range day with my 7mm-08

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mikeboehm

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took my sako 85 7mm rem mag to the range using a different powder. im shooting 120gr ttsx, varget, fed 210m, win brass.

10696292_10154617821430147_4817191961156768198_n.jpg
 
im pretty sure the 45.5gr was my best group as i flinched due to a 45-70 firing next to me at the same time. these were shot with the bullets seating 55 thou off my lands.
 
a five shot group to tell me everything a 3 shot group doesn't..........

Then I would load at either mag length of a 10 thou jump if the mag would let me, then again more 5 shot groups
 
fair enough, but 3 round groups versus 5 shot groups tell you more, did you have 1 flier or 3 shots of a bigger group?
 
I like one round groups on game..........never needed five.Three is sufficient on paper as we're hunting not going to the Olympics.Try Win 760 with mag primers and watch the groups tighten with 140gr bullets............Harold
 
I was loading the 145 LRX with 4060 and a .060" jump in my 7-08 . I just picked up some 120ttsx and 120 NBT, thr Nosler with Varget has 5 touching with 45.5 and I have yet to do any loads with the Ttsx.

I would do up 5 rounds with different seating depths to see I'd a little closer or a little further of a jump helps any. Your groups seem to be pretty decent though.

What length of barrel and twist do you have ?
 
When load testing focus on vertical dispersion as a guide towards a hunting or target load. IMO, your best loadings were 43.5 and 45.5. Take these out to 200m and see which one maintains the least vertical dispersion. Your ability to shrink the groups comes with practice and to a certain amount gear( a high power scope helps, using the 3x9 can only go so far in helping out).

Having that consistent load will help with poking out there at longer ranges if you expect to go there. Dont get caught up in all the fuss if a hunting load is what you are after. If you can maintain sub moa, then a 400 yard shot may be possible (remember " 1" groups spreads to 4" at that 400yds. So if you are shooting 2moa/100yards then 8" at 400 is expected and that could be out of the kill zone of a White tail, mtn goat, black bear.)

That 45.5 does look promising. The real test is at longer ranges IMHO.
 
Sure is strange. Everybody and his second cousin has a rifle that tells him something.
But of all the rifles I have owned and shot, I never had a single rifle that told me anything! I just do things the way I have learned to do things from a great many years of shooting, and my meek rifles just obey.
 
With my rifle the closer I got to the lands the higher pressures signs showed up with the monolithic Barnes , the accuracy also dropped off. When I went further out they really sang. Let us know if you see the same.
 
H4831 said:
Sure is strange. Everybody and his second cousin has a rifle that tells him something.
But of all the rifles I have owned and shot, I never had a single rifle that told me anything! I just do things the way I have learned to do things from a great many years of shooting, and my meek rifles just obey.
Click to expand...

Some of my rifles talk to me. Some don't but I guess that's their prerogative, isn't it?

I'm okay, right doc?:onCrack:
 
mikeboehm said:
took my sako 85 7mm rem mag to the range using a different powder. im shooting 120gr ttsx, varget, fed 210m, win brass.

10696292_10154617821430147_4817191961156768198_n.jpg
Click to expand...

Where did you get your load data from? I see the Barnes data lists 44gr as the max load for 120gr tsx.

What would I do next? I would run them over a Chrony and see what velocity I'm getting. Also your first three loads seem pretty consistent. If you are getting close to 3000 fps I would load there. Keep in mind that using an extra 1.5 grains of powder may be gaining you very little in velocity and your groups seem to be opening up a bit.
 
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