Ultimate 7-08 Load

Ok, same topic but a slight highjack: Right now I'm shooting 140 partitions with 38 grains of Varget. The book speed is 2610 fps (no chrony here), and I'm wondering what you guys thought about the speed? The load is the most accurate I've found to date which is important to me, but wondering if 200 fps is going to make a difference out to 250 yards in killing power?

If its a hunting load and the difference is a 1/2 " more accurate with the reduced load, I pick the slightly less accurate and 200fps faster load. It will have an effect on both killing power and down range holdover.
 
I have never used Berger bullets, but 45 grains of 4350 is a light load with 140 grain bullets of other brands.
46 grains of 4350 only got an average of 2613 fps with a flat base 140 grain Speer bullet.
48 grains gave just over 2800 with a 140 grain semi boat tail.
With 145 grain Grans Slam bullets, 49 grains of 4350 gave just under 2800 fps.
With 140 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip, 49 grains of 4350 averaged 2824.
However, there are other powders that work that work well in a 7-08. Forty grains of 3031 gave 140 grain Nosler BT 2780 fps. Shootable, but not spectacular.
I think H414 might be the best of the powders I have, as it is with the 243.
Hogdon on line show max load of 47 grains of H414 with a 130 grain bullet as doing 2925 fps.
For me, that load, 47 of H414, gave 2850, which is pretty close and showed no sign, whatsoever of excess pressure, thus another half grain or so will likely bring it up to what Hodgdon's state it will go and will be a very respectable load.
One problem with IMR4350 is that the loads of 49 grains I was using with 140 grain bullets, filled the case to the top of the neck, thus creating a huge compression to seat them. H414 will give the same velocity with the powder only coming to the bottom of the neck.
The rifle being tested is a new Tikka. I can detect no difference in accuracy, regardless what powder I use or how much!
I seat the bullets deep enough to work through the magazine and so the bolt will close. The Nosler Ballistic Tip had to be seated very deep, creating a great deal of compression with 4350, but again, I could not determine any difference in accuracy.
I have been making 1 MOA groups, or very close to it, with regularity.
Here is one five shot group with the Speer 130 grain bullets, which measures about .82 inches.

Thats a nice grouping. Easily kill zone at 400 yards
 
And that Combo is with H4350?

How far are you set off your lands usually?


Interesting story to that one... When I was working up 162's for my target rifle I set my seater plug by mag length so I could still put 5 in the internal box of the savage, I smoked a few and chamberd them and they wernt touching the lands... Fast forward a few months and I bought a TC encore in 7-08 and started working up loads with the 139gr interlock, I went to seat the interlock without adjusting the seating plug in the die and the bullet stopped about dead center in the cannalure so I called it good enough and went to the range and proceeded to shoot a .7" group with 49.6gr H4350 in the encore... A few weeks later a friend dropped off his Model 7 (the above group) and I gave it a good cleaning and worked up that load for him of 49.1gr H4350 with the same seating depth...


It's was just that easy.
 
Here's my best so far after I free floated my Sako A7
Six shots fired. The sixth one is the one above the spot. It wasn't sized correctly and a little hard to close the bolt on it.
Why 6 shots? Because that's all that I had left.
Before I free floated the barrel the groups were just over an inch.

40.5 gr IMR4895
139gr Hornady Interlocks
CCI primers

 
Here is a load from reloadersnest I am going to try.

BulletNosler Ballistic Tip
BulletWeight140 grs
PowderHodgdon H4350
PowderWeight49 grs
PrimerFederal 210 Match
Brass MakeWinchester
Barrel Length22 (inches)
C.O.L2.82 (inches)
Velocity2844 fps
Group0.79 (inches by 3 shot at 100 yds)

Going to start arojnd 45 gr.
 
Here is a load from reloadersnest I am going to try.

BulletNosler Ballistic Tip
BulletWeight140 grs
PowderHodgdon H4350
PowderWeight49 grs
PrimerFederal 210 Match
Brass MakeWinchester
Barrel Length22 (inches)
C.O.L2.82 (inches)
Velocity2844 fps
Group0.79 (inches by 3 shot at 100 yds)

Going to start arojnd 45 gr.


What gun are you going to use?
 
my favorite load is 150gr Nosler Hunting Ballistic tip with 45gr IMR 4007 SSC.(2800fps) Been wackin groundhogs out to 350 with ease... but due to work was not able to try them on any game this year. My other load is 43.5gr IMR4007SSC under a 160gr Sierra Game king.
 
Here is a load from reloadersnest I am going to try.

BulletNosler Ballistic Tip
BulletWeight140 grs
PowderHodgdon H4350
PowderWeight49 grs
PrimerFederal 210 Match
Brass MakeWinchester
Barrel Length22 (inches)
C.O.L2.82 (inches)
Velocity2844 fps
Group0.79 (inches by 3 shot at 100 yds)

Going to start arojnd 45 gr.

I got almost identical velocity with 49 grains of IMR4350 with ballistic tips.
Best accuracy should be at top loadings and your group indicates that also.
I tried 50 grains to see if pressure was still ok, but didn't test 50 grains f or accuracy.
 
What gun are you going to use?

Browning X-Bolt Micro Hunter

My OAL will be 2.885 that is about .025 off the lands and about max length that will still feed from mag.

Next trip to range I am also going to try some more loadings of Big Game....and run over chrony and see with 10 deg temp drop how much velocity it loses.
 
I have never used Berger bullets, but 45 grains of 4350 is a light load with 140 grain bullets of other brands.
46 grains of 4350 only got an average of 2613 fps with a flat base 140 grain Speer bullet.
48 grains gave just over 2800 with a 140 grain semi boat tail.
With 145 grain Grans Slam bullets, 49 grains of 4350 gave just under 2800 fps.
With 140 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip, 49 grains of 4350 averaged 2824.
However, there are other powders that work that work well in a 7-08. Forty grains of 3031 gave 140 grain Nosler BT 2780 fps. Shootable, but not spectacular.
I think H414 might be the best of the powders I have, as it is with the 243.
Hogdon on line show max load of 47 grains of H414 with a 130 grain bullet as doing 2925 fps.
For me, that load, 47 of H414, gave 2850, which is pretty close and showed no sign, whatsoever of excess pressure, thus another half grain or so will likely bring it up to what Hodgdon's state it will go and will be a very respectable load.
One problem with IMR4350 is that the loads of 49 grains I was using with 140 grain bullets, filled the case to the top of the neck, thus creating a huge compression to seat them. H414 will give the same velocity with the powder only coming to the bottom of the neck.
The rifle being tested is a new Tikka. I can detect no difference in accuracy, regardless what powder I use or how much!
I seat the bullets deep enough to work through the magazine and so the bolt will close. The Nosler Ballistic Tip had to be seated very deep, creating a great deal of compression with 4350, but again, I could not determine any difference in accuracy.
I have been making 1 MOA groups, or very close to it, with regularity.
Here is one five shot group with the Speer 130 grain bullets, which measures about .82 inches.

How long is your barrel? Those are definetly good velocities.
 
120gr TSX, 43gr Varget, 50 jump, 3078 fps out of a 22" 12 twist Stevens barrel was the hammer of thor on a fat Mulie doe today at 120 yards. Soft tissue and a rib pass through flipped her over, dead right there. Amazing results.
 
Anyone try Hod. CFE-223?..

I have used CFE-223 with 120 NBT's and 139 SST's... good speed and good accuracy... I have a couple winner loads.

Also like 45.0 gr Varget with 120 NBT's (crazy accurate outta my M77 compact) and 49.5 grains H4350 with 139 SST/IB.
 
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