Load for antelope - 7mm-08

COOTER

FNG
Joined
Dec 25, 2017
Location
MI
Hi all and happy 4th of July!
My daughter and I have a Wyoming antelope hunt scheduled for next year. I am getting ready to start working up some loads and would like to hear your load recommendations and about your experiences with those loads. We will be zeroed at 200 yards and comfortable shooting to 300 (slightly more). We are both shooting Tikka T3x's in 7mm-08. I have a variety of bullets on hand including Hornady interlock/sst (139 grn), Nosler accubond/ballistic tip/partion (140 grn), Sierra Gameking SBT (140/150 grn). I also have a decent variety of powders. Right now we are limited to mag length for COAL (2.78) until we get new mags and bolt stops from MT. Tactical. Any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated. Have a great holiday and thanks in advance!
 
I run varget in mine, I forget the powder charge off hand but you'd want to verify yourself anyways. I plink with the 139 interlocks but typically hunt the 140TTSX or 145LRX as I prefer monos. I've use the 145LRX in the 7-08 on a few antelope just fine (I've use that bullet a lot in my 280AI on antelop, deer, and elk). My 7-08 is a T3 at factory mag length.
 
I haven't reloaded for it yet, but my wife has a new 7-08 and it shoots the accubond factories very well. I'm very partial to the nosler bullets i've had great luck with them out of my 257 and 300. The performance on game of a 110 accubond out of my 257 weatherby has been phenomenal so that is going to be the first bullet choice for me when I build loads up for my wife.
 
The 7MM08 in any of your bullet choices will be great speed goat medicine. I do not see much of a need to spend more than necessary on bullets for antelope as they are very thin skinned and easy to take, I would look into the gamekings or interlocks over varget, 4350, or RL 17 and put in a good deal of shooting practice with your bullet savings.
 
7mm08 is a very accurate cartridge and very easy to load for.

Right now I only have a Kimber Montana in 7-08 and it has been devastating on whitetails using Hornady 139 grain SST's ahead of either RL 19 and Win 760. (coyotes don't like that load very much either)
 
I use Varget and 120 grain NBT with magnum primers. 3000fps

I use Big Game powder and 140 grain Partitions/Accubonds with magnum primers. 2860fps

Both loads shoot excellent out of my Remington Model Seven with a 20" barrel.
 
I love my 7mm-08! Thing with antelope is that pretty much anything will kill them. Last year I dropped one in its tracks with a .243 at 100yds. My friend double lunged one at 350yds with a 150gr copper out of a 7mm rem mag and it ran a couple hundred yards. With that said, I think it's more about hitting them in the wind that never seems to stop blowing!
 
Im shooting the Hornady Superformance SST 139 grain with a muzzle velocity of 2930 fps. Highly recommend, shoot very well with factory ammunition out to 450 on the bench. Pretty hot loads for factory.
 
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