Help me decide: which Plains Game Bullet for my 7mm-08?

[Smull1010]

Hi! This is my first post on African Hunting after lurking for the last year.

A little background to my question......I was blessed to be invited on my first African hunt in Zimbabwe last July with Mokore Safaris at their Savé Valley Conservancy camp. Our party had an amazing time, I took a few Impala and I'm now hooked! I can't say enough positive about the Mokore team, real professionals!

We are discussing another trip with Mokore in 2025 to their C9 camp in Mozambique. I plan to take this trip a bit more seriously than my first, plan it out and bring my own rifle for plains game, a Remington 700 in 7mm-08.

My general list for the hunt is:

• Kudu
• Bushbuck
• Impala
• Warthog
• Waterbuck
• Duiker
• Eland (Maybe)
• Nyala (Maybe)

Now my question. I've narrowed down my 7mm-08 ammo selection between:

140 grain Accubond or 150 grain Barnes TTSX
​

I'll probably look at someone like Hendershots to get these loaded.

Which would you pick and why? OR! Is their another load that would better match my rifle and the plains game I've listed here.

Thank you!

 

[mauserhunter]

I'd go 140 AB, I just don't think the 7-08 has the speed for the barnes

 

[JimP]

I would go with the 150 grain Barnes TTSX. I have been using their bullets for over 20 years now and with Eland on your list you are going to want a heaver bullet than the 140 grain Accubond.

 

[tydaws]

I’d go with whatever shoots best in your rifle. Both solid choices. I’d also take a hard look at the 160 Accubond.

I killed my first bull elk this past fall with a 160 Accubond out of a 7 SAW (improved version of 7mm-08) at 531 yards.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Hi! This is my first post on African Hunting after lurking for the last year.

A little background to my question......I was blessed to be invited on my first African hunt in Zimbabwe last July with Mokore Safaris at their Savé Valley Conservancy camp. Our party had an amazing time, I took a few Impala and I'm now hooked! I can't say enough positive about the Mokore team, real professionals!

We are discussing another trip with Mokore in 2025 to their C9 camp in Mozambique. I plan to take this trip a bit more seriously than my first, plan it out and bring my own rifle for plains game, a Remington 700 in 7mm-08.

My general list for the hunt is:

• Kudu
• Bushbuck
• Impala
• Warthog
• Waterbuck
• Duiker
• Eland (Maybe)
• Nyala (Maybe)

Now my question. I've narrowed down my 7mm-08 ammo selection between:

140 grain Accubond or 150 grain Barnes TTSX
​

I'll probably look at someone like Hendershots to get these loaded.

Which would you pick and why? OR! Is their another load that would better match my rifle and the plains game I've listed here.

Thank you!

I have been hunting blacktail deer with a 7-08..I really like the 140 grain AccuBonds. I've only killed one buck with this combination. He was angled away at 196 yards. I hit him just in front of the last rib. The bullet broke the next two ribs, went.up.through the chest cavity, and exited out the side of the deer's neck. As you might guess,the tracking job was not lengthy. About 5 yards. I have shot a lot of animals in Africa and NA with Accubonds in various rifles and have never recovered a single bullet. I don't shoot any other expanding bullet anymore.

As much as I like the 7-08 and 140 gr. AccuBonds though, I think it might be a little light for eland (they're huge). Everything else on.your list should be good. As with any.hunting, cartridge and bullet construction are very important, but shot placement is the most important thing.

 

[Bigry]

I like the barnes but really it comes down to what your rifle likes

 

[Kelly G]

Plains game is easy to kill use Remington Core-Lokt 7mm-08 Rem 140 Grain​

 

[Mountaineer]

Federal tipped bonded.

 

[JimP]

Another thing that is going to dictate on what bullet you use is what you can find in loaded ammo or what components you can find if you plan to load your own.

 

[Daisy]

Hi! This is my first post on African Hunting after lurking for the last year.

A little background to my question......I was blessed to be invited on my first African hunt in Zimbabwe last July with Mokore Safaris at their Savé Valley Conservancy camp. Our party had an amazing time, I took a few Impala and I'm now hooked! I can't say enough positive about the Mokore team, real professionals!

We are discussing another trip with Mokore in 2025 to their C9 camp in Mozambique. I plan to take this trip a bit more seriously than my first, plan it out and bring my own rifle for plains game, a Remington 700 in 7mm-08.

My general list for the hunt is:

• Kudu
• Bushbuck
• Impala
• Warthog
• Waterbuck
• Duiker
• Eland (Maybe)
• Nyala (Maybe)

Now my question. I've narrowed down my 7mm-08 ammo selection between:

140 grain Accubond or 150 grain Barnes TTSX
​

I'll probably look at someone like Hendershots to get these loaded.

Which would you pick and why? OR! Is their another load that would better match my rifle and the plains game I've listed here.

Thank you!

I would have them load a 152gr Maximus by cutting edge ballistics. Devastating.

.284/7mm 152gr Rifle Maximus - 50ct

.284/7mm 152gr solid copper, lead-free hunting bullet. This truly unique line of bullets combines high BC and massive terminal performance for ultimate take-down power. After 4-6” of penetration, 4-8 blades break off and create one large, massive wound channel.

cuttingedgebullets.com

 

[SFRanger7GP]

Ask your PH what he recommends. For what it is worth, Mama has killed most plains game up to sable with her 275 Rigby using 170 Norma Oryx bullets that I loaded for her. The only bullet that did not exit was a huge warthog she shot in the head and the beautiful, mushroomed bullet was found on the back of his right hip. Full pass through both shoulders on her sable and everything else she has shot.

Safe hunting

 

[shootist~]

A wonderful problem to have. Enjoy your planning.

Except for possibly the Eland, the 7mm08 should work great, IMO. Mine loved 160s, but mule deer is the largest I took with it.

For Africa, heavy for caliber is generally preferred in bonded bullets. (See @SFRanger7GP 's post above.) For the Kudu, I would think the 156 gr Norma Oryx or 160 gr A-Frame would be a good choice.

For the Barnes, where velocity is important, I would think the 140 gr would be about ideal. But a call or email to Barnes might be worth it to confirm.

 

[Graham Hunter]

I would use the Hornady CX 150gr. Similar to Barnes but I like them better.

 

[PanhandlinPat]

I wouldn’t discount the 140 grain partition, I’ve killed a pile of game with them in a 7x57; including a 340 pound mule deer I hit in the brisket at 270 yards. Bullet exited his hind quarter!

Of the two you picked I’d choose the Barnes. Never had much luck getting the 140 grain AccuBond to shoot an a couple different rifles.

 

[Ryan]

I own a 7mm-08 and load my own for it. i use Barnes TTSX and when I want heavier I go with their 140 grain, not the 150. The 140s still have the speed needed for proper expansion. I have a load that cloverleafs at 100 yards in my Savage and drops caribou DRT. I'd use it on everything on your list except eland without reservations. With an eland be very picky about the shot with a 7mm-08. Under 150 yards, calm, broadside or quartering away a bit. It's a damned big animal with heavy bones and if it isn't perfect you're going to have a long day of tracking ahead.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Taking Kudu & eland into consideration, I'd recommend heavy-for-caliber 170-175Gr bullets.

Amongst currently manufactured bullet choices, my recommendation would be for:
- 170Gr Norma Oryx
- 173Gr Prvi Partizan soft nose
- 170Gr Rhino Solid Shank

If Kudu & eland are not on your menu, then your choice of 140Gr Nosler AccuBonds will prove to be perfectly adequate.

P.S: Even though Nosler has been listing them as "Out Of Stock" ever since 2019... I must concur that the 175Gr Nosler Partition used to be the finest all-round 7mm caliber expanding bullet on the market. It worked like lighting on all plains game.

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hi,

After using the same cartridge, 7x57, on similar size game for more than 50 years, I would recommend the Nosler Partition or Accubond 160 grs loaded at 2650/2700 f/s.
By the way, the NP is one of the only bullets that is soft enough to expand at low velocities but strong enough to assures penetration on game from any angle. The Accubond also.

Good luck!

CF

 

[Fabnosh]

I love my 7mm08 but..... be mindful of the fact that outside of the US, ammo is virtually non-existent in this calibre especially SA/Zim/Moz etc.

After all the issues of getting my beloved 7mm08 to Africa...my ammo never made it and, to this day, no one has any idea where it is! Basically that meant I'd transported an ornament to SA that sat in my room and taunted me every day. That was 10 years ago.

Since then, I only travel with either/and a .308 or .375 - both of which are 'universals calibres' (along side probably 30-06 and 300WM) for which factory ammo is available all over the planet should the precious, shinny home loads not make it on or off the plane.

To answer the question though, 140grn accubonds.

FN

 

[Nhoro]

If you are hunting Coutada 9, you will be with Neil Duckworth so ask him what he would like you to use. Shots there are pretty close range.

I like heavy bullets which pushes you to lead based bullets. They open up well and penetrate well. I would go with a frames as heavy as are accurate in your rifle. Remember, 7x 57 built its reputation with heavy bullets. And you can always borrow their 30-06 for the Eland. I filmed a hunt there 2 years ago and the client took a nice Eland with the camp 3006.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I've never jumped onto the Barnes bullet bandwagon. They are good bullets, I just never went that direction.

For my 7x57, essentially the ballistically equivalent of the 7mm-08, I found the 160 gr Swift A Frames to be ideal for PG. I load them to a little over 2500 fps and I have had excellent results.