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

[roverandbrew]

I personally have been very happy with Norma Oryx bullets on plains game the last few years in 7x57. 156 Grain Oryx should do well in your rifle.

 

[sgt_zim]

I know that we often think of heavy for caliber bullets as being the best. This is a 7mm-08. Their barrel twist often will not let them shoot well too heavy of a bullet. Plus the limited powder capacity. Not sure it will run a 150 gr TTSX fast enough to really get the most benefit out of it. Likely the 140 AB would be best and then borrow a camp rifle if you decide to hunt for and eland.
Bruce

a 9.5 twist will stabilize all but the longest 175 gr bullets - NABLR won't stabilize in 9.5 well, but a Partition, SGK, Grand Slam, or Swift would.

 

[mdwest]

I personally have been very happy with Norma Oryx bullets on plains game the last few years in 7x57. 156 Grain Oryx should do well in your rifle.

Ive personally witnessed what that 7x57 loaded with the 156gr Oryx will do on both NA game and PG in SA.. I can confirm it has had zero problem killing everything @roverandbrew has launched a projectile at.. I'd happily hunt any PG in SA with it, with the only exception being eland (which is far more on the shooter rather than the rifle.. as I am sure it would also take an eland if I did my part)...

 

[Smull1010]

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.

Thanks for the feedback Nhoro!

We haven't talked with Neil yet. Gary, Dalton and Tristan were our group's PHs in Zimbabwe last year. Right now we've just been in touch with Gary about planning our next trip.

As you and many others here have noted, I will without a doubt run my rifle set up by the Mokore team before moving forward.

And I did hear that compared to the Save Valley the C9 is much closer range.

I just thought a general consensus from this forum would be a good start after my initial research, and thus this post!

Have a great weekend!

 

[John1989]

Barnes ttsx 120 and 140

 

[Smull1010]

He could have borrowed his buddies rifle. . .
I just checked and Doubletap Ammunition has 140 gr ttsx in stock. I was just checking to see what they had available.
Checked Hendershots for same info and it looks like they had a couple good options in stock also

I used Mokore's .308 camp rifle last year.

I'm not sure what grain bullet we were using, but my sister in law took a beautiful Kudu with it, one shot and ran less than 50 yards.

 

[Smull1010]

I just checked the Hendershots site and currently A-Frames are not an option in this caliber.
I am a big fan of the Swift A-Frame but their availability has been poor these last few years in many different diameters.

Ammo availability is obviously one thing that is driving my choice here.

On Hendershots only the following rounds that interest me are available in 7MM:

• Barnes TTSX 140 (Maybe I should consider this?)
• Barnes TTSX 150
• Nosler Accubond 140

The AB 160 isn't in stock right now.

 

[Smull1010]

Im not following this logic...

a moderate to mildly loaded 7-08 shooting 150gr bullets will easily get 2600-2700 fps (more speed is possible if youre willing to go with a hot load.. but really isnt at all necessary)..

minimum impact velocity for ttsx is 1800 fps (although many will tell you that 2100 is really more optimal and reliable..)..

the same 7-08, 150gr load mentioned above that starts at +/- 2600 will still be cruising along at about 2150fps at 300 yards..

so unless the OP is planning on shooting PG with his 7-08 at distances of 300+, there should be zero concern in using the barnes..

FWIW, I shoot a 308 with 168gr barnes TTSX (exclusively.. I shoot no other loading in 308), that is about 2650fps at the muzzle.. Ive taken game out to about 225 with it, and shot targets beyond 300.. and never once had a performance problem from the bullet.. (taken everything from zebra and wildebeest
to whitetail and hogs with it over many, many years)..

That's a great point.

In Zim we didn't take any shots further out than 200 yards and I'm told that in C9 our shots will be even closer. So my assumption in mostly 100 yard shots.

So the 150 grain TTSX sounds like it would work well in this application?

 

[Firebird]

Just for a potentially interesting conversation, have you talked to hendershots and heard what they have to say?

 

[Smull1010]

Great responses! I really appreciate everyone’s feedback as this is an area I’m still learning about.

Sounds like generally speaking the Barnes TTSX should be what I ask my PH about using?

Fast and flat, not heavy, so maybe use the TTSX in the 140 grain?

OR at 100-150 yard ranges would a slightly heavier round be more beneficial using the 150 grain?

OR am I splitting hairs here?

I see a lot of A-Frame suggestions as well and this round was part of my initial research, but I just don’t see the availability to buy it right now from a professional loader. Same for the Norma Oryx.


Sounds like my 7mm-08 will be a little light on the Eland regardless of the round I choose, so I can borrow their 30-06 if the opportunity arises. Eland is pretty low on my list overall, so I’m not too concerned here.

 

[Smull1010]

Just for a potentially interesting conversation, have you talked to hendershots and heard what they have to say?

No, but great point. I’ll drop a note to them too this weekend.

 

[meigsbucks]

Welcome to AH. First, I’d speak with your PH about his opinion. I’ve been using the 7-08 since it first came out in an 18.5” barreled 788. For years, I used the 140gr Sierra ProHunter for deer. When the Barnes TSX came out, I switched to it at 2665 fps. I never shot anything large with it, but it has given excellent results.
Since you have a few larger critters on your list at moderate to short range, I’d go with the 150gr TTSX or a 160gr Swift AF. You’re pretty much duplicating the classic 7x57, which has taken everything on your list thousands of times over.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

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.

I was also thinking along these lines, but there may a problem with overall cartridge length. To fit into the magazine box of some short action 7-08s the 170 or 175 grain bullets may.have to be seated too deeply. I haven't tried it in my Model 7, but I was surprised at how far in I had to seat the 140 grain AccuBonds. I have been thinking about trying the 160 gr. Accubonds. With your vast experience, you probably know better than I do as to what would fit.

Others have suggested the heavier mono metal bullets. As the mono's have to be even longer to attain the same weight I really don't see how that could work.

 

[375Fox]

Why would you want heavier than caliber on plains game?

Livingston Eland can be very large. A 7mm will do it, but it’s not ideal, so a heavy bonded bullet is something of an advantage to make up for the smaller caliber, especially if some brush or slightly quartering. Any other PG really wouldn’t matter.

 

[JimP]

As you may of found out most animals shot while on the hunt are animals of opportunity in that you are hunting for another animal and decide to take a different one.

This can hurt your chances if you are packing a lighter caliber rifle when you need a heavier one.

On my first hunt I was going to take 2 rifles. A 25-06 and a 340 Weatherby. But I asked myself, what was I going to do if I needed the. 340 and had the 25-06 in my hands?

 

[375Fox]

Eland is pretty low on my list overall, so I’m not too concerned here.

There a reason Eland is low on your list? I’d personally take an eland over any of the other species you listed. I’d also prefer it over a buffalo hunt.

 

[Art Lambart II]

I would use Hornady's Superformance 139 grain CX factory ammo and not worry about using Hendershots. It's 100fps faster than Federals Barnes load and is currently avaiable from Midway USA.

As for Eland, remember its a 2000 pound animal and weighs 4 to 8 times more than the size animal the 7mm-08 was intended for, JMO but I would prefer a 375 H&H or larger for Eland.

 

[mdwest]

As for Eland, remember its a 2000 pound animal and weighs 4 to 8 times more than the size animal the 7mm-08 was intended for, JMO but I would prefer a 375 H&H or larger for Eland.

Ive seen them taken with a 30-06 (180 gr A-Frames), and my wife took hers with a 35 Whelen (225 gr TSX)...

I think a 300 mag of some sort is as light as I'd be comfortable with.. especially if the shot was longish (wifes was taken well over 200 yards)..

Im sure thousands have fallen to 7mm bullets over the last several decades...

but 7mm isnt in my personal comfort zone..

 

[IvW]

Why would you want heavier than caliber on plains game?

How many Livingstone eland have you hunted with a 7mm08 firing a 152gr maxipus bullet?

 

[Daisy]

How many Livingstone eland have you hunted with a 7mm08 firing a 152gr maxipus bullet?

Probably the same number you have. So my guess is you don’t have any more experience on that exact scenario than I do.

Actually I’ve shot a 7mm-08 and a Maximus bullet. So looks like I have more.