Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7mm-08 Load Data - Need info quick like!!

Hello campfire community, I really miss it here! I've just been so busy with med school =/ Anyhow I'm reloading 50 rounds of 7mm-08 for my cousin to use for white tail deer. His rifle is a Savage Model 10 LH with a 11.5" twist. So I figured 120 grain Nosler Ballistic tips would be appropriate to use. Here are the components I have to work with -

Federal brass
Winchester large rifle magnum primers
120 grain Nosler Ballistic tips

I need some suggestions for a good powder and some load data that will provide medium velocity and good accuracy. I need some info fast because I'm going to pick some powder up tomorrow! Thanks fellas.

Braxton

I'm thinking possibly varget? Anyone care to chime in who has more knowledge about this powder?

43 grains R15 for me.

Dunno about the magnum primers, large rifle will do it. 45 grains of Varget works great for me, but that is listed as a max load, so work up to it. Recoil is mild. My 13 YO son has been using this load for a few years. Absolutely a deer killer.

In no particular order: RL15, Varget Big Game and H4350.

I've used both Varget and RL15 with satisfactory results in my 700 Remington but the most accurate powder for this particular rifle has been H4985. I believe any of these three powders coupled with the other components you are using will most certainly produce good results for you.

RL-15, Varget, H-4350, H-4895, RL-19 will all do a good job; some rifles may like one over another.

RL-15 is always my 1st try & it usually works.

No need at all for magnum primers, but if you are going to use them, start a couple of grains lower than if you were using LR primers.

MM

Your post reads a bit like you're looking for a short cut so you can run fifty off on the first pass. Is this the case?

41grs H4895/standard LR primers/139gr Horn BTSP/Rem brass

40grs H4895/standard LR primers/154gr Horn SP or 150gr Rem Core Lokt/Rem brass

I am just doing reloading for my cousins deer rifle, he's not an accuracy fanatic and I'm very short on time unfortunately. I'm not necessarily looking to load them all at once, but just want to get a good load right off the bat! I understand magnum primers are not paramount for the 7mm-08 cartridge, but that's all I have to work with and they will do. What do you think I should reduce my loads by? 2-3 grains?

I'm honestly not a fan of "quick" reloading, I do lots and lots of long range shooting and precision reloading with my single stage press (I'll be getting a Nightforce NXS on my Sendero SF II chambered in .300 RUM here in a few months). But my cousin just needs a reliable load he can use for deer (as cheap as possible), which is why I am using magnum primers, because I am allowing him to have them for free (the magnum primers were supposed to be for my old .300 Roy that were sitting under my reloading bench). Once again sorry if this seems rushed to you, this isn't my normal "modus operandi".

Varget or 4064 are my go to powders for 7-08. I have yet to have any luck with 15 unlike a bunch here on the Fire, I had found that these 2 just plain work!

My 7-08 likes both Varget and RL15.

Nosler manual calls for 41-45 gr Varget 43 being the accuracy load and 3018 fps out of the 26" test barrel.

or

RL15 40-44 w 42gr at 2983 40gr being the accuracy load. If you believe that your barrel will shoot like a test barrel.

Roll some middle of the road with either Varget or RL15 and he'll be happy.

If you are going to use the Magnum primers I would go with H414 for the sake of consistency.

49 grains H414 gets around 3086fps and tiny groups in my son's Savage.

In Federal brass with the WLRM?

41.5, or 42.0 gr Varget with the 120NBT.

Not a maxed out load, but very accurate in my gun. It's a safe load at 2800-2850 fps.

WLRM and Winchester brass ( At least the box I was able to find easily) It seems that I have used Federal as well in the 7-08