I need a good deer load for a 7-08. The average shooting distance here is about 125 yards, but shots could range out to about 350 on occasion. Our deer here in Mississippi will range from about 100 lbs. for a doe up to 180 to 200 lbs. for a very large buck.

I am thinking about trying to work up a load with the 130 grain Speer boattail or with a 140 grain Ballistic Tip. How well will the 130 gr. Speer perform on deer this size?

Also, would it be worthwhile to consider the 150 grain Ballistic Tip?

The rifle I will be loading for has a 20 inch barrel, so velocities will be moderate.

Any pet loads that you want to share or any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Ole Miss Rebel

For my GF I load Nosler 150 gr Ballistic Tip bullets .
Fed case Fed 210 primer 46.0 gr of H 414 for 2650 fps out of HER 22" 98 Mauser that I rebuilt.

This load and rifle is a real shooter.
She has some 3 shot groups of .5-.6" at 100 yds.

Johnch

I load 140gr Ballistic Tips in my wife's 18" Model 7 with 40gr. IMR4895. Chronos at 2563fps. FWIW, switched to Nosler Partitions and my daughter put 3 completely through a cow elk at about 180 lased yards. The elk crumpled with the first front on quartering double lung shot and the next two were insurance. I'd have no problem using it with Ballistic Tips on deer at 250-300 yards.

try the hornady 139 SPFB, and varget or benchmark.

better still, narnes triple shicks, 120gr.. and run them DEAD OUT... you don't ever have to worry about that bullet blowing up from too near!!
..

jeffe

jeffe

Miss Rebel, I use rthe 150BT in my 708 over 39.5grs. Varget and CCI 200 primers, shot 3 deer with this bullet, one was at a forced reduced load due to a somewhat faulty Savage rifle at 110 paces, this was a instant kill through the liver, the other two deer left a bloodtrail a blindman could see and didn't go very far before succumbing, highly suggest the 150BT, and, fwiw, this load shoots under 1/2" for 5 shots @100yds. Awesome bullet. Another thing I'd like to add, tried some H4895, same 39.5grs. the bullet shoots equally as well from the limited testing I did.(3 shots under 1/2") Jay

quote:

Originally posted by Ole Miss Rebel:
...The average shooting distance here is about 125 yards, but shots could range out to about 350 on occasion. Our deer here in Mississippi will range from about 100 lbs. for a doe up to 180 to 200 lbs. for a very large buck.... How well will the 130 gr. Speer perform on deer this size?...

Hey Reb, It will work great. It and the flat based 130gr Speer Hot-Cor are my favorite 7mm-08Rem bullets.

Mine does well with about any Powder I use in it, so I use H414.

Depending on how you choose to set your Seating Depth, there may not be much of the bullet inside the Caseneck, and the Boat Tail has a bit less for it to grip than the flat base one. But, I've never had one "fall out" nor was I able to "dislodge" one while loading and unloading the magazine.

I prefer the 130gr Hot-Cor for shoulder shots(which is my favorite shot) and the 130gr Boat Tail for entering the ribs and angling into a shoulder. Of course, we don't all have the luxury or patience for the Deer to align themselves the way we want them.

A Premium Bullet will provide much better results " if " you consider Gut Shots(raking) and shots at the Wrong End(aft) as being OK to take. Otherwise, you will find it difficult to even match either of the Speer's performance on Deer.

Good hunting and clean 1-shot kills.

The 7mm 130 gr Hot Core is a great deer bullet but it's shape does not seem quite as good as the Ballistic Tips in terms of a ballistic coefficient.

I have the 139 gr SST loaded in my 20" 7X57 and at 350 yds it drops 15" from a 200 yd zero and 10 mph at a right angle drifts it 9". I just don't think I would carry my laser when hunting with that rifle. If the shot looked over 250 I would let it go.

I live in Pa. and the size of our deer are for the most part smaller than deer from some other states. Our average size deer are from 100 to 150 pounds. I own a Rem CDL 7mm-08 adn shot several loads. This last year I shot a deer with this load with super results. 140 Nosler accubond over 38grs. of Reloader 15. I hunt with several others that shoot the 7mm-08 and we do our own butchering. All the others were impressed with the results. Good hunting.

Pet Load: Try any 139-140 grain bullet with 40.5 grains of IMR 4895 (Win or Rem case, LR primer).

To pump it up to full speed, go with H4350 or H414. Varget is another powder many have had succes with.

My gun like the Barnes Triple Shock in either 120 or 140 the best of all the bullets I've tried (Accubond, SST, Interbond & Partition).

Go Gators!

quote:

... or with a 140 grain Ballistic Tip.

I use 41 grains of Varget and the 140 BT.

EXCELLENT load!