Tell me about 7mm-08

[heavymetaljeff]

So I've got a 7mm-08 coming my way in trade. My 3 sons are young hunters and with only one 243 between the 3 of them I needed somthing to work them up my my '06. I felt 7mm-08 was perfect. But as a new to me caliber I'm not sure where to start making handloads. What's the PB&J? What's and economical bullet to start with? Somthing that will knock down deer, a well placed elk or moose if presented? All the while being able to practice at the range at a decent cost(they eat ALOT of food). On my bench I have Varget, CFE223 and IMR4350 currently. I still need dies and brass too. I prefer RCBS dies and RP brass and have lots of CCI primers. Rifle in question is Remmy 700

 

[Buckmastr]

Try a Sierra Prohunter. 140 or 120gr. Varget or 4350 would be what I'd try first out of your choices

 

[bearhunter]

I use 49 grains of W760 or the same of H414 with 139 grain bullets of all types.

I have two Remington rifles chambered for the 7-08. A 700 SA with a 22 in bbl and a Mod 7 with a take off Rem SA 22 in bbl.

Both shoot better than most can hold and even with the ttxz 120 grain bullets will hold consistently into a minute of angle, right out to 350 yards, which is as far as I've shot them.

With the load I mentioned, both of those rifles produce 2850, +-20 fps.

My main reason for using the ball powders is simply because it meters so well. I load a couple of hundred rounds of 7-08 per year, about 25% of that is for myself and the rest is for my grandson, who has a Rem 700 SA SS, in a McMillan stock, with a trued action and custom 23 in bbl. He's 16 and it's one of his pride and joys. He's very recoil shy and has taken a half dozen Deer with the rifle.

It has less recoil than a 30-06 but not significantly less when loaded to its full potential.

I started my grandson out on 120 ttsx to reduce felt recoil and now he shoots the ttsx 140s.

With good 140 grain bullets, the 7-08 is easily the equivalent of the 30-06 and 165 grain bullets, when it comes to penetration/expansion/retention of weight. Once you start loading 140 grain bullets to their full potential recoil difference become negligible.

Let me give you an example.

Back in the day, most magazine articles referred to the 7x57 as a "MILD" shooting cartridge. Well, for the most part, loaded with North American manufactured ammunition, they were right.

They were right up until surplus Brazilian 7x57 Mauser ammo hit the markets. This stuff was loaded with an unknown ball powder, which was almost identical to H414, 139 grain, SPBT, FMJ bullets and it generated 2900 fps from their M1908 and M1935, 98 type Mausers. All of this in Eqatorial heat.

This load sounds hot but the pressures generated were fairly low and considered to be safe in their old Mod 95 Mausers. A 49 grain load of W760 generates appx 40,000 CUP, according to the Lyman manuals and one of the test rifles was an M95 Mauser.

Sorry for getting off topic. I just wanted to make you aware that recoil is a symptom of pressure behind equivalent weight for diameter bullets. (Likely you already know this)

 

[yodave]

start with the 120 grain bullets, or 110 grain TNT if you can source them, minimum load of powder.....as they get used to it increase the bullet and powder weight. 140 grain bullets will take down moose with ease

 

[BlackRam]

The 7mm-08 load that shoots well in my wife's Steyr Mountain Classic is 47.2 gr of IMR 4350 with 140 gr Sierra ProHunters in Nosler cases with Federal 210M primers COAL 2.276". Sorry, do not have velocity data for it from her rifle, but it will shoot 1/2" groups for her at 100 yards.

I haven't worked up a load in my Winchester Model 88 rebarreled to 7mm-08 yet. Will probably lean towards the 140 gr AccuBonds though, as it is my overall favourite hunting bullet. I will be trying Re-19 and 26 in my loads.

The 7mm-08 is a great cartridge that many put youth and women into, but there a number of men out there that recognize that this a great cartridge that will work well for big game for them as well, and are more than surprised at its effectiveness at first, and quickly become stout advocates for this cartridge for all hunters.

For deer and moose, the Hornady and Sierras would be great choices. I would recommend the AccuBonds or other premium bullets such as bonded or mono-metal offerings for elk, for their extra penetration characteristics. Just stay away from that shoulder bone!

 

[mbogo3]

140gr as stated H-414/Win 760/mag primer.I believe Starline now makes brass as well.

 

[coleman1495]

140-160ish grain bullets are what I load. Varget works well for 140s while H4350 works good for the heavies. Be careful with H414 data. For whatever reason a lot of load data is excessively hot and you won’t be able to produce the listed velocities. Other powders include D4895 or RL-16 but admittedly I’ve never used RL-16.

 

[uncledillers]

go heavy. If you have the twist for it. I like bullets in 160-175 range. I push them with RE 17. Current load pushes 168 vld at 2700fps.

 

[yodave]

leverevelution powder is a sleeper powder, they never published data for lots of cartridges outside of the 30-30 and 35 rem because they didn't find a significant increase in speed, however 2950 with a 140 grain bullet is possible with ease, I won't publish our data but it is something I have been playing with for a couple of years. the burn rate of LR is the same as CFE 223 but produces higher velocity with lower pressure

 

[dan belisle]

leverevelution powder is a sleeper powder, they never published data for lots of cartridges outside of the 30-30 and 35 rem because they didn't find a significant increase in speed, however 2950 with a 140 grain bullet is possible with ease, I won't publish our data but it is something I have been playing with for a couple of years. the burn rate of LR is the same as CFE 223 but produces higher velocity with lower pressure

That's interesting. Care to share your Data? PM me if you prefer. - dan

 

[dan belisle]

So I've got a 7mm-08 coming my way in trade. My 3 sons are young hunters and with only one 243 between the 3 of them I needed somthing to work them up my my '06. I felt 7mm-08 was perfect. But as a new to me caliber I'm not sure where to start making handloads. What's the PB&J? What's and economical bullet to start with? Somthing that will knock down deer, a well placed elk or moose if presented? All the while being able to practice at the range at a decent cost(they eat ALOT of food). On my bench I have Varget, CFE223 and IMR4350 currently. I still need dies and brass too. I prefer RCBS dies and RP brass and have lots of CCI primers. Rifle in question is Remmy 700

Start them with light loads and bullets. Both of my 7mm-08's (one standard, one Ackley) like Varget for accuracy. Once you get them worked up to heavier bullets, honestly there is nothing I would hunt with a 30-06 that I wouldn't hunt with the 7mm-08. - dan

 

[jethunter]

Try a Sierra Prohunter. 140 or 120gr. Varget or 4350 would be what I'd try first out of your choices

I started 3 kids off with the 120gr Sierra Prohuter and the starting load of imr4064. About 2500 fps iirc. The bullet works well at that velocity and made a good 150 yd deer cartridge. Dial it up with heavier bullet and more velocity when the kids were ready.

 

[FLHTCUI]

Lots of good info here guys.
Have some research to do for the X-bolt .
Rob

 

[hunters home]

140-150 gr bullets with H-414/WW760 and a mag primer has worked great in all 3 of the 7mm/08's I've owned.

 

[stew]

145 speer BTSP with H4350 tried noslers and barnes with various powder Speers shot best

 

[john-brennan]

140gr accubonds with 49gr H4350 I get 2925 fps and that is a Max load in my rifle 22" barrel, very accurate.

 

[WhelanLad]

yeah mate i normally shoot 140gr Woodleighs but when i plink in summer or for thinner deer i use a sierra 120gr pro hunter an 2208/ Varget...... these are pretty nice on the shoulder out of a Kimber ultra light, i start to notice recoil in the 140gr loads but love shooting the 120s....

thats where i would start for a betweener of a 243 an 06, you guys have better priced premium bullets to aid in the use of bigger deer with 120gr..

7mm-08s are certainly capable on the big game, it just boils down to projectile make up.

 

[Al-Sway]

I started 3 kids off with the 120gr Sierra Prohuter and the starting load of imr4064. About 2500 fps iirc. The bullet works well at that velocity and made a good 150 yd deer cartridge. Dial it up with heavier bullet and more velocity when the kids were ready.

This. If you want to start them off to work up to a .30-06 don't use full loads for 139 or 140 grain bullets. It will kick much like a .30-06 (I know it is all relative and someone will quote the recoil numbers.) The point is that they do recoil significantly. I have found that the 120, or perhaps the 130 grain Speer, at around 2600 fps, with do a fine job on deer and for practice. Save the full power loads for later.

 

[hillbros_96]

For my 11yr old daughter, I used 110 gr Barnes on the lower side of the chart with Varget, almost no recoil and that gun is so much fun to shoot, it has taken a couple of black bears nicely with no issues. My eventual plan is to get her to 130 or 140 gr bullets with more oomph behind them.

 

[heavymetaljeff]

Thanks for the replies. Once the rifle eventually shows up, I'll look for some 120gr Sierra's and start with a min load of varget.