7mm-08 Rem success on big game

[steelheadmike]

Three antelope taken by me, my son, and my father in law. Using 139gr SST Superformance factory load. Bullet almost worked too well. Next time I do antelope or other smaller game, I may use an accubond or another tougher bullet to limit fragmentation. We had one hit a shoulder and it completely destroyed it but that was not unexpected. What surprised me was how much damage to the meat was done with a non-shoulder initial impact. My son wanted his picture with all three

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JGRaider]

Congrats on a great hunt, and thanks for sharing the great pics. I'm not a fan of the SST's at all as they're much to fragile for my liking.

 

[Adam Gibbs]

Used hand loaded 140gr Nosler BT in my 7-08 on a cow elk yesterday. ~2600fps impact velocity. First hit was 1/3 of the way up the chest, 4" behind shoulder. She ran about 20 yards, wobbled and went down. I put a second in her a few minutes later after her head was still up.

Once cutting her open, neither bullet made it all the way through, but the lungs weren't shredded or jellied in the least bit. Just holes going through. Did not recover a bullet, not sure where they went.

This was my first kill using them. Can't say they worked bad, but I would have expected more damage, especially how people talk about how fragile they are.

Anyone else using the 140 BT on stuff bigger than deer that have more data points?

 

[JGRaider]

She went 20 yards and fell over......and you're wondering if your bullet performed well? Couldn't ask for much more if you ask me. The early ballistic tips from 35 years ago were pretty frangible, and sucked IME. The improved versions are excellent killers, as you have now witnessed.

 

[Adam Gibbs]

She went 20 yards and fell over......and you're wondering if your bullet performed well? Couldn't ask for much more if you ask me. The early ballistic tips from 35 years ago were pretty frangible, and sucked IME. The improved versions are excellent killers, as you have now witnessed.

I guess it just took longer for her to die than I expected given the shot placement. I've only ever killed deer with a rifle. A better question I guess would be, on average how long does a lung shot elk tend to live for? 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10? I saw the holes in the lungs and just expected more damage I guess. That's all. I'll likely keep using them.

 

[Northof51]

Used hand loaded 140gr Nosler BT in my 7-08 on a cow elk yesterday. ~2600fps impact velocity. First hit was 1/3 of the way up the chest, 4" behind shoulder. She ran about 20 yards, wobbled and went down. I put a second in her a few minutes later after her head was still up.

Once cutting her open, neither bullet made it all the way through, but the lungs weren't shredded or jellied in the least bit. Just holes going through. Did not recover a bullet, not sure where they went.

This was my first kill using them. Can't say they worked bad, but I would have expected more damage, especially how people talk about how fragile they are.

Anyone else using the 140 BT on stuff bigger than deer that have more data points?

Used hand loaded 140gr Nosler BT in my 7-08 on a cow elk yesterday. ~2600fps impact velocity. First hit was 1/3 of the way up the chest, 4" behind shoulder. She ran about 20 yards, wobbled and went down. I put a second in her a few minutes later after her head was still up.

Once cutting her open, neither bullet made it all the way through, but the lungs weren't shredded or jellied in the least bit. Just holes going through. Did not recover a bullet, not sure where they went.

This was my first kill using them. Can't say they worked bad, but I would have expected more damage, especially how people talk about how fragile they are.

Anyone else using the 140 BT on stuff bigger than deer that have more data points?

My father in law used these for all his hunting, antelope to moose and never an issue. Swore by the 140 ballistic tip in a 7-08.

 

[FredH]

162g ELDM leaving the muzzle at 2650. 206 yards. Buck antelope. Entered through the front shoulder, quartering to, found an exit in the back of the guts, but did not exit the hide, the bullet was under the hide just outside the exit in between the hide and the rear quarter on the opposing side.

If I could post videos I would, but in the video it appears that the hit was much further back than it was. If you look at my first picture of the entrance, you can see a ton of smaller holes around the entrance, I'm wondering if that bullet fragmented and fragments blew out the shoulder before the bulk of the bullet proceeded through the animal. I had trouble finding the exit before skinning because there were what appeared to be several small holes with blood on the shoulder. @Formidilosus ever seen this?

Incredible penetration and huge wound channel. This is the first animal I've shot with match bullets and I have to say I feel it almost caused too much damage. I wouldn't hesitate to use this combo on literally anything.

1st pic is entrance
2nd Pic is exit
3rd pic is what was recovered of the bullet
4th pic is all those additional holes I was talking about around the entrance.

Sent from my SM-G990U using Tapatalk

Notice the innerlok ring in the expanded bullets jacket.

 

[slvrslngr]

Kimber Montana, Nosler factory loads, 140gr Accubonds

 

[Jamr]

Here is a little Western Wa black tail. Tikka T3 and 162 gr ELDM.

 

[Shadow Illude]

150 Nosler Accubond Long Range. 2740 at the muzzle, approximately 2450 impact at 215 yards. Complete pass through just behind the shoulders. Ran about 30 yards.

 

[Southern Lights]

7mm-08 is/was one of the most popular calibers in New Zealand. Kills everything deer sized to wapiti (elk) here.

 

[fj40rob]

7mm-08 is my favorite round, and great for anyone hunting in Alaska with a solid bullet. I've only shot copper (140ttsx or 139 GMX, CX). From a suppressed 24" barrel, factory 139 CX is 2885. It has taken nearly everything in Alaska: deer, sheep, bears, bull moose, and caribou. Most critters were within 100-200yds, but some were between 300-500. Everything dies quickly and meat damage is minimal. There is something special about the velocity, weight, and diameter of the 7mm-08.

 

[MarkOrtiz]

7-08 Hornady custom lite 120 sst did the job on this mule deer at 242 yards. Quartering towards us it went in in front of the shoulder, caught the spine, jellied one lung, and shattered the offside shoulder. It didn’t even take a step. No exit, so I’ll look for jacket etc in the shoulder, but I don’t expect to find much.
Entrance shoulder/neck union

Exit into the offside shoulder

 

[KingGus]

My wife shot a moose on the weekend with her Kimber Montana 7mm-08. A single 140gn VLD to the engine room on a moose at 200 yards was all it took. The bullet nicked the back of the shoulder meat, through the onside ribs, onside lung, and top of the heart, out the offside lung, and fragments lodged in the offside ribs. He ran 10 yards and went legs up, dead. I've never seen a moose react like that to a hit.


Rib entry


Onside lung


Top of the heart


Offside lung exit

 

[Ringbill27]

My wife shot this doe today. It was steep shot and only 75yds. She hit low but I like what a see with the 7mm08 and the 1200ttsx at 3150fps. Especially the exit. I’m still in the tree so I haven’t seen it in person but im happy. Just aim a little higher in those steep shots.

 

[MarkOrtiz]

I was really surprised with the 120 sst from Hornady. I thought it would have blown up when it hit the spine, but it went right through the spine splitting it in 2, jellied 1 lung, and still shattered the offside shoulder. No exit, and I didn’t find the bullet still in the shoulder. Maybe it hit the hide and traveled somewhere. This is the 4th deer my kids have shot with that bullet and all have been 1 shot kills. They will be using them in January for 2 whitetail and 2 axis. I’ll try to collect more data then.

 

[Bubbadoyle]

Congrats on a great hunt, and thanks for sharing the great pics. I'm not a fan of the SST's at all as they're much to fragile for my liking.

I’ve seen complete bullet failures with the SST in other cartridges. I will never use them again. Behind the shoulder broadside shots at 150 yards resulted in complete fragmentation and little to no penetration on Wisconsin whitetails. One of the deer was recovered and one was not. The one that was recovered had to be dispatched about five minutes later when I got up to it as it fell behind a downed tree which offered no follow up shot. I cringe whenever I hear of people choosing the SST for hunting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Southernfried]

I’ve seen complete bullet failures with the SST in other cartridges. I will never use them again. Behind the shoulder broadside shots at 150 yards resulted in complete fragmentation and little to no penetration on Wisconsin whitetails. One of the deer was recovered and one was not. The one that was recovered had to be dispatched about five minutes later when I got up to it as it fell behind a downed tree which offered no follow up shot. I cringe whenever I hear of people choosing the SST for hunting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Someone correct me if Im wrong, but I thought I read, heard on here or from one of hornadys pod cast, that the sst bullet was the same as either the ELDX or ELDM? Ive been searching for sst's in the 308 superformance around home, and if I heard wrong please let me know, thanks!

 

[The Guide]

I’ve seen complete bullet failures with the SST in other cartridges. I will never use them again. Behind the shoulder broadside shots at 150 yards resulted in complete fragmentation and little to no penetration on Wisconsin whitetails. One of the deer was recovered and one was not. The one that was recovered had to be dispatched about five minutes later when I got up to it as it fell behind a downed tree which offered no follow up shot. I cringe whenever I hear of people choosing the SST for hunting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The 7mm 120 grain SST isn't a commercially available bullet and is only used in the Hornady Custom Lite loads and is a perfect bullet at the speeds it produces. Out of my son's Tikka Superlite we get a MV of 2680 fps and is down to 2500 at 100 yards and 2300 at 200 yards. Those are perfect speeds for the SST bullet design. If you use a highly frangable bullet at high velocity you will get high fragmentation with lower penetration. SST is an excellent low velocity bullet. It is not the best bullet for all circumstances. Bullets matter more than cartridges.

Jay

 

[Bubbadoyle]

The 7mm 120 grain SST isn't a commercially available bullet and is only used in the Hornady Custom Lite loads and is a perfect bullet at the speeds it produces. Out of my son's Tikka Superlite we get a MV of 2680 fps and is down to 2500 at 100 yards and 2300 at 200 yards. Those are perfect speeds for the SST bullet design. If you use a highly frangable bullet at high velocity you will get high fragmentation with lower penetration. SST is an excellent low velocity bullet. It is not the best bullet for all circumstances. Bullets matter more than cartridges.

Jay

I understand impact velocity is very important for bullet performance. My failures were with a 180 gr SST out of a 300 RUM. Impact velocity should have been around 2900 fps. For the bullet to fail the way it did on a small whitetail doe makes my decision to never use a SST again for hunting. 2900 is a fairly high impact velocity but it’s certainly far from an extremely high impact velocity. I know there’s an impact velocity threshold at where the SST would not completely fragment but it seems exceptionally low in my opinion but might work ok for a 7-08.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk