Thread: 7mm08 Projectiles - who's using what?

Originally Posted by canross

Hoping to get the forum's wisdom again.

Had a very accurate load for my 7mm08 using 140gr Sierra HPBT projectiles, but discovered that they were absolutely disintegrating on impact. One was between the eyes head-on on a small-medium pig, so I can sort of understand that, but the other came apart on a slight quartering away shot on a second equally sized pig. On the quartering away pig the projectile only hit a rib, then completely minced all the internal organs and didn't even nick the opposite side of the body cavity. Projectiles would have been travelling roughly 2500f/s on impact.

While both pigs were very dead as a result, I'm not happy with the bullet performance - these weren't giant pigs, and the projectiles utterly disintegrated after hitting moderate and no real amounts of bone respectively. I certainly wouldn't be happy hunting red deer with it.

After finding this out, I saw that others like the ELD-M's and X's... but they don't make them in 140gr, so no luck there. If I was rolling in cash I'd shoot Accubonds, but seeing as I'd like to tune my loads and practice a lot, this gets pretty expensive. I do have a box of Nosler Ballistic Tip, but haven't tried it yet.

So, what are you using as a 140gr, .284 projectile?

The Sierra GK bullets in this weight range are more than likely designed for American White-tail deer (about the size of our Sika), from what you are saying the bullet is doing exactly what it was designed to do. Pigs even small ones are a much tougher animal.
To get a tougher bullet you will need to either go to a premium bullet (Pricey) or go up in weight.
As mentioned above I reckon the 145 Speer Hotcore (not the BTSP) would be the first one I would try you will only loose 25-50 FPS depending on barrel length and have a bullet that holds together well but still opens up well.