Got a buddy that just picked up a 7mm08 and is wanting a hunting/target bullet. He’s a big Barnes and Nosler fan.
I’ve done some looking and have ideas just wondering what other are using. He does reload but is new at it.
Just want to hear some first hand experience from y’all who shoot it often.
Thanks

140gr Accubond

I am a long time 7-08 shooter. Lots of powder selections work well in 7-08. Start with Varget. On Texas big game I like a 140 SGK. A cup and core that opens easily Works well at 7-08 velocities. A 120 Nosler Ballistic Tip is a good choice if you want to get the velocity up. For targets and dialing elevation a 162 ELD M is what I like. It will out perform a 140 if you stretch the range. Some dial elevation while hunting and use the 162 ELD for both. I have not used them for hunting so I am going to refrain from comments about using them on game. I think a 140 is the sweet spot for a 7-08 on Texas big game animals. Ammo sales verify that is not a minority opinion.

I have used a few different bullets in the 7mm-08 since 1982. Standard cup and core work in it Game King 140, Speer hotcore 145, Nosler Ballistic tips 120 and 140, partition 140 and Accubond 140s, Swift Sirocco 150, Hornady 139gr PSP an SST, Remington 140 Coreloct and I am sure I used a few others over the years.

Next one on my list to try will be Nosler 150 LRAB with 6.5StaBall powder, some impressive velocities listed for it on the Hodgdon reloading data site. IMR4350 is the powder I started with and switched to Varget when it came out but many others will work for it.

Basically bullets 120 to 162 will work well in the 7mm-08, BMD's daughter has stacked up a lot of critters with the 120gr Barnes bullets if that is what he likes go for it they sure work for her.

162gr amax/eld m is an exceptional do all bullet.

Have you tried STABall powder in the 7mm-08

Hodgdon data for STABall6.5 powder in the 7mm-0
162 GR. HDY A-MAX
47.8 gr
2,821 fps
59,000 PSI

120s at 3200fps, 140s at almost 3000fps and 150s at 2900fps

Not yet but it's on my list to try in 7mm and 22 creed. Hearing lots of great stories though.

^^Goes in the 7mm-08 like peanut butter goes with jelly.

I've killed more animals with a 162 gr A-Max than any other bullet in my arsenal.

Staball and IMR 4451 are what I will look to when I burn my supply of h4350

I was leaning on him with the 140 accubond if he is sold on the Nosler. I think a heavier 162 like a few have suggested
Would be the better do all bullet. Varget seems to be the powder to go with on the 162 and may be the Staball with the 140 and 162.
Good stuff guys.
Thanks

The 120 nosler bt is one that's always served me well besides the 162.

If I had to pick one non Partition bullet to hunt all of Texas with at 7-08 velocities I would choose the 150 gr. Ballistic Tip. Pushed to around 2700 fps this bullet has done everything I asked of it with style. Accurate, penetrates and expands perfectly what more could you ask. That said lately I have been fooling around on the cheap with the 145 gr. Speer BTSP and it has proven to be another good bullet.

The 145 Speer btsp is what I started loading the 7-08 with in 1982, worked good then and I am sure still will today. Lots of good option.

The only bullet I have not been happy with in it were the early Remington factory loads. Instead of the corelot bullet listed on the box they were not that bullet. I had one fragment and not make it through a 150lb bucks shoulder the second shot hit him in the back of the neck as he was running straight away and dropped him but did not exit. Think it was Wooters wrote about those early loads and said the bullets were actually Hornady bullets that were thin jacketed.

FJG, have you tried the 150gr ELD-X? Seems like it might pick up a little speed over the 162 yet still have good BC.

120 NBT

In standard 08 it might but in the ai it doesn't run fast enough to be better.

I have, for 100 rounds. Did a complete load development and then used the remaining bullets in the box.

100 to 800 yards, on paper, steel, and hogs. I didn't like it as much. The wind would blow it around more, and I could tell it wasn't hitting as hard at distance. I apologized to my 162's and vowed to never cheat on them again.

120Gr. Nosler BT is my go to hunting bullet.

The 120 grain SST is a good bullet as well as the 140 grain accubond.

We took my wife’s 7mm-08 to Africa and she killed a Nyala, Kudu and a Zebra with the 140 grain accubonds

I have a Ruger American Stainless in 7-08. My favorite combo is Sierra Pro-Hunter 120 grn & H4895, taken a couple dozen animals with that.

Got some 162 ELD-Ms loaded up with H414 for the weekend, we'll see how that goes.

Since probably 90%+ of big game is killed at distances under 200 yards, you cannot beat a 140gr Accubond running 2800fps. Varget is a great powder that will get you there easily. I'm sure the 162gr AMAX is fine, but I'd trust an Accubond to reliably kill at 500 yds much more so than I'd trust a 162 Amax to kill at 50 yds. It's probably just me though.

I have been running the 140 Berger VLD Hunting bullet with great success at just under 2800 FPS. Verified the load out to 1000 and has killed every critter it has hit. The only thing to run off was misplaced shot by my son. Still found the doe piled up with in 100 yards.

My 700 VLS loves Sierra 100gr HP's over IMR 4895.

For hunting I use Sierra 140gr GK's over the same 4895.

Been playing with Accubond 140gr over 4895 and getting decent accuracy. Haven't shot a critter with them yet but I imagine I won't be disappointment if/when I do.

For some reason my rifle just likes IMR4895, seems every bullet I've tried in the 20yrs I've owned it just shoots better with 4895.

You lost me at "hunting/target" bullet. I didn't think the same bullet would do both at a high level.
Ive used Nosler Partitions for decades and admit to being old school and have never felt the need to research anything different. I also don't shoot paper any more than I need to. So this doesn't appear to be too far off topic I will add that I really like the 708.

Someone on here not too long ago did a pretty extensive work-up on 7-08 handloads.
I looked for the post but can't find it... any help here?
Had a lot of load testing and velocity and accuracy
Would like to revisit that one