For you 7mm reloaders/shooters what is the smallest 7mm bullet that is effective on deer? I have just made a deal on a 10" 7mm/08 barrel for the Encore and I'm looking for loads. I will be doing some doe thinning this fall and hope to use this barrel (get some handgun harvests under my belt). I give a lot of deer away to folks in the community and I'm looking for a load that wont do much damage. Hornady makes a 100 gr. HP in 7mm (found it in one of my reloading catalogs). I was wondering what you guys think...? This is my first 7mm so I have no experience them.

I'm not familiar with the 7-08 but with any bullet if you want less damage your going to want something that will hold together. The bullet your talking about will probably expand and break apart quickly either giving inadequate penetration or excessive meat damage. The impact velocity is going to be the key factor, if it is high enough your going to want something like the partition, if its going to be under 2500fps then you will want to go to something like the accubond, interbond or ballistic tip and I would say with the 7-08 I'd go with a 140gr, I use the 120gr bt in my 7-30 but my 7rem rifle I had to switch to partitions because I was ending up with exit holes the size of softballs with the ballistic tips.

IMHO, the 120 grain Nosler ballistic tip is the perfect projectile for any 7mm handgun. I use it in my 7-30 Waters 'Tender and .284 Winchester XP-100. For bigger than deer sized game you may want to go with a 140 but I use bigger bores for those. I see no reason to go any smaller, except for vermin and then the Hornady V-Max would suffice.

I would use the 120 Nosler BT or the Hornady 120 Gr Vmax. Both of these work great out of my 7-30.

The 100 gr Hornady is a bit fragile for the speeds in even a 10 in barrel when the shots come up close. But I have used it in a 7-30 waters 14 inch when shooting at longer ranges and even then it is quite destructive on some shots. The 100 gr Sierra is a good bit tougher and I have never recovered a bullet on deer out to 250 yards..goes all the way through on broad side shots and have had complete penetration on shoulder hits and less meat damage than my favorite bullet..the 120BT. The 120 BT and short barreled 7mm's just seem made for the job of deer smackin'

I have also had plenty of good luck with the 140 BT and Hornady SST in the 7-08 and 7-30 waters.

My 14 in 7-08 shoots 139 SST Hornadys into such tiny lil groups that it has become my favorite in that barrel.

I suspect that 10 inch bbl will be a bit loud with full power loads and have some pretty good recoil. I think a milder load and the 100 gr Sierra would do the job quite nicely with the proper shot placement.

I'd load some up and see if your barrel likes them and then go shoot some deer.

shortgun

A buddy of mine had a 12" T/C Custom Shop Encore in 7mm-08 several years back. I ended up loading 120gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips over H-4895 Powder in that barrel. Muzzle Velocity from the 12" Barrel with the 120gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip was just under 2400 FPS (2395 if I remember right). Accuracy was good with 5 shot groups at 100 yards of 3/4" being the norm.

I just started working with a 14" 7-30 Waters and am using the same 120gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip loaded to 2436 FPS. So far I have not shot any thing other than paper with this barrel / load so can not state how it is going to work.

However several years ago I shot 4 Whitetails one season with a 10" 7-30 Waters shooting the 120gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip at a muzzle velocity of 2258 FPS. At this muzzle velocity I felt the 120gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip was a little tough for ranges over 200 yards.

Larry

I would go no lighter than 120 gr. Personally, I use the 139 gr. Hornady in my 7mm-08's.

I harvested 4 whitetails last season with my 14" 7TCU and 120 grn Nosler BT running at about 2300 FPS. my closest shot. 15 yards was a pass through with a nickle size exit. My fartherst 135 yards dropped in it's tracks with no exit and the shoulder was almost a total loss. I would think that you might get a little more velosity out of the 7-08 due to powder capacity, but the shorter barrel might slow you back down a little. You just need to find out how fast your load shoots and find a bullet that will hold up to that velocity at impact ...

when i had and encore barrel i shot 120 NBT had it loading mild for Ghogs and my buddy shot a doe with it at 70 yards.. i put my fist in to the exit hole and i wear a size lg glove..
but now in my 7tcu or 7x30 its a great round.. but in my 7mm-08 i stuck with around 140s in it and it shot grate

Eventhough, Hornady doesn't publish this information in their catalogs, the 7mm 120 V-Max and the 120 SSPB are one in the same bullet. If you were to cut the 120 V-Max vetically and remove the lead core you would find the famous Intelock-ring.

When the 120 V-Max is shot at velocities of 2600 fps or slower then the bullet expands like a spire point should. I have shot them into wet phone books and they expand perfectly. When shot at higher velocities it reacts like a V-Max and fragment.

I prefer the 120 V-Max over the 120 Ballistic tip because the core tends to seperate from the jacket when shot into wet phone books.

Check out this out for youth loads for the 7mm-08 using H4895. This will get you in the velocity range of 2400 fps for the V-Max to function properly as a single shot pistol bullet.

http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Youth%20Loads.pdf

Just my two cent worth.

You are getting some great advice. The 708, if it is a factory barrel, is cut for a 140 grain bullet. It should shoot a 120 140 and 160 with good luck if you use the right powder. I use a 139 SPBT or SST will VERY good luck over RL 15.