Afternoon all, does anyone use factory ammo in 7mm-08 for deer? Any info and experience would be helpful as what ammo, what rifle,accuracy, how selected round perform at different ranges? Anything you willing to share. Thanks in advance
Factory ammunition for 7mm-08
- Thread starter Hunter 6.5
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long_range_rob
Well-Known Member
I have used Federal and Remington in the past, both 140gn SP offerings and both shot well at sub MOA.
the_greenman
Well-Known Member
I'm currently using up a batch of Remington Core-lokt 140gr soft points. They hit hard and make decent size holes and are as accurate as I need at 150m. Only runner I've had with them was a munty doe at 25m! No idea how as most of it was left behind. I picked her up from the middle a bramble patch 10m away. Everything else has been bang flop.
That's encouraging as I am planning to buy a new rifle in this chambering . Did online surch for ammo but never come across Rimington, what's their price? Thanks again
the_greenman
Well-Known Member
Think they're marked up for around £29 a box but a got a job lot in order to get some practice in with them 1st...plus a load of brass for reloading afterwards. Best get on friendly terms with your local gunshop and see what they can do for you.
Thanks mate. Would you mind asking you what rifle you have and any recommendations about the gun as most of them are tiny pencil barrels or heavy varmint? I know this cartridge doesn't suffer from short barrels but I am a bit sceptical for barrels with 15mm diameter at the muzzle
Kind regards
the_greenman
Well-Known Member
Pm'd you
The deer man
Well-Known Member
Federal Fusion 140gr
Hornady 150gr ELD-X Precision Hunter (these are good)
Federal 150gr Power Shok
All above work!
Hornady 150gr ELD-X Precision Hunter (these are good)
Federal 150gr Power Shok
All above work!
Thanks deer man, what is best group out of the three and did you measure velocity by any chance? Just trying to build more detailed picture before final decision
Kind regards
Kind regards
I went to buy a 7mm-08 in '99. I came back with a 260 Rem. If I went off on the same mission today, I'd look long and hard at .308 Win and 6.5 Creedmoor. I suspect that non-lead ammunition in 7mm-08 will be eye wateringly expensive and hard to source.
Good luck.
JCS
I’ve personally used :-
Federal Fusion 140gn initially very good terminal performance and accurate, but something changed with these a couple of years ago, accuracy and Performance dropped off, seemed like they weren't expanding but ricocheting inside the body.
Federal Premium 140gn ( Nosler ballistic tip ) terminal performance good on Reds but a bit harsh on Roe, accuracy in my rifle nothing to write home about.
A friend of mine has used Hornady super performance SST in two different rifles and swears by them.
I only tend to buy factory If I’m off stalking on someone else’s ground and I’m not sure what the policy is on reloads. The problem with 7mm-08 is you can usually get factory ammunition if you ring around, but your stuck to taking what they’ve got and it’s usually not what you had the last time. So untill you’ve bought it, you’ve no idea about how accurate it’s going to be in your rifle.
Although I’m a huge fan of 7mm-08, I would respectfully suggest that if your not going to load your own, as others have already suggested, you’d be better off with a .308 or .270.
Federal Fusion 140gn initially very good terminal performance and accurate, but something changed with these a couple of years ago, accuracy and Performance dropped off, seemed like they weren't expanding but ricocheting inside the body.
Federal Premium 140gn ( Nosler ballistic tip ) terminal performance good on Reds but a bit harsh on Roe, accuracy in my rifle nothing to write home about.
A friend of mine has used Hornady super performance SST in two different rifles and swears by them.
I only tend to buy factory If I’m off stalking on someone else’s ground and I’m not sure what the policy is on reloads. The problem with 7mm-08 is you can usually get factory ammunition if you ring around, but your stuck to taking what they’ve got and it’s usually not what you had the last time. So untill you’ve bought it, you’ve no idea about how accurate it’s going to be in your rifle.
Although I’m a huge fan of 7mm-08, I would respectfully suggest that if your not going to load your own, as others have already suggested, you’d be better off with a .308 or .270.
@theroedeerguy
Well-Known Member
I am just waiting on a semi custom 7mm-08 being completed.
At the moment I don’t reload and it will begin its career with me on factory ammunition.
If that proves too expensive and inconsistent the “worst” case scenario is that I’ll just start reloading.
I went for a 7mm-08 because I wanted a short barrelled woodland orientated stalking rifle set up.
At the end of the day it will only be me that limits the ammunition availability and options.
At the moment I don’t reload and it will begin its career with me on factory ammunition.
If that proves too expensive and inconsistent the “worst” case scenario is that I’ll just start reloading.
I went for a 7mm-08 because I wanted a short barrelled woodland orientated stalking rifle set up.
At the end of the day it will only be me that limits the ammunition availability and options.
Roestalker39
Well-Known Member
Ppu 140 gr soft points , very accurate in my sako and tikka 7-08 around £25 a box
Great to have the option but fifty notes give or take would cause lachrymation in my ocular
The deer man
Well-Known Member
Federal Fusion 140gr - These factory ran at about 2,780 fps (22" Std Remington sporter barrel 1:9 1/4). Were very accurate and used them on Reds down to Munty.
Hornady 150gr ELD-X Precision Hunter (these are good). These factory run at about 2,750fps but I use these bullets in my own loads which run at 2,700 fps (22" Proof Research barrel 1:8).
Federal 150gr Power Shok - These chrono'd at about 2,660 fps (22" Std Remington sporter barrel) from what I remember a little more than published (?That's fine!) (a few years ago now) but they worked very well.
Best group were the Federal Fusion and Hornady ELD-X at a rough tie and these were sub 1/2" @ 100 yards and 9mm at 100 metres respectively. Guess the ELD-X just took it but from a Proof Research custom barrel and repeatable.
Hornady 150gr ELD-X Precision Hunter (these are good). These factory run at about 2,750fps but I use these bullets in my own loads which run at 2,700 fps (22" Proof Research barrel 1:8).
Federal 150gr Power Shok - These chrono'd at about 2,660 fps (22" Std Remington sporter barrel) from what I remember a little more than published (?That's fine!) (a few years ago now) but they worked very well.
Best group were the Federal Fusion and Hornady ELD-X at a rough tie and these were sub 1/2" @ 100 yards and 9mm at 100 metres respectively. Guess the ELD-X just took it but from a Proof Research custom barrel and repeatable.
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Thanks for these details deer man! And seems you have a real shooters that is really good accuracy. Now I am 50:50 between 7mm-08 and 270win. The 7mm-08 i am leaning towards has 24" krieger barrel with 1:10 twist and i am not sure if it'll stabilise factory loaded 150gr eld-x. Never easy
Hornady recommend 1:10 twist as minimum for 150gn eld-x factory, which I’m sure you’ll be aware. Most info I’ve read seems to recon you’d be alright with 1:10 up to 168gn. So I think you’d be fine at any range you’re going to be shooting deer at in the U.K.
Whatever you get, I wouldn’t get to hung up on one particular bullet in the “ design “ stage, there’s a good chance your rifle won’t like them and you’ll end up shooting something else.
The next issue with 7mm /.284 bullets is that some of them are designed to be used at much greater velocities than you’ll see out of a 7mm-08 and you’ll not get the desired expansion required.
But, to be perfectly honest, nearly all deer in the U.K. are taken at sub 200m ranges, with most probably taken sub 125m. So unless you fancy yourself as the next Bobby Lee Swagger, virtually anything that’ll shoot straight out of the gun that you get, will do the job.
Whatever you get, I wouldn’t get to hung up on one particular bullet in the “ design “ stage, there’s a good chance your rifle won’t like them and you’ll end up shooting something else.
The next issue with 7mm /.284 bullets is that some of them are designed to be used at much greater velocities than you’ll see out of a 7mm-08 and you’ll not get the desired expansion required.
But, to be perfectly honest, nearly all deer in the U.K. are taken at sub 200m ranges, with most probably taken sub 125m. So unless you fancy yourself as the next Bobby Lee Swagger, virtually anything that’ll shoot straight out of the gun that you get, will do the job.
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