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

[Marky_mark]

I saw a guy hit a mature Aoudad 4 times with the 143 Eldx from a Creedmoor before it succumbed to the wounds. Two hits back to back at 200 yards and it left the scene. We moved around the mountain and saw it again standing with head hung low. He drilled it again and it stumbled off. He bolted and hit it again and it tumbled.

The next day, same rifle and ammo but different shooter and I (with 6.5-284 and 140 Ballistic Tip) glassed a group on a rocky bluff. We worked around the trees and found a shooting position 360 yards away. We both set up and counted down for simultaneous shots. Mine dropped at the shot and the Creed shot buckled him and he stammered off. We bolted quickly and before he could settle in the scope I put one in the crease between neck and shoulder and it tumbled down dead.

Moral of the story is…At that distance and velocity the ballistic tip did a beautiful job on a fairly tough animal.

Velocity

No one shoots a 28 nosler as well as a 7-08. No one. If they say they do they're kidding themselves. There's tons of data on this. The average persons accuracy degrades around 243win and really goes downhill when you get into the 300wm range. This is true of people that shoot 10s of thousands of rounds a year. And is crazy true of the people that dont.
Again this is well studied.
You don't need those magnums unless you only shoot mpbr, which is fine but it's a lot of recoil when you can get it done with a whole lot less. 280ai has long been considered the sheep hunters choice. The difference between 7-08 and 280ai isn't much until about 500y or so. Which is past most people's cold bore shot capability. But again everyone's accuracy increases by reducing recoil.
Doesn't mean people can't hit things with monster cartridges. It's just less likely you will.
Also sheep aren't bullet proof.

The advantage of the magnums is less drop and less wind. If the animals move and you don't have a chance to re range. It will make a difference. Lots of advantages for the magnums. The other thing is you only need one shot. You're not shooting a 5 shot group. You're setting up and focusing on one single shot. Since those cartridges have been developed, they have been made in sheep rifles. Are they the best choice? I don't think so. Are they the worst, if you're not comfortable shooting them, 100% they can be. I've taken a 338 rum on a backpack alpine hunt before. Why? Because everything I shot with it died instantly… that was with 250 gr accubonds too. If you're not comfortable shooting your rifle, no matter what it is, you're in trouble.

 

[Roughrice]

MarkyMark

My point exactly!
I push the 140 NBT (that you wouldn't shoot an animal with) quite well from my 6.5/284 at around 2950. That's not nearly the only animals I've taken with NBT's from 22 cals up to 30's.
Yeah… I blew out shoulders years back with 270 130 grainers but Nosler has done a really good job of fixing the problem with earlier BT's.
It's not the only bullet I use. I try to keep several loads for each caliber for the job at hand.
With that said, it is the most versatile bullet I've used yet!

 

[Takman]

Thanks for all the feedback, Gentlemen. After all of this, when I took my 7mm-08 to the range with a variety of loads, it didn't love any of these. The best the 7mm-08 did does not compete with what my old faithful Browning .270 A-Bolt does with 140 gr Ballistic Tips over a mild 51 gr load of RL 19. MV is 2700 which carries me to 500 @ 1797 fps (3 fps short of 1800 expansion) at sea level. Just got back from the range confirming my drops for the .270 (.5 mil @ 200 yds, 1.3 mil @ 300 yds), and have plugged into my Leica Ballistic app and fed over to the 2800.com rangefinder. At this point all the fiddling and tinkering and second guessing my shooting setup is done. Now I just hope to be worthy of this hunt and my guide's efforts, and give all I have mentally and physically. I'll be sure to loop back when I return and let you all know how it went. All the best,
GA

View attachment 480052

Excellent! I can sleep now. No more tossing and turning . Drink all of this wonderful experience in and enjoy!

 

[KiwiIan]

I had a 7mm-08 for around 20 year's. The load i hunted extensively with was the 140 grain Accubond- it worked very well on some big red stags at close (10 yards!) to around 250 yards. These deer were solid and amped up - the Accubonds worked really well when they had decent resistance- lighter animals were OK - once again nothing here over 250 yards. I guess what I'm saying is think about bullet construction versus what its going to impact with- animals size muscle and bone mass etc...
Maybe a close range (sub 200 yard) heavier constructed bullet and a lighter constructed bullet finely tuned for the distance shot should one present itself.

 

[ms601shooter]

I've been using the 120 gr. Barnes TTSX exclusively for the last 11 years with excellent results. At one point, I had shot 10 white-tail deer, over a period of 3 years, that dropped in their tracks. There were several others that went 30 yards or less. On two occasions, I was able to retrieve the bullets from the animals. Both were quartering toward me. Bullets entered on right side of brisket and were retrieved from the right flank just under the hide. After cleaning both bullets, I weighed each. Both had retained 100% of their weight. The Barnes 120 gr. TTSX is the only bullet I shoot in my Savage 7-08 -- and extremely pleased with results from accuracy and terminal results.

 

[Roughrice]

My only sheep.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

My only sheep.

Texas Dall?

 

[Roughrice]

Texas Dall?

Yep.
Shot it with suppressed Howa Mini 6.5 Grendel and 100 gr Partition.

 

[Marky_mark]

MarkyMark

My point exactly!
I push the 140 NBT (that you wouldn't shoot an animal with) quite well from my 6.5/284 at around 2950. That's not nearly the only animals I've taken with NBT's from 22 cals up to 30's.
Yeah… I blew out shoulders years back with 270 130 grainers but Nosler has done a really good job of fixing the problem with earlier BT's.
It's not the only bullet I use. I try to keep several loads for each caliber for the job at hand.
With that said, it is the most versatile bullet I've used yet!

I don't know what you hunt or where
But there is no animal I've ever hunted where my first choice for bullets would be a ballistic tip. If I'm after ultimate accuracy, it's a berger. If I need penetration, it's an a frame.

 

[Roughrice]

I don't know what you hunt or where
But there is no animal I've ever hunted where my first choice for bullets would be a ballistic tip. If I'm after ultimate accuracy, it's a berger. If I need penetration, it's an a frame.

I respect that.
I think the A-Frame is a great bullet.
I don't shoot Bergers except for target shooting.
I do understand that the 7mm 180 Hybrid is a good hunting bullet as well and I have plenty. I've just not tried them.
I've been a cup and core guy, bonded or otherwise …from every manufacturer for many years.
If I'm ever required to use copper, I'll try Hammers.
I have nothing against other bullet designs…. I just never needed them.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

I would never own a rifle in any of those calibers you listed. I think they are all inferior
How many stone sheep have you hunted?
Or any sheep?
What's the most you've spent on a hunt?

7 rem mag, inferior?
please explain if you don't mind.

 

[Raudy707]

140 Ballistic Tip is a killer out of the 7mm-08. My daughter has killed a bunch of hogs and deer with that combo. And she's dumped elk out to 440 yds with the 140 Accubond. Should work well on a Stone Sheep.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

140 Ballistic Tip is a killer out of the 7mm-08. My daughter has killed a bunch of hogs and deer with that combo. And she's dumped elk out to 440 yds with the 140 Accubond. Should work well on a Stone Sheep.

Milder velocity allows the BT to perform as advertised. Like 7/08.
accurately and dependably.
Higher velocity is no less deadly I just try to keep them off shoulders because of core/jacket separation.
Accubond does any angle, any reasonable distance, every time. With accuracy to boot.
proud for your daughter, mine has had great luck on deer herself.

 

[Goldengun]

In that case, I would think the 140 would be preferred over the 150 for a sheep at 350-500 yards at 7mm-08 velocities, as it would upset more/dump more energy into the sheep and send more shrapnel.

Wait a minute. Let's rethink that.