice?"

 

[critter]

Doesn't sound too light to me. I have no experience with your caliber, but I have used 100 gr Nosler BT's out of a 25-06 on 'average' size whitetails and every 'connect' has had dramatic results. Maybe you will get more info from others with your caliber. Good luck, but I believe your bullet, well placed, will do fine-on whitetails. Again, no experience on heavy bodied mulies by me.

 

[30-06 lover]

I shot a deer wita a 6mm Rem. 100 grain load. Buck is dead. 7mm-08 is a great deer roud IMO.
-Mike

 

[Bwana John]

In my 7mmX57mm Mauser (same thing ballisticly as the 7mm-08) I have found that a 140 grain Ballistic Tip @ 2850 fps kills mule deer very fast and cleanly. Lots of internal dammage, and just pieces of lead found under the skin on the other side when shot broadside using a heart/lung shot.

I would not go lighter for deer.

For elk I use a 160 gr Partition.

 

[Art Eatman]

Speer/Hodgdon manual I forget which, sez a 22" barrel and a 140-grain mate up for around 2,900 ft/sec.

The only thing I've shot with my 7mm08 was a really heavy-bodied feral dog at about 40 yards. The bullet blew on through quite nicely.

For a neck shot, most anything will work. For body shots, I like to go heavier. But we've beat on that ol' horse a good bit.

Art

 

[pete f]

I built a 7-08 for the nephew. 140 partition on bigger minnesota whitetails a head on shot was found in the rear ham after traveling thru four feet of deer. Perfect little mushroom. Out of a mid six pound gun, recoil is very mild. 243 class. I built mine on a mex mauser that had been sporterised (professionally) sometime in the 50's I rebarreled it and went to a Boyt stock that had less drop and would work better with a scope. Added a gun show found Buehler safety and we were good to go.

With the 7 08, you do not need to lean on it really hard, one of our best loads is a 140 partition on a load of Re 15 that runs about 2750 or so. Very dead deer with little blood shot meat and no bruising on the shoulder out of a .8 MOA load. So do not worry about getting magnum loads out of the cartridge.

 

[MCgunner]

The 140 7mm bullet is probably a closer match to the 130 grain .277 far as sectional density goes. I'd load the 140. Everyone I know with a 7-08 (all three of 'em. LOL) uses it. I shoot a 150 Sierra in my 7 mag and have had some spectacular results with it at about 3150 at the muzzle. The 140 is just as good and at 7-08 velocities, about optimum for whitetails of any size IMHO. Lots of 7x57s shooting that bullet weight long before the 7-08 got legitimized, too.

Nothing at all against the .270, but I think a lot of its rep came from Jack O'Conner's writings. It's really no better than the good ol' 7 mauser (or 7-08) at deer hunting IMHO. Heck, I fail to see all the caliber crud about deer hunting. I mean, I've killed 'em just as dead with .257 Roberts, .30-30 Winchester, .308 Winchester, 7mm Rem Mag, 7x57 Mauser, and 7.62x39.

One caliber that's equal in every way to the .270 and has a LOT more bullet selection for is the .280 Remington. I really like the bullet selection in 7mm and the BCs of the bullets. The .280 is a nearly identical case to the .270, both based on the .30-06. Ain't a dime's difference in exterior ballistics, the .280 has a much better bullet selection, yet the .270 is a whole bunch more popular. Go figure. It's all about publicity in the .270s early years.

 

[captdavid]

I am a huge fan of the 7mm. I own a 7x57 commercial 98 and a 26" barrel VLS in 7-08. While I do not personally have any experience with them, the 120BT is said to be made tough enough for deer. Many people, I trust, say that it is tougher than the 140. I believe that the BC matches the .277cal 130gn and the SD is about the same as a 150gn 30cal. I think that is plenty for deer. As a side note, because I kill close to 10 hogs each year and only about 2 deer, I prefer a little heavier bullet. capt david.

 

[WYO]

If the bullet is constructed for the velocity you are pushing, I don’t think it makes a difference what weight you are using for deer. The Alaska contingent over on 24 Hour Campfire uses the 120 grain Barnes Triple Shock on some big critters. One guy posted last week of an intentionally made double shoulder shot on a moose, with complete pass through. (http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=798024&an=0&page=0#798024) Admittedly, that’s a premium bullet, but it gives you the theoretical extreme of a 120 in the 7mm-08. Personally, I like the insurance of a 140 grain, and, within 300 yards, I don’t think it matters what weight bullet you use as long as the bullet is designed for the velocity.

captdavid, might we be talking about the same people that you trust?

 

[MCgunner]

The Barnes bullets are awesome. I load a 140 .30 cal X bullet in the .308 for hogs. It expands very quickly, yet once it's expanded to the bottom of the hollow cavity, it penetrates. No weight loss to speak of. I've yet to find the hog that could stop it, put it that way, and big hogs can be tough as nails. Deer are wimps by comparison.

No moose in south Texas to test it on.

One thing to consider about the Barnes solid copper bullets, too, is a 140 .30 cal has more sectional density than a lead 150 grainer because copper is a lighter material. I've found 'em to be very accurate in both 7mm and 30 caliber and if there's any worry about how heavy the game is, it's my go to bullet. It'll kill deer just as well as it kills heavy game because the expansion rate is so quick. It will even expand at velocities my 12" .30-30 Contender pushes that same bullet. I shoot the Nosler 150 Ballistic Tip normally, but have a box of Barnes loads always loaded on hand for the .308. It shoots 1/2 inch lower than the Nosler bullet, so it's a 200 yard zero vs 250 for the Nosler, no big deal, no sight in necessary. I sight in with the Nosler.

 

[stolivar]

130's

I use Sierra's 130 grainers in my 7-08, and they work great.


steve

 

[frednaz]

Thanks for all the replies. I still believe the 130 grain would make a great deer round, especially where I do most of my deer hunting, in PA. As far as I know, only "Speer" makes a 130 soft point that would be acceptable as the typical hunting bullet. I have been given several hundred "Nosler Combined Technology" 140 grain silvertips in 7mm. I will try these for accuracy and for terminal performance on game.
I have used IMR 4064 with great success for 7mm-08 and 308, but have read a lot about "Varget." Many use this powder and seem to like the accuracy for these two calibers. Thanks again !

 

[captdavid]

WYO, yep, prolly the same!! Although I think D/Z is into light and fast while I'm more a Medium/slower fan. I have changed because of the amount of pigs that I shoot. capt david

 

[kitejag]

7mm-08

Have hunted with the 7mm-08 and really enjoy the performance and lack of hurtful recoil. Last fall I took a 700 pound cow elk with a 150 grain Scirocco coming out at about 2850 fps. Like the Hornady 139 grain SST for large deer with a 120 grain Barnes TSX for antelope and sheep.

7mm-08 is a very versatile gun

Kitejag

 

[marksman13]

I have used a .243(necked down 7mm-08) to kill all my deer this year. All neck shots within 100 yards with a Remington Core Lokt 100 grain PSP. I think I am going to buy my wife a 7-08 before next deer season. Don't see why your 120 grain bullets wouldn't work just fine within 200 yards.