What is your favorite Light 7mm-08 load for white-tails?

[country_20boy]

I'd load the 120 BT with whatever powder you choose to a book minimum, or maybe 1-2 grains over min. Velo should be 2500-2700 and will kill any whitetail that walks within 150 yards. Recoil should be very mild.

Hearing protection and having a stock that fits will be more important than the actual recoil ft-lbs.

 

[Ringbill27]

I believe I have the 120gr TTSX going 3150fps with Big Game.

 

[swampmaster]

I already have an extra youth stock for a model 7 otherwise I am looking to a 700 cmpt with a 20" barrel. Then when he outgrows that he can get into whatever caliber he chooses. My work will be done by keeping the recoil low and fitting him with the gun to use until he gets his own. I'm hoping to encourage him to save his $$ to buy his first rifle like I did and not just have one bought and given to him. Seems when a kid associates the work that went along with earning the money they tend to appreciate what they pay for themselves.

 

[eaglemountainman]

I believe I have the 120gr TTSX going 3150fps with Big Game.

Great load.
I'm getting just slightly more velocity (3170/3180) with CFE 223. Puts 10 rnds just under an inch out of a Montana. In 16 years it's killed about everything from coyotes to bull elk with impressive results.

 

[Ringbill27]

Great load.
I'm getting just slightly more velocity (3170/3180) with CFE 223. Puts 10 rnds just under an inch out of a Montana. In 16 years it's killed about everything from coyotes to bull elk with impressive results.

I tried that CFE223 and was getting comparable velocities to big game but the it was giving 2” groups. Big game was able to give me 1 mos. I picked up this American used for my wife and it’s been difficult to find a factory ammo that’ll group at all. I suspect this is why it was traded in. I’ve was trying to get the 120gr ttsxs and the 139gr to shoot well and landed on my 120/big game combo right before season.

I’ve never had a ruger American not shoot well with anything you feed it but this one is picky.

 

[Whitetailaddict]

Honestly I just like the factory Hornady rounds.

 

[Wildone]

I tried that CFE223 and was getting comparable velocities to big game but the it was giving 2” groups. Big game was able to give me 1 mos. I picked up this American used for my wife and it’s been difficult to find a factory ammo that’ll group at all. I suspect this is why it was traded in. I’ve was trying to get the 120gr ttsxs and the 139gr to shoot well and landed on my 120/big game combo right before season.

I’ve never had a ruger American not shoot well with anything you feed it but this one is picky.

Did you try playing with the the jump?

 

[Ringbill27]

Did you try playing with the jump?

Not yet. Was testing right before deer season settled on the screaming 120gr. Deer season came and went. My wife successfully killed a doe. Then Northern MN froze over. I don’t have a snowmobile and can’t get to the rifle club till spring.

But I will!

 

[Ron.C]

have used this load for blacktail, whitetail, bear and elk. Not the lightest 7mm-08 load out there but quite tame in all regards. My rifle is a rem 700 mountain stainless.

41gr IMR 4064, 140gr Barnes TTSX. (2800fps).

I can also shoot the same powder with 139gr hornady interlocks out to 300 yards with marginal change in point of impact.



Iprefer the TTSX if I'm in G bear country or chasing goats but the hornady interlocks kill deer/black bears about as good as any other bullet I've seen used

 

[eaglemountainman]

Did you try playing with the the jump?

The load I mentioned in post #44 is seated .060 off. Coal is 2.816

 

[BruinPoint]

I started my son on this load in a T3X Youth 7mm08. It's fun for both of us to shoot, but we haven't shot anything besides steel with it:

27gr H4895
120gr Nosler BT
R-P brass
Rem Lg rifle 9 1/2 primer