7mm-08 Ammo Recommendations for Whitetail Inside 150 Yards???

[brtt485]

fair enough. if you're only talking about deer sized game at 150yds or less I think you'll have a hard time finding anything that doesnt work well (not many non-hunting bullets available in 7-08 factory loads), I'd be looking for what shot well out of my rifle and was easiest to find. If you're looking for versatility with an eye to other game and other places, then I like the solid bullet performance--120gr ttsx's have worked well for me at ranges from 50-250 yards, I get DRT kills on deer with minimal meat damage. 140gr etips are good too. Both will penetrate very well on larger game, the common wisdom is to keep impact velocity above about 2000fps to make sure they expand properly--for me that's a bit over 400 yards on the 120gr and about 475yds on the 140gr, which is more than plenty for me anywhere I go.

Initially I was leaning towards the 139/140 grain bullets but this thread really has me thinking maybe the 120's are the way to go.

What are the big differences between the Nosler BT and the Barnes TSX/TTSX?

 

[EmperorMA]

Initially I was leaning towards the 139/140 grain bullets but this thread really has me thinking maybe the 120's are the way to go.

What are the big differences between the Nosler BT and the Barnes TSX/TTSX?

NBT: Lead core with copper jacket and polymer tip
TTSX: All copper monometal with polymer tip

You will normally get more rapid expansion and perhaps a larger wound channel with lead. The all-copper bullets are known for deep penetration.

Both work well. We all have biases but I like both.

 

[Avonac]

I’m a bonded bullet fan, but a 120 NBT will wreck a whitetail. Once I killed my first deer with it, I never thought about changing

 

[Unckebob]

Inside 150 yards, any (non varmint) hunting bullets in 7mm-08 will easily kill a whitetail if you do your part.

Premium bullets aren't necessary (but are fun to splurge on).

 

[Macintosh]

Initially I was leaning towards the 139/140 grain bullets but this thread really has me thinking maybe the 120's are the way to go.

What are the big differences between the Nosler BT and the Barnes TSX/TTSX?

Nothing wrong with 140gr, only reason I said 120 is the solid bullets are lighter than lead per volume, so generally with a solid you can go down in weight And retain similar performance. 120 gr is the only factory loaded size barnes offers in 7mm08. Other manufacturers like federal and nosler offer loaded 140gr solids. A 140gr solid will be a longer bullet than a 140gr lead bullet of the same diameter, but will retain nearly all of its weight out the other side, so it will usually penetrate as well or better than a heavier lead bullet. Ive only ever recovered 2 solids, buth in odd situations where they lodged against large solid bones on the off-side of a large critter, but both weighed over 95% of original weight. Ive found the large wound channel of a lead bullet ruins pounds more meat even on a average wt deer if you hit a shoulder (or the heart, flank steak, etc), and Ive never seen a down side, so its what I use almost exclusively except for practice.

 

[brtt485]

NBT: Lead core with copper jacket and polymer tip
TTSX: All copper monometal with polymer tip

You will normally get more rapid expansion and perhaps a larger wound channel with lead. The all-copper bullets are known for deep penetration.

Both work well. We all have biases but I like both.

Great info! Thank you!

 

[brtt485]

Nothing wrong with 140gr, only reason I said 120 is the solid bullets are lighter than lead per volume, so generally with a solid you can go down in weight And retain similar performance. 120 gr is the only factory loaded size barnes offers in 7mm08. Other manufacturers like federal and nosler offer loaded 140gr solids. A 140gr solid will be a longer bullet than a 140gr lead bullet of the same diameter, but will retain nearly all of its weight out the other side, so it will usually penetrate as well or better than a heavier lead bullet. Ive only ever recovered 2 solids, buth in odd situations where they lodged against large solid bones on the off-side of a large critter, but both weighed over 95% of original weight. Ive found the large wound channel of a lead bullet ruins pounds more meat even on a average wt deer if you hit a shoulder (or the heart, flank steak, etc), and Ive never seen a down side, so its what I use almost exclusively except for practice.

More great info, thank you! Just to clarify, you’re saying between the two 120gr rounds, you prefer the Barnes solid bullet over the Nosler lead?

 

[Macintosh]

I've never shot 120gr nosler out of it. If nosler makes a 120gr lead bullet I'm certain it would work great. My wife's 7mm08 is very light and she's recoil sensitive, so she was shooting the hornady managed recoil loads for a long time, I think that's a 120gr sst at about 2600fps--those are the only 120gr lead loads I have any experience with. The only critter I've seen taken with that was an antelope she shot at 219 yards that went down like it got hit by a train, and never twitched. Worked great, it just tears up the meat if you hit anything other than ribs. I personally prefer solids in any given weight simply for that reason. I think (?) sst's and ballistic tips are both bullets meant for explosive expansion on smaller big game, so they are likely great choices for a lead bullet for deer, but may not get the penetration a lot of people want for larger game--that's why a lot of people suggested accubonds or a bonded bullet. I understood you were looking for a bullet that would be good for other hunts in the future but still work well for the 150yds and in deer you mentioned, so that would be my only consideration if you go the lead route.

 

[HandgunHTR]

I have been hunting with a 7-08 for about 20 years now. As others have already pointed out, within your self-imposed limit of 150 yards, it will be hard to find a factory offering that won't work.
My suggestion is to buy a box of 3-5 different offerings, shoot them and see which one shoots best in your rifle. When you find the one that does, go with that.

 

[SDHNTR]

You’ve got the cart in front of the horse here my friend…

Don’t go searching for ammo brand first. Let the rifle tell you what ammo it wants. For the application you mentioned, anything, absolutely anything off the rack will work just fine. You want what is most accurate out of your particular gun. What anyone else’s 7MM-08 shoots well is totally meaningless to you, even if it is the same make and model rifle. Every individual gun will have its own preferences and tendencies for ammo. You simply need to find which one yours shoots tightest. Buy three or four boxes of whatever you can find of different makes and different weights and different types. Shoot them all for groups. Figure out which one shoots the tightest, and then go buy 10 boxes of that type. That’s the ammo you should use. Not what the internet tells you.

 

[bobbyduck5642]

Will the Nosler 120 Ballistic Tips blow up at @ 40-60 yards ? I very rarely shoot past 75 yards in the thickets I hunt. Thanks

 

[Newtosavage]

Hey All -
I added a custom 7mm-08 to my safe about 3 months ago but have yet to be able to find factory ammo I want to shoot. I am in the Northeast and most hunting is done in wooded conditions with shots inside 150 yards, frankly most are inside 100 yards. Ammo for this caliber seems scarce right now so I was hoping you all could point me in the right direction on selecting a round for my use that is actually attainable.

I see a lot of the Hornady variations available, 139gr American Whitetail, 139gr Superformance, and 150gr Precision Hunter. I also see the Nosler 120gr Ballistic Tip, Barnes 120gr Ballistic Tip, and Norma 150gr Soft Point.

Given most of my shots will be from relatively short range which of these bullets be best? I'd also welcome any other recommendations of factory loads you guys have seen available.

Thank you in advance!

Whitetails aren't hard to kill. Any cup and core will do if you don't mind lead. Interlocks, Sierra Pro Hunters, Nosler BT's and my favorite lead core for deer - SST's will all drop them quickly. If you want non-lead, 120 TTSX's are reliable killers that many of us use from our 7mm-08's. Don't overthink it. 150 yards is a chip shot for the 7mm-08 on a whitetail.

 

[Newtosavage]

Will the Nosler 120 Ballistic Tips blow up at @ 40-60 yards ? I very rarely shoot past 75 yards in the thickets I hunt. Thanks

No. They have tough jackets and are used by many folks for things a lot tougher than whitetails.

 

[bobbyduck5642]

No. They have tough jackets and are used by many folks for things a lot tougher than whitetails.

Thanks Newtosavage !