Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Load info on 7mm-08 please

I'm new to reloading and trying to work something up for a new rifle. The rifle is Remington 700 varmint 26" sitting in an HS sendero stock. So far I've tried Nosler 120 & 140gr ballistic tips, also Hornady 139gr SST. All loaded with W760. It didn't care for any.
Any information is appreciated. Thank you

Change your powders and/or bullet weights. I have a finnicky gun that will NOT shoot any 140g bullet. I tried Varget, RL15, RL17, I4350, I4320,I4064 powders, 120, 130, and 150g bullets. Found it likes Varget and 120's, Varget and 150's, and 4064 and 130's. You just have to find the right combo that YOUR gun likes. Might be cheaper to buy bullets than different powders, but if you have lots of bullets left might try some of the powders I've tried, or some others that the fine folks here on the fire will I am sure suggest.

I would try diff. seating depths first. The 7mm 08 hasn't been a diff round to load for in my experience......

My most consistently accurate loads have been using RL-15 and 120 gr Ballistic tips. I've never had much luck with SSTs. Surprised you couldn't get the 140s with W760 to work for you. It's worked great for me with either Accubonds or TSX.

Do a search. There is a LOT of 7mm-08 load data already posted.

With that said, my 7mm-08 likes RL-15 and Big Game shooting the 140 gr. bullets.

Good Luck,

Bob

So far my best load is the 120 Barnes TSX and 44.0 of RL-15...

My rifle also performs very well with IMR 4064 and 140 Nosler ballistic tips..

Mine did NOT like 120 TSX's or BT's. It did, however, like 140's.

120 Nosler BT & RL-15 is a good place to start.

ANY 140 grain bullet loaded over IMR4064 produces decent accuracy in my 7mm-08. That said, some are better than others, and my rifle had no desire to shoot the 139 SST with any type of great accuracy.

IMR 4064 has been the easiest to find a load for, but Varget, with the right load, has produced the tightest groups for me.

My gun loves Varget, 140 Ballistic Tip and Rem 9 1/2 primers. CCI 200 primers have been excellent too. The 140 Accubond is still very accurate with the exact same load, only giving a 1/4 inch in group size to the Ballistic Tip.

IMR 4064 with the Sierra 140 BT, Nosler Partition, Hornady 139 SP has been really good too.

Varget with the 154 Hornady SP shoes consistently good groups and is generally loaded as my "back up" load for elk hunting.

My gun didn't show a lot of promise with H414, but IMR 4350 teased me a little bit and shows some promise, particularly with the 140 Partition.

Started loading RE15 and it shows some promise too. Just not a lot of experience with it yet.

Hope that this helps.

FH

I couldnt get the 139 sst to shoot in my gun . try h4350 with any of the bullets you mentioned . my next choice would be either varget or RL15 if neither give the results you are looking for move to 150 grn bullets. i have found in several 7mm08s that 150 grain bullets are much easier to get to shoot at around 2750fps or so . again h4350 and the 150s have worked good for me in the past .

h4350 and 140 accubonds is what mine likes.
i have them set at 0.030 off the rifling.

My Stevens both love 120BT and 45 grain Varget, thats max in one of them and close in the other.

Were you loading 760 with magnum primers? If not, try magnum primers. Sometimes ball powders, such as 760, work better with magnum primers.

My son's Rem. Model 7 does well with IMR4064 and bullets in the 130-145 gr. range. Haven't tried any 120's as I like a little heavier bullet.

Thanks for all the info so far. I did try some with mag primers with about the same results. I've picked up some RL15, Varget, and 4350. I'm hopefully going to get to the range one day this week. I've got a few Speer 145gr and 150's. Gonna give them a shot as well. I put in an order for some TSX's so I'll have to wait awhile to try them.
Again thanks for your time.

120 BT 45 Varget 210M WW brass

120 BT, 51 grains Big Game, Fed 210M or WLR, RP cases is my favorite 7-08 antelope load. It should also work well on coyotes this weekend.

My best luck (in my Win M70 Fwt) has come from 140 Sierra Pro-Hunters and Varget....using published load data.

I shoot Varget with 140 grain Accubonds. 39-42 grains and 2.8000

A max load of IMR4895 and any 139gr Hornady bullet.

RH