Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 7-08 pet load?

Sounds like your load development was done as done in the right way. My only concern would be that sometimes “pressure signs” don’t show up until a load is way over acceptable pressure. I’m not trying to be overly critical here; but I would suggest using a chronograph when developing loads. Maybe the best $100 or so you’ll ever spend. By the way, welcome to the campfire.

H380 and 120 ballistic tip

45 gr Varget, WLR primers, 120 gr NBT. 3100 fps.
Sub 1" out of several guns.
Multiple 1-shot kills over 500 yards... whitetail and antelope.

I've only loaded for a few 7-08's but it's one of my favorite rounds. For the last couple of decades I've settled on the same max load of RL-19 and 140 Noslers. BT's, partitions or Accubonds all group within 1" of each other at 100 out of my Steyr. BT's and AB's usually under 1/2" and partitions around 3/4". Getting just over 2900 through the chrono with a 24" barrel. Similar results with my buddy's Savage and Ruger's. You don't really need anything but the BT's on deer. I shoot this load pretty regular out to 600 and sometimes out to 1000.

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DF

My pet load for my Browing A-Bolt is 140 grain Nosler BTs, 47.0 grains of H4350, Remington brass and a Federal 210 primer. Velocity is 2743 average (over 50 samples) and the Standard Dev is 15 fps, so it is pretty consistent. The good thing about this load is that the BTs and the ABs group to the same point of impact and my A-bolt prints both into less than an inch (5-shot groups). My average is 0.731" with the BTs and 0.971" with the ABs (both average of ten 5-shot groups). So, I can load up and practice with the cheaper BTs and use the ABs for hunting.

Buy your bullets from shootersproshop dot com. BOGO.




P

Went through the process a few weeks ago with my first ever 7-08.

41.0gr IMR-4064 with a 140 Partition was the clear accuracy winner. Very impressive.

Varget 44 gr 120 NBT

H380 and nosler 120 ballistic tip. It’s nice to use a powder that throws easily. Guaranteed accurate in any half decent 7-08.

Some years back, I had a 700-C in 7-08. It did very well with 140's over Norma 204. That gun went down the road, have not used 204 in my current 7-08, a Bobby Hart built 700 in Hunters Edge, as it does so well with BG.

Just thought I'd mention N-204 which is slightly slower than H-4350, which is a tad slower than BG.

DF

Well, after reading so much about 120 Ballitic Tips and Varget I had high hopes for it, but it's not to be. I loaded five rounds each of 43, 44 and 45 grains with it. The best group was about 2 1/4 inches for the 45 grain load. By contrast IMR 4064 and the Speer 130 grainer done much better.









I'll play some more with the 120's and some other powders but I'll try the Speer with other powders also. I also so have the 140 B.T's to try. Then I'll pick the two or three most promising and try tweaking them a little.

That's exactly where I landed working up loads for 120 ttsx.
Seated to the front of the first driving band gives me .75 4 shot groups out of the boys 700 youth stuck in a Mickey edge with a timney, milled follower, Talley's and a conquest 3-9x.

RL16, RL17 and H4350 do well with 140's. My best load has been 45gr. RL17/140BT.
I've tried Varget, Rl15, Biggame and Imr4350 with 120's, IMR 4350 gave me the best groups.
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Are the Ballistic Tips seated straight?

What's all the 5 shots then 3 shots about?

Varget has characteristly low S.D.'s and is very consistent. Good 7-08 powder.

BUT, if you follow Pharmseller, you can't load the 7-08 with anything other than Big Game powder...

And, IMO, he's onto something. Look at his groups and dead critters...

Hard to argue with success.

I'd probably use Varget with lighter bullets, BG with heavier ones.

I got my 7-08 late in the season last year, used factory 120 NBT's. They grouped so well, killed stuff so dead, I've not worked up loads, yet. Too many other ongoing projects, like my latest, a 338-06, etc.

A Loony's work is never done...

DF