All true. It impresses me still. If it wasn't so heavy and was semi, I wouldn't need any other center-fire rifle. No rifle is perfect for everyone, some are dang close though.

I think dee had his 7mm-08AI before you did

I give dee all the credit for that.

That dang Gary rang my phone a bunch over the project. So I can rib him a bit.

My favorite WT caliber, just can't get mine away from my son!

Exactly how many hammers does Thor's family have?

I'll never be without one at this point. It's a staple in my lineup.

I thought there was just Thor's but evidently there is a smaller hammer that BarneyWho has found

I'll never be without one either. Probably culled at least 100 wt deer/aoudad with one, primarily with 140 AB's and partitions, but here is a half-day's worth of wt doe culling with 120 ballistic tips. Not sure if they're "Thor's Hammer" or not, but the combo is a deer killing machine.

That must have been the one he handed me Sunday while building the tree house, I was so tired I could barely pick it up

Those 120's running fast are an incredibly tough bullet.

I see the results and the comment on the 120's. I have been trying to work up a load for my 7-08 and found the Nosler 120 BT to be quite accurate, running around 3000 fps, but I'm concerned about it being a little too fragile. Would you choose it for a large whitetail buck or a large hog?

Absolutely and have used it myself on several with zero issues.

I'm a 162 gr guy. I tried 150's, but they didn't please me like the 162's always do.

I fireformed my AI cases with 162's due to peer pressure....since then I've evidently flashed back to the 80's and am now playing with 140 BT's. I really tried to kill a pig with it this past weekend to see how it performed. Unfortunately, no pigs were dumb enough to play with that gun.

120's can be pushed pretty dang fast out of one and hit hard.

Yep, 120s are a special bullet. They draw the jacket using the same cup as the 140s so you get a tougher bullet.

So what specific 120 grain bullet are y’all referring to as tough and dependable?

I’ve contemplated between 243 Win and 7mm-08 for hogs

In the 243 Win there are at least 12 bullets between 70-100 grains @ .12-.15 cents per bullet

In the 7mm-08 there is maybe 1

Same with loaded ammo, 243 you can get a box of shells for 14.00 (decent ammo) but 7mm-08 is like 25.00

Only way I’d do 7mm-08 for hogs is if I can get a bullet such as this magical 120 grain for cheap and reload to save cost

They are referring to the Nosler Ballistic Tips...not a cheap bullet.

Cheapest way to get Nosler bullets is from Shooters proshop when there are overruns or blemish bullets for sale there. When nosler did the accubond bullets they thickened the shank of the bullet and brought that jacket to the hunting ballistic tips, making it a little more controlled epansion and a lot tougher along the back half of the bullet

I am running the 140 grain BTs and ABs in my 7mm-08. They kill deer quite well. I am running the 120 grain BTs in my 7TCU and they work great too. The expand well at the lower velocities of the TCU but still hold together quite well at the higher velocities of the 7-08.
When my 7-08AI is done I will be running the heavier bullets (150-162) in it.

The 120gr Fed Fusion is a stout bullet. You can't get the bullet, but you can get boxes ~$20 if you shop and/or buy in bulk.

Here...I hope this helps.

I hunted for a few years with a guy that grew up in Alaska. He used a 7-08. Said he killed everything in North America with it except brown and grizzly bears.