7mm-08 bullet choice

[C-Money]

I am settled on the 140gr, I just can not make up my mind on a Partition or an Accubond. I have had a lot of success with both, maybe I should just flip a coin!

[Crisptrigr]

Shoot both in your wife's rifle and let the rifle tell you the answer. If the rifle has no preference then it's your choice. You can't go wrong with either one.

[C-Money]

Good advise!

[thinkingman]

You forgot 'other'
My favorite for any caliber is Barnes TSX.
120gr for anything under 200lbs...140gr for elk.
The accuracy of the all-copper bullet is, in my opinion, superior to the cup and core and much better than partition.

[SCRUBS]

You forgot 'other'
My favorite for any caliber is Barnes TSX.
120gr for anything under 200lbs...140gr for elk.
The accuracy of the all-copper bullet is, in my opinion, superior to the cup and core and much better than partition.

x2 on the Barnes bullets.

[GlennGTR]

7-08 my favorite big game cartridge, 154 gr Hornady interbond, 162 gr A-Max, 150 NPs, I tend to like a little heavier bullet. The 154 Hornadys are devestating on all kinds of game.

[Huntbear]

The Partition will give you better penetration at close range, and will hold together better.

The Accubond will give you better down range ballistics.

Look at the BC for both.. The Accubond wins hands down.

[fremont]

I shoot the 140 Sierra Pro-Hunter in mind over Varget and it loves them.  I've just ordered some 2nds from Nosler in their 140 E-tips.  Will see how they do.

[D-Rock425]

Shoot both in your wife's rifle and let the rifle tell you the answer. If the rifle has no preference then it's your choice. You can't go wrong with either one.

[Schwag173]

I'd go 140 for deer and 160s as a dual-purpose deer/elk load.  Beyond that, let the rifle show you what it likes.  Start with the Noslers because you're apparently already enamored with them and we should all be happy.  If they don't shoot under 1 MOA off a good sandbag rest, start looking elsewhere.  Sierra Gamekings are about half the price of "premium" bullets, but those of us that load them don't complain very much.

Now, if your wife doesn't shoot much and/or is recoil-sensitive, handload up a bunch of 100gr bullets for practice.  If you study the manual's ballistic section you can probably find a weak powder-charge that'll approximate the ballistic-curve of the beefier hunting-load.  She gets a light-recoil practice load that's cheap to produce.  Come the adrenalin-rush of shooting at a live animal and she'll never notice the heavier recoil of the hunting-load.   

[runamuk]

Shoot both in your wife's rifle and let the rifle tell you the answer. If the rifle has no preference then it's your choice. You can't go wrong with either one.

I think I agree with this.. but better yet let your wife shoot both and see which she and the rifle prefer

[br8kitoff]

I'd go 140 for deer and 160s as a dual-purpose deer/elk load.  Beyond that, let the rifle show you what it likes.  Start with the Noslers because you're apparently already enamored with them and we should all be happy.  If they don't shoot under 1 MOA off a good sandbag rest, start looking elsewhere.  Sierra Gamekings are about half the price of "premium" bullets, but those of us that load them don't complain very much.

Now, if your wife doesn't shoot much and/or is recoil-sensitive, handload up a bunch of 100gr bullets for practice.  If you study the manual's ballistic section you can probably find a weak powder-charge that'll approximate the ballistic-curve of the beefier hunting-load.  She gets a light-recoil practice load that's cheap to produce.  Come the adrenalin-rush of shooting at a live animal and she'll never notice the heavier recoil of the hunting-load.   

So if you load your own, you can make it shoot like a .243......and those will smoke a deer with a 95g bullet @ 200 yards...or more on a nice day

[carpsniperg2]

The Partition will give you better penetration at close range, and will hold together better.

The Accubond will give you better down range ballistics.

Look at the BC for both.. The Accubond wins hands down.

This is my thoughts as well. I am a huge partition fan as most know. Just got some accubonds for my 338wm and 25-06. Going to give them a try. But like said i would try both and see what the gun groups best with. Both will kill any critter that walks around here. I am running the 140g combined tech bullets. In both my 7mm-08 handgun and semi auto. Both love the loads. But if i wanted to hunt bear and elk i would go to the 140 partitions.

[Schwag173]

So if you load your own, you can make it shoot like a .243......and those will smoke a deer with a 95g bullet @ 200 yards...or more on a nice day

Well, yeah ... for cheap practice ammo.  I would never buy a .243 for novice deer or elk hunting.  I'd have no problem dropping deer with a .243 but the lighter bullets are not a good idea for inexperienced hunters.  The sectional density performance offered by a 140gr 7mm bullet is very forgiving to novice hunters and will outperform anything a .243 can offer.  .243 would be a good choice for novice coyote hunting, though ...

[addicted]

i try not buy lead free ammo. I know barnes was around before the problems, but i feel it fuels the anti's agenda. 

[woodswalker]

I'm with Glenn...heavier bullets make the day...for deer/critters in brush i have 154RNs and run 160BTSPs for most else....tho I have been playing with 140s in a BUNCH of makes to see what the rifle likes.

[addicted]

there are stories of light and fast bullets falling apart on a shoulder or turning in the hide, but a heavy bullets stays on track and always hits like a frieght train. 

[br8kitoff]

I was mostly commenting for the purpose on lack of recoil.  Personally I will never shoot a deer in the shoulder simply because of loosing that meat in a deer that will at best top out at 120# (WT). My 10 y/o shoots a .243, is a novice, the 2 deer he has shot one at 75 yards and one at 130 yards with the winchester ballistic silvertip 95g factory rounds riped the back side of the neck out.  I have shot deer with my .280 with the 140g factory BST round in the shoulder as my only shot and destroyed both shoulders.  And I would not take him elk hunting with the .243.  With that said they drop them all the time with .22's in other states where that's legal.  This is the point where it becomes more "personal" with caliber selection....I mean you don't need a .338 magnum to put an elk down...right? 

[addicted]

....I mean you don't need a .338 magnum to put an elk down...right? 

 

[C-Money]

I really like the 7mm-08. The 140gr ballistic tip ammo I loaded shot great. I am now leaning towards the Accubond.

[jrebel]

Buying my wife a 7mm-08 this week and thought this post was a great start to my reloading for it.  Wondering what you eventually settled on with bullet and powder?  I am thinking nosler partition or accubond as I have seen positive results out of both.  She will be using it for deer and elk.

[Bob33]

You forgot 'other'
My favorite for any caliber is Barnes TSX.
120gr for anything under 200lbs...140gr for elk.
The accuracy of the all-copper bullet is, in my opinion, superior to the cup and core and much better than partition.

My 13 year old shoots 140 grain TTSX out of his 7mm-08. It's very accurate and on-game performance has been exceptional.

[Taco280AI]

I'm wanting to try out the 145 LRX

[C-Money]

Ended up settling in with the Nosler Partition. The rifle has worked flawless. Deer never knew what hit them. Loading 45gr of IMR 4350. Very accurate, and very deadly. Wife and I have both killed big body mule deer at 200+ yards, and they dropped in their tracks. Wife has not had an opportunity to notch an elk tag yet, I am sure it will be devastating on elk as well.  I am a recoil sissy, and this load shoots quite soft. Also, Work your way up to 45gr of IMR 4350, as I believe that is a max load in the Nosler manual.

[jrebel]

C money.....thanks.  I love nosler partitions so glad to here they are working.  I will likely stick with them. I guess it all depends on what I can get my hand on when it is time to start. 

Bob......Glad to here the ttsx worked well.  I am very intrigued by these bullets.  May have to try them.

[Bwana Bob]

Used the 120gr Barnes TS in my 7x57 winchester. devestating.

[Jason]

I've been loading and having great results with 140gr Accubonds pushed by Varget.
1/2" groups from my Ruger American

[Don Fischer]

Buying my wife a 7mm-08 this week and thought this post was a great start to my reloading for it.  Wondering what you eventually settled on with bullet and powder?  I am thinking nosler partition or accubond as I have seen positive results out of both.  She will be using it for deer and elk.

You reload and it's for your wife? I'd go with a 260 Rem. My wife had a 6mm Rem and I had a 6.5x55 put together for her. she never used the 6mm again after trying the 6.5x55.

[huntnphool]

 jreb, my kids guns shoot the 140gr partitions very well, both are compact, short barrel rifles.

[RadSav]

I'm not a huge Partition fan, but at 7-08 velocities...it's a hard one to beat out to 350 yards.  I am a big fan of the Accubond, but past 400 yards it's a real dud in the 7-08.  In that velocity range I'd pick the Partition.  Though I might take a real hard look at the 150 grain if elk is on the list.  Should only increase recoil about 3-4%.

If shots are expected beyond 400 yards I would likely carry a second load that holds neither of those two pills.

[jrebel]

I will likely go with the partition as it is one of my favorite bullets.  With that said......anyone ever shoot the nosler e-tips and if so what is your thoughts for a 140grain in the 7mm-08 for elk?

[h2ofowlr]

My son is shooting the 139gr Nosler Whitetail specials.  They have been very accurate and he is 2 for 2 on deer so far.  One shot each and dropped the deer in their tracks.

[jrebel]

OK....got everything in line.  Savage Lady Hunter in 7mm-08 topped with a Leupold VX-iii 4.5-14x40 LR side focus boon and crockett reticle.  Will be working up a load with 140 grain partitions.

Choice in powders will be:  Varget, H4350, H414.  My 308 loves 414 so may try that, though my gut tells me to try Varget first.  Any thoughts?? 

[p-ohana]

140 gr accubonds in mine, 2 whitetails 3 pigs and a bobcat have gone done with that and none of them went farther than 30 feet. They where all taken in Louisiana,

[jdb]

I'm not a huge Partition fan, care to share why?

[RadSav]

I'm not a huge Partition fan,

care to share why?

When I was guiding bear hunters the vast majority of animals shot with the Partition I had to track.  Most needing to put down later with a second shot.  Have been on two elk hunts with guys shooting Partitions and each time we spent hours tracking to find those animals too.  I don't recall ever losing an animal shot with a Partition but my standards are a bit higher than just recovery.

What I began to notice is that most guys using Partitions were using them at magnum velocities to avoid jacket separation.  At those velocities we were losing the entire front section on entry and only the control area was making complete penetration.  At least jacket separation on Sierra's was happening later as velocity was slowing dumping most of that energy into the chest cavity.

Years later when I decided to start categorizing my guide logs it became very clear.  Those using Partitions at 308, heavy for 30-06, 7X57 and 257 Roberts velocities were getting the best results.  The guys using 300 WM, 300 Wby, 257 Wby and light for 270 and 7MM were experiencing the worst results.  You take that information and start adding in well experienced writers like Boddington who kept preaching "Heavy for Caliber" choices when talking about Partitions and we start to assume that maybe heavy for caliber is working because the velocity is lower and the Partition is working more effectively.

Today we have all kinds of great controlled expansion bullets designed specifically for those magnum velocities.  Some, like the TTSX, that actually perform 10 fold better in "Light for Caliber" rather than the old "Heavy for Caliber".  Partition is still a good bullet if you need to have the ability to smash through big bones on dangerous game.  But the A-Frame probably does that just as well and the Barnes probably does it better yet.  At slow velocity and wanting the best of both worlds (Heart/Lung and shoulder pounding performance) the Partition is still a uniquely qualified bullet with few equals.  But that is becoming a much more rare need than it used to be.

Other than being a flying brick, I do have a much better appreciation for the Partition in the 257 Bob, 7-08, 7X57 and .308 than I used to.  I really think those are the velocities where it performs the best.  And I have come to appreciate the Partition in the 270 and 30-06 when loaded Heavy for Caliber.  But in all those cases I have experienced equal if not superior results out to 250 yards using the Remington Core-Lokt at 1/3rd the price.  Partition only pulling ahead after 300 yards...if you can hit what you are aiming at beyond 300!

A lot of loyal Partition fans love to call me names and send me hate mail every time I explain this.  I don't think they completely understand that I am not bashing the Partition.  All I'm saying is that I am not a huge fan.  I even have guns loaded for them right now!  But if it was the single greatest most universal bullet out there than why has there only been a single copy after all these years?  And that copy being about as opposite in terminal performance to the Partition as it could possibly be.

I'm not a hater.  I'm just not a huge fan...most of the time.

[huntnphool]

I'm not a huge Partition fan,

care to share why?

When I was guiding bear hunters the vast majority of animals shot with the Partition I had to track.  Most needing to put down later with a second shot.  Have been on two elk hunts with guys shooting Partitions and each time we spent hours tracking to find those animals too.  I don't recall ever losing an animal shot with a Partition but my standards are a bit higher than just recovery.

What I began to notice is that most guys using Partitions were using them at magnum velocities to avoid jacket separation.  At those velocities we were losing the entire front section on entry and only the control area was making complete penetration.  At least jacket separation on Sierra's was happening later as velocity was slowing dumping most of that energy into the chest cavity.

Years later when I decided to start categorizing my guide logs it became very clear.  Those using Partitions at 308, heavy for 30-06, 7X57 and 257 Roberts velocities were getting the best results.  The guys using 300 WM, 300 Wby, 257 Wby and light for 270 and 7MM were experiencing the worst results.  You take that information and start adding in well experienced writers like Boddington who kept preaching "Heavy for Caliber" choices when talking about Partitions and we start to assume that maybe heavy for caliber is working because the velocity is lower and the Partition is working more effectively.

Today we have all kinds of great controlled expansion bullets designed specifically for those magnum velocities.  Some, like the TTSX, that actually perform 10 fold better in "Light for Caliber" rather than the old "Heavy for Caliber".  Partition is still a good bullet if you need to have the ability to smash through big bones on dangerous game.  But the A-Frame probably does that just as well and the Barnes probably does it better yet.  At slow velocity and wanting the best of both worlds (Heart/Lung and shoulder pounding performance) the Partition is still a uniquely qualified bullet with few equals.  But that is becoming a much more rare need than it used to be.

Other than being a flying brick, I do have a much better appreciation for the Partition in the 257 Bob, 7-08, 7X57 and .308 than I used to.  I really think those are the velocities where it performs the best.  And I have come to appreciate the Partition in the 270 and 30-06 when loaded Heavy for Caliber.  But in all those cases I have experienced equal if not superior results out to 250 yards using the Remington Core-Lokt at 1/3rd the price.  Partition only pulling ahead after 300 yards...if you can hit what you are aiming at beyond 300!

A lot of loyal Partition fans love to call me names and send me hate mail every time I explain this.  I don't think they completely understand that I am not bashing the Partition.  All I'm saying is that I am not a huge fan.  I even have guns loaded for them right now!  But if it was the single greatest most universal bullet out there than why has there only been a single copy after all these years?  And that copy being about as opposite in terminal performance to the Partition as it could possibly be.

I'm not a hater.  I'm just not a huge fan...most of the time.

 On the flip side, I have never needed to hit a animal more than once with a partition, and never needed to track one more than 10-15 yards. My go to rifle is a 7mm RM, and I have my share of decent trophies.
YMMV

[luteai]

Love your thinking/experience talks RadSav.  Mr. Nosler (Bob?) developed the Partition for standard velocity .270 Win due to poor bullet performance on a B.C. moose hunt.  With his partition the next season he achieved his goal of dropping a moose with out the bullet falling apart. (150 grain  .277 if memory serves)  Only bullet used in my dad's elk camp in the Blues for over 25 years after it's development.  .270's and 30'06's between the same 6 gents for nearly 30 years and lots of dead right there elk.  My experience is much more limited but on the few elk and bear I've used it on (.270 win) it's been a success.  Should be great in 7mm-08.

[RadSav]

A lot of developments to bullets since 1948.  Some even to the Partition!  I remember my grandfather saying he would never shoot the 270 because it was too fast and ruined too much meat. Later he said the same thing about the 7 Mag.  He also used to say only fools take shots further than 200 yards.

YMMV

 

[RadSav]

OK....got everything in line.  Savage Lady Hunter in 7mm-08 topped with a Leupold VX-iii 4.5-14x40 LR side focus boon and crockett reticle.  Will be working up a load with 140 grain partitions.

I believe I have 59 of those 140 Partitions in the drawer.  If you want them you can have them.  Just PM me an address.  I bought them a few years ago when I couldn't find heavier ones for a 280. The complete box hasn't even had the seal broken yet. 

[jrebel]

Pm inbound

[Windwalker]

Good comments RadSav- 

The old days of grabbing whatever is on the shelf or using your grandpa's popular loads has definitely evolved.

I think folks still dwell too much on the advertised max FPS and inches of drop rather than the velocity parameters the bullets were designed for optimal performance.

Unfortunately there is no magic bullet that penetrates regardless of velocity, bone or muscle mass and mushrooms perfectly from point blank to 1000 yards.
For more predictable results a well designed bullet should be used within the recommended impact velocities for reliable expansion and optimum retained weight and hit like the hammer of Thor.

Sounds good on paper but one can only hope. 

Found a site with a plethora of information some may find interesting.
http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/7mm-08+Remington.html

[jrebel]

RadSav and Windtalker......I totally agree.  Had this conversation with a fellow co-worker that swears by speed (velocity).  I had to show him on paper how my slower, heavier bullet hands down out performed his....especially at longer ranges.  Everyone wants their .270 shooting 3000 fps, which in my opinion is to fast.  I shoot 2740 ish fps with a 150 grain partitoion out of my .270 and it outperforms all 130 grain at 3000 fps hands down.....especially past about 250 yards.  Math doesn't lie.  Not to mention it just flattens animals. 

 

[RadSav]

Found a site with a plethora of information some may find interesting.
http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/7mm-08+Remington.html

Nathan Foster's research is really top notch.  But you do need to read between the lines a lot when hunting large mule deer and elk when reading his stuff.  Most of his guiding is done on smaller pigs and goats.  So some of his rave reviews can be mistaken as promising for elk.  Have to read his stuff carefully to get the full scope of his teaching.  Fascinating guy if you ever get the chance to speak with him.

[MountainWalk]

I'm no black bear master, but I have killed 12 by my lonesome and guided to five. Some were real monsters. Three were book quality.

In my opinion, there ain't a black bear alive that warrants a Partition or any other super bullet. Black bears are too soft an animal. They kill, sure, but your plain Jane cup and core is ideal for bear.

  The Partition is one of my fave slugs, but not for deer and bear.

All the bears I've had the pleasure of killing were inside of 50yds, and closer to 30~35, excepting one. 

[BOWHUNTER45]

140 GR