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

best i can get out of the 7-08 and RL15 is 3050, my normal loads run 2950 as that is where the accuracy is at. i'll have to give Big Game a try!

My Rem CDL in 7-08 with a 24" tube loves 51 grains of Big Game and the 120 BT. Chrono right at 3200 fps. My favorite antelope load. The bullet performance on those small critters is excellent with much less bloodshot than other BT loads I've used. They are almost equal to the TSX for that!

How far off the lands are y'all finding the 120 NBT/Big Game loads perking the best?

Mine have seemed to tighten up a bit as I backed off from around .010 to .020 off, although I need to run some at .015 and see if that may be just right.

I haven't run the Big Game loads jammed or closer than .010 off, although I did with the 120's and RL 15. They shot nice, but showed pressure signs around 43.5 in my rifle with the softer Federal brass and WLR primers.

I've loaded a few rounds of RL 15 at .020 off and will see how accuracy and pressure acts when I get a chance.

Big Game seemed fine at 51, but the only group I've shot at .020 off rather than .010 was with a 50 grain load (which tightened up to a neat little triangle under .75 from the 2 in/1 out 1 inch group it had been shooting at .010 off), so I need to play with a little more powder and maybe seating depth from .020 to .015 off, and see if it stays accurate or even gets better at 51 & 52, assuming pressure is OK.

I will remind everyone that these are compressed loads which are max or a little more, so I'm going to be careful about pressure as I seat the bullets a little deeper.

I know most of you guys know this very well, but...like always, anyone giving Big Game a whirl, work up slowly and carefully and watch for pressure signs.

DJ

I think it would be worth it, Paul.

I think there's a good chance you might land on an accurate load that zips along at 3150 plus without pushing the envelope too far.

DJ

i've just got to find some and i'll work some loads up and see what's what?

Cabela's has it if you have one handy.

Not too hard to cobble together enough powder, primers & bullets to get to discount code territory...grin.

Let me know how it works for you.

DJ

will do, i have a bass pro not that far away i'll swing by and pick some up to give it a whirl.. need to load up some for my wife's 7-08 anyway..

Anyone got a 22" Remington barrel over a chronograph yet? Mine seems to be showing the most accuracy promise at 52 grains out of a 1st generation Ti. I just set the bullets to mag. length and don't seem to be making any contact with the lands. Still more testing needed as the wind is still howling around here today!

Looks like Ill have to pick up a pound of Big Game and some 120s and give it a whirl!

That's what I'll be loading next, thanks for the great info., DJ!

DJ,
I've been watching this post and seems like a good powder with 120's.

Have you had the chance to do anymore shooting?

If there's anyone else with input please chime in. I just found some of this powder and I want to hear what loads are working.

I picked up some Big Game and like it. Much finer granule size than I'd imagined having only used cylindrical powder before. Flows great and trickles great. Today, in my 20" Rem 7 7mm-08 with the 120 gr V-Max broke 3000fps at 50 grain charge. Working up to 52.5 provided little gain to about 3050. I've not done much else so far. There was slight bolt-lift I think at 52.0 and 52.5. WW brass and CCI 200 primers, 2.830" COAL.
FWIW 49.5, 50, 50.5, 51, 51.5, 52, 52.5 grains Big Game grouped 1.5" at 100 yards with 49.5, 52, 52.5 touching.

Slow barrel, was getting about 2720 at 43.5 gr Varget (book MAX plus 2gr) with the Hornady 139 gr BTSP. For reference, this barrel when using 45.0 gr Varget (book MAX plus 1.3) is producing 2920 with the V-max and 2890 using 120 gr NBT, which seems an accurate charge (5/8-3/4")with both bullets, if that's helpful at all.

As they say - don't try this at home. I am re-evaluating what I want to accomplish here but it does seem 3000 with the 120s was the initial goal.... OT

Thanks,

That's good to know. What happened with the 50 to 51.5 grains?
How close where they?
I saw that most found good accuracy at 50 grains.

Well, I shot 120 NBTs and TTSXs today with both Big Game and R-15. I only went up to 51.5 grains Big Game with both bullets, got 3,075 with the BT's and 3,090 with the TTSX's and both shot right at 1.0 with a 22" barrel. Got 2,990 @ 49.5 grains/NBT, and 3,025 @ 50.5 grains.

44 grains R-15 was more accurate in my rifle, around .75 but only 2,950 on the chrono with the NBTs. Got similar accuracy and 2,975 at 44.5.

Hodgdon's data shows 43.5 as their max with the 139gr Hornady SP, and 45gr. with the Nosler 120 BT. Not sure what your source for data is, but if nothing else, it shows the disparity among manufacturers about what "max" is.

I'm going to try some Big Game for the 120 BT, as I found a keeper for the 139gr Hornady with 44grs. Varget. Seated .010 off the lands, 3 shots into one hole just over caliber wide by .540 tall edge to edge, cranking along at ~2950. Haven't been able to get much better than an inch with the 120's and Varget, and I'm not going to drop the speed below 3k by reducing the load below where I already have.

The Big Game looks to have good velocity promise, hopefully I can find the accuracy with it as well.

Yah - I think Hodgdon's Varget data is why I went to those loads. The reference for 41.5 max with 139 BTSPs and 43.7 max with 120 V-Maxs was the Hornady manual Sixth Edition.


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Today, tried more Big Game and CCI 200 primers, WW brass and 120 gr V-Max, 50.0 grains (3000 FPS) and 50.2 grains (3025 FPS) from a 20" barrel.

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

That is awesome. Can't think of a better lil package than that. Ive been meaning to pick up some of that powder to try. Thanks for all the info.

Side note whats your thoughts on a faux ti vs. kimber Since your runnin them side by side and all. I have a 8400 WSM but may be trading it for a 708 mountain rifle. I really like the Montana but think I'd rather have it in a smaller version? Where I live and what I'll do with a rifle I just don't need a bunch of bigger guns. That's today's idea anyway?

Thanks, Kaleb.

I really like the Faux Ti's.

I have a 7-08 and a 243 Faux Ti that are just outstanding, but I haven't tried anything that I like better than an 84M in a Montana, although the 7-08 and 243 Ti's may be less finicky.

Stock, overall handling, trigger, and weight on 84M all get a slight nod over the Faux Ti's, IMHO.

I also like the 8400, but the 84M is the near perfect package.

This is the target from the Montana 243 I was shooting alongside my 7-08 yesterday - and I was shooting a bigger bull and not concentrating nearly as hard to be perfect on every shot with it - just shooting it to kill a minute between 7-08 shots and staying zoned in since they are twins...well, except for scopes.

Shot the first 4 in a hurry, then alternated - but still not a bad 5 shot group with factory ammo...out of a rifle that shoots a lot of stuff good.

Shot 5 a little under .9, IIRC.

The bottom shot was a fouler...



Really like the Faux Ti's, but have to give the 84M's a little edge.

DJ