Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Imr4451 and 7/08 ackley. Is it the holy grail combo?

Has anyone ever played with the new imr4451 and 7/08 or 7/08 ackley in particular??
I have been playing with my ackley I just built and imr4451 is either the holy grail for the 7/08 ackley or my rifle is the fastest 7/08 ackley ever built. Just wondering what others are coming up with.

What speeds are you getting with what grain bullet?
Build details? barrel, twist, length?
Curious minds got to know....

Custom built on a Rem 700 sa 26" 9 twist barrel. Special ground reamer made to my specs for the 140 Berger hvld. I just got this thing put together earlier this week. Formed a few round of brass loaded them back up with imr4451 and 120btips touching the lands at 2.790" and br2 primers. Started at 49 gr worked up to 52. Could go more but can't any any more powder in the case without compressing. The 52 gr load showed 3380fps average on the magneto. Primer is just starting to flatten still has rounded edges and no ejector Marks. And half moa groups to boot.
Shot again today with 50grs and it is right at 3250 for 5 shots

I built 2 7/08 ackleys I think I'm gonna have my customer work up with imr4451 and 120s just to compare

Thats plenty fast & accurate!! But I already think the 7MM-08 is the Holy Grail for hunting:)

Been working with mine all year. 700 youth 20" in an edge ADL and a Timney with a milled follower and a pt&g TG. Found a pile of MOA loads and a few sub MOA. Getting ready to send it out for a new 20" tube and go AI this time. Trying to find a hawk hill barrel in 7mm but no luck. Might go pacnor at this point.

Have to pick up some 4451.....

HF, curious what leade and free bore you specked on the reamer. Also what brand of barrel. Sounds like you hit it well.

48.5gr CFE-223 with the 120 NBT nets me slightly over 3200, and 45.0gr 2000MR with a 140 TTSX gets 2936 with a 21" bbl vanilla hull.

47 Varget 120's in 21" 700 avg 3150-3200 RP partial sized non-AI

Nosler max on Big Game gave me 3200+fps in my 700 sps ss with the 120 gr bt. And .75 MOA.

tag

In 2015 -2016 I used IMR-4451 and IMR-4166 for temp stability and anti Copper fouling

In 2011 -2014 I used H4350 and H4895 for temp stability

In 1999 -2010 I used IMR-4895, Re22, and dozens of other powders.

Tag here too. Got a new barrel to break/in do load work up on.

If you can get 3200 fps with 120's....what more would you need?

I shot again with 140 Bergers and imr4451. Just started to see faint ejector marks at 49gr with lapua brass and a speed of 3140. Accuracy was sub moa for 5 shots. Backed down to 48grs with a speed of 3120 and sub moa accuracy for 5 shots. I think I might back it off another grain. Should put me right at 3100 then mess with seating depth to fine tune accuracy. I would like to see it produce 1/2" 5 shot groups @ 100yds. I know it's capable. During fire forming of the lapua brass it put 8 out of 10 shots into a sub 1/2" group.

3250 fps seems about right for 120's out of a 26" tube.

Huntinfool - I would just caution you a little that your 140 gr bullet velocity numbers seem way high. Between the wife and I, at least one of us has hunted with a 7-08AI for the past 10 years or so.

Hope has taken several deer and two elk with one, and I used one this year for deer here in MO (with a 24" barrel).

For 140 gr bullets, Berger lists 2875 fps as the fastest load for a standard 7-08. In an Ackley, 3000 fps with a 140 would be pretty close to tops even with a 26" barrel in my humble opinion.

Not trying to rain on your parade at all, and it sounds like you have a dandy rifle there. Mid 3200s with 120s sounds about right.

God bless and good hunting,

bludog

Ryan built the other 7mm-08AI for my mom. I am breaking it in and working on loads. It shoots well. I will be updating with some more posts.



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Interesting info on the 4451 gents.

Noting that the improved 7-08 case increase in powder capacity bring it right near the 7x57's...

To stay in the 61,000 pressure area I imagine 50fps over Nosler's book (also 26") would be it for the 7-08AI.

But running that case to 65,000...any idears?

Rifle is a REM 700 with a bartlein 1:9 2b finished at 25.

I will update with velocities/drop when I shoot at further ranges.

Looks like she's a shooter. Gotta love it when a plan comes together