hey guys whats your projectile of choice in the 708 for big deer elk, sambar, or whatever it is you chute with it!


thanks a lot

Personally I would use any good 139 to 150 grain and watch my shot placement.

I've nothing to complain about from using the Hornady RN & SP, Speer, or Sierra. I like heavy bullets and tend to use 150 -175 gr. I have no better results using Barnes or Nosler. Must confess to preferring round nose bullets.

I use a 140 Accubond out of mine

little deer / big deer I usually shoot 140 gr. sierra game king, or 140 nosler ballistic tip.

140gr Gameking or partitions.. I've tried some 154gr Hornady RN's and they are very effective. I don't know if they still make them or not. When I find something that works, I tend to stock up on it.

Not a 7/08 but the 160g NP or AB work well in a 7x57

I'm taking my 7mm-08 as a backup this year for a CO 1st season Rifle hunt. It will be loaded with 156 grain Norma Oryx factory loads. I do hand load and have had decent accuracy using Speer 145 grain Grand Slams and 140 grain Barnes TTSX but neither have proven to shoot as accurately as the Norma factory loaded Oryx's. I do like the idea of heavy for caliber projectiles for elk especially in smaller calibers.

quote:

Originally posted by ted thorn:
I use a 140 Accubond out of mine

Same here.

120 gr Barnes TTSX with 44-45 gr of RL-15 and you're set. Been using this load from antelope to elk.

While I shoot the 7 Mag version, I did load up some 7-08s for my best friends grandson with a 7-08.

When I went to get bullets I picked up some Speer 145 spitzer boatails to try. They shot very well with just great groups out to 300 yards from his Tikka.

He went on to take a couple of Texas deer and hogs with them and according to my friend they performed excellent at distances to around 200 yards.

As a matter of fact he wants more.

Swift Scirocco's have worked for me.

I tend to keep things simple.
the hornady 139gr interlock pushed to 27-2850 fps[MV] has put holes in things for me for a long time.
I tend to not shoot over 300 yds and quite often get a 30-40yd shot at [Idaho/Utah/Wyoming sized] antelope, mule deer, and elk.
I just point and press and the bullet goes in and comes out damaging stuff in between.
[shrug]

140 gr Nosler Balistic tip for me.

Most of the time I use the 140gr sierra prohunter under N550 for 2,800fps and excellent performance out to 250yards on reds and fallow.

Recently I've started using 150gr Swift Scirroccos under N550 for 2,730fps for a little better BC. Works well - possibly not much better than the pro hunter.

My favourite rifle - just gets it done!

I use 150 gr Rem Corlokt & 150 Gr TSX. The TSX was devastating on deer - 250+ meter shot and took out both legs & heart - Complete pass through. I am sure it would have taken Sambar with ease.

The 160 gr Accubond looks promising as well - 2600 fps is good enough for big game out to 250 meters.

I see it as identical to the classic 7X57 that has killed millions of big game for over 125 years! I wonder what it would be like with 175 gr bullets.

I use 140 grain Accubonds and 150 grain Partitions in my 7/08s. If I was using a 7/08 for elk, I would probably go with the 150 Partition.

thanks for the replies its good to hear from real hunters feedback.

150gr sounds like a good place to start, in something cheap like a hornady interlock!?

ill be using Varget, aka 2208 down here, and will proberly go with the higher end of the load scale to gain the most fps I can for the trajectory

wl

quote:

Originally posted by WhelanLad:
thanks for the replies its good to hear from real hunters feedback.

150gr sounds like a good place to start, in something cheap like a hornady interlock!?

ill be using Varget, aka 2208 down here, and will proberly go with the higher end of the load scale to gain the most fps I can for the trajectory

wl

The Federal factory 7mm-08 load using a 150gr bullet is down a bit in velocity (around 2,600 fps) although my brother swears by this load in his 24" barreled Ruger for good sized red deer.

I have used the 150gr Sierra Gameking in my 7mm-08 loaded to just over 2,700fps and it worked well on red deer.

To maximise case capacity and gain velocity the 140gr bullet is ideal in the 7mm-08 and currently I am loading the Hornady 140gr SST projectile with the maximum recommended charge of 43.5grs AR2208 (Varget) for my own and my two sons 7mm-08s.

This load is close to duplicating the Hornady Superformance ammo using the same 140gr SST bullet (2950fps advertised) which my older son likes in his 7mm-08.

The AR2208 load gives an average 2880fps in my 22" barreled Marlin so would be at 2900fps in a 24" barrel.

I usually use the Sierra 140gr bullet getting the same results with AR2208 but for ease of loading for three 7mm-08s just use the cheaper Hornady SSTs now. Sierra bullets have increased in price here, used to be the cheapest.

hey thanks for the Reply mate.

the figures of the 140gr and 2950fps with 2208 sparks interest, that would be beautiful in the Kimber Montana!!

I will take it over to nz when I move over also so using 2208 will leave no real development over there maybe just double checking.


The downside but not really an issue is ill be soon using 140gr .277 hornady interlocks in the 270win an 2209 which will be a fair bit faster but doing much of a muchness.

the 7 will be carried beyond the 270 though!

WL

Because of its low-ish velocity, the 7-08 works well with nearly any bullet. The same can be said of the 308 Win.

Here's this past year's bull taken with the 150 Nosler Ballistic Tip from a 7-08:

40 grains of Varget with a 139/140 grain bullet.
I've been shooting the Nosler E-Tips as well as the Hornady BTSP with great success . Mild simple loads. Hope you have the best of luck with your 7mm08.

getting close to getting this 7-8!
been thinking il use 140gr!

For elk I would use the 160 gr. Nosler partition, it works on anything and if you need to shoot lengthwise thru an elk it will do just that, most bullets tend to lack that much penetration..In my 7x57 I shoot the 175 gr. Partitions at 2600 plus a little on elk and it works perfect..The 308 case of of the 7-08 works better with the 160 gr.

For elk or any game that's hunted I always recommend bullets that will give full body penetration lengthwise...or don't take going away shots. I have shot more than a few bull elk or Cape Buffalo going away that were wounded and heavy long bullets of super premium quality are the best.

Broadside shots? most any deer or game bullet will work on elk..

hey fellas I have had some time to use this Kimber 708 with the federal blue box 150gr

I used it on pigs, medium to smaller sized pigs and what I found was the 150gr SP was solid and with a slight bit of poor shot placement had some animals move some distance before dying.

I would use this load for Sambar deer after what I experienced. especially for under 200m


ammo price is steep in Aus so will be reloading soon as I can, around 140gr

WL

quote:

Originally posted by Bbear:
140 gr Nosler Balistic tip for me.

At the 2900-ish Mv of the 7mm-08, the 140gr NBT is a perfect match.

Just read your OP again.

If you are looking to use it on big animals like sambar & elk, I would look carefully at the above posts and think hard. Many who recommend 140 gr bullets are not saying anything specific about such large animals. Those loads are fine on deer, pigs etc. Sure they will kill an elk or sambar unless you hit a big bone at 250 meters. Sure - That animal will die - but after running away a fair bit.

I personally would not go smaller than a 150 gr TSX. 160 gr Accubond would be good too.

quote:

Originally posted by WhelanLad:
hey guys whats your projectile of choice in the 708 for big deer elk, sambar, or whatever it is you chute with it!


thanks a lot

Barnes TTSX.

Hi Brad Glad to see your 7 08 and ballistic tips are still working.

Looking at male Gemsbok wife took in Namibia 2000 with Browning BLR 7/08 and 140 grn. bullet.
Lots of dead whitetail deer expired at our Chimney Hill ranch due to same.

Canberra Gunsmith Russ LeMaitre and his wife both have Kimber Montanas in that caliber. She has killed quit a big number of sambar with it and the 140 grain partition.

quote:

Originally posted by Mikelravy:
Hi Brad Glad to see your 7 08 and ballistic tips are still working.

Note the exit wound.

Yep Probably didn't go too far after the shot either.

As with any caliber, proper bullet placement and bullet construction is a priority..

The 7-08, 308, 7x57, and many others are excellent elk rounds, BUT, they must be used within their range limitations and they are limited IMO to no more than 300 yards...

If I am hunting where long shots are required and are the rule, and I may be doing my shooting from 300 to 400 yards, and on big bulls, I will take my .338 Win. If I am hunting in really thick stuff like I do locally then I will take my .338 with 300 gr. Woodleighs or my .348 With 250 gr. Woodleighs..shots are close and going away.

If I hunt typical open Idaho forest and Sage brush, where I live, or if Im after a cow in the alfalfa, I like the 7x57 or 7-08 would suit me fine with a 160 gr Nosler partition or Woodleigh bullet. Not even opposed to the 257 Robts or 250-3000, but I have the whole season and Im not limited on time so can pass up the hard shots, not so on a high dollar guided hunt.
On a high dollar guided hunt I would recommend all the gun one can shoot.

If I was restricted to one caliber for all elk hunting, it would be a .30-06 or perhaps a 300 win. or its ilk...A bit off the subject but worth consideration.

Yeah, long shots take precision, guy on another board shot his elk at just under 1,000 yds, using a 6.5x47 and a 127 or 129gr IIRC. Dumped it.

No doubt a 200 Partition 30 cal or 225-250 338 would be more forgiving, without exact placement.

I am curious as to how fast the bullet was traveling at impact.

So I am still using the 150gr Federals, yet to take a Sambar but have taken a Fallow doe at 246m (ranged) with a broadside base of neck/front of shoulder region and it dropped.

projectile had appeared to open leaving larger exit hole, something I would be confident in using on a Sambar and will hopefully be doing so in the coming week.

what I did just do also was make a new thread re 139gr, I'm going to try these wih AR2208 at some stage in future.

thanks, good discussion.

WL

A 6.5 x47?? That's not an elk cartridge, sure you can kill anything with about any cartridge but your friend will surely wound and elk sooner or later and probably sooner and often..The 6.5 is fairly doable but the 47 just ain't and at a 1000 yards?? Sounds fishy at best.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
A 6.5 x47?? That's not an elk cartridge, sure you can kill anything with about any cartridge but your friend will surely wound and elk sooner or later and probably sooner and often..The 6.5 is fairly doable but the 47 just ain't and at a 1000 yards?? Sounds fishy at best.

+1

My 13 year old daughter is shooting a 120 gr Sierra pro Hunter at 2,650 fps that I load. It's killed white tail, axis, aoudad, and participated in a red deer kill. Aoudad are the toughest pound for pound animal there is and I've hunted everything up to cape buffalo and elephant. The aoudad she took collapsed after bucking into the air. They usually put up a good fight.

So, if a 120 gr at reduced fps will work on these animals, you can't go wrong with a 140 gr or 150 gr load. I have a 140 gr Sierra Gameking load worked up to 2,720 and am working on a 150 gr 2,780 fps Sierra GK load as we speak. All from a 20" barrel.