Which rifle would you take?

desertcj

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I'm letting my buddy use my 7mm magnum. I have a choice to take a 7 1/2lb Model 70 featherweight in 7mm-08 shooting 120 TTSX's at 3000fps or a 12 1/2lb Savage Model 12 VLP in .243 shooting 105gr HPBT's at 3000-3100fps(Still tweaking the load). I don't think I need to haul 3 rifles across the country...lol.
 

stevevan

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I'd go with the 7-08 given your bullet choices. The Barnes TTSX is designed to be a game bullet whereas your 6mm 105 HPBT is a match/target bullet I believe.
 
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desertcj

desertcj

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I ran the ballistics numbers. They both have plenty of velocity and energy at 400yds. At that range, the 7mm-08 is coming in at 14.5" low with 11.25" drift (10mph wind, full value). .243 is 12.5" low with 8" drift.

I can see the concern with the match bullet, but I don't think that is a problem.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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Which one do you shoot better with? Take that one. Both will work and its an antelope hunt so featherweight vs 12lb isn't that big of a deal. I hike around to glass and stalk antelope but at the end of the day is still not elk country or elk miles.

Actually one extra thought depending on the rules of "unloaded" where you are going to hunt is are either a detachable mag (versus floor plate or blind mag)? I don't feel like looking them up. A detachable mag can be handy when hunting places that require all ammo out of the gun when in a vehicle (versus just chamber empty) since antelope does involve some in/out of the truck usually.
 
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desertcj

desertcj

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7-08 is a hinged floor plate. .243 is a dBm. I'm not much of a truck hunter, but I know what you mean.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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7-08 is a hinged floor plate. .243 is a dBm. I'm not much of a truck hunter, but I know what you mean.

I lay down the miles hunting also and will be spending both elk and deer in a tent miles from the trailhead. Yet I will still point out antelope to an extent will have a truck hunting component just in terms of moving around to different points to hike in and glass. That doesn't mean you just ride in a truck and try and gun down a running antelope but to think you'll just park in one spot and only hike all day isn't really that effective in antelope country. You can glass a long ways so moving around to the different angles/vantage points and hiking into key places to look into nooks and crannies is the name of the game and then you might move a few miles to glass into stuff at a different angle. This is especially true if you are buck hunting and want to survey what is in the area for instance.

Long story short don't overlook using a vehicle a bit, this isn't a back country remote basin elk hunting (unless you're working into a land locked piece of public with a narrow access strip).
 
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For me, it'd depend on what bullet the 105gr HPBT is. If it's a Match King it'd be a no go for me. If they're something like a Berger VLD I'd be taking that combo. My personal opinion is the TTSX is more bullet than I'd want. Antelope are lightly built critters and don't offer a much resistance for a bullets to expand against. I know the TTSX would work through your 7mm-08, but for me, it's not the tool I'd take.

I will preface the above by saying I'm taking my 280ai this year as a backup rifle (the primary rifle is entirely ill suited for antelope hunting but it'd cool to kill something with it) but only because I'm so comfortable with it as my open country rifle. If my 243 was setup even remotely similar to it I'd be taking it instead.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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Yes, and I wasn't trying to imply that you are a truck hunter.

I didn't read it that way. I just wanted to clarify on the hunting a bit. Some of us get into the mindset of all hunting is a camp on your back and miles on foot. That method isn't that effective on antelope unless you're working into an area w/o roads which doesn't reflect much of antelope country. Hence being mobile to move large distances is handy. Then when you spot them a mile off you get to figure out how you want to work the terrain to move in and have a fun hunt. Also if you're like me you'll inevitably make friends with a cactus or two... :p
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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My personal opinion is the TTSX is more bullet than I'd want. Antelope are lightly built critters and don't offer a much resistance for a bullets to expand against. I know the TTSX would work through your 7mm-08, but for me, it's not the tool I'd take.

Just as a datapoint they work fine on antelope. I've shot half dozen antelope with the 145LRX from a 7-08 and also a 280AI. All dropped on the spot, the bullet trauma path appeared normal and opened up just fine and no excessive meat loss. Buddy has shot them with a 168ttsx from a 300wsm and also they drop on the spot, the exit was bit more torn up with that combo as you'd expect. Long story short antelope open up the LRX and TTSX bullets just fine.
 
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desertcj

desertcj

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OK, the .243 105gr bullets are Hornady 105 hpbt. That rifle shoots them pretty well. I tried the 105gr Amax but they didn't shoot as well in that gun.
 
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Just as a datapoint they work fine on antelope. I've shot half dozen antelope with the 145LRX from a 7-08 and also a 280AI. All dropped on the spot, the bullet trauma path appeared normal and opened up just fine and no excessive meat loss. Buddy has shot them with a 168ttsx from a 300wsm and also they drop on the spot, the exit was bit more torn up with that combo as you'd expect. Long story short antelope open up the LRX and TTSX bullets just fine.
I wasn't saying they wouldn't work just saying why I'd choose one setup over the other. I like soft bullets for antelope, and given my druthers would choose a softer .243 bullet over the TTSX.

Seeing that the OP is using a match bullet in the 243 I'd take the 7mm-08. No experience with the Hornady HPBT match bullet but I'd take the TTSX I know will expand instead of the ifs of a target bullet with a tiny HP.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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Sounded like you were concerned if it would expand, I was just saying from experience yes it does (fully as far as I can tell), they offer enough resistance. They also drop easily so no real need for a more traumatic bullet in my mind, as a preference. Meat damage is less and I shoot that 145LRX at antelope one week and bulls the next. Haven't had an animal go more than 50' with that bullet. Just offering a data point. :)
 
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desertcj

desertcj

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What does your 7mm-08 145gr LRX load look like? Too late to start down that road this year, but down the road....
 
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Will you and your buddy be hunting together? If so, you could get by with one rifle taking turns being shooter and spotter.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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What does your 7mm-08 145gr LRX load look like? Too late to start down that road this year, but down the road....

Mag length load in a tikka so 2.82" coal at ~2700fps using varget, I'd need my notes for the exact charge. I got pressure signs at 2850fps with it when looking for max change and after backing off 2700 happened to be what shot really well so that's where the load settled. Took a few antelope with that one but I mostly use my 280AI which is pushing them at 3130.
 
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desertcj

desertcj

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Thanks. Yes, we will be together. Like goldilocks though, I'm not driving 3 states away with only one rifle, 3 is too many, 2 is just right!
 
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desertcj

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If the .243 was shooting A-max's instead, does that change anyone's opinion? I'm at my loading bench right now...planning on testing some loads tomorrow.
 

pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

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Mag length load in a tikka so 2.82" coal at ~2700fps using varget, I'd need my notes for the exact charge. I got pressure signs at 2850fps with it when looking for max change and after backing off 2700 happened to be what shot really well so that's where the load settled. Took a few antelope with that one but I mostly use my 280AI which is pushing them at 3130.

39.8gr varget

The 140ttsx with 41gr varget shot well in my buddies 7-08, not sure on velocity off hand.
 

tommy

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heavy vs light

I'm letting my buddy use my 7mm magnum. I have a choice to take a 7 1/2lb Model 70 featherweight in 7mm-08 shooting 120 TTSX's at 3000fps or a 12 1/2lb Savage Model 12 VLP in .243 shooting 105gr HPBT's at 3000-3100fps(Still tweaking the load). I don't think I need to haul 3 rifles across the country...lol.
leave that heavyass savage in the truck and take the 7-08 your actually fine with ethier one but personally the i would take the 7-08 just because you might have to walk a bit and a twelve #rifle gets real heavy i used to hunt whitetails a lot with a rem sendaro and its just to heavy i currently use a 7#rem 700 6.5x55sweade nowdays bty the 105 hor.bthp will have no problem killing a antelope it dont take much to kill em
 
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