Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 140grn loads 7mm-08

working with h4350 and 140 sierras and 140 ptns but velocities are a little slow , only in the 2750 range . was thinking of trying varget and working up to about 42 grns. wanted to try big game but cant find it locally . anybody have any favorites that will get into the 2850 range from 22" barrel ? what about rl17 ?

I haven't tried RL17 in my 7'08 yet but I've read reports where some are having good results with it. Another powder I'd like to try is Western Powders Big Game. The most recent Nosler manual indicates that Big Game gives good velocity in the 7'08.

My rifle is a Model 7 CDL with a 20" barrel. I haven't tried any 140 gr bullets, but have tried the 139 gr Hornady SP with a flat base. My rifle produced about 2,835 fps with H4895. I don't recall the powder charge weight but it was the maximum listed charge for that bullet in the Hodgdon manual.

H4895 has also given me the best velocity with 3 different 120 gr bullets that I've tried, right around 2,950 fps. H414 was right on it's heels, but H4350, Varget and IMR 4064 all lagged behind in velocity.

I want to note that my pursuit of the right powder wasn't just about velocity, I got fairly consistent accuracy with H4350, H414, Varget and H4895 so the choice of powder came down to velocity.

Good luck in your load development.

47.4 grains of win 760 with the 140 sierra btsp gave me 2840 fps out of my 24 inch barrel, 2.780 OAL. this is the max load in my sierra manual but gave me no pressure signs, i stopped at that load cause it shot .6 inches. I started with win 760 and it shot great last year, but this year i tried, IMR 4350, varget, and reloader 15 but just couldnt get any of these powders to group. so back with win 760 and am happy with it.

H-4350, 760 & RL-19 all get me there with 140's; for 120's I prefer RL-15.

MM

I'm getting high 2700's with a published load for Varget under a 140 Sierra Pro-Hunter. IMHO I don't know why it's worth pushing for something >2800 fps.

I use Varget @ 42 grns as of now and dont get but 2790 from 140 grn Sierra GK's

H4895 worked well for me too - 2870fps in a 24", 1 in 10" twist Lilja barrel. H4350 and Varget were both too slow in my rifle.

H4895 +2

46gr IMR4350.....

IMR4007ssc will drive 139 gr Hornady SPs to 2857 fps and 140 gr Sierra SP to 2800fps from my 24" bbl. Both are under factory load pressures according to a RSI Pressure Trace, and 5 rd groups run sub MOA

My 22" bbl'd 7-08 ran 140 B-tips in the low 2,800's with 48.0 gr's H4350 (a compressed, but book load).

I'm getting 2880fps with 43 grains of IMR 4064 and Sierra 140 BTSP bullets. 2940 with 1 grain more.
Decent groupings (around 1")and no pressure signs from a Remington XHR 7mm-08