Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Ramshot TAC and 7-08

Just curious if anybody has tried Tac in a 7-08 with 120's ? I have a pound and it's probably the quickest powder I have. Big game with the 120 ttsx got me 3140 fps in a 20" bbl finnlight. I was just wondering if it could be possible to squeak a little more fps out of it.

Somebody a while back posted Tac & 120 TTSX. He had good results but got a little flak about using a too fast powder.

The Ramshot site does not list Tac with any 7-08 load.

I get flak frequently on some of my powder choices...those claiming it is too fast...

however they work just fine for my needs...and frequently I am using Data from times long ago, when folks were using those choices to stretch out shooting budgets, even tho by today's standards it was available and cheap...

kind of like people were concerned about gas mileage in cars in the 40s and 50s, yet by the late 50s and early 60s, when engines got bigger, and had more power, worrying about Gas mileage became uncool...so folks would criticize you like you were a nut...

any one wants to use TAC in a 7/08, especially if that is all they have... find a powder with a burn rate as close as possible that you can find, start low and just work up... your rifle & brass will tell you when you have gone far enough...

My philosophy is one doesn't need a 500 yds capable load, when they are taking game at 200 yds or less... which is about where 99% of all game is taken anyway...

sure it impresses your buddies to take an animal at 400 to 500 yds.. but in the real world, it is the except instead of the rule...

quick reference, on Hodgdon's Burn Rate chart, TAC is listed at # 86, H 4895 is listed at # 87... IMR 4895 is listed at #89...

just take some 4895 data, start low and work up... and there is plenty of 4895 data out there...

you'll easily find something to meet your needs...

if you are trying to squeeze a few more Fps out of your load tho, ya have to ask yourself, what is that really going to give you in the real world???? I don't think the game you are going after will notice a bit of difference, and a 100 fps more in velocity, the trajectory can be compensated with the slower load, by a click or two on the old elevation knob...

just something to think about...

I've got some Ramshot data for TAC with 120 gr. bullets. With WW brass, 120 gr. Nosler BT, at 2.74 COL, they list 3058 fps with 44 grs. This is from a 24 inch barrel and it generates 57,847 psi.
Sometimes you can get very close to factory velocity with faster powders and lighter bullets. In my '06, for instance, 52 grs. of Varget under a 150 gr. bullet runs about 2850 fps. This load kicks noticably less than my 180-200 gr. loads with 58-59 grs. of slower powder. E

Not going to improve those speeds.

It'd take a pretty big critter to stop a 120 TTSX at 3100+....

thats what I figured! Just bored and need another project this winter and have some 120's to fire.

Since I have not been able to find any 4895 locally I emailed Ramshot asking if they had any load data for TAC in the 7-08. I got the following back for 120 grain bullets.

Start load: 39.5 grains (ca 2975 Fps)
Maximum load: 44 grains (ca 3000 Fps)

I don't have a chrono but I really don't worry much about velocity. Still developing a load but accuracy with TAC and 120 BT has been good on initial trip to range.