Well I finally drew a Mule Deer Tag for Nevada, and its in my vavorite area. Its been a long time since Ive hunted with my 708 I have my old load in mind using a 120gr X but would just like to hear from anyone who shoot the 708 and what their favorite Deer load is.

quote:

Originally posted by short range:
Well I finally drew a Mule Deer Tag for Nevada, and its in my vavorite area. Its been a long time since Ive hunted with my 708 I have my old load in mind using a 120gr X but would just like to hear from anyone who shoot the 708 and what their favorite Deer load is.

I use the 140 gr FailSafe loaded to about 2900. I use that load for everything with a 250 yard zero.

I use 140gr Nosler Partitions with Ramshot BigGame. Avg vel 2904 with sub MOA.

Factory 140 grain Core Locked PSP.
Its' accurate and kills well.

not to sure about knocking over mule deer , but in my 708 with small sized deer (ei sika) my favorite was 120gr bal tips pushed by varget and on bigger deer (ei red deer) 140gr barnes ts did the trick on many occasions .

Short Range
We use 243, 260 and 7/08 at our ranches all the time. Hard to tell the difference in the 260 and 7/08 as all deer die!
In a number of discussion with the well known PH Geo. Hoffman of .416 Hoffman fame (Geo. died about 2 years ago)several of us came to these conclusions.
More deer are overshot than undershot.
Most deer shot with way too good a bullet.
Most deer shot with too high a velocity.
Most likely as many, if not more, deer would die from some rifle shooting an inexpesive soft nose bullet at a moderate velocity.
A for instance. I am finding that our 260 which we started shooting with Rem Core Lokt 140 grn. factory loads just blows a hole out the backside of deer the size of a golf or tennis ball. We started with that load as it was the least expensive of the factory ammo and we wanted to see how the rifle would group before going to other loads. We have yet to try another but when we do it will be with a lighter bullet. God knows what would happen if I shot my favorite bullets...Nosler Partitions.
In your case, being as you already know your 7/08 will knock a deer on his butt to start with...I would just use whatever grouped the best and ....go pick up the meat laying on the ground!
I shoot a Browning Lever Rifle in 7/08 and wife shoots a Win. 70 Ftwt. in 7/08. We have been using Fed. 140 Nosler Partition factory stuff and so far deer, gemsbok oryx in Africa and other assorted critters have been where they dropped when we walked up. The 7/08 is a nice cartridge that does way more in the field than what the paperwork says it will do and you don't get whipped shooting it.
Good luck on your adventure.

Harry, Your obsevations on the 260 and 7mm 08 are one with which I agree. My experience has been that there is no real difference in killing power. I have a Rem Mountain Rifle in 260 and Titanium in 7mm-08. My reason for using the 7mm more often is that it is a little more accurate, (about 1/2 an inch, so not all that important), but its lighter weight, makes it easier to carry. I would be happy to take either calibre to go for a look see for a deer. Either will do the job.
No more power is need.
Thats why I also like the old 7x57 it just gets the job done.

39.5grs. Varget, CCI200 primer, 150 Nosler BT. Jay

HARRY I to have a .260 rem. and a 7MM-08 both are great rounds for deer size game. the 7-08 is well suited for mule deer. I load RL-15 in both rounds. for the .260 i load 41.0 grains with 120 gr. sierra great white tail load. for the 7-08 i load 44.0 grs. with 140 sierra B.T. Both are very accurate. and have killed deer with both at 300 yrds. the 7-08 will shoot 2944. fps, from a 24 in. rem S.S. barrel shot over a croney.

Try the hornady sst or gmx 139 grn

My last deer fell to a 140 gr. Sierra pushed by 41.5 gr of H4895. It was a bang flop performance. Hot one step... Not one kick. It was almost eerie.

I use 41 grains of Rl 15 with 140 Accubonds. Mild load that is very accurate in my gun.

quote:

Originally posted by LJS:
I use 41 grains of Rl 15 with 140 Accubonds. Mild load that is very accurate in my gun.

I shoot the same powder and load but with 140 gr Partitions.

A 'premium' bullet may be better when truly needed, than say a target/varmint bullet that NEEDS to drive thru alot of tissue/bone to penetrate vitals.

That said, I think a 'balanced bullet' is one that has enough retention to reach vitals, yet gives ample expansion and most important - on the target/game of pursuit.

Deer are not that difficult to kill, nor wear Kevlar.

I shot a buck at 400 ranged yds using a 6BR and 105 amax/2850 MV, KNOWING the bullet is fragile, I shot thru both lungs, golf ball exit, deer down in 20 yds. Impact was about 1k ft lbs. Shot moments later, a doe, it was half the distance, and KNOWING what that bullet would do at higher impact speed, I shot the spine as the deer was facing away, I was in an elevated stand - deer DRT.

POINT is, KNOW your bullet, what it will/won't do and PLACE SHOT accordingly given range/impact speed for your ctg. of choice.

I love the Barnes, but day in/day out, if I run another 7/08, I will go to 140 Accubonds FIRST, and if accurate as my 260 shoots 130s, I will stop there.

A 139 SP/BTSP, 140 Corelokt, Sierra, etc. will all kill just fine. A cup/core is just fine on most any deer, but I do feel a little better on an angling/rear shot to have an Accubond in chamber.

On the extreme, if you say have a shot at 400+ and hit say lungs broadside, is that Barnes going to open as much as a cup/core? I wonder.

I'd suggest hitting shoulders to ensure initiating frontal area w/a Barnes, ESP. at longish ranges.

A 140 is about all anyone needs on deer in a 7/08, but if one wants a 154-162, they will drive thru when needed w/ease, and an Amax for instance will open at very long range, though close up, don't try busting alot of bone.

A 130 Speer, flat base OR BTSP is one MUCH overlooked bullet for the 708. The Flat Base is a hot core, BOTH expand well, both will fly 3,000+ in a 22" or so bbl. Very accurate I might add. An 'in between' if you will weight of the flat 120s (though not much after a certain range), and the most common 140 used in this round.

I'd say for ALL AROUND ...MY 2 top picks on deer would be no doubt the 140 AB, and a 130 Speer.

People rave on the 120 BT, but the 130 and 140s will catch and pass it up after a certain distance and recoil is not bad w/any.

Just my .02.

BTW, my two fav powders in 7/08 has been Varget and IMR 4064, but there are many others that work very well. Those 2 gave me 2900-2960 using 21" factory tubes (chopped).

I shot 42 1/2 grains of Varget with a 140 grain Sierra Game Kings for 8 to 10 years but just this year used the same load with 140 grn Accubonds....

Same results as before but with less meat damage.

140gr NP has accounted for numerous mulies for me. I use H4895 powder.

My son has shot a 7mm-08 quite a bit, and we used factory loads in his Ruger Hawkeye. They were the Federal Hot Cores in 150gr. I believe in heavier bullets at slower velociites, this load makes it suitable for larger game such as mulies, elk, and bear. Just my opinion. Mike

quote:

Most likely as many, if not more, deer would die from some rifle shooting an inexpensive soft nose bullet at a moderate velocity.

+1.

I started with my 7mm08 using 139gr Hornady interlocks, moved to 120gr BT and now I've gone back to the interlocks.
Reason?? The BT's were destroying more meat than I liked. I've never lost a deer with either and I'm yet to recover an interlock.

I've taken a couple with the 130gr Speer hotcor as well, same result.

quote:

Originally posted by Harry:
Short Range
We use 243, 260 and 7/08 at our ranches all the time. Hard to tell the difference in the 260 and 7/08 as all deer die!
In a number of discussion with the well known PH Geo. Hoffman of .416 Hoffman fame (Geo. died about 2 years ago)several of us came to these conclusions.
More deer are overshot than undershot.
Most deer shot with way too good a bullet.
Most deer shot with too high a velocity.
Most likely as many, if not more, deer would die from some rifle shooting an inexpesive soft nose bullet at a moderate velocity.
A for instance. I am finding that our 260 which we started shooting with Rem Core Lokt 140 grn. factory loads just blows a hole out the backside of deer the size of a golf or tennis ball. We started with that load as it was the least expensive of the factory ammo and we wanted to see how the rifle would group before going to other loads. We have yet to try another but when we do it will be with a lighter bullet. God knows what would happen if I shot my favorite bullets...Nosler Partitions.
In your case, being as you already know your 7/08 will knock a deer on his butt to start with...I would just use whatever grouped the best and ....go pick up the meat laying on the ground!
I shoot a Browning Lever Rifle in 7/08 and wife shoots a Win. 70 Ftwt. in 7/08. We have been using Fed. 140 Nosler Partition factory stuff and so far deer, gemsbok oryx in Africa and other assorted critters have been where they dropped when we walked up. The 7/08 is a nice cartridge that does way more in the field than what the paperwork says it will do and you don't get whipped shooting it.
Good luck on your adventure.

I agree totally and associate the 260's penetrating power to higher sectional density. The higher sectional density of its 140 grain bullet results in greater penetration than a 150 grain from a 308. Both bullets kill but the little 260 will perform better with equal bullet weights. This means that the 260 will still offer great performance on deer with a 120 grain bullet but the 7mm-08 might not assuming were using the standard bullets over premium.

I have a Rem. 700 Mt. rifle. I shoot 140gr X. With 4064. Very accurate, have shot antelope and mule deer with it, and so have 2 of my kids. Works well.

I'm using 140 Grain Game Kings and H-380, most are DRT, the ones that do run only make it 5-10 yards.

I use a max load of IMR4895 with RP cases and CCI LR primers. This combo shoots Hornady 139gr SPs (Interlock), and Interbonds equally well on the plus side of 2800fps from 21" barrels. Both those bullets kill deer well. I tried the 139gr SST when they first came out but had two of them come apart after hitting only one rib on small GA WT deer. That is not the performance I want.

RH

At the 2925fps Mv I get W/Vv N550 in my 7mm-08, 140gr Nosler Balistics tips are perfect for the job.

One will kill all the deer you would want too with the 139gr Hornaday bullet.

question for you?
What
257 cal
264 cal
277 cal
284 cal
308 cal
bullet, delivered at 2,500 to 3,000 fps., if placed correctly, be it cup and core, premium, or monometal, won't kill an animal under 300 lbs?
Guess I've been here too long.
GWB

I brought a Stevens for my 12yo at XMas, we went out to sight it in with a box of Winchester 140 Softpoints

While he managed to fire off about 8 rounds, I could tell they were shaking him up.

I've brought a packet of 120g BT and 50 cases to load, what's your recommend load with this combo to minimize recoil?

Regards S&F

140 gn Nosler Partitions
45.0 gn H-414
Fed 210 Primers
3 shots in 1/2" at 100 yards.

quote:

Originally posted by Geedubya:
question for you?
What
257 cal
264 cal
277 cal
284 cal
308 cal
bullet, delivered at 2,500 to 3,000 fps., if placed correctly, be it cup and core, premium, or monometal, won't kill an animal under 300 lbs?
Guess I've been here too long.
GWB

The key to your question is placement because a properly placed BB would probably relust in a kill too. The problem is that many hunters miss their mark resulting in less than steller kills. I am from the school that you use enough bullet for caliber to achieve the goal humanely and you don't necessarily need a magnum either.

What is actually destroying the tissue? I say the bullet.

What determines the depth of penetration? I say the bullet.

How much tissue is destroyed depends upon? I say the bullet.


So a properly placed bullet that does not destroy enough tissue to quickly dispatch an animal is clearly a sign of poor bullet choice and many hunters use poor bullet choices for caliber year after year. The common answer is, "How dead is dead" or something to that effect.

Since you mentioned it, my buddy has been using his ruger 77 25-06 with 100 grain NBT to kill Michigan whitetails for several years. Rarely if ever did he get a clean pass through but the bullet did veer off in unpredictable directions inside and usually resulted in a clean kill. This past season he had one run off with a very small blood trail and he failed to recover it. The question that is raised is, was the 100 grain bullet enough or would a larger more robust veresion fair better? I say yes.

I personally prefer a sectional density of .250 or better for all my big game bullets but it is a very subjective subject and all of the trheads I have read on poor bullet performance can be linked directly to low section density bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by ShortandFat:

I've brought a packet of 120g BT and 50 cases to load, what's your recommend load with this combo to minimize recoil?

Regards S&F

I was running 44grs of 2208 (varget to the rest of the world apart from NZ) behind 120gr BT's but you could drop that back significantly if you wanted, it's a very flexible cartridge to load for.

Might track down 'Seafire' on here, he has developed some 'reduced loads' and might can offer some good ones.

Oops, I saved a link in the past - here you go:

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/...rch=true#Post1577502

Ive shot lots of deer with plain old 140 grain hot cores.. They all died... Right away..

I have pretty much shot amimals with most bullets and have come back to the Hornady spire point inter-loc, i like the flat base(im not shooting over 200yds) but i find them to offer a perfect balance of penetration and expansion...

I like the Barnes TSX in 140 gr over a warm 42.0 gr load of Varget.

This load was developed for a Remington Model 7 CDL.

Bullets are relatively cheap, compared to the time needed to draw the tag. Or bankroll the hunt.

Lots of deer/elk and assorted ungulates have succumbed to a simple cup and core bullet. I have been shooting deer and bear with Barnes bullets for 20 years or more. In my experience they will kill a deer just as dead as a cup and core bullet, at twice the price and ten times the confidence.

Just a different tact. Try Speer bullets SPBT 130 grain with H 414.. Great bullet and lethal. Also great for antelope.

hornady superformance 139 grn gmx or sst