Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7mm-08 with barnes lrx145 need input please....

Been a long time since I tinkered with a 7-08. Buddy gave me his with the 145lrx and said find a load.
Doubt many have shot this combo yet.
Any input from avid 7mm-8 users.
I guess I'd like to hear about your successful 150 grain loads as I feel even with the grooves this bullet will probably mirror the normal cup and core 150's more than anything else??
Where would you experienced 7-08 guys start if you were me?
Got many many powders on hand including the new mr2000.

Just bought a can of the mr2000 and haven't tried it yet but with 150 ptns and 150 sierra's my Abolt likes H4350 . worked up to 48.0 grns with no problems at around 2750-2800 fps . Varget and rl15 work better in m y gun with the lighter bullets and rl19 shot well but couldn't get good velocity before i ran out of room . H 414 will shoot good with any bullet up to 150 grns in my gun but velocity changes so much from hot Alabama days to cold winter days I have seen POI change quite a bit . Hope this helps .

Thanks...off to a great start!

Never load a 7-08 but...

Have loaded a lot of different 270s, 308s and 30-06s.

I'd start with Varget and If I couldn't get what I wanted there I'd move to H4350 and think on LeverEvolution and SuperPerformance. BLC-2 might be worth a think too.

I find with Barnes, that picking a starting seating depth, then work up to find the top end and if I did not have accuracy there move up to .010 off and back up .010 each trial until the groups come under an inch works best. Beginning seating depth can be completely arbitrary IMO.

I think I've done more than 40 rifles now with Barnes bullets and the only thing I know for certain is that seating depth can be very, very critical and each rifle is very much a law unto itself about what depth it wants.

Personally I would use 120 TTSXs, but that's me.

just put together one with a take off barrel on a short 700 for my wife.don't know the speed i loaded 38gr.IMR 4895 with a SPEER 145#1628.it had a very good accuracy need to check speed.george

Big Game will be your friend. I have found that it gives me the best velocity in the 140 gr. bullet and think it would work well with the 145 gr.

The most accurate bullet and load in my Kimber Montana 7-08 is the Barnes 145 gr LRX with 46 gr of Big Game and Winchester Large Rifle Primers loaded to the magazine length (2.82"). Goes 2,742 fps with little deviation. Under 1 moa for all groups (3 shot) fired at 100 and 200 yds, which is excellent in this rifle. No 120 gr bullets with TTSX, TSX or Hornaday V-max have matched the 145 gr LRX groups on the average.