140gr. or 120gr. for Wife's 7mm-08

[roysclockgun]

I just received the Wife's new rifle, being the Howa 1500 youth model in 7mm-08. I am very satified with the quality. I used 20 rounds of R-P factory 140gr. cartridges to break the rifle in, cleaning after each round. Because residual lube is always left, after pushing four dry patches through after the Hoppes swab, the best groups were 1 1/2 inches at 100 yards. Now that it is broken in, I expect more from this barrel.
I prepped some cases and then, discovered that from my other 7mm rifles, I only have 140gr. bullets, and up, in my gunroom.
I loaded up 20 rounds. Half having 2.827" OAL and the other half being 2.830" OAL. The bolt closes on 2.835".
I used standard Large Rifle FED. primers and R-P cases, pushing a Privi-Partizan 140gr. SPBT with 35.5gr. of IMR4064. I will work her up to a H380 load, but this load is the slowest that I could find, using Propellent on hand.
My question is: Will this load be about what I can get from light loads pushing a 120gr. bullet? Should I have her fire these lightly loaded 140gr. bullets, or wait until I have 120gr. bullets? I have convinced her that recoil should not feel like more than what she was getting from her 243Win. She is only 5' 2" and weighs 120 lbs.
TIA,
Steven in DeLand

 

[tddeangelo]

I just received the Wife's new rifle, being the Howa 1500 youth model in 7mm-08. I am very satified with the quality. I used 20 rounds of R-P factory 140gr. cartridges to break the rifle in, cleaning after each round. Because residual lube is always left, after pushing four dry patches through after the Hoppes swab, the best groups were 1 1/2 inches at 100 yards. Now that it is broken in, I expect more from this barrel.
I prepped some cases and then, discovered that from my other 7mm rifles, I only have 140gr. bullets, and up, in my gunroom.
I loaded up 20 rounds. Half having 2.827" OAL and the other half being 2.830" OAL. The bolt closes on 2.835".
I used standard Large Rifle FED. primers and R-P cases, pushing a Privi-Partizan 140gr. SPBT with 35.5gr. of IMR4064. I will work her up to a H380 load, but this load is the slowest that I could find, using Propellent on hand.
My question is: Will this load be about what I can get from light loads pushing a 120gr. bullet? Should I have her fire these lightly loaded 140gr. bullets, or wait until I have 120gr. bullets? I have convinced her that recoil should not feel like more than what she was getting from her 243Win. She is only 5' 2" and weighs 120 lbs.
TIA,
Steven in DeLand

I fired my father's fwt M70 in 7-08 with several 140gr loads.


It is, I think, a bit more punch on the shoulder than my fwt 257 Roberts with 110's, so I would imagine she may perceive an increase. And even if not, his 7-08 barks more than I expected. That sometimes increases the perception of recoil.


If she's really recoil shy, I'd think hard about some 120's and load it light, then work up.

 

[SJB358]

Same here Steven, I would look to the 120's, especially since you are hunting deer and antelope. That bullet should be about perfect in the 7-08 and pushed to around 2700-3000 should be just about excellent out to 250 yards pretty easily and have very low recoil.

I am wondering the same thing, as I have some 140gr BT's loaded for my son's 7mm Mauser. I am really thinking the recoil shouldn't be a big step up compared to his 243 and 100gr PT's, but if it is, I will knock it back with some 120's and hope that is a little easier for him to shoot. Good luck, sounds like the rifle is shooting well. Scotty

 

[jmad_81]

My wife shot a Rem 700 7-08 for a few years. I loaded both the 120 Bt and the 140 AB. I was using a max load of Ramshot Big Game with both and was getting about 3100-3150. The fastest I could ever get the 140 to go was about 2830. The 120 Seemed to kick a bit more, but both were very pleasent to shoot. In three years it took two bucks, and three does. All with the 120 Bt, farthest was 280 closest was 80.

If you are only hunting deer that 120 Bt is hard to beat! I would bet that if they were loaded down to 2900-3000 fps they would still work just fine and recoil less.

 

[roysclockgun]

I used the inexpensive Privi-Partizan 140 gr.SP BT bullets that I had on hand. Fired 20 using three different OAL. The ones set back .0015 off the lands grouped the best, but not the tight groups that I will get once I work up 120gr. loads for her.

I did not expect a lot from that bullet, especially with such a light load. I only used 35.5 gr. of IMR4064 and the felt recoil was less than her 243Win. But with the inexpensive bullets and that light a load, my best groups were inside 3", which is pretty sorry.


I now have the bore broken in, after the fire and clean drill for 40 rounds.
Today, I ordered 500 count, 120gr. bullets from Jerry's Sports Center. Will report how they shoot.
Have not been able to find Nosler 120gr. AB from any distributors with whom I deal. (?)
Thanks all for the good advice. I am never too old to learn something new to me.
Best,
Steven

 

[elkeater2]

Steven,
We haven't been blessed with a 120 AB yet. The BT is tough, with a thick jacket toward the base. Think it's like a 140 BT with less up front, but essentially identical from bearing surface on back. The feedback is it's plenty tough for any deer. Also, at the velocities it starts out with from a 7mm-08, it will expand reliably and penetrate without busting up. Not sure what 120's you did order 500 of, were they Noslers?

A suggestion: once it's sighted in and she's familiarized somewhat, get a pack of balloons for targets. Forget about group size (for her) and just let her pop balloons. It's fun, and thoughts about recoil, group size and hubby watching disappear with the popped balloons. You can staple them to a regular target, weigh them down with paper clips, let them blow in the breeze a little, fill them with water or air. Lots of choices.

Elkeater2

 

[longwinters]

I have had very good accuracy with R-15 and the 120 BT's.

Long

 

[JD338]

Steven,

I would work up a load with the 120 gr BT. It is a very robust bullet. The jacket is actually a 140 gr BT that has been cut down to meet the 120 gr profile. This makes it have a thicker jacket and it is a tough little bullet.

Go with starting loads until she gets acclimated to the recoil and then work up if necessary. She should do just fine.

JD338

 

[tddeangelo]

Since we've wandered into the bullet construction realm....what is the desired on-game performance?

Some of us want two holes, every time....some want drop-in-tracks results with no concern for an exit wound.

I don't know if the 120BT is any different, but the 140BT can and WILL come apart on deer. I've seen it happen once, I have no doubt it can do it again. BUT...that deer fell where it stood when the deer was struck by the bullet, too.

I've not looked heavily at the 284 offering, as I only discuss the 7-08 with my father and shoot groups with it occasionally so he gets another shooter on the rifle to see if the results are the same. I'm not sure if a Partition is available in 120 or not? I would look there if I was starting out with this. Should be reliable expansion no matter what, along with reliable penetration.

 

[roysclockgun]

The only thing available from Nosler at Jerrys Sports Ctr., where I have my wholesale account, was one box of Nosler 120gr. BT. I bought them for the wife's 7mm-08 and some more Nosler PT, 7mm 140gr. for my own 280Rem.

Sadly, as I have been informed by another List Member above, Nosler does not make a 120gr. 7mm AB. I also have found no 120gr. Nosler PT. So, I suppose that we are very limited in the 7mm 120gr. from Nosler, at this point in time.

tddeangelo asked about bullet choices for deer. In the past, I have used 140gr. AB in my 280Rem and 7mmRemMag. That bullet has always performed beyond my expectations on deer up to the size of 250 lb. muleys. I too have not always had exit holes, but I have never allowed that to bother me, as long as the deer went bang/flop!
Since I have bought some 140gr. PT, I am going to test them in the 280, to see how they stack up against the 140gr. AB. If the PT bullets shoot well in my 280, I intend to use them for a while and see how they perform on deer. Also, will have them on hand, in case Wife is able to handle the extra recoil from a relatively fast 140gr. bullet.

Best,
Steven in DeLand

 

[tddeangelo]

You didn't get exits with an AccuBond?

Wow, that surprises me.

With a Ballistic Tip, I would be more surprised by an exit on a big deer like that than a lack of one, but with an AB, I'd have bet the farm those bullets exited, or were found after penetrating real deep.

Interesting....

 

[roysclockgun]

No exit wounds that I definitely remember happening with 140gr. AB:

(1) Wild pig, roughly 150 lbs. Quartering away, right to left, at about 85 yards. I held back on the left side ribs to get the bullet through his heart/lung area. The bullet did cut his heart and broke the right side shoulder bone, then stopped in the hide. I cleaned and weighed the recovered bullet. 95gr. Cartridge, 7mmRemMag

(2) Mule deer around 200 lbs. Standing facing me, at an angle to me, presenting his left side. I shot forward on the shoulder to lance the bullet into heart/lung area. The bullet did pierce the heart and stopped in the hide on his left side, far back on the ribs. Deer at roughly 150 yds. Same rifle.

(3) Mule deer at 404 yds. by my range finder. Angling away, right to left. Bullet went through left side ribs and stopped in right shoulder bone. Deer weighed right near 250 lbs. Same rifle.

There are more, but you get the picture. I still like AB as they kill, but do not always provide an exit wound. This year I made a neck shot on a muley at 210 yards with the same bullet in a 280Rem. Deer went bang/flop, through and through wound channel. On the same hunt the antelpe at 265 yards also went bang/flop with through and through wound channel.

Best,
Steven in DeLand

 

[tddeangelo]

Ah, ok. They are holding together for you, though. I was thinking they were breaking apart from the way I read your other post.

 

[roysclockgun]

Pigs are tough! Not bullet proof, but tough. I am hard pressed to be able to cut that frontal armor that big pigs have around their shoulders and chest. Even with a razor sharp knife, the armor is hard to cut through.
I had that 7mm 140 AB going out the muzzle of my 7mmRemMag, at 3100 fps. The bullet busted up the pig's heart, broke the right front shoulder, lodged in the hide, and the pig did not go off his feet! He turn nearly 180 degrees and ran by me for a couple more yards to my rear, before he jumped a ditch and was dead when I got to him. I am amazed that he stayed on his feet after stopping that bullet.
I am not disappointed in the performance of the 140 AB on that shot. Retaining the weight of 95 gr. after busting up the pig is not bad at all!
Best,
Steven in DeLand

 

[elkeater2]

Steven,
The Nosler BT 120's have as good or better ballistic coefficient vs. other cup & core 140 gr. leadtips from most other manufacturers. Example: regular Hornady 139 gr. spire points are just a little behind in the BC department. The BT's should fly good and retain velocity in comparison.

So if a 140 BT is started at 2900 instead of 3100, will it penetrate deeper before expansion (because it won't expand as violently or as soon? Will it expand less? We need the jug shooters to tell us :lol:

I know you are going to have fun with it!
Elkeater2

 

[SJB358]

Steven,
The Nosler BT 120's have as good or better ballistic coefficient vs. other cup & core 140 gr. leadtips from most other manufacturers. Example: regular Hornady 139 gr. spire points are just a little behind in the BC department. The BT's should fly good and retain velocity in comparison.

So if a 140 BT is started at 2900 instead of 3100, will it penetrate deeper before expansion (because it won't expand as violently or as soon? Will it expand less? We need the jug shooters to tell us :lol:

I know you are going to have fun with it!
Elkeater2

EE2, I was just going to type the same thing. The only real way to see if the bullets will act like you want them to is to test them. It is too hard to draw judgement from others because of so many other factors like impact speeds, cartridge used, distance, etc.

I would really like to see what the 140gr BT vs 120gr BT look like in comparison at 100 yards and then again at 200 if possible.

I will be running some of the 140gr BT's into jugs from my son's 7mm Mauser soon as we get it out and sighted in. That should give you a rough idea of what the bullet will do from a medium speed cartridge like your 7-08. I will say this though, I think water jugs are tougher on BT's and most all other bullets cause of the plastic pulling at the jacket as they penetrate....

Still gives you some good ideas to see if you wanna pursue one bullet over another. I like the PT or AB idea, just cause I like the insurance, but the 120 and 140 BT have good track records on deer. Scotty

 

[jmad_81]

If your worried about bullets coming apart, and not wanting to shoot bigger bullets, don't turn your nose up at the 120 TSX either (hint, hint for a 7mm 120 ET). Shot really well out of my wifes gun as well. One morning at work I shot three yotes with them at 250, 370, and 600. Never got them into deer, but they worked real well on paper and dogs.

 

[roysclockgun]

Before I latched on to Nosler bullets, I dropped a fair number of deer with Sierra bullets. Since I could only fine one box of 50 Nosler 129gr. BT, I bought a couple boxes of 120gr.Sierras. They will be good for her to practice with and when hunting season opens, we can zero again, using the Nosler BT. I am convinced that I can work up acceptable loads for her that will work out at least, to 200 yards. Over my lifetime, the majority of deer and pronghorn have been taken at ranges less than 200 yards. On my own 280Rem. I work the MV up to where I can practice out to 300 yards, but I am not going to have her shooting at more than 200.
Best,
Steven

 

[Tobey284]

I've been using the 7-08 as my texas rig for the last couple of years. In 2009 I took three deer and a blackbuck ewe with the 140 Partition at ranges from 30 to 140 yards, all pass throughs with a 3/4 to 1" exit wound, even on a severe angle raking shot I made on a management buck at about 40 yards. Last year I used the 120 BT on top of a stout load of RL 17 to take three deer and an 80 lb hog. Ranges were from 25 yards to about 110, all pass throughs and wound channels and exits were indistiguishable from the partitions I had used the previous year. I'd say take your pick and hunt confidently. another very good bullet for the 7-08 which is often overlooked is the 130 grain speer hot cor. I used this bullet exclusively for many years in a 7X57 and 284 Win. with very good terminal performance on game from very small hogs to cow elk and never recovered one.

 

[Powerstroke]

The good ole 7-08 is another one that is quite under-rated. Nothing flashy, but definatly in a category to get the job done. This was my first elk gun, and has somewhat turned into my safe queen. If it's mainly deer size and down the 120gr B-tip is the ticket. Most 7-08's are easy to laod for and shoot about anything well. 120, 140, & 150's all shoot excellent pretty much no mater the combo.View attachment 7-08.JPG