Looking for some information to work up a load for hunting Michigan whitetail with a 7mm-08 TC Encore. I am down to two choices of bullets. THe first is a 140 gr Noesler Partition and the second is a 120 grain Barnes Triple Shock X bullet.

Does anyone have any experience with these and if so, what are the particulars of the load and what has your field experience been?

I have been using factory Remington loads with 140 grain Core Lok and killed 2 deer this year with that load. However, I am not happy with the ballistics for longer range shooting

Any help would be appreciated!

The 140 NPT will not give you any better long range ballistics than the 140 corelokt

I don't think any other deer bullet that you can load will provide a meaningful difference in long range trajectory. I wouldn't want to go below 140 grs. on a big Michigan whitetail.

I would have to agree with Shortgun. If you want longer range then you are going to need a bullet with either a higher ballistic coefficient or higher muzzle velocity.

I don't have a 7mm-08 but several years ago I worked up a couple loads for a buddies 12" T/C Custom Shop 7mm-08 Encore Barrel. The best combinations I came up with used 120gr. & 140gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips with H-4895 Powder. 100 yard groups were around 3/4".

More recently I worked up a load for a buddies 15" Encore .284 Winchester. With this one I used 140gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with H-4831SC. Again 100 yard groups were around 3/4". I used this Handgun / Load to take a 4x4 Whitetail Buck at just under 200 yards. The shot was right behind the shoulder mid way top to bottom. At the shot the buck sprinted for about 70 yards and piled up stone dead. The exit hole was about the size of a 25 cent piece and a rib was hit on entrance and exit.

At the velocities possible from Handguns with these rifle cartridges I have had excellent results with Nosler Ballistic Tips over the years. Prior to the advent of the Nosler Ballistic Tips I used conventional Spitzers and had issues with not getting my bullets to expand unless I hit bone.

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

Merry Christmas

Larry

I have used 140 grain Accubonds very sucessfully in my 7/08 for big whitetails. I use a load of Reloader 15 with a Federal 210M primer. I load two grains under book max but have no idea how that would work in a short barrel. I hunt private ranch whitetails in Michigan up to 275 pounds and the load is magic!

120gr Ballistic Tips over IMR4007 work great on deer in Michigan IMO. Limited experience with game, only 1 animal, but the bullet passed through and the numbers are as good as any combo I`ve used yet. 3000+ fps sub MOA @ 100 for 5 rds from 24" barrel.
Deer was a med size doe @ ~ 30yd, lung shot, DRT. A old 140 gr Nosler Solid base and a few 139gr Hornadies didn`t do any better.

My favorite load for a 18.5 inch barrel SAKO Mannlicher is the 139 grain Hornady over dose of IMR 4064. I've taken quite a few whitetail with that combo and it shoots plenty flat enough for a back East rifle.

40.0 grains of H-4895 with a 140 NBT has taken everything from pd's to Colorado Mule deer.
14" tube with a 2540 fps for the MV.
Longest shot on game was 1st shot kill at right a 1/4 of a mile, back in the late 80's.

When my buddy bought the XP from me he went to a 120 NBT (antelope and Mule Deer) and used 42.0 grains of H-4895

If you want a bullet that has a sturdier design go with the 140 Accubond. I has the same BC as the 140 NBT.

I have two 7-08's, an XP100 - 15" Shilen barrel and a 22" switch barrel on a Ruger Tang SA.

Both shoot the 120 Hornady into very small groups with the SAME load of Varget, but a much different velocities...the XP is ~2675 fs and the Ruger is ~3000fs...I load for accuracy so these loads are by no means maxed out. Both do extremely well on sage rats...but I wouldn't use this load for game the size of deer.

I also have a 140 Nos BT load I shoot in both using Varget only 2 gr ligher with equal accuracy. I haven't chronoed that load but it is near 2900fs +/- I would suspect from what several manuals and software programs indicate, in the 22" bbl. Haven't taken anything but sage rats with this load, but it does an excellent job, and I would use it on just about ANY game.

I would suggest trying several bullets in the 130-150 gr range and decide on the basis of accuracy...you shoul be at the top end of the velocity spectrum when you hit maximum accuracy.

Accuracy and velocity are relative to a ton of factors, each one needs to be addressed while working up loads.

For ranges beyond 300 yds I would pick a high BC bullet, for closer ranges BC doesn't matter as much and bullet construction takes center stage.

Both Hornady 139 gr SP and SST shoot as well as the NBT, in fact every 7mm bullet I've tried( I had 30 7mm shooters at one time) shoots below 1 MOA in both guns.

Many choices, so litle time....

Luck