So got my son a 7mm-08 of which I have never owned or had experience with. Sweet shooting gun and accurate. The problem is we have had to trail 3 of 4 deer and none of them bleed. Like don’t even have to was the truck bed out. One we never recovered, but the yearling that was with her came back out from the same way they ran and hung out a while, one other we got lucky grid searching. The first 3 were shot with hornaday American whitetail, the 4th that we didn’t find was with a federal power shock. They start bleeding immediately with my 270, which I always use the same round for. I don’t want to give up on this gun. I feel like it’s just a matter of finding the best round, but I hate loosing deer and don’t want to just keep testing on deer. Was hoping some of you folks have this caliber and have real world experience with a specific brand and style of ammo

1st question I have did the bullet pass through?

What weight bullet? I’ve reloaded for mine and most deer drop in there tracks. I loaded 130 grain Barnes.

What Savell said. Try the Remington core lokt.

Been down that road with mine switched to core lokt which I shot for years in other rifles and problem solved Also Federal fusion is a good bullet both in 140 gr

Haven’t shot that gun but American hornady whitetail loads out of one of my rifles was a disaster on deer, it was 100% bullet failure on several deer before we switched.

If memory serves me correctly, The Hornady American Whitetail ammo is loaded with their interlock bullets? Idont use their ammo but I shoot the 139gr ,7mm bullet. Never had any deer or elk argue with it. Usually dead on the spot. Hornady may have had a bad batch of bullets. I would call them and tell them your experience.

So I wouldn’t call it a pass through. More like an explosion that sometimes opens a hole on the off side and sometimes doesn’t, the entrance is always a pencil hole. 139 grain. Core lokts are my go to for my 270, I bought a box for his gun but haven’t tried them yet. We’ll give that a go, Thank y’all!

Loutre,
I shoot Winchester 140gr Silvertips in my Remington Model Seven 7mm-08. The Silvertips are ballistic tip bullets. I've never had an issue with the caliber or this factory load. The gun groups them at 100 yds tight enough to place a quarter over the holes off a bench and bags.

I always put the bullet right into the shoulder....not behind the shoulder. Have killed dozens of deer with the gun and many have folded up right there or with 1 or 2 strides. The ones that did run a few yds started bleeding almost immediately. I cant recall but 1 or 2 without a pass-thru and that was due to quartering to angle thru the body.

Can’t go wrong with Barnes bullets

X3...tagged a doe tonight with 243 with Barnes 80 grain ....good blood by the 3rd step...went about 50 yds.

It ain't the caliber, it's the bullet. Corelokt or I like the Winchester deer season XP. It has more surface area at the front of the bullet for rapid expansion.

I used Remington CoreLokt Tipped bullets this year. Took three deer. Two were DRT and one ran 40 yds. None bled. Going back to the old CoreLokt. Rifle was my 270.

140 gr core lokt or winchester power points are deadly on deer.

The latest 7mm-08 victim using Winchester 140gr Silvertips.

That's the exit...

Remington Core lokt are hard to beat for factory ammo.

If you reload I've had great success with Nosler Ballistic Tip Hunting Bullets.
Especially in the 7-08.270& 30-06
They will give a short blood trail out both sides that Helen Keller could find.

Federal blue box or sierra game kings if you can find em.

If not handloads, Federal Premium.
Nosler, Barnes, Swift,
any beats the rem or win for terminal performance.

If you ever get a chance to handload take it.
It'll make you a better shot.

Most of the deer went shoot with the ehornady north American white tail 7-08 drop or stumble 20 to 30 yards and they leave plenty of blood. Use the same ammo in 243 with the same result.

BUT my bou said the 170gr North American whitetail out of his 350 legend was not leaving good blood and its the most recent we have bought. Makes me wonder if they had changes alloys or something with the bullet. I buy in larger amount when its on sale and the 7/08 ammo we have been shooting is several years old. WoNder how it will preform when I have to break open the next ammo can I filled up with ammo from a sale a year or two ago.

I have my boy shooting the nosler 140 grain Ballistic tips and they shoot great and has dropped both deer he has shot at since he was able to start hunting last year.
I am starting to reload some new ones for him and going to use the Nosler 120 Ballistic tips .
I shoot a 7×57 Ackley Improved that's loves the 120s and have killed everything from bison, elk,deer,antelope, black bears, coyotes and other varmints.