Factory ammunition for 7mm-08

[DCG]

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.
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.

 

[Mick9abf]

Ppu 140 gr soft points , very accurate in my sako and tikka 7-08 around £25 a box

I found PPU totally inconsistent. Groupings from one box between went between 1” and 2.5” and the next box was like a shotgun and wouldn’t group at all.

Went and loaded some myself and hey presto was .75” off the bat with a middle of the road load from the data book. Decided never to touch PPU again.

 

[DCG]

Double post

 

[Roestalker39]

I found PPU totally inconsistent. Groupings from one box between went between 1” and 2.5” and the next box was like a shotgun and wouldn’t group at all.

Went and loaded some myself and hey presto was .75” off the bat with a middle of the road load from the data book. Decided never to touch PPU again.

I’m sorry that’s your experience , but it certainly hasn’t been mine

 

[Deutsch - Drahthaar]

I'n my Sako 85 PPU were fine on deer but only 1" at 100mtr at very best. The Federal Fusion were 1-2" at 100 meter and I never used them on deer because of this. Federal 140 grain ballistic tips were superbly accurate and I used the rifle for a year on deer but found them a little messy . I ended up using reloads with 140 grain accubonds and these were just as accurate as the BT's but performed better with regards to meat damage.

 

[yorksjt]

Ppu 140 gr soft points , very accurate in my sako and tikka 7-08 around £25 a box

I now use these but I’m only paying £15 a box from my local shop. If there’s any lack of accuracy from the round being able to practice more should make up for it!! I was using Federal Fusion but they’re now £35 a box. The PPU seem to dirty my barrel more and the tips can have a bit of fowling on them which I scrape off.

 

[Roestalker39]

I now use these but I’m only paying £15 a box from my local shop. If there’s any lack of accuracy from the round being able to practice more should make up for it!! I was using Federal Fusion but they’re now £35 a box. The PPU seem to dirty my barrel more and the tips can have a bit of fowling on them which I scrape off.

That’s a great price is it from kranks ?

 

[yorksjt]

That’s a great price is it from kranks ?

No Lock, Stock and Barrel in Sheffield. Sako for my 223 are cheaper than what I was paying 7 years ago at the last shop I used too.

 

[Roestalker39]

No Lock, Stock and Barrel in Sheffield. Sako for my 223 are cheaper than what I was paying 7 years ago at the last shop I used too.

Thank you !

 

[The deer man]

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

With a twist rate of 1:10 you'll probably find the slightly lighter bullets do well, so 140gr Soft points might be your answer. I also used, for many years, Sierra 140gr GameKing in my own loads doing about 2,780 fps. The Sierra 120gr Pro-Hunter also worked very well. Both these were exceptionally accurate and shot everything.
Your really don't need to use premium bullets like Accubond, Interbond or some other expensive bullet that salesmen try to sell us! The velocities from the 7mm-08 do well with a good old soft points just like the 6.5x55 does. The Hornady ELD-X is a similar bullet but with a plastic tip and only use these now because they suit my barrel twist of 1:8.