I've been doing quite a bit of load experimenting with the new Tikka T3, 7-08, I got for our grand daughter. She is an adult, a small lady, but she easily handles full loads in the rifle, grouping at least as good as I can, so I am just trying to find a powder that gives a good velocity.
I have tried several powders, and there is quite a discrepancy between powder and the velocity they easily get. Also, a huge discrepancy between what the loading manuals state they will get and what the chrony states they are actually going!
I'm using bullets of 130, 139, 140 and 145. Haven't tried my 150s yet.
IMR4350 will get over 2800 fps with the heavier of those mentioned above, which is pretty good, but the amount of compression is too much to be really comfortable with. However, no sign whatsoever, of excess pressure. Same charge of Norma 204 will equal, or do a bit better with less compression, but my supply of N204 is too low to play around much with.
What I would like to hear on this thread is other people, who are using a chronograph, and doing similar loading of the 7-08. There are so many powders to try that information from others would be a big help.
H414 has been the best powder so far, easily getting 2900 fps, again with absolutely no sign of excess pressure, but it is so good in my 243 that I would like to keep it for that and find another powder as good for the 7-08. I got poor results with 3031.
Has anyone tried Hodgdon LVR, or Superformance, or Reloader 15? There is little, or no loading information on these powders in that calibre, so it means a lot of trips to the range to get very far and maybe someone else can help me out.
I have done preliminary testing with all of these, but has someone used them more extensively? If so, what was your charges and velocity.
I haven't mentioned accuracy here, because every load I have tried gives good accuracy and hit amazingly close to the same poi as the next load. I have made quite a few sub MOA five shot groups and nothing I tried was far off of that, plus, larger groups are usually my fault. so just want good velocity with powder that goes in the case with little, or no compression.
Bruce
I have tried several powders, and there is quite a discrepancy between powder and the velocity they easily get. Also, a huge discrepancy between what the loading manuals state they will get and what the chrony states they are actually going!
I'm using bullets of 130, 139, 140 and 145. Haven't tried my 150s yet.
IMR4350 will get over 2800 fps with the heavier of those mentioned above, which is pretty good, but the amount of compression is too much to be really comfortable with. However, no sign whatsoever, of excess pressure. Same charge of Norma 204 will equal, or do a bit better with less compression, but my supply of N204 is too low to play around much with.
What I would like to hear on this thread is other people, who are using a chronograph, and doing similar loading of the 7-08. There are so many powders to try that information from others would be a big help.
H414 has been the best powder so far, easily getting 2900 fps, again with absolutely no sign of excess pressure, but it is so good in my 243 that I would like to keep it for that and find another powder as good for the 7-08. I got poor results with 3031.
Has anyone tried Hodgdon LVR, or Superformance, or Reloader 15? There is little, or no loading information on these powders in that calibre, so it means a lot of trips to the range to get very far and maybe someone else can help me out.
I have done preliminary testing with all of these, but has someone used them more extensively? If so, what was your charges and velocity.
I haven't mentioned accuracy here, because every load I have tried gives good accuracy and hit amazingly close to the same poi as the next load. I have made quite a few sub MOA five shot groups and nothing I tried was far off of that, plus, larger groups are usually my fault. so just want good velocity with powder that goes in the case with little, or no compression.
Bruce
