7mm-08 all around hunting load

[Mginn68]

Looking for some suggestions on a all around in a 7mm-08. I’ve hunted with that round for the last 20 years in a Remington mnt rifle. Load has been a Barnes 140 gr and varget charge.

I’m having a custom built - ag composite stock, proof 18” barrel, and Kauger VPR action. Glass Leupold VX-6HD 3-18x44.

Plan is to use this gun from mule/whitetail deer to elk. 50 yards to 400 yards.

Thank you for for any suggestions.

 

[N2TRKYS]

140 grain Partition or Accubond with a max load of Big Game powder is great in my rifle. The 120 grain NBT ain’t too shabby, either.

 

[Marble]

I would stay in that 140 range and try the Nosler AB 140.

No offense, but it would never put an 18" barrel on a hunting rifle wanting to shoot out at distance. Some rifles don't lose much per inch, but some do. Seems like your leaving a lot on the table IMO.

Most 7-08 rifles are 22". I have one shorter at 20 in a junior version, and three at 22. But several friends have put after market barrels on at 24 to 26 inches and dang they get some great speed and accuracy.

If I replace my 7-08 AI barrel, I'll probably do it with a 24" version.




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[Mginn68]

140 grain Partition or Accubond with a max load of Big Game powder is great in my rifle. The 120 grain NBT ain’t too shabby, either.

What kind of velocities are you getting? Barrel length?

 

[Mginn68]

I would stay in that 140 range and try the Nosler AB 140.

No offense, but it would never put an 18" barrel on a hunting rifle wanting to shoot out at distance. Some rifles don't lose much per inch, but some do. Seems like your leaving a lot on the table IMO.

Most 7-08 rifles are 22". I have one shorter at 20 in a junior version, and three at 22. But several friends have put after market barrels on at 24 to 26 inches and dang they get some great speed and accuracy.

If I replace my 7-08 AI barrel, I'll probably do it with a 24" version.




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Thank you. From my experience I see about 25 fps reduction per 1” of barrel. I also plan to put my omega 36m can on it. Project is ultra weight mountain rifle.

 

[christian1]

I am running 131gr Hammer Hunters with Varget and getting great groups with velocities around 3000+ on my Remington Model 7

 

[OXN939]

I am running 131gr Hammer Hunters with Varget and getting great groups with velocities around 3000+ on my Remington Model 7

I run the 120 Hammer Hunter over 42.5 grains of Varget in my Remington Mountain SS. Could go hotter but it is consistent and effective where it is. Check my post in the Blacktail forum to see a 4K slow mo of this combo on a very large Kodiak buck. I'd feel perfectly comfortable using this combo for elk inside of 300.

 

[N2TRKYS]

What kind of velocities are you getting? Barrel length?

Remington Model Seven SS with the factory 20” barrel.

140 grain Accubonds @ 2850 fps

120 grain NBTs @ 3000 fps

 

[Firehawk]

Varget under a 140 Ballistic Tip for deer and smaller. If Elk are on the menu, 140 Accubonds get the nod. Same load, same velocity and same POI in all three of our rifles. The Btips are slightly more accurate, but both are very accurate in our rifles.

 

[Mginn68]

Varget under a 140 Ballistic Tip for deer and smaller. If Elk are on the menu, 140 Accubonds get the nod. Same load, same velocity and same POI in all three of our rifles. The Btips are slightly more accurate, but both are very accurate in our rifles.

Great info. Thank you.

Reading some other threads…a lot of good reviews on hammer bullets.

 

[sndmn11]

 

[LightFoot]

Nothing wrong with the 140 Accubond or Partition for Deer at those ranges.

I've had good luck on deer with the ELD-X. The 150 grain .284 ELD-X would be a good option.

If you like complete pass-through, the 120 TTSX would be great. (Or the new Hornady CX)

Swift Scirocco II and A-Frame are excellent if you can find them.

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[SouthPaw]

In that short barrel, 162eldm at ~2600 would be money. At that velocity they are in their wheelhouse from muzzle to way out there.

 

[eaglemountainman]

120 TTSX over 45.0 IMR 4895 gives me 3030 from a 22" Montana.
I wouldn't hesitate to point it at an Eastern Canadian moose.

 

[Tobey]

150 ballistic tip, burn some staball 6.5 under it. last year, antelope at 420, cow elk at 50 feet, perfect both times. My rifle is a 20" tikka with a can, velocity is about 2830 with a bunch of powder and a mag primer. Its hot but everything is still tight on third loading of PPU brass.

 

[z987k]

No offense, but it would never put an 18" barrel on a hunting rifle wanting to shoot out at distance. Some rifles don't lose much per inch, but some do. Seems like your leaving a lot on the table IMO.

Most 7-08 rifles are 22". I have one shorter at 20 in a junior version, and three at 22. But several friends have put after market barrels on at 24 to 26 inches and dang they get some great speed and accuracy.

If I replace my 7-08 AI barrel, I'll probably do it with a 24" version.




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Lol, no offense but I wouldn't put anything longer than 20" on a hunting rifle.

 

[eaglemountainman]

I hunted for years with an 18.5" barreled Model 7. It never failed to fill my tag out to 300 yds, which is my self imposed limit on live critters. I had no chrono data back then, but I have no doubts that it could have killed further.

 

[rootacres]

I would say Accubond for sure. Chances are that barrel length won't yield the velocities you'd want to push a mono. I have a 7 SAUM that has paired nicely with 143gr hammers but that's with a 3050 fps mv. The Bergers and ELDXs of the world could be a good option too. They are happy with moderate impact velocities.

 

[yak]

I shoot a Tikka Compact in 7-08 with a 20" barrel. I load 139 Barnes LRX with Big Game. MV numbers are between 2900-2950. For this bullet, Barnes claims a 1400fps minimum expansion velocity. The 145LRX is 1600fps.

I've also had good luck on my Tikka Compact with the Hornady Precision Hunter 150g ELDX as well.

 

[Northpark]

I use a 140gr absolute hammer Over imr 4166 in my 7-08ai. It’s got a 24” barrel and gets 2945fps at the muzzle.