Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7-08 with 168 Berger VLD data

Gotcha. Every one seems to talk about going with Heavy now days. I guess I was marching in the parade lol. 150’s probably do better with my twist anyway. Thanks Pharmseller for making me look at this with a different approach.

150g and 168g Nosler long range accubond loves to jump .120 or so, this works out perfect for the 7/08 and a short magazine. Get some Lapua brass, R#19 with cci 250 and stomp on the gas. I sort the LRAB by ogive length, and let me tell you, they knock the hell out of deer and hogs. We like real dead, real quick, and if you are the same, try these bullets. Jump these two LRAB bullets.

175gLRAB likes to be close to the lands, thus 280 and AI are excellent for this bullet. 7Rem mag shoots the 175 into bug holes with two powders, R#22 and R#26, 2850 and 3050 fps Respectively.

9 1/4" twist Remingtons shoot the 175g LRAB just fine.

Why so heavy? Velocity drops off dramatically from 150 to 160/162/168. BC increases but the bullets don’t catch up until 500 yards or farther.



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As mentioned, the 7mm-08 doesn't have the case capacity to really push the heavier bullets effectively...

“Catch up” in what way?

Seems self explanatory, but to propel the bullet fast enough to really justify the extra weight (and without using longer barrel lengths, or seating the bullets to a a longer OAL in a long action receiver).

Look at the ballistics, and compare the Sierra MK's in 150 (0.429 BC) & 168gr (0.490) bullets. With a MV of 2800fps, the 150's are 1515 fps at 1400 yards with 12.2 mils of drop. The 168's, at 2700fps, are 1575 fps at the same distance with 12.4 mils of drop. Even stepping up to the 168gr Nosler CC bullets, which publish a BC of .520, the velocity is 1631 fps with 12 mils drop. Between the three, drop and velocity is again virtually indistinguishable at 500 yards. My long range "fun" rifle is a 22" 7mm-08, and my initial thought process was to run the 162/168s for 600-1k yards...but outside of the cheaper price of Nosler 2nds, there is no reason in my short action 7mm-08 to shoot the heavier bullets (unless shooting subsonics suppressed).

Of course, all of this is irrelevant with regards to hunting bullets. Hunters have been using the 7x57 for years with heavies at slower velocities for damn near a century, killing virtually every game animal on the planet.

Seems self explanatory, but to propel the bullet fast enough to really justify the extra weight (and without using longer barrel lengths, or seating the bullets to a a longer OAL in a long action receiver).

Look at the ballistics, and compare the Sierra MK's in 150 (0.429 BC) & 168gr (0.490) bullets. With a MV of 2800fps, the 150's are 1515 fps at 1400 yards with 12.2 mils of drop. The 168's, at 2700fps, are 1575 fps at the same distance with 12.4 mils of drop. Even stepping up to the 168gr Nosler CC bullets, which publish a BC of .520, the velocity is 1631 fps with 12 mils drop. Between the three, drop and velocity is again virtually indistinguishable at 500 yards. My long range "fun" rifle is a 22" 7mm-08, and my initial thought process was to run the 162/168s for 600-1k yards...but outside of the cheaper price of Nosler 2nds, there is no reason in my short action 7mm-08 to shoot the heavier bullets (unless shooting subsonics suppressed).

Of course, all of this is irrelevant with regards to hunting bullets. Hunters have been using the 7x57 for years with heavies at slower velocities for damn near a century, killing virtually every game animal on the planet.