120 gr? 140? 150?

Carmike · October 17, 2016, 11:17 PM

Hello all,

Relatively new deer hunter here. I have a Ruger American 7mm-08 rifle that I plan to bring to the stand with me this year, and I am wondering how much bullet choice matters. All shots, if I'm lucky enough to get one, will be under 100 yards, as where I hunt in north central Minnesota is pretty thick cover.

I have bullets in 120 gr, 140 gr, and 150 gr that I got from a friend who had them left over after he sold his rifle. For my uses, will the bullet I choose make much of a difference?

Finally, if I've got the gun sighted in using one of the bullet weights, should I only use that weight, or will the difference at close ranges be negligible enough to not worry about?

Sorry for the newbie questions, and thanks in advance for any help.

Carmike

Scorch · October 18, 2016, 01:08 AM

140 gr will give you good performance and penetration on deer-sized animals. 120s are just too fragile for heavy northern deer.

NHSHOOTER · October 18, 2016, 04:48 AM

I have 2 7-08's and they both like different bullets, shoot whatever bullet you have sighted in with. Try all three and see which gives you the best group. Personally I think whatever bullet weight you pick will kill "drt" if you hit em in the boiler room.

eastbank · October 18, 2016, 04:51 AM

any of those bullets will kill any deer in america or any where else for that matter, use the one that shoots the best and shoot them thru the lungs. i happen to like the 120gr bullets at 3000fps and it shoots two shot groups that a dime will cover at 200 yards. why two shot groups you may ask, well the first shot from a cold barrel may be different than the second shot from a warm barrel at game while hunting and my load and rem 7mm08 shoot the first two into a figure eight that a dime covers at 200 yards from a rest. i have killed a truck load of deer with that rifle and load, i just got back from wyoming on a prong horn hunt and took two, one at 280yrds and one at 310yrds. both with complete chest pass thru,s with a healthy load of varget and 120gr nosler bullets. eastbank.

Blindstitch · October 18, 2016, 04:58 AM

I like 140-150. As for using all three I would find the one my gun likes the best and use that. Then if you want to try another see where it impacts. It might be high/low or it could be way off in another direction.

jmr40 · October 18, 2016, 05:26 AM

Knowing the manufacturer and exact bullet would be more helpful than just the bullet weight. A 120 gr Barnes TTSX will out penetrate a 140 gr SST.

But all things being equal speed kills. Any of them will kill a deer, but everything I read from 7-08 shooters say the 120's put deer down faster. If you start shooting long range or hunting game larger than deer the heavier bullets start to be an advantage.

Mobuck · October 18, 2016, 06:41 AM

Generally, you should stick to the middle of the weight range for medium sized game(deer). I've had excellent results with 139-140 grain bullets from a couple of brands for deer hunting.
Quite often, the lighter bullets for each cartridge are designed for use on "varmints" and will expand too rapidly to perform as well on deer.
Remington CoreLokt , Hornady soft point/SST , and Nosler BT are designed to work well on deer sized critters--I've used all of these with equally good results.
I'm currently using the Hornady 139 SP factory loads unless I'm guiding. If I'm in "guide mode", I load my 7mm08 carbine with the old Speer 145 Grand Slam factory ammo as I'm fairly sure it will penetrate a deer end to end if that is what I need to do to end the blood trail.

ammo.crafter · October 18, 2016, 06:52 AM

My personal choice would be 140gr.

As others have mentioned, it also depends on the type and construction of the bullets you have.

I hunt with a single shot 7 x 30 Waters which gives 1/2" MOA at 100 yds and drops deer and hogs with a single shot. I use Barnes 140gr TTSX for hunting.

Art Eatman · October 18, 2016, 08:38 AM

Historically, in 7mm, the 139/140-grain bullets have been the traditional "deer bullet".

kraigwy · October 18, 2016, 08:41 AM

Best choice would be to see what shoots best in your gun.

I don't know what you consider short range, but in deer hunting, you could sight the rifle in for any of the three weights you listed and not be off enough to matter to 300 yards or so.

Sure Shot Mc Gee · October 18, 2016, 09:52 AM

I hunt North of Hibbing so I too know what it takes to put Brown on the ground up there on Da'Range.
120 gr is quite capable. A fast flat shooting open field cartridge it's gott'a be. In the bush plowing its way thru those Balsam limbs the 120 may not be your best choice. Since Federal makes 5 different 140 gr cartridges and only one 150 gr. 140s must be the chosen one by your Brother'n owners of the 7mm-08.
Frankly I was surprised how few 7mm bullet weights are available in its store bought. (120-140-150 only.)

Snyper · October 18, 2016, 09:59 AM

They will all do the job, so use the one that's most accurate in your rifle.

A 120 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip performs well even at higher velocities, so don't believe those who say it's "too fragile". You also don't need to pay extra for solid copper bullets.

People overthink things due to so many choices being available, when reality is they all work well. Shot placement makes far more difference than which bullet you use.

NHSHOOTER · October 18, 2016, 01:36 PM

Snyper, I am heading down to SC in a few days with both of my 7-08s, my ruger prefers 120 nosler ballistic tips and my model 7 likes sierra 140 gr spbt. We will see which kills em better. Stay tuned for an update by the end of the month..

Snyper · October 18, 2016, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Snyper, I am heading down to SC in a few days with both of my 7-08s, my ruger prefers 120 nosler ballistic tips and my model 7 likes sierra 140 gr spbt. We will see which kills em better. Stay tuned for an update by the end of the month..

I've killed deer with bullets ranging from 55 grains to 300 grains.
Shot placement is all that really matters in 99.9% of hunting situations.

Model12Win · October 18, 2016, 06:06 PM

Use the 150s, you want max weight for the push through to reach vitals.

NHSHOOTER · October 18, 2016, 06:13 PM

Same here snyper, its all about where you put that lil bullet

FITASC · October 18, 2016, 06:39 PM

In MY Model 7 7-08, the 140 Sierra SPBT, followed closely by the Nosler 140 Partition are the best in my gun for accuracy.

Saltydog235 · October 18, 2016, 08:14 PM

I shoot 150grn NBT's out of a 20" at 2650fps. I've killed a dump truck load of deer and never had one complain about dying from lack of speed. Accuracy and a big hunk of lead leaves big holes with most DRT is what I prefer. Shoot what the gun likes best and don't worry about the rest.

Carmike · October 18, 2016, 09:18 PM

I love this website. Thanks, guys. I'm continually surprised by how little I know, and I find that fact both a little uncomfortable and a little fun.

All three are Federal. The lighter two are the Fusions, the other is the Power Shok.

I have been hesitant to go out and buy a bunch of different brands, mainly because of the cost of the rounds. I don't tend to shoot the rifle much for fun, so I've tried to keep it to hunting. I'll head out and get a few different brands to see what each one shoots.

What's the accuracy difference between a bullet a gun "likes" and one it doesn't? Are we talking multiple inches at less than 100 yards?

reynolds357 · October 18, 2016, 09:42 PM

140.

Snyper · October 19, 2016, 07:21 PM

Quote:

What's the accuracy difference between a bullet a gun "likes" and one it doesn't? Are we talking multiple inches at less than 100 yards?

There's no good answer to that question since every rifle is one of a kind.
It can be multiple inches with some loads.

Anything that groups under 2" at 100 yards will bring home the deer at the most common distances.

SJCbklyn · October 19, 2016, 08:14 PM

Any of the 3

Rmart30 · October 19, 2016, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Use the 150s, you want max weight for the push through to reach vitals.

Dont have to have a 150gr to do that. A well placed double lung broadside shot on any deer from north to south with any off the shelf 120-150gr. 7mm08 load will kill em.
I prefer the Barnes X for the pass thru's. Ive never recovered a Barnes X in 120 or 140 gr from a deer. The only 140gr Barnes I recovered was after it went thru about 30 inches of hog.

OP, if you arent doing a lot of shooting I would get a box of Vor-tx 120's and see how they shoot in your gun. Id say that probably 90% chance that it would shoot well and thats the only load you would need.

If you want something at a little less cost the Fusions have worked great in my 7mm08's. I havent stretched them out but with my results in under 100 yard shots they work just fine.

CarJunkieLS1 · October 20, 2016, 12:39 PM

For factory ammo the Hornady American Whitetail with the 139 Interlock will be a great low priced option. It has been accurate in 3 7-08 rifles I've shot them in. The Remington 140 Core-Lokts are good too but they aren't anymore accurate in my rifles and cost $6 more per box where I live.

For reloads I really really really like the 120 Nosler Ballistic Tip. Assuming accuracy the 120 NBT at 2800fps has been single handedly the best deer dropper I have ever seen. We are in the south and deer aren't as big as northern deer.

I am not a hugely experienced hunter but between myself and friends we have 22 deer harvested with rifles. For DRT (down right there) and "bang flop" performance the 120 has accounted for 7 DRT's and no other caliber or bullet weight has done that for us.

We've used 30-06, .270, 25-06, 7-08, 308, and .243. All were typical bullet weight reloads used for medium game hunting.

All deer have been cleanly harvested and had adequate bullet performance, but we want to DRT and get "bang flops" we all grab out 7-08's with 120 NBT's. Sorry for the long winded post hope my experience has helped you.

Panfisher · October 20, 2016, 06:22 PM

Any of the 3 you mentioned, I have used 120 to 150 in my 7-08. It never cared, never recovered a bullet yet. I really like the 140 grain range bullets. I also very seldom got a bang flop scenarion, mostly because I tend to shoot just behind the elbow and take out both lungs. So bang flops were rare, but then so we're blood trails that weren't blatantly obvious or longer than about 50 yards. As for switching bullet weight. Unless you have shot them both and know how different they will shoot, pick one and stay through the season.

October 17, 2016, 11:17 PM	#1
Carmike Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2016 Posts: 106	120 gr? 140? 150? Hello all, Relatively new deer hunter here. I have a Ruger American 7mm-08 rifle that I plan to bring to the stand with me this year, and I am wondering how much bullet choice matters. All shots, if I'm lucky enough to get one, will be under 100 yards, as where I hunt in north central Minnesota is pretty thick cover. I have bullets in 120 gr, 140 gr, and 150 gr that I got from a friend who had them left over after he sold his rifle. For my uses, will the bullet I choose make much of a difference? Finally, if I've got the gun sighted in using one of the bullet weights, should I only use that weight, or will the difference at close ranges be negligible enough to not worry about? Sorry for the newbie questions, and thanks in advance for any help. Carmike

October 18, 2016, 01:08 AM	#2
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	140 gr will give you good performance and penetration on deer-sized animals. 120s are just too fragile for heavy northern deer. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

October 18, 2016, 06:52 AM	#8
ammo.crafter Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2006 Location: The Keystone State Posts: 1,970	7-08 My personal choice would be 140gr. As others have mentioned, it also depends on the type and construction of the bullets you have. I hunt with a single shot 7 x 30 Waters which gives 1/2" MOA at 100 yds and drops deer and hogs with a single shot. I use Barnes 140gr TTSX for hunting. __________________ "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading". --Thomas Jefferson

October 18, 2016, 08:41 AM	#10
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	Best choice would be to see what shoots best in your gun. I don't know what you consider short range, but in deer hunting, you could sight the rifle in for any of the three weights you listed and not be off enough to matter to 300 yards or so. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

October 18, 2016, 09:59 AM	#12
Snyper Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2013 Location: Eastern NC Posts: 3,047	They will all do the job, so use the one that's most accurate in your rifle. A 120 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip performs well even at higher velocities, so don't believe those who say it's "too fragile". You also don't need to pay extra for solid copper bullets. People overthink things due to so many choices being available, when reality is they all work well. Shot placement makes far more difference than which bullet you use. __________________ One shot, one kill

October 18, 2016, 04:48 AM	#3
NHSHOOTER Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2012 Location: Concord NH Posts: 1,002	I have 2 7-08's and they both like different bullets, shoot whatever bullet you have sighted in with. Try all three and see which gives you the best group. Personally I think whatever bullet weight you pick will kill "drt" if you hit em in the boiler room.

October 18, 2016, 04:51 AM	#4
eastbank Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2008 Location: pa. Posts: 2,450	any of those bullets will kill any deer in america or any where else for that matter, use the one that shoots the best and shoot them thru the lungs. i happen to like the 120gr bullets at 3000fps and it shoots two shot groups that a dime will cover at 200 yards. why two shot groups you may ask, well the first shot from a cold barrel may be different than the second shot from a warm barrel at game while hunting and my load and rem 7mm08 shoot the first two into a figure eight that a dime covers at 200 yards from a rest. i have killed a truck load of deer with that rifle and load, i just got back from wyoming on a prong horn hunt and took two, one at 280yrds and one at 310yrds. both with complete chest pass thru,s with a healthy load of varget and 120gr nosler bullets. eastbank.

October 18, 2016, 04:58 AM	#5
Blindstitch Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2013 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 2,692	I like 140-150. As for using all three I would find the one my gun likes the best and use that. Then if you want to try another see where it impacts. It might be high/low or it could be way off in another direction.

October 18, 2016, 05:26 AM	#6
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,806	Knowing the manufacturer and exact bullet would be more helpful than just the bullet weight. A 120 gr Barnes TTSX will out penetrate a 140 gr SST. But all things being equal speed kills. Any of them will kill a deer, but everything I read from 7-08 shooters say the 120's put deer down faster. If you start shooting long range or hunting game larger than deer the heavier bullets start to be an advantage.

October 18, 2016, 06:41 AM	#7
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	Generally, you should stick to the middle of the weight range for medium sized game(deer). I've had excellent results with 139-140 grain bullets from a couple of brands for deer hunting. Quite often, the lighter bullets for each cartridge are designed for use on "varmints" and will expand too rapidly to perform as well on deer. Remington CoreLokt , Hornady soft point/SST , and Nosler BT are designed to work well on deer sized critters--I've used all of these with equally good results. I'm currently using the Hornady 139 SP factory loads unless I'm guiding. If I'm in "guide mode", I load my 7mm08 carbine with the old Speer 145 Grand Slam factory ammo as I'm fairly sure it will penetrate a deer end to end if that is what I need to do to end the blood trail.

October 18, 2016, 08:38 AM	#9
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Historically, in 7mm, the 139/140-grain bullets have been the traditional "deer bullet".

October 18, 2016, 09:52 AM	#11
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,876	I hunt North of Hibbing so I too know what it takes to put Brown on the ground up there on Da'Range. 120 gr is quite capable. A fast flat shooting open field cartridge it's gott'a be. In the bush plowing its way thru those Balsam limbs the 120 may not be your best choice. Since Federal makes 5 different 140 gr cartridges and only one 150 gr. 140s must be the chosen one by your Brother'n owners of the 7mm-08. Frankly I was surprised how few 7mm bullet weights are available in its store bought. (120-140-150 only.)

October 18, 2016, 01:36 PM	#13
NHSHOOTER Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2012 Location: Concord NH Posts: 1,002	Snyper, I am heading down to SC in a few days with both of my 7-08s, my ruger prefers 120 nosler ballistic tips and my model 7 likes sierra 140 gr spbt. We will see which kills em better. Stay tuned for an update by the end of the month..

October 18, 2016, 06:06 PM	#15
Model12Win Junior member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 5,854	Use the 150s, you want max weight for the push through to reach vitals.

October 18, 2016, 06:13 PM	#16
NHSHOOTER Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2012 Location: Concord NH Posts: 1,002	Same here snyper, its all about where you put that lil bullet

October 18, 2016, 06:39 PM	#17
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,443	In MY Model 7 7-08, the 140 Sierra SPBT, followed closely by the Nosler 140 Partition are the best in my gun for accuracy. __________________ "I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."- Frank Zappa

October 18, 2016, 08:14 PM	#18
Saltydog235 Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2010 Location: Pawleys Island Posts: 1,563	I shoot 150grn NBT's out of a 20" at 2650fps. I've killed a dump truck load of deer and never had one complain about dying from lack of speed. Accuracy and a big hunk of lead leaves big holes with most DRT is what I prefer. Shoot what the gun likes best and don't worry about the rest.

October 18, 2016, 09:18 PM	#19
Carmike Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2016 Posts: 106	I love this website. Thanks, guys. I'm continually surprised by how little I know, and I find that fact both a little uncomfortable and a little fun. All three are Federal. The lighter two are the Fusions, the other is the Power Shok. I have been hesitant to go out and buy a bunch of different brands, mainly because of the cost of the rounds. I don't tend to shoot the rifle much for fun, so I've tried to keep it to hunting. I'll head out and get a few different brands to see what each one shoots. What's the accuracy difference between a bullet a gun "likes" and one it doesn't? Are we talking multiple inches at less than 100 yards?

October 18, 2016, 09:42 PM	#20
reynolds357 Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2012 Posts: 6,165	140.

October 19, 2016, 08:14 PM	#22
SJCbklyn Senior Member Join Date: September 25, 2016 Posts: 102	Any of the 3

October 20, 2016, 12:39 PM	#24
CarJunkieLS1 Senior Member Join Date: October 1, 2013 Posts: 686	For factory ammo the Hornady American Whitetail with the 139 Interlock will be a great low priced option. It has been accurate in 3 7-08 rifles I've shot them in. The Remington 140 Core-Lokts are good too but they aren't anymore accurate in my rifles and cost $6 more per box where I live. For reloads I really really really like the 120 Nosler Ballistic Tip. Assuming accuracy the 120 NBT at 2800fps has been single handedly the best deer dropper I have ever seen. We are in the south and deer aren't as big as northern deer. I am not a hugely experienced hunter but between myself and friends we have 22 deer harvested with rifles. For DRT (down right there) and "bang flop" performance the 120 has accounted for 7 DRT's and no other caliber or bullet weight has done that for us. We've used 30-06, .270, 25-06, 7-08, 308, and .243. All were typical bullet weight reloads used for medium game hunting. All deer have been cleanly harvested and had adequate bullet performance, but we want to DRT and get "bang flops" we all grab out 7-08's with 120 NBT's. Sorry for the long winded post hope my experience has helped you.

October 20, 2016, 06:22 PM	#25
Panfisher Senior Member Join Date: July 30, 2010 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,337	Any of the 3 you mentioned, I have used 120 to 150 in my 7-08. It never cared, never recovered a bullet yet. I really like the 140 grain range bullets. I also very seldom got a bang flop scenarion, mostly because I tend to shoot just behind the elbow and take out both lungs. So bang flops were rare, but then so we're blood trails that weren't blatantly obvious or longer than about 50 yards. As for switching bullet weight. Unless you have shot them both and know how different they will shoot, pick one and stay through the season.