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7mm-08 Newbie

3K views 17 replies 7 participants last post by  karlrudin 
#1 ·
I am new to reloading, haven't loaded a single cartridge yet in fact. I have 160 cleaned and decapped and I am thinking of going with a 140gr Nosler Accubond or Nosler Partition. The powders i am considering are Ramshot Big Game or Varget. Any suggestions or comments on these combos for a noob? I have a Remington 700 and would like a good starting point to work from.
 
#2 ·
My Nosler manual is too long in the tooth to list those powders, but my Hornady manual shows Varget for their 139gr bullets starting with 33.5gr and a maximum of 41.5gr. Lee shows a slightly higher max for 139gr and 140gr so the Hornady data should be safe. The best I can do with Ramshot Big Game is point you to their load data: http://www.ramshot.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/WP_LoadSpec_1-23-14.pdf

I've used a 140gr Nosler partition to take a few head of deer in my 7x57 Mauser so either bullet should be good for big game depending on if you want to maximize penetration or long range performance.
 
#4 ·
I've not used AccuBond, but my impression is that they use a bonded core to get similar weight retention and penetration as the partition. At that range either would work fine on Whitetail as you don't need the extra accuracy of the AccuBond.

If pressed to choose I would go with partition out of personal familiarity with the deadliness of the partition. If you have the Lyman 49th manual then you can read in chapter 12 where the author says the Accubond is his "go-to" bullet choice.

You might find this helpful: http://www.chuckhawks.com/nosler_hunting_bullets.htm
 
#5 ·
If you're just starting reloading and only hunting whitetail,why do you feel the need to start with the highest quality,most expensive bullets out there?Hornady,Speer,and others offer bullets for half as much that will kill whitetails every bit as succesfully.They aren't "cheap" bullets.JMHO.
 
#6 ·
A better question is why not use a premium bullet for that once a year shot? Is the ammo not the least expensive part of the average hunting trip?

I grew up using Remington core-lokt (similar design to the Hornady interlock) and despite the cost we all switched to premium bullets after witnessing too many failures of traditional cup and core un-bonded bullets. The most common failure was partial fragmentation on hitting a rib, causing loss of penetration and making a mess to clean out. More problematic was a hit on a shoulder, causing total fragmentation and wasting a good chunk of meat. They killed plenty of deer, but so have automobiles.

My most recent deer kill was with a 150gr partition in a .308 at a range of about 20-25 yds. The partition made two neat holes and the buck took a few steps then dropped. A traditional bullet design would likely have self-destructed at that velocity had it hit any bone. The buck before that was exactly the same but at about 75 yds.
 
#7 ·
I cannot totally disagree with what your saying about occasional fragmentation upon hitting heavy bone.My point mainly is that if I'm not mistaken is that he has never loaded a single round.I know when I began,I made mistakes,damaged brass,damaged bullets,etc. before I became proficient enough that I felt it was time that I felt it was wise for me to even think of using the most exp. bullets,brass etc. My last 4 most recent deer kills were with a 150gr "cheapo" Hornady interloc in a 30-06 at about 75yds average or less. They all made 2 holes too but maybe not quite as neat.Un-like yours none of the 4 took any steps at all.At what point did my Hornady fail in the death of those 4? I know the Noslers are better made bullets designed to hold together regardless,but these are whitetails not elk or moose.I really wasn't trying to get in a pissing contest,merely offering my opinion to a beginner for what it's worth. His first reloads can have solid gold bullets in them if he so desires.
 
#8 ·
I agree with the rest in this post, why spend the big money on the premium bullets when there is no need to. In general, the deer here in the south don't tend to be sturdy enough to need a partition bullet. The one's I've seen have been took with "hotcor, corelok" prices bullets or over the counter ammo. I use 145gr Speer hotcors in my 7-08 and get sub moa groups all day long. If you have doubts about your bullets performance down range, work on your load accuracy and consistency. Then you can do like I do and not worry about the down range performance and give the male/female deer a 3rd eye and watch them drop on the spot.
 
#9 ·
I'm with you Steve, I've seen lots of failures when using "Core-Lokt" type bullets. I have loaded and tried lots of different bullets from different manufacturers. I typically use all copper alloy bullets now. Just about any bullet will suffice if a perfect broadside shot in open country is presented. I don't seem to get many of those, so I rely on a tough bullet if a less than perfect shot is presented. My favorites are Barnes TTSX and the Hornady GMX. Try different bullets & loads and see what YOUR rifle shoots best. Good Luck.
 
#10 ·
While I have yet to see a bullet of even the cheapest manufacturer "fail", in my book that would be a lost animal, I have had to chase some a little farther than others. But never more than 100 yards. I always start with the lowest cost bullet and work my way up. One thing I definitely agree on with shootbrownelk is that you must find what reloading components work best for your weapon. I might be the top of the line bullet or the bottom priced one. So why not start cheap and work up. I my case I have never had any luck with Nosler brand but have had good luck with PPU. The cost difference between them is unreal. So just try and find out what your weapon likes best and enjoy from there. Unless you are hunting LARGE deer, ie Muley's or elk, I wouldn't really worry about the bullet. Worry about your shot placement and accuracy.
 
#11 ·
I just looked and Consumedbycamo hasn't been back since he first made a couple of posts.He read SteveM's first posts of good advice that day and hasn't returned.I guess he got what he needed.Our other posts I guess were just debating amongst ourselves.But it was fun anyhow even if he never saw the other posts.I hate when they do that.
 
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#12 ·
I just looked and Consumedbycamo hasn't been back since he first made a couple of posts.He read SteveM's first posts of good advice that day and hasn't returned.I guess he got what he needed.Our other posts I guess were just debating amongst ourselves.But it was fun anyhow even if he never saw the other posts.I hate when they do that.
Yea accident I hope he has seen the rest of the discussion. good advice was given. As soon as my imr 4064 runs out, I will be using the loading that he is debating on for my 7-08, 140 gr noslers with varget powder, for hunting loads. when I'm at the range practicing I usually replace the noslers with sierras.
 
#13 ·
Not to steal the thread but after a year on b-order,my 150gr 30-30 flat noses came in.In that time I never found anyIMR 3031.I settled on IMR 4064 for it.I want to use one of my 30-30's hunting this year just for a change.Everyone must be loading 30-30 for the flat noses to be so scarce.Sorry,my point.....was the 4064 unsatisfactory in your 7-08?
 
#14 ·
I don't know about using 4064 in 7-08 cause I haven't tried it yet but it works the best I found in 308. Since 308 is the parent of 7-08, it should still do well. I have found that Imr 3031 and BL-C2 works well for the 140-150 range in 7-08 for my rifle
 
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