# Who would use a 7MM-08



## guesswho (May 2, 2013)

I will be going on another Bear hunt this fall.  It will only be for a few days in Ware County.  I own a 7mm-08 and a 30-30.  I would prefer the 7-08 due to optics on the rifle. Who would hunt with what.  I know they are "marginal" for black bears.  There ins't any need to buy another gun because the opportunities are very limited in South GA for bears.  The way I see it you can kill them with an arrow so my rifle should be more than capable.  I think if I choose my shots wisely the 7-08 will be fine.  

I currently use 140 Gr. Nosler Accubond bullets in handloads.


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## The mtn man (May 2, 2013)

30/30 has dropped a lot of them up here, If you are hunting with dogs, it wouldn't matter, head shoot them with the 7mm-08, if you are still hunting them, you have to remember, you have to make a big hole in a bear to get a blood trail, thats why most people, don't use any bullet less than .30cal.I'm sure the 7mm-08 will kill one just fine though, with a heart or head shot.He should drop insite.


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## 7Mag Hunter (May 2, 2013)

*7mm08*

Your 08 will do just fine on bear.....

I hunt and handload for the 08 and have no doubt it
will kill a bear just as dead as any other caliber....

Nothing marginal about an 08......Same bullet as a 7mag,
just 400fps slower........


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## B Man (May 2, 2013)

A 7mm-08 will be all you would need for a Black bear.  People use it to take big bull elk with great results.  Use a 140 gr. Noslar partition and good luck this season!


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## guesswho (May 2, 2013)

Yeah I reall love my 08. Most people consider 30/06 the starting caliber and a 270 inadequate but I can't justify buying another rifle when I have several that will "work". As much as I like shooting and buying new firearms, the funds are tight and I would rather use the money on reloading supply's to shoot more and buy small various accessories.  I think the 30/30 would be a better up close and personal gun, but I'll be stand hunting and have my 44 with some 310 hard cast loads for traveling to and from stand.


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## guesswho (May 2, 2013)

Do you think the partition would be any better than the accubond? Nosler advertises the accubond as having partition performance with better down range velocity due to better coefficient.


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## B Man (May 2, 2013)

Within 300 yds there in very very little difference in trajectory.  The partition is an absolute no fail bullet as far as the bullet fragmenting or jacket core separation if it is a 5 yard shot in the ball of the shoulder or 500 yards it flat performs.  The front half also is very lightly constructed to upset rapidly dumping a great amount of energy quickly.  The accubond is a very well designed bullet and I have them loaded in some of my rifles but when it comes to the receiving party having fangs and claws I want to have 100% confidence in my gear.  Me personally I just think the PT is at home in that department.


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## FMBear (May 2, 2013)

Those Accubonds are MORE than enough for bear.  Stick with them, as I know they shoot great out of your rifle!


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## guesswho (May 2, 2013)

I thought so, Nosler said the performance is similar.  I already have a box of bullets to load, and 18 loaded rounds already.


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## guesswho (May 2, 2013)

I'm glad I posted this question, it makes me feel better about using my rifle.


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## Rich M (May 2, 2013)

A lot of people think that bear or hogs are harder to kill than deer and I must disagree.   I think they die easier.

Anyway, your 7mm-08 will absolutely not leave you hanging.  I hope you get a big one.


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## Millcreekfarms (May 2, 2013)

Accubond will knock a fist size hole in a bear youll have no problems dropping any bear in ga with a 7-08


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## B Man (May 2, 2013)

Like these guys said accubonds will be more than fine.  Did not know you already were developing a load with them.   Good luck!


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## guesswho (May 2, 2013)

already toasted a couple of deer with'em.  Really like how they work on deer.  Maybe I'll get a big bruin this fall.

Thanks for all the feed back too.


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## whitetailfreak (May 2, 2013)

The 08 with quality ammo will suffice on any bear in GA.


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## take em (May 4, 2013)

I'll never understand these caliber questions all the time on this forum. It's not about the caliber. It's about the bullet. Some type of bonded core or solid expanding bullet in anything .243 or larger will kill anything in GA  and pretty much anything in North America. Grizzlies may be the exception. Accubonds, Partitions, TTSX, GMX are all good choices. Match the bullet to the game not the caliber.


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## harryrichdawg (May 4, 2013)

You'll be fine with the 140 grain Accubonds, but I think I'd consider some 160 grain bullets for serious penetration.


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## Timberman (May 4, 2013)

[QUOTEA lot of people think that bear or hogs are harder to kill than deer and I must disagree.I think they die easier.
][/QUOTE]

Bears can't take much punishment. IMO less than whitetail. Below is #490 bear I took in SC. 3rd largest that year. One shot with a .44 magnum rifle...


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## guesswho (May 5, 2013)

I picked the 140 so I could get a little more velocity, I'm not sure how well it will expand going slower. I think I would loose around 200 to 300 FPS going up to the 160 gr accubond.  It is kind of a trade off, the 140s are moving around 2700 FPS with my current load.


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## B Man (May 5, 2013)

Since your into reloading and like the accubond they have a new Accubond LR with insane BC and expand down to 1300 fps.  I'm looking forward to developing a load in my 7mag soon as they can catch up with the craze and manufacture some.    Your 140's will be fine for black bear so no concerns


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## GunnSmokeer (May 5, 2013)

*Both*

I think the 7mm-08 is a fine hunting round, with the right ammo and a bullet that won't fragment at the high velocities it will throw the slug at, especially if you find yourself with a 50-yard shot instead of that 300-yard shot you were preparing for.

And you can't argue with the track  record of the .30-30 either.  It's like a .38 special for self-defense. It's not sexy. It doesn't impress when you run ballistics tables and use graphs to illustrate foot-pounds of energy. It's old-school and not getting a lot of press in the gun magazines.  But it works. And it's been working for generations.  And when it doesn't work, the failure is usually due to bullet placement flaws rather than using the wrong caliber.


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## deadend (May 5, 2013)

I axed one last year with a 120 ballistic tip out of a .284win.  Perfect bullet performance.  Your 7-08 with 140 Accubonds will be perfect.


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## tcward (May 5, 2013)

B Man said:


> A 7mm-08 will be all you would need for a Black bear.  People use it to take big bull elk with great results.  Use a 140 gr. Noslar partition and good luck this season!



This^


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## oldugahat (May 7, 2013)

take em said:


> I'll never understand these caliber questions all the time on this forum. It's not about the caliber. It's about the bullet. Some type of bonded core or solid expanding bullet in anything .243 or larger will kill anything in GA  and pretty much anything in North America. Grizzlies may be the exception. Accubonds, Partitions, TTSX, GMX are all good choices. Match the bullet to the game not the caliber.



I agree that you don't need huge calibers with a keg of powder in Georgia, but would argue that shot placement is the most important part of the equation.  It is very easy to substitute more energy transfer for accuracy with the same results.  As a sportsman, I don't want to wound anything, and I don't want to waste a lot of meat in the harvest process, so I want to be the best shot I can be.


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## Dana Young (May 7, 2013)

Black bears are not as tough as people think they are, most of the thought about them being hard to kill comes from novices and old wives tales. they cannot take much when it comes to killing them, their skin is not as thick as some think and their skulls are not any harder than a deers skull. Their shoulder bones are thick but a 7mm-08 will handle them easily, a shot tight behind the shoulder will drop them in sight. My Grandson killed his first when he was 4 with a .223 single shot and it never went 15 yds.


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## The mtn man (May 7, 2013)

take em said:


> I'll never understand these caliber questions all the time on this forum. It's not about the caliber. It's about the bullet. Some type of bonded core or solid expanding bullet in anything .243 or larger will kill anything in GA  and pretty much anything in North America. Grizzlies may be the exception. Accubonds, Partitions, TTSX, GMX are all good choices. Match the bullet to the game not the caliber.



Your right, there have been some big bears brought down with 22 rimfire.Not sayin I know anything about it, just heard that


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## Dyrewulf (May 8, 2013)

guesswho said:


> I will be going on another Bear hunt this fall.  It will only be for a few days in Ware County.  I own a 7mm-08 and a 30-30.  I would prefer the 7-08 due to optics on the rifle. Who would hunt with what.  I know they are "marginal" for black bears.  There ins't any need to buy another gun because the opportunities are very limited in South GA for bears.  The way I see it you can kill them with an arrow so my rifle should be more than capable.  I think if I choose my shots wisely the 7-08 will be fine.
> 
> I currently use 140 Gr. Nosler Accubond bullets in handloads.



The bear hunt I was on in 2010 with PB Guide Service in Maine was educational in the 'bear caliber' department. I asked Paul (the outfitter) over the phone what rifle to bring, and he said 'it doesn't matter, if I don't have one, he'll loan me one.'  I took a custom .300 RUM I built, but we had several people take down black bears with .243's (including an 11 year old boy with a single shot NEF), all the way up through my cannon and an old timer with a .45/70.   So, the 7mm-08 is fine, and like the post above said 'match the bullet to the game.'


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## 7Mag Hunter (May 8, 2013)

Dyrewulf said:


> The bear hunt I was on in 2010 with PB Guide Service in Maine was educational in the 'bear caliber' department. I asked Paul (the outfitter) over the phone what rifle to bring, and he said 'it doesn't matter, if I don't have one, he'll loan me one.'  I took a custom .300 RUM I built, but we had several people take down black bears with .243's (including an 11 year old boy with a single shot NEF), all the way up through my cannon and an old timer with a .45/70.   So, the 7mm-08 is fine, and like the post above said 'match the bullet to the game.'





X2....Kill the heart, animal dies....Heart shot animal cannot,
and will not run past a few feet.........No blood to brain,
animal passes out and dies......Hit the lungs, or shoulder,
and they can run for 1/4 mile or more...............

Good reply.......bullet placement, not caliber or bullet type
kills the animal.....


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## 021 (May 29, 2013)

take em said:


> I'll never understand these caliber questions all the time on this forum. It's not about the caliber. It's about the bullet. Some type of bonded core or solid expanding bullet in anything .243 or larger will kill anything in GA  and pretty much anything in North America. Grizzlies may be the exception. Accubonds, Partitions, TTSX, GMX are all good choices. Match the bullet to the game not the caliber.



Yes sir, this right here. Much of anything else is gun rag fodder. I just saw a young lady kill an elk at over 600 yards with a .243--DRT.


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## nhancedsvt (May 29, 2013)

I just joined a club in Twiggs that is supposed to have bear. If one walks out during the season this year it will get shot with my 7mm-08 and it will die. After seeing the effects it has on big deer, I wouldn't hesitate to put my 7mm-08 up against almost any animal in N. America.


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## LanceColeman (Jun 4, 2013)

Remington 700sps in 7mm-08 cal. 80yd shot resulting in a 50yd blood trail a blind man could follow. 139gr btsp hornady bullet.


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## MountainMedic (Jun 4, 2013)

I shoot a 120 gr. Barnes bullet in my 7mm-08 and have absolutely no problems killing bears here in TN. I usually neck shoot them so they don't fight the dogs!


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## mschlapa (Jun 4, 2013)

take em said:


> I'll never understand these caliber questions all the time on this forum. It's not about the caliber. It's about the bullet. Some type of bonded core or solid expanding bullet in anything .243 or larger will kill anything in GA  and pretty much anything in North America. Grizzlies may be the exception. Accubonds, Partitions, TTSX, GMX are all good choices. Match the bullet to the game not the caliber.



Its more about shot placement.


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