Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Impressive Velocity & Accuracy - Ramshot Big Game: 7-08/120 NBT...

Finally have another update, and pleased to report more good results with Big Game and 120 NBT's.

I've played a bit more over the last couple of weeks, finding MOA or a little less with a variety of charges and seating depths - but I have never been able to shoot where wind wasn't 10-15mph, so I really haven't felt like I was able to refine things too much and draw firm conclusions.

Around 50 grains seemed to be the most consistent accuracy sweet spot, and I saw just a hint of pressure sign in primers and brass as I played around in the 51 to 52 range, so I decided to play with seating depth a little on charges around 50 or so.

Yesterday afternoon, the wind finally laid to almost nothing, so I ran down to the hay field to see if I could confirm my suspicions about the best load.

I shot 3 groups in pretty rapid succession, and saw around .75 with 48.5 - 49.5, and a group a little further off the lands opened up at 50 grains.

I was shooting pretty fast, and it was pretty warm, and the barrel was plenty hot on the last group - so I suspected barrel heat may have distorted my last group a little....so I pulled the Montana 243 out and plinked a little with some factory Hornady 58's - shot a fouler and then 3 at around .5.

The wind was still next to nothing, so I decided to go a little slower on the last group since I suspected it was real close to the best combo of powder and seating depth based on what I'd figured so far.

The 7-08 barrel had cooled, so I decided to alternate between it and the 243 to slow myself down and stay in a groove on the last group.

I felt pretty dialed in, and felt operator error was pretty minimal this evening - even off the tailgate of the old Ford.

No better than these Montanas will shoot...grin...I guess I'll have to settle for this and just make do with this load...grin.







More for scale than trying to measure the group real precisely...



But it's pretty tight...



I'm pretty confident this is no fluke. I have been around .6 -.75 a bunch with 50g and similar seating depths, and this group lands smack in the middle of the others I've shot.

Also, shot this group with Remington once fired brass since I have a little more confidence in it than the Federal, but the Federal was shooting it well enough in the windy conditions and to same POI.

Just finally got a chance to shoot with no wind to see what it could really do.

I'm pretty tickled, to say the least.

No chronograph, but I'm 2.5" high at 100 and around 1.75-2" low at 300, so I think velocity is pushing 3200.

Haven't touched the scope through load development, but will play with it now and zero it where I want and stretch it out a little to get to know it.

DJ