What is the best weight bullet for the 7mm08 ?

[Pokoki]

My 12 year old son shots the Nosler 120gr and has harvested two descent mullie bucks over the past two season. 2017 3x4 was 217 yards and dropped after two steps, and the 2018 3x3 was 152 yards and fell right over.

We never made it on the cow elk hunt this year unfortunately.

 

[fabricator21]

The 140 accubond has worked very well in my wife's tikka . Shots have ranged from 68 to 530 yards, all one shot kills

 

[Dry Heat?]

My wife's Kimber Mountain Ascent in 7-08 LOVES Barnes Bullets and H414. The 120 TTSX shoots pretty quick but we've settled on th 145 grain LRX Bullet Over H414 @ 2,802 FPS. This load shoots a 3/8" group at 100 yards for 3 shots. This, from a Rifle that weighs 4 lbs 13 ozs bare. A little over 6 lbs "Ready to Hunt".

 

[cape cove]

My wife's Kimber Mountain Ascent in 7-08 LOVES Barnes Bullets and H414. The 120 TTSX shoots pretty quick but we've settled on th 145 grain LRX Bullet Over H414 @ 2,802 FPS. This load shoots a 3/8" group at 100 yards for 3 shots. This, from a Rifle that weighs 4 lbs 13 ozs bare. A little over 6 lbs "Ready to Hunt".

I've got a Kimber myself and it to just loves the 145 gr bullet(Speer SBT) and H-414/WW760. The 145 Barnes LRX also shoots great. My vel with a max load is appx 2900 ft/sec.

 

[Dry Heat?]

Her 7mm-08 shoots the 120 NBT really welll too. I get around 3,000 FPS over H-414, like the 120 gr TTSX. It likes the 140 gr Accubonds too. Absolutely murder on Coues Bucks but we drew Early Rifle Bulls in Arizona this year so I tried the 145 gr LRX Bullets. I couldn't believe the 3/8" group I shot. There wasn't much need to develop the load further. It is the Max Load in Barnes Manual for H-414. My wife has owned 3 different 7mm-08 Rifles. The first two were Remington 700s but she loves this Kimber Mountain Ascent. All 3 were very accurate for factory Rifles and I've never used anything but H-414 in any of them. Didn't see the need since it "ain't broke". She shot her 4x4 Bull on the last morning at 287 yards standing behind a BogPod. Her first Elk!

 

[CLL]

I have been loading the 140 E-Tip with 40 Grains of Varget in my 7MM-08
It's a moderate load from Nosler data . It simply works .

 

[Jmatt]

Newbe here. I was under the impression that different twist rates were better suited/needed for different weight projectiles. But if I am reading the posts in this thread correctly, some seem to be saying that this barrel will shoot anything from 120 all the way to 168. Am I reading that right? Just looking to educate myself. Thanks, Jim

 

[codyadams]

Newbe here. I was under the impression that different twist rates were better suited/needed for different weight projectiles. But if I am reading the posts in this thread correctly, some seem to be saying that this barrel will shoot anything from 120 all the way to 168. Am I reading that right? Just looking to educate myself. Thanks, Jim

A 9 or 9.25 twist barrel will shoot the lightest 7mm bullet up to pretty much any lead core 168, and depending on your elevation maybe more. In my cousins 7mm rem mag we are shooting 180 vld's with outstanding results in a 9.25 twist, but we live at 6,000 ft and hunt at 8,000+ for deer and elk. Pronghorn are down around 6,000-7,000.

 

[codyadams]

Here, play with this some. For tipped bullets like the eldm, eldx, accubond, etc., use this calculator (you can find bullet dimensions, including tip length, on the jbm site):

https://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmstab-5.1.cgi

And for hollow point boat tail bullets, the good ol Berger calculator works well:

http://bergerbullets.com/twist-rate-calculator/

Play with those some, and you will get a good feel for what is stable. Keep in mind, a bullet can shoot very well with an sg even as low as 1.2 or 1.3, but terminal ballistics MAY suffer (may, not will), and your ballistic coefficient will take a marginal hit. For best results, try to stay above 1.5 with your s.g.

 

[Jmatt]

Thanks. Lots of good information on this site and I'm playing catch up.

 

[codyadams]

Thanks. Lots of good information on this site and I'm playing catch up.

There sure is. Just take your time and do a lot of research, and start saving your pennies now....this **** is expensive!!!! ha ha

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Newbe here. I was under the impression that different twist rates were better suited/needed for different weight projectiles. But if I am reading the posts in this thread correctly, some seem to be saying that this barrel will shoot anything from 120 all the way to 168. Am I reading that right? Just looking to educate myself. Thanks, Jim

The Hornady 162 ELD-X did NOT, stabilize "well enough", in my son's Tikka T3X but, the 150 grain, did ( about, 1/2 MOA ). Personally, I'd TRY, the "longer/ heavier" bullets, in YOUR Rifle and shoot them at, out to 300-400 yards, to be sure that, they work ! The 120 Bal Tip's and 140 grain Nosler AB Bullets, almost always, work well, in the 7mm's due to the design of the Bullet ( read up on, Tangent Ogive and Secant Ogive's,.. Berger has good Info on this, subject ). The best grouping load that I have for my T/C, 21" Contender, in 7x30 Waters is, the 120 Bal Tip.
Barrels can be, funny and fussy, sometimes !

 

[MarkA]

131 grain hammer bullet!

 

[LVJ76]

I've used 139gr SST's for a while with IMR4064 and it works great on mule deer and anything smaller, one shot and done kills. No Elk, I am still to draw a tag and I have a 7 Rem Mag for that.

I am going to try the 120gr Ballistic tips this year, got them to group under 0.5" also with IMR4064.

I've also used 140gr partitions in the past and I am sure no one can talk bad about those.

I get better ballistics down range with the SST but curious to try the 120 BT's this year.

Beat regards

LVJ76