Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7mm-08.....120gr. NBT..... Consensus on best powder?

... concur with the RL15 recommendation. Shoots great out of my 22" stainless 700 Mtn Rifle:









Works well with 120TTSX's too, and runs them about 3100fps in my rifle:

I tried 120 nbt's in an x-bolt 7mm-08 the other day. I had lots of other loads to try in other rifles, so I just guessed and loaded four each of a middlish load with both big game and varget. Four bullets with 43.5 grains of varget did right at 2900 with good accuracy, and the four with 50 grains of big game were slightly less accurate at 3120 fps. I've loaded a few more with each powder, working up in charge weight with the varget and down in charge weight with the big game. I will be happy if this rifle groups well with either powder anywhere over 3K fps.

My Rem 700 CDL with 24" bbl showed excess press with greater than 50 grains of Big Game. I stuck with that load for just under 3100 fps and 1" or less groups.

My previous 7mm-08 shot best with 44.5 gr. of RL-15. My current one seems to prefer 50.0 gr. of Big Game. The guns and preferred loads gave me chronied velocity of 3065 fps. and 3115 fps. Both were consistently 3/4" to 1.00" loads at 100 yds. Pick what your rifle likes best.

Mods, probably a significant post. Sticky?
Thanks everybody...
BTW, this load (@3100) pretty much duplicates .270 WCF with a 130 grainer at the same velocity...

Cut the muss and fuss. 120 nbt and varget. great accuracy and velocity without the temp sensitivity of rl 15. varget is probably the best all around powder in the 7-08 for 120-140 grain pills.

i run RE17 under 120s in my 7mm-08s these days.

Varget. 45 gr gave me incredible accuracy out of a stainless mountain rifle.

CFE-223 and 2000MR, both are really fast. CFE-223 is as accurate as Varg or '15 in my wife's 7-08ai.

Yep, 2000MR looks like a pretty good powder for the 7/08.
How much are you getting in the AI case? Compressed load?
Chrono'd?

Sorry, didn't see this question back when. In the wife's 7-08ai (24" barrel):

49.5 gr 2000MR, F215 - 3264 fps with 120 gr TTSX, 3222 fps 120 NBT - (good groups ~1")
45.9 gr RL-15, F210 - 3172 fps with 120 gr TTSX - (ex. gps 0.45-0.65")
49.0 gr CFE 223, BR-2 - 3188 fps with 120 gr TTSX - (3 shot gp 0.64", 4th raised gp size to 1.15")
50.0 gr CFE 223 gave well over 3250 fps and good groups witn 120 TTSX but the velocity scared me off of this load altho there were no apparent pressure signs, so I backed down a grain for the wife's hunting load this season. Recommend you try different primers. There were some significant differences in group sizes using different primers with each powder.

And to answer your other ? concerning the 7-08ai cartridge, you aren't going to get a lot more velocity out of it. MAYBE 75fps with lighter bullets and 50 fps with heavier bullets over a standard 7-08 if you don't hot rod it (I don't). But that does put this cartridge right up there with my 284 win, which is a darn good place to be and most importantly the wife loves the gun. Hope this helps.

2000MR, 49gr - 120 NBT - 210M - Win case - 2.80"

3060 FPS in 22" Kimber is producing .75" and less three shot groups at 100m. Verified yesterday.

Wow, looks like I need to revisit this powder.
I only got mediocre groups when I tried it in an abbreviated trail, but I was several grains below what you guys are running. I only tried it with WLRs as well.
Thanks...

Used to be a Varget man but these days CFE223 get's the nod, 49.5 grains will clock 3200fps from my 22" Kimber. Worked up to two grains over what Hodgdon calls maximum with zero pressure signs and saw 3300fps with the 120's. Was no accuracy there in my rifle so I settled on the 49.5gr load @3200fps. CFE223 is "the" powder for 120's in 7mm-08, JMO.........


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i recently traded a stalker x-bolt for a micro hunter for my wife. i had rl 15 loaded for the stalker and it shoot like 3' groups out of the hunter. I swapped to imr 4350 and the groups shrunk to 3/4". I didnt try but one load of 4350 bc that was plenty good for her. if interested ill find all the load data

3 foot groups !!!??? Ha ha

I like 4350 too 140gr bullets