Thread: 7mm08 Projectiles - who's using what?

Hoping to get the forum's wisdom again.

Had a very accurate load for my 7mm08 using 140gr Sierra HPBT projectiles, but discovered that they were absolutely disintegrating on impact. One was between the eyes head-on on a small-medium pig, so I can sort of understand that, but the other came apart on a slight quartering away shot on a second equally sized pig. On the quartering away pig the projectile only hit a rib, then completely minced all the internal organs and didn't even nick the opposite side of the body cavity. Projectiles would have been travelling roughly 2500f/s on impact.

While both pigs were very dead as a result, I'm not happy with the bullet performance - these weren't giant pigs, and the projectiles utterly disintegrated after hitting moderate and no real amounts of bone respectively. I certainly wouldn't be happy hunting red deer with it.

After finding this out, I saw that others like the ELD-M's and X's... but they don't make them in 140gr, so no luck there. If I was rolling in cash I'd shoot Accubonds, but seeing as I'd like to tune my loads and practice a lot, this gets pretty expensive. I do have a box of Nosler Ballistic Tip, but haven't tried it yet.

So, what are you using as a 140gr, .284 projectile?

Hard to go past a sierra gameking or Speer soft point.

If you are shooting within normal hunting distances then these bullets will serve you well. The 140gr NBT is good too but they just cost more.

We use Nosler 120 or 140 B Tips awesome bullets.

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Hi canross,

I'm using Hornady 162gr ELD-M. Been very good for me.

Joel

Nosler Ballistic Tips in 120g, 140g and 150 g

150ELDx, or Speer hotcore 145gn or 140 gn Nosler partitions are excellent but they are a bit spendie

I've used two main loads over the past 10 years.

140gr BT - devastating. End of discussion.
162gr Amax - equally as good, just longer legs.

Running the 162eldx in my 22invh tikka, looking to chop it to 18" and will keep the 162s. They go so well

I've recently been loading the Nosler 140gr BT (P/N: 28140) but similar to your recent experience with the pigs I had two deer with what sounds like the same kind of explosive results. Other people tell me they're not having the same outcomes with these BT's so I'd be very interested to hear your results if you went down that road.

Originally Posted by 25 /08 IMP

We use Nosler 120 or 140 B Tips awesome bullets.

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What he said. I have been using 140gn Bt's for years . From red stags to bull thar they dump animals . Extremely accurate too.

@canross what distances are you shooting too?

When i first started hunting and handloading i loaded a 130gr Speer at a pedestrian 2800 fps.

At that stage i never used dial up scopes or shot at animals further than 300 yards. Everything i fired those rounds at fell over quick smart and i often recovered a nicely mushroomed projectile from just inside the skin on the offside shoulder.

The Speers and the Sierra gamekings or prohunters are some great performing bullets and generally always easy to get to shoot. They may not have fancy coloured plastic tips or outlandish marketing but they work great. They are also well priced.

Originally Posted by canross

Hoping to get the forum's wisdom again.

Had a very accurate load for my 7mm08 using 140gr Sierra HPBT projectiles, but discovered that they were absolutely disintegrating on impact. One was between the eyes head-on on a small-medium pig, so I can sort of understand that, but the other came apart on a slight quartering away shot on a second equally sized pig. On the quartering away pig the projectile only hit a rib, then completely minced all the internal organs and didn't even nick the opposite side of the body cavity. Projectiles would have been travelling roughly 2500f/s on impact.

While both pigs were very dead as a result, I'm not happy with the bullet performance - these weren't giant pigs, and the projectiles utterly disintegrated after hitting moderate and no real amounts of bone respectively. I certainly wouldn't be happy hunting red deer with it.

After finding this out, I saw that others like the ELD-M's and X's... but they don't make them in 140gr, so no luck there. If I was rolling in cash I'd shoot Accubonds, but seeing as I'd like to tune my loads and practice a lot, this gets pretty expensive. I do have a box of Nosler Ballistic Tip, but haven't tried it yet.

So, what are you using as a 140gr, .284 projectile?

The Sierra GK bullets in this weight range are more than likely designed for American White-tail deer (about the size of our Sika), from what you are saying the bullet is doing exactly what it was designed to do. Pigs even small ones are a much tougher animal.
To get a tougher bullet you will need to either go to a premium bullet (Pricey) or go up in weight.
As mentioned above I reckon the 145 Speer Hotcore (not the BTSP) would be the first one I would try you will only loose 25-50 FPS depending on barrel length and have a bullet that holds together well but still opens up well.

Hornady 139gn SST. Cheap enough, but may lead you to the same internal nuking you don't want.

Originally Posted by planenutz

I've recently been loading the Nosler 140gr BT (P/N: 28140) but similar to your recent experience with the pigs I had two deer with what sounds like the same kind of explosive results. Other people tell me they're not having the same outcomes with these BT's so I'd be very interested to hear your results if you went down that road.

Yeah most 140 grain bullet behave the same way, unless you go to bonded or partition but they are more costly.

Originally Posted by winaa

The Sierra GK bullets in this weight range are more than likely designed for American White-tail deer (about the size of our Sika), from what you are saying the bullet is doing exactly what it was designed to do. Pigs even small ones are a much tougher animal.
To get a tougher bullet you will need to either go to a premium bullet (Pricey) or go up in weight.
As mentioned above I reckon the 145 Speer Hotcore (not the BTSP) would be the first one I would try you will only loose 25-50 FPS depending on barrel length and have a bullet that holds together well but still opens up well.

He was using the 140gr Hollow point Game king, these have a large hollow point with petels designed to fragment. Go to a soft point game king or prohunter and you will be well served. US Whitetail get alot bigger than our Sika too.