Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles why no love for the 7mm-08???

But a Longer Action is needed.

The 7mm-08 pushes 140 grain bullets in the neighborhood of 2800 fps. That means that it's field performance is mighty close to 270,7x57,280,308,and 30-06.

In fact it might be the best of the lot due to the fact that it has the mildest recoil. Also cup and core bullets tend to exit critters when fired from a 7mm-08. Partly due to moderate impact velocity and partly because 7mm bullets tend to be built stout to endure 7mm mag velocities from which most of them are launched.

You're too young to be a curmudgeon

I agree with BobinNH, the only thing on a .308 case I really liked was a .22 Cheetah!!! It was a fantastic shooter..

I can write my name in the snow....

I am a fan. I have two and in the market for another in the Kimber flavor.

That's pretty impressive for a guy that shoots a long action to be able to put that many letters together.

Short name.

See below my sig line.

I'm just waiting for DJTex to weigh in with some pics...

Ya, anymore would be pushing it.

Yup,my hands would freeze.

-some like to strain the 7mm/08 and 7x57 to the max. to prove how close it is to the heels of the .280..

I once tried that myself that with a LA 7x57 with bullets seated out to gain capacity... then logic prevailed over nostalgia -
A longer case in a long action gave more capacity than just seating bullets out in 7x57...I could then get my velocity targets
without having to play on the edge.

Varget + 140's gave me 2960 in partial sized RP in 21" factory 700's.
20" M70 = 2850

Never failed. I had a RM. Never miss it. Like ice cream. Different strokes.

Wow. I can't even get close to that with Varget.




P

I ran 45.0. Was safe in my rifles. One grain over the original book max as I recall. Again. Partial sized if that matters.

I'm running +P+ on Varget also. Below is from Hodgdon. 43.5 is only 50k on a 61k cartridge.

Bullet Weight
139 GR. HDY SP
Manufacturer
Hodgdon
Powder
Varget
Bullet Diam.
.284"
C.O.L.
2.800"
Starting Loads
GRS. VEL.(FT/S) PRESS.
40.5 2,436 44,700 CUP
Maximum Loads
GRS. VEL.(FT/S) PRESS.
43.5 2612 50,000 CUP

Fwiw I've also run the same charge of IMR 4064 w a hair better accuracy and same speeds. I know there may be newer powders that do very well since I've last owned 7-08's

The only data I've ever seen that shows a 140 over 2,900 is RL19 @ 2,930 from a 24" bbl. Not even MR2000 or Big Game goes over 2,900 from 24" bbl.'s (2,850 and 2,880 respectively), and certainly not Varget.

I've always considered the 7-08 a 2,800 to 2,830 cartridge with 140's from a 22" barrel (the only length I've ever owned in a variety of 7-08's).

There is nothing that would induce me to run a 140 in the 2,900's from a 22" 7-08.

But we all accept different levels of risk.

Current book max is 42.




P

Not advocating unsafe loading, only mishap I ever had was a blown primer using IMI brass long ago which was a lower capacity brass. Here is a load on a site, using WW Brass, in a 20.25 bbl, over 2900. MY Speeds may have been atypical, IDK, but it's what I was getting, in my guns, and I never had a problem. If loading today, I would use WW brass vs RP, which has about 1.5 more capacity and is better quality, and I might reduce the charge to 44.0 - just depends on pressure signs and what speeds I was obtaining.

Book max changes over time with various manuals. Years ago with my first rifle, a RM - I wanted to duplicate 280 speeds with a lower charge, so I picked one in an OLD Speer manual. The 145 blew up on the shoulder of a large WT deer, and I later found out it was much faster then the book, in my 700.
In talks later with Speer, I was informed the original load data was in a firearm that gave different pressures and speeds. They later used another rifle and charges were dropped.

In the 7/08 I know charges were lowered IIRC since I first started using Varget.

2800-2850 is a good goal and average many get in the 7/08. My loads were what I consider top end, safe, and accurate, in MY rifles. 50-100 fps is not significant and a couple of clicks on a turret or adjustment in POI will compensate.

FWIW, as a comparison, I ran 47 routinely using 120s, 3050-3100 was the norm. Again, RP brass. That same load btw, shot 3/4 - 7/8" at 200 yds in my BDL - Varmint (in a VLS stock, pressure pad removed, no bedding), for (3) 100 Hornady HPs...was very fast, and a coyotes worst nightmare

Last thought on My speeds - here in Louisiana in summer, we have temps in the 90s.....that might have added a bit of heat to the equation. Someone might chime in but that might change things a bit, I'm not up on the temp sensitivity of various powders.

http://www.reloadersnest.com/detail.asp?CaliberID=43&Powder=Hodgdon+Varget&LoadID=8760