7mm 08 : Preferred Ammunitiion

Tomsk

Well-Known Member
If you shoot 7mm 08, what is your preferred ammunition ?

Im limited locally to the types of ammunition available; to Federal Soft Point and Hornaday SST : both circa 140gn /139gn

TOMSK
 
It's one of those calibres that you'd be better reloading for due to the limited supply of ammo that you've discovered.
However, I would say that the SST is a very fierce bullet from what I've seen and can cause a great deal of meat damage.
MS
 
I've been reloading mine for a while now, the best factory ammo I used by far was federal fusion. It was expensive though. Very good performance on game, good knockdown and meat damage was ok.

i'd reload though, huge choice of bullets and weights.
 
I shot a number of different plains games animals with 7mm-08 and 139grn SST handloads last year all went down with one shot, except one warthog ran about 30 yards and the bullet appeared to have blown up on impact.

When speaking to the skinners they did not notice any exceptional meat damage .

However I am also going to load Barnes bullets and test them out as an alternative. The PH I was with shoots a 7 x 57 and the 140grn Barnes is also his bullet of choice.

I have used the 165grn SST bullets in a 30.06 and can only say they performed perfectly on Roe and Reds.

Interested to hear other stalkers experience.

Cheers
 
When I first bought my 7mm-08, I tried the full range of Federal Premium ammunition and some Remingtons. All were with 140gr bullets apart from the Federal PowerShoks (blue box) which used a 150gr Speer HotCor. In my rifle (20" barrel Steyr Mannlicher Classic full stock), the Remingtons were awful. I would still happily use any of the Federal loads. The most accurate by not much were the VitalShoks (red box) with 140gr Nosler BTs. But the Fusions were really about the same. I then tried to have HPS load a clone of the VitalShoks for a cheaper solution, but they just weren't as accurate. In the end though, there was no reliable supply of factory ammunition round these parts and all of them were painfully expensive. So I was very kindly talked/bullied into reloading by some members of the SD.

Never looked back. After a period of load trials, I settled on 39.1gr of Vit N-140 with a 150gr bullet. It was easy to make rounds that were more accurate than any of the factory ones. And now I have no supply problems. Plus I'm able to load FMJ equivalents for cheaper practice rounds.

Still, if you can find and afford them, any of the Federals.
 
Ive been recommended Federals for the gun I will be taking over; SST were inaccurate when trialed and significant meat damage :

Question :
In case I find a loader of 7mm 08 locally which may cost less and provide more accurate rounds, do I then buy and register purchased rounds from the loader as I would when buying rounds from a shop ? or am i stuck with shop bought as I dont have time or money to self load.

Police like to justify your continuned ownership of a firearm by rounds purchased, so I need to have this proof - thats where Im coming from

TOMSK
 
Tomsk, by all means keep the receipts for ammunition (and ones you've had custom made are no different to factory rounds in this respect), but using lots of rounds doesn't constitute "good reason". I mean if it did, they wouldn't give me an FAC. Presumably your FAC states that your rifle is primarily for shooting deer and other legal quarry or words to that effect. So on renewal, you're better off proving that you shot some deer. Or one deer. Or tried to but failed (which is where you could bring out receipts to show that you missed 700 times in a row!).
 
Pine M:

Completely accept your point. Its madness to assume rounds bought suggests anything else than just that. Could have just bought and buried them in a field !
I dont think im unique were an FEO has suggested that i get rid of one calibre or other where Ive bought 100s of 17HMR and few 22LR in a period
I keep a diary regarding my shooting and typically spent cartridges to demonstrate my activities if asked, so Im covered with evidence seperate to rounds bought.

I think Im going to stick with Federals ( as above + suggestions ); then if the volume is sufficient will look for hand load sources.

TOMSK
 
Just chipping in with a thumbs up for Speer 145gr HotCor for woodland and hill. They also do a 145 BTSP for hill/ distance.

Accurate, inexpensive, impact well.
 
If you shoot 7mm 08, what is your preferred ammunition ?

Im limited locally to the types of ammunition available; to Federal Soft Point and Hornaday SST : both circa 140gn /139gn

TOMSK
Reload for it. It's the best way forward. I've got a Rem 700 in 7-08 best group with factory was 1&1/2. With handloads .6 of an inch. 140 Sierra game kings and ramshot gig game powder.
 
Reload for it. It's the best way forward. I've got a Rem 700 in 7-08 best group with factory was 1&1/2. With handloads .6 of an inch. 140 Sierra game kings and ramshot gig game powder.
True this. Sierra 120 Game Pro over Varget or 150 grain Game Kings over IMR4350 for bigger critters. Both loads easily sub MOA from my Tikka~Muir
 
True this. Sierra 120 Game Pro over Varget or 150 grain Game Kings over IMR4350 for bigger critters. Both loads easily sub MOA from my Tikka~Muir
Start at 42.0 grains of IMR-4350 and work up by 0.2 gr to 44.0 gr in Federal, Remington, Hornady or Winchester brass. Seat the Sierra 150-gr GK at 2.780 inches and apply a Lee Factory Crimp, CCI-200 primers.

Here is a good, old article of loads which attempt to replicate factory loads for the 7mm-08.
http://www.realguns.com/archives/158.htm

For the 120-gr to 140-gr bullets, use 4895, 4064, W-748, Varget, VV N-140 or RL-15. 748 and 4064 will give you 100+ more fps and more leeway to work for a fast but accurate load, but Varget or RL-15 will put you on an accurate load close to 3,000 fps pretty quickly.

For the 150, 154, and 160-gr bullets, use 4350, H-414, W-760, RL-19, Norma 204, VV N-150.

For the 160, 162, 168, and 175-gr bullets, try Hybrid 100V. You can hardly run into pressure problems, so you have room to experiment, and it will get the goody out of heavier bullets in a longer barrel.
 
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