Talk me out of a 7mm-08AI

Lots of good suggestions here. Strongly started to consider the .284 but in the end I just got the feeling that it would be better suited to a long action and magazines. I've decided to go with the 7mm-08 AI. I'm very curious about its performance as there seems to be little information on the web compared to other cartridges.

Insite Arms is going to put all the pieces together for me. I'll report back when its complete.
 
Reason there's not much info is that any of the 308 based cases don't improve much when improved. Not much gain in case capacity, even less velocity gain (10% gain in case capacity will net you a 2.5% gain in velocity, all else being equal). Not to say it isn't a good cartridge, I quite like mine, but don't expect it to turn your 7mm-08 into a 280. - dan
 
dan belisle said:
but don't expect it to turn your 7mm-08 into a 280. - dan
Click to expand...

A few inches of barrel length took my standard 7mm-08 to get these numbers at pressure signs. 139gr sst 3150fps, 162eldx 2935fps, 180gr eldm 2730fps. Speeds measured with magnetospeed. Coal is long at over 2.9”.

There are custom gun builders in the USA getting 3100fps with 140gr bergers in a 20” 7mm-08ai. With the right powder and barrel some amazing things can happen
 
dan belisle said:
Reason there's not much info is that any of the 308 based cases don't improve much when improved. Not much gain in case capacity, even less velocity gain (10% gain in case capacity will net you a 2.5% gain in velocity, all else being equal). Not to say it isn't a good cartridge, I quite like mine, but don't expect it to turn your 7mm-08 into a 280. - dan
Click to expand...

Not expecting 280 performance or even 284 win. Just want to squeeze what I can out of a 7mm08 while doing something just a little different, if for no other reason, just for my first adventure into fire forming and playing with a non-standard chambering.

hometownhero said:
A few inches of barrel length took my standard 7mm-08 to get these numbers at pressure signs. 139gr sst 3150fps, 162eldx 2935fps, 180gr eldm 2730fps. Speeds measured with magnetospeed. Coal is long at over 2.9”.

There are custom gun builders in the USA getting 3100fps with 140gr bergers in a 20” 7mm-08ai. With the right powder and barrel some amazing things can happen
Click to expand...

I've read that Jarrett Rifles is producing 20" barreled 7mm08ai rifles that are producing 3000+ fps with 140s. They list it as one of their "pet cartridges". I'm hopeful and somewhat confident that I can achieve 3000+ fps with a 140gr in a 22" barrel.
 
Best my buddies and I are seeing from our 7-08's (5 rifles between us and our kids) is 2900 with 140gr bullets 22" barrels plain jane 7-08s. 1 Rem700, 1 X-Bolt, 1 Win XPR, and 2 T3 Lites.

3,000 might be doable with the 7-08AI
 
Well try as you might, I went ahead with the 7mm-08AI. I've had the rifle back from Insite Arms for a little over a month now and I still haven't found the time to get out to fire-form any brass, do any load development or even mount a scope on it. Harley and Andy at Insite did a fantastic job of putting this together. Everything looks great and the suggestions they made for tweaks to my original plan worked out great.

The bare rifle with an empty magazine came in at 7 lb 0.8 oz. With a set of Talley one piece rings and the Leupold scope I'm planning, the rifle should be very close to my 8 lb goal.

Load development and rifle performance to follow when I can finally get away from work to shoot this beauty.

The pic below is the photography of the gentleman at Insite.
QpS0bGp.jpg


This far less visually appealing photo is my handywork, but give a different perspective in different lighting.

zWnlLwB.jpg
 
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Well, you did it... and came back to report... so, kudos for that... so many on here just talk and talk and talk, and never follow through and build anything... get it up and running and let us know how it shoots.
 
Great looking rifle.
What sort of glasses you gonna pewt'awn'er?

I knew a chap that sported a 30-30AI.
Sounds purrty kewl.

Need some targets ........ daggnabbitt.
 
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