7-08 elk load - 140 lead free, 150 Scirocco, or 160 a-frame?

[COelkhunter2020]

So I decided to buy a lighter recoiling and lighter weight rifle to hunt elk with this year. Found a nice model 70 in 7-08 on the used market, and put a 1.5 x 8 scope on it that has a BDC reticle. I should be all set to hunt in the timber, and out to 300 yard or so. Next step is to pick out a hunting bullet and get in some practice. I could use some advice on the optimal bullet to use.

I hunt at tree line first season every year, call it 10,500 ft of elevation. Most of the elk I shoot are in the trees, usually at less than 250 yards, some at archery range. I pass on a lot of shots that are less than ideal even when armed with my 300 win mag, I expect to do the same with when carrying the 7-08.
So I have narrowed the bullet choices down to the 3 in the title and wanted to ask if anyone has experience with any of these loads from a 7-08 on elk? My priorities for the factory load selection are as follows:
1) reliable and maximum tissue damage between point blank and 300 yards at high elevation. Expect the accidental shoulder shot from time to time. Leaning towards the closer shot distance.
2) acceptable hunting accuracy of 1.25 moa or better
3) low amounts of lead transferred to the meat (high weight retention or lead free). I would like to limit the amount of lead ingested.
4)trajectory is not expecting to be an issue due to the max 300 yards, high elevation, and BDC reticle

Please leverage your experience and let me know if one is more optimal than the others for how I intend to use it.

thank you, in advance, for your help

 

[MTLabrador]

I don’t own a 7-08, but I’d go with any well constructed 120-140, whether it was a solid copper or bonded/partitioned bullet. My uncle loves the 120 Nosler BT in his 7-08, and he’s taken bear, elk, and mountain goat with it.

Do a search on here and see what folks have done with the 7-08 and 140ish bullets.

 

[Matthunts7]

Great choice on caliber and rifle! My wife shoots that for her elk rifle and I shoot it for deer on some hunts. No input on elk kill shots, but lethal on big bodied mule deer and I suspect would be the same on elk. One of the owners of the gun shop I go to often has shot many elk with her -08 and says she never has had a problem. I shoot the federal premium trophy copper in 140 grain and average about a .75 inch group at 100 yards. I really wish Barnes vor-TX would make a 140 grain in -08 factory load.
Look forward to seeing more on this thread. Thanks for posting!

Matt

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I shoot 120 etips and 140 Aframes in a .264 win mag.

Both are accurate, etips slightly better than A-frames. I mostly get clean pass throughs with both, the 1 Aframe I recovered had great expansion, but very good retention.

I think either is a great option but I switched to etips. I tend to error towards the “most” legal setup as I like to hunt a ton of states, eg I always have a blaze hat and vest in my bag, CO, MT, WY, ID etc all vary but I know I’m always good to go... not a ton of states require copper... but some do and this way I don’t need to switch things up on the fly, I reload only so it takes a bit more effect to get different ammo.

 

[jryoung]

I loaded 140etips in a 7x57 (2850fps) and it handled a moose with ease in the timber. If my wife wouldn't give me the raised eyebrow for taking her gun it'd be the first one id grab given your scenario

 

[Dougfirtree]

I shoot the 140 e tip in 7mm-08. Below is a pic of what that load looks like after traveling through 5 milk jugs (weight retention was about 99% as I recall). That's a great choice, as would be the 140 ttsx, 139 LRX, 145 LRX from Barnes, or the 140 Federal Trophy Copper. I've been intrigued by the 131 grain Hammer Hunter too. The 150 Scirocco would be another great choice, as would be the 140, or 150, or even 160 accubonds. The 140 Trophy Bonded Tip would be good too. A frames are great bullets, but with the push of a 7mm-08, I'd vote for something with a better BC for elk hunting. But, since you're concerned with lead, I'd just go with a mono. The only elk I've actually killed with my 7mm-08 was with a 150 accubond LR (which was the most elk-worthy factory load I could get my hands on in the post-Newtown days). It did fine, but did not retain as much weight as I would have liked.

 

[blueridge]

What's your twist rate and would it even stabilize a 150 or 160gr bullet? Berger Bullets' website has a "Twist Rate Stability Calculator" where you can enter your specs and analyze.
My 7-08 has a 1:9.5 and I shoot Federal Premium w/ 140gr Barnes TSX.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I don’t own a 7-08, but I’d go with any well constructed 120-140, whether it was a solid copper or bonded/partitioned bullet. My uncle loves the 120 Nosler BT in his 7-08, and he’s taken bear, elk, and mountain goat with it.

Do a search on here and see what folks have done with the 7-08 and 140ish bullets.

After reading all the good reviews on the 120 grain NBTs, I finally got to try them out on 3 whitetail bucks. Very impressive.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I shoot the 140 e tip in 7mm-08. Below is a pic of what that load looks like after traveling through 5 milk jugs (weight retention was about 99% as I recall). That's a great choice, as would be the 140 ttsx, 139 LRX, 145 LRX from Barnes, or the 140 Federal Trophy Copper. I've been intrigued by the 131 grain Hammer Hunter too. The 150 Scirocco would be another great choice, as would be the 140, or 150, or even 160 accubonds. The 140 Trophy Bonded Tip would be good too. A frames are great bullets, but with the push of a 7mm-08, I'd vote for something with a better BC for elk hunting. But, since you're concerned with lead, I'd just go with a mono. The only elk I've actually killed with my 7mm-08 was with a 150 accubond LR (which was the most elk-worthy factory load I could get my hands on in the post-Newtown days). It did fine, but did not retain as much weight as I would have liked.
View attachment 146153

That’s good looking results on the 140s. Most things I’ve read would indicate that you would need to drop down to the 120s for monos. That pic would give folks more options.

 

[Dougfirtree]

That’s good looking results on the 140s. Most things I’ve read would indicate that you would need to drop down to the 120s for monos. That pic would give folks more options.

I've heard alot of people say that too, but if you accept that the bullet will open ok down to about 2200fps, the 140's look pretty good. My load runs about 2740fps, so at 6000ft elevation, I've got 2200fps+ and 1500 foot pounds out to almost 400 yards. I wish they made a .284 130 grain e-tip though. I bet that would be a really perfect one for the 7mm-08.[/QUOTE]

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I've heard alot of people say that too, but if you accept that the bullet will open ok down to about 2200fps, the 140's look pretty good.

It's more about twist rates, the OAL of a 120 copper is going to be very similar to a 140 lead.

 

[Dougfirtree]

It's more about twist rates, the OAL of a 120 copper is going to be very similar to a 140 lead.

Yeah, that makes sense, though I had great luck with 160 accubonds in my last 7mm-08. I haven't tried anything heavier than 140 in the new one.

 

[homers]

140 AB or 131 (actual weight is 134) Hammer Hunters.

 

[COelkhunter2020]

Hi everyone,
Thanks for your thoughtful replies. The image of the expanded e-tip and first hand accounts of mono’s having pass throughs sold me on the mono route. I don’t know what else I could ask for from a bullet or loading. I’m going to pick up a box of nosler e-tips, and a box of federal trophy copper and see if they group well in my rifle.
Thanks again.

 

[Brian in Montana]

I've admittedly never shot an animal with solid coppers, but most everything I've read about them is they perform most reliably when pushed fast. Just because of that theoretical knowledge, I'd be a little reluctant to run them through a 7-08. That said, I will defer to those that have used monos.

 

[Lilhowie83]

So I decided to buy a lighter recoiling and lighter weight rifle to hunt elk with this year. Found a nice model 70 in 7-08 on the used market, and put a 1.5 x 8 scope on it that has a BDC reticle. I should be all set to hunt in the timber, and out to 300 yard or so. Next step is to pick out a hunting bullet and get in some practice. I could use some advice on the optimal bullet to use.

I hunt at tree line first season every year, call it 10,500 ft of elevation. Most of the elk I shoot are in the trees, usually at less than 250 yards, some at archery range. I pass on a lot of shots that are less than ideal even when armed with my 300 win mag, I expect to do the same with when carrying the 7-08.
So I have narrowed the bullet choices down to the 3 in the title and wanted to ask if anyone has experience with any of these loads from a 7-08 on elk? My priorities for the factory load selection are as follows:
1) reliable and maximum tissue damage between point blank and 300 yards at high elevation. Expect the accidental shoulder shot from time to time. Leaning towards the closer shot distance.
2) acceptable hunting accuracy of 1.25 moa or better
3) low amounts of lead transferred to the meat (high weight retention or lead free). I would like to limit the amount of lead ingested.
4)trajectory is not expecting to be an issue due to the max 300 yards, high elevation, and BDC reticle

Please leverage your experience and let me know if one is more optimal than the others for how I intend to use it.

thank you, in advance, for your help

We use Hornady 150 grain ELD-X's in my boys 7mm-08 and he has killed several deer and a couple of elk with it. His elk last year was right at 250 yards. They always shoot a very tight group at the range too.

 

[wsco3506]

My son has killed elk with the 120 and the 140 grain ttsx out of his 708. One at 275 yards and one at 315 yards. Both bullets performed great. The 140's are at 2700 and will shoot just under an inch. I am considering doing what you are doing and going with a lightweight lower recoiling rifle, probably in a 708 and will be watching this discussion closely.---R

 

[Taxed in Maine]

Personally, I would try the 139 lrx First.

 

[dk88]

You might want to consider the hornady GMX. I have shot my last 2 elk with a 20" barrel 7mm-08. I tried the 139 GMX, 140 Etip, and a 120 TTSX. The GMX grouped the best for me and on a chrono had muzzle velocities around 100 fps higher than the factory rating where the Etip was around 100 fps slower than the factory rating.

 

[COelkhunter2020]

Did you use the Hornady Superformance or the regular velocity load?