I have decided to go with the 7mm.08 in my Encore but I do not reload or know anyone who does.
Maybe in the future, but as of now I must rely on what out there on the shelf for factory loads.
Since I am new to handguns I need some assistance in what to use in a 15" barrel.
I see tons of ballistic on ammo out there but its plain to see thats listed for rifle barrel lengths.

What brand, grain, and bullet design are those who shoot and hunt with a 15" 7mm.08, use?
Thank you.

shot a few 120gr hp n 140gr sp remingtons in mine. the "green/yellow box" stuff. mediocre accuracy, but good nuff fer lotta huntin. the 120gr hp's were around 2700fps from the 15" barrel.

reloading is great....sumthin to look at very hard.

experiment with winchester,remington ,hornady and what ever you can find.since the over the shelf stuff is loaded for long guns it uses slower burning powder to acheive higher velocities in longer barrels.this translates into excessive muzzle flash and unburned powder when used in a short barrel!the 10" 7-08 i had loved 120 or 140 gr. bullets.you will find something it likes(some guns shoot the $12.00 stuff better than the $32.00 a box stuff)try everything until you find what the gun likes,a regular cup and core bullet kills deer the same as a plastic pointy one will ...yep they have for a long time!but to fully utilize that 15" barrel... save and handload that puppy ...jim257

I really don't know what would work in the 7-08 handgun in the way of factory loads...the only thing I shoot that is loaded from the factory is .22LR. I think Kyle did some testing from the 7-08 w/ factory offerings...how about more detail on that Kyle? Or find the post where you had that info.

For general deer hunting...something is the 139gr or 140gr range would be best. I load 154's to take advantage of the ballistic coeefficient vs the higher fps of a 140...the 154 actually shoot flatter at long range eventhough they start out slower. The exit hole on my 238yd deer was three inches in diameter!! That was after 21" of penetration.

I've heard that the Hornady light magnum ammo does not work well in handguns...powders are way too slow. Try the cheap stuff and see how it works. I tried 100gr Federal Premuim through a Striker chambered in .243 Winny about six years ago...shot terrible! All the bullets keyholed through the target.

Like jim said...save and start handloading.

found the older post n put it btt

7-08 with 140's<<<< post LINK

i don't shoot much factory stuff at all. sometimes i'll try a box er two fer curiosity sake, or to add a few rounds to the brass pile.

reloadin.........thats the way to go, n quite enjoyable to boot.

I use Remington 120 hollow points in my Encore.

That does it!
As soon as I am done puttin this project together, the reloadin stuff will not be far behind!
Been wanting to get into it for years and was hoping to inherit my grandfather stuff but my dang uncle grabbed it and does not even use it.
It was set up for shot gun but I am sure I could of done something about that.
Ok so I lied I DID know someone who USE to reload but that was when I was 8 years old.
I am 39 now. LOL
I new to stay away from the Hornady stuff and thought I should go the route of Federal at first. I heard their powder is a bit hotter then the Remington stuff. On rifles anyways.
Thanks for the Link Kyle!!!
Thanks to all for your replies.
Great site!
All except you let those Realtree guys in here way to easily.
(IE: "handgunnr" )

Glad you are considering reloading. It gives you a lot more options.

Back to the original intent of this post....
What off the shefl stuff works best in a 15" barrel?

I do want to hand load but realiastically that could be a long time from now. Defiantely not by this summer for next hunting season, in which this gun is being bought for.
Sooooo whats worth its weight in gold. LOL

If deer-sized game is intended use, suggest you purchase several brands of cartridges in 140 grain class and let your gun decide for you what IT likes best.(Can't help you with specific brands because while I shoot more than a dozen handguns, including Encore, Contenders, XP and Striker, except for the rimfires, all of mine are handloaded).
FWIW. 1)Gunpower burns within mere inches of the chamber no matter how slow the powder. The flame one sees with slower powders is the gas igniting when it hits the oxygen in the atmosphere, not unburned powder. 2) The powder that produces the highest velocity in a typical rifle barrel will also produce the highest velocity in a 15" hangun barrel.
So, don't exclude the mini mag loads out of hand,they just might work best but see below about bullets.
Match the bullet you select to the intended use. Monolythic, (Barnes X, Failsafe, other premium, and/or bonded bullets that are intended to withstand higher velocity (say 3200fps) may not reliably expand at the 2300 to 2500 muzzle velocity you're likly to achieve with Encore. I'd start with cartridges that are loaded with plain ole' poly tipped Hornady's, Noslers or Sierras SP's, etc.