7mm-08 Bullet Choice for Stone Sheep inside of 500 yards

[birddog 68]

Leaving first thing Thursday (7/27) morning!

Have a good safe trip.

 

[fire814]

Don't think they get this dark colored in the Cassiars, but it was what I was hoping for and dreamed of when I was lucky enough to hunt for a Stone many years ago. 150 yards, 30-06 150 gr partition. The memories last forever, enjoy making them!

 

[GA Sheephunter]

Don't think they get this dark colored in the Cassiars, but it was what I was hoping for and dreamed of when I was lucky enough to hunt for a Stone many years ago. 150 yards, 30-06 150 gr partition. The memories last forever, enjoy making them!

Dream ram! Looks like he had a longer coat too, early September?

 

[fire814]

Mid September, followed tracks across a snow covered plateau. Turned out to be a ram band, they were feeding in a basin when we caught up. Picked this one out of the group of eight as they were lined up and leaving. First time that we saw rams on the hunt, never glassed any.

 

[Marky_mark]

Barnes would be the lowest on that list for sheep for me
Next would be the speer and then the hornady
I guess either one of the noslers would be my choice
Ive killed all but one of my rams with bergers
They have never gone far
the one that ran the furthest was with a barnes and a 257 wby
Who are you hunting with? I know a few outfitters and guides in that area

 

[Marky_mark]

Last year I sent a 150 BT straight through both lungs and both ribcages of a nice size buck at 325 yards.
I don't know what the impact velocity was but it started out at 2900+ from my 284 Win.
The buck humped and began to walk slowly and laid down. Took a few minutes to drown in blood.
Upon inspection... exit hole was only slightly larger than entrance hole.
Tells you how tough the 150's are.
That's why I'd say 140 BT.

A nice size louisiana buck is a yealing up in the north
Any sheep that your going to be shooting at is going to be at least 8 years old so its going to have some age on it
You will get much better performance on a sheep with an accubond than you will with a ballistic tip

 

[akmtnhnt]

As expensive as Stone sheep hunts are, I would bring something like a 28N or a 300 RUM but I suspect this isn't your first sheep hunt.

Accuracy trumps horsepower.

I think you'd be insane to bring that much recoil on such an expensive hunt. 7-08 is a perfect sheep cartridge. If you're really worried about that extra 100 yards 280ai.

 

[LVJ76]

A nice size louisiana buck is a yealing up in the north
Any sheep that your going to be shooting at is going to be at least 8 years old so its going to have some age on it
You will get much better performance on a sheep with an accubond than you will with a ballistic tip

My experience with the 7mm-08 and the 140gr Accubond on double lung shots is not good, at the 7mm-08 velocities it does not do expand and cause the damage it would at higher velocities, more like a pencil through performance with lungs with little damage, and in turn a slow death. I can honestly say I will never use it again. Now the Ballistic Tip is a different story, and in my experience is a tougher bullet than most cup and core bullets out there, more than the SST, Interlock, Gameking, Core-Lokt, etc.

My opinion, there is no point of two holes in an animal when it's bleeding out slowly, and can run far. Now if you are going for a shoulder shot, then it might work, but not for a double lung shot.

Just my $0.02

 

[std7mag]

Yep. Agree.
Those have a need for speed.
I have since developed a load with 150 ABLR.
Haven't shot game yet but I'll know this winter.
I'm hoping I'll get the best of both expansion and penetration out of my 284 Win.

One not on the list but a tough lil' MF'r is the 120 BT going fast!
500 may be a bit far for it though...(wind and drop)

Using the 150gr ABLR for deer last year with my 7mm Rem Mag, I'll say, penetration yes.
Expansion not so much.
Even with the shot being within 50 yards, I was surprised at the lack of damage.
But a hole through the vitals still brings down an animal.

For a more realistic muzzle velocity of 2,800fps, the 140gr class of bullets seems the sweet spot for the 7mm-08.

I've taken deer at 400 yards with both the 140gr Ballistic Tip & Berger VLD.
The VLD does much more internal damage!
But with either bullet I've recovered the deer within 20 yards of where they were hit.

 

[mnoland30]

I've never hunted sheep, but I believe you want DRT so they don't fall down a cliff. My friend shot an aoudad with 140 gr. Nosler BT out of a 7mm-08 and was amazed at the instant kill. It wasn't long range, but very impressive.

 

[HNDLDR]

Had great luck with the 140gr ballistic tip out of the 7mm-08 on deer to just over 400 yards. I would lean toward the lighter constructed bullets of shots were expected to be a bit on the long side of your scenario.But I wouldn't hesitate to use any of those bullets.

 

[JuddL]

I like the 120's over the 140's because I typically don't get exits with the 140 and I want them to bleed from two over a small one…so it makes it where it's easier to follow them.

But I suspect in that terrain it won't matter, take the 140.

Good luck and don't forget to let us know how you do.

 

[Stokesrjsr]

You have a lot of good input already and I can only speek to my personal experience, I have used all the bullet designs you are considering on a wide variety of game, not in 7mm but in .264. They all work within their envelope of performance but sheep, older rams, can be quite muscular and there is. Lot of work and effort put into the hunt when you pull the trigger. I'll share with you my experience although not with a 7mm-08 or the bullets you listed you may glean some useful information.
I killed my first sheep in 1977 on the Reims range of Alaska with a .243 Winchester Model 70 shooting Factory Ammo, Remington 100 grain Core-Lokt. I had to shoot that ram five times and he was a bloody mess. The first four were in the shoulder and failed to get into the vitals, the fifth was through the ribs and finally got the job done.

My Desert Bighorn was on the Kofa range in Arizona and I was shooting a Steyr Model M 30-06 with my hand loaded Nosler 165 grain partition. Again it took me five shots to get this ram down. The range was 567 yards on the first shot and he walked about 50 yards before laying down and dying. All five shots were through the lungs and all five exited with no indication of expansion.

My Rocky was in the White Mountains on the Arizona side of the border with New Mexico with my Prarie Gun Works 18ti in 6.5 STW using my hand loaded Nosler 140 grain Partition. This was my biggest and most heavily muscled ram, well over 300 pounds. The shot was at 165 yards at about sixty degree downward angle. This time, one shot was all it took he didn't even wiggle. The bullet went through both lungs entering high behind his right shoulder and exiting through his left foreleg.

My Stone's was in BC between the Toad River and Alaska Border. This is the only one that was guided, and only so because required by law as a US not Canadian citizen. I shot this ram with the same rifle and load as the Rocky, my 6.5 STW and with the same results dead right there with no flight attempt.
The shot was 360ish yards at a heavy raking angle, the bullet entered just in front of his right back leg and exited in front of his left shoulder with enough retained velocity to destroy both lungs as it passed through.
I couldn't find a pic of my desert handy but here are some of the others. Note the Dall was before modern cameras but the selfie was taken at the kill site, maybe a very early selfie.

 

[rcg5076]

What ever your rifle likes. All will kill a sheep, and i have killed sheep with 4 out out the 5 you listed.7l My 7mm-08 is very particular to what bullet and powder combo I shoot. I logged 140 rounds last month trying answer the question of witch bullet my 7mm-08 likes. My rifle prefers 120gr and simple 150gr soft point bullets. Yours will be different, unless its a 1981 Rem 700 varmint like mine.