Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7mm08 powder choice

Gonna work up another load in my

browning xbolt 7mm08.
Alpha munitions brass
139 gr SST
Powder to be determined

Choices
Varget
CFE223
H4350
Winchester Staball 6.5
IMR 4064

Which powder would you choose to start with first?

From the powders you have listed I have had good results using IMR 4064 for bullets in the 120-140 gr. range.

I have not tried any of the others you have listed.

RL15, sorry you don't have that. It's been my go to powder from 120's to 140's.
Varget is the next choice...
No experience with others except Big game.

varget

This or Varget is where I would start and probably end.

Big Game.

Check Pharmseller’s posts on that subject

DF

Varget, work up to 41-41.5gr.

I choose Big Game when I have it. If not, it’ll be Varget.

Varget is a good powder and generally available, The Alliant powders are hard to find, especially since they are not imported regularly. I have not had the opportunity to secure in a year plus.

I'm shooting four 7mm-08s rifles using 140 Etips, 140 TTSXs, 139 GMXs and 120 TTXSs. All the powders will work.

Getting MOA groups with:

H4350, Varget, IMR4895, W760, VH N140

OAL around 2.775

YMMV

Of what you've listed, you can't go wrong with Varget & H4350, especially with 140 & 150's...........I don't like Varget's feed through a powder feeder so unless I have to use it, I don't.

I also use & love RL-15 with both 120's & 140 & 150's.

If a gun doesn't like one or all three of those, you have a problem gun.

MM

That is my biggest gripe about Varget.

Imr 4895 works great for me on various weight bullets as does Varget

Of the ones on your list, I’d go Varget or StaBALL 6.5. Great luck with both.

There’s two kinds of 7mm-08 reloaders in this world: those who use Big Game, and those who don’t.

Wait, that’s not right. Those who use Big Game and those who use something else.

Wait, that’s not right either. Those who use Big Game, and those who should.

Yeah, that’s it.




P

I've been a big fan of H-4350 in the 7-08, but I was finally able to buy BG this winter. Looking forward to working up loads with 139 LRX'S and BG this summer.

48grs H4350 is pretty awesome in both my 708’s with 139/140’s.


4064 would be a good one also.

Big fan here of H4350 in that role (140-145gr). Max book charges shoot well in 3 7mm-08 carbines.

I've loaded for three different Rem 7mm08s for the past 30 years. With 140 grain bullets, IMR4064 was the ticket for two of them. H414 (W760) was the winner for the third.

Having said that, I've recently, for the rifles that preferred IMR 4064, changed powder. Using the current max charges listed for IMR 4064 as a guideline (as much as 5 full grains lower than Sierra's manual from the early '90s!!!), I just can't get the velocities I seek using IMR 4064 in this cartridge (low 2600s to barely over 2700 fps). YMMV.

I've recently worked up an accurate 2800 fps load for one of the two using 139 gr Hornady Interlocks and Varget.

Of the powders listed, I'd start with Varget.

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