7mm-08 Loading

[Brentster7189]

I just recently got this caliber for my daughter and started reloading for it. I want to point out at the start that this will be for hunting.

So I started out on a medium load, 45g of IMR 4350 with a 139g Hornady SST. I got a little over 2700fps on velocity. I'd like to get over 2800. She is pretty comfortable with the recoil, as it is less then the Remington Core-Lokt ammo I bought to break the barrel in with.

Since I just really started reloading I'm finding some different info on loads that people are using for this caliber, using various powders. I'm pretty happy with using the Hornady bullets, either Interbond or SST, they both have the same BC. But with these various powders like IMR, Varget, RL15, RL17, etc. I'm wanting to just know in lamen terms what the difference is between these that a beginner like myself would understand.

I realize that all rifles will perform differently with different powders, bullets, etc. and I need to find what will best work in my rifle. I'm just trying to get a feel for these different powders and what might be more advantages for me with respect to each one. This could actually apply to any reloading I do for my other guns as well. I guess that's the beauty of reloading yourself...there are many doors to open and explore.

Thanks for any advice or information you can give me.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

What's your barrel length?? I had a m7 stainless 20" barrel many moons ago and used either a 120 with rl15 or a 140 with h414. The h414 would hit 2800 fps in a 20" barrel. It was 10 years ago and I'm not sure about charge weight or primer. I made the mistake of shooting a deer with a 120 with it and got peeved and traded the rifle. The reason I went with h414 is it is more compact than 4350 and slow enough to get to full case for full velocity.

 

[rscott5028]

[...]
But with these various powders like IMR, Varget, RL15, RL17, etc. I'm wanting to just know in lamen terms what the difference is between these that a beginner like myself would understand.
[...]

differences include...

size & shape of the granules that affects metering and fill capacity

burn characteristics such as temperature sensitivity, how clean, and burn rate which affects the pressure curve and peak pressure developed for a given load

ideally, you're looking for a powder that gives a decent fill ratio and burns nearly completely within the length of your barrel giving the bullet the required muzzle velocity within the pressure limits of your cartridge

people choose powders with different priorities (a) low cost, (b) what's on hand, (c) best accuracy, (d) max velocity, etc...

your loading manual will often bold or have a star by a powder/load that produced the most accurate group(s) in a given test rifle

you can get lots of good suggestions on the internet, but NEVER trust those without double checking with an authoritative source such as a published loading manual or manufacturer's website and working up your load safely for your rifle

be safe and have fun!
richard

 

[reeldawg]

My son has a 22" inch savage 7mm-08. It shoots 40.5 grains of Varget with 140 Nosler BT that touch at 100yds. Any hotter and the groups open up. I have shot the 139 SST with this load and the performance is about the same.

 

[Brentster7189]

My son has a 22" inch savage 7mm-08. It shoots 40.5 grains of Varget with 140 Nosler BT that touch at 100yds. Any hotter and the groups open up. I have shot the 139 SST with this load and the performance is about the same.

She has a Savage Model 111 Trophy Hunter XP 7mm-08, this is the rifle I am reloading for. I might try some of those other powders out to see how they do.

 

[Joe King]

I got a savage model 14 for my daughter two years ago, I originally started her with 49gr (I think of RL19) and a 140gr AB. Gonna move her to a 150gr Partition, she drew a youth elk Btag in the Missouri River breaks. If I can get it to 2800 with moa out to 300yrds I'll be tickled with it.

 

[rscott5028]

She has a Savage Model 111 Trophy Hunter XP 7mm-08, this is the rifle I am reloading for. I might try some of those other powders out to see how they do.

Just don't get caught up in changing too many variables too fast.

Pick one good set of components that's proven successful for others and do a proper, methodical load workup and you will be rewarded.

Here's another good resource...
7mm Cartridge Guide

-- richard

 

[3degreesbelow0]

How are you comparing your velocities? Are they both measured over the same chronograph,....just asking?

Because if you are going off the manufactures posted numbers one rarely ever achieves the manufactures numbers for various reason.

also barrel length is important I believe the savage trophy xp is 22" long in the 7-08 most load data is worked up in a 24" barrel so you will rarely reach those velocities.

The 7-08 is not very finicky,.... I am working on my 5th loading and all were more than adequate for hunting,...but it was straight forward to find one just be meticualous about working up and testing.

I use the hornady 139 BTSP and H414 it is very accurate in it, and just worked up a load for the same bullet with varget because of the temp sensitive issue with H414 and the fact that it is in 90-100 this summer not a good scenario for silloutte shooting.

 

[Brentster7189]

How are you comparing your velocities? Are they both measured over the same chronograph,....just asking?

Because if you are going off the manufactures posted numbers one rarely ever achieves the manufactures numbers for various reason.

also barrel length is important I believe the savage trophy xp is 22" long in the 7-08 most load data is worked up in a 24" barrel so you will rarely reach those velocities.

The 7-08 is not very finicky,.... I am working on my 5th loading and all were more than adequate for hunting,...but it was straight forward to find one just be meticualous about working up and testing.

I use the hornady 139 BTSP and H414 it is very accurate in it, and just worked up a load for the same bullet with varget because of the temp sensitive issue with H414 and the fact that it is in 90-100 this summer not a good scenario for silloutte shooting.

Same chrono numbers. Not off the manufactures numbers..in fact I found those weren't even close. They seem fairly conservative in the Hornady manual.

 

[Wils37]

I have a browning x bolt 7mm 08 and I'm trying to find a good load for red deer and thar. I just wish that you could by sample sized packets it makes for expensive testing when in Australia we pay $55 for a container of adi powder and the same for projectiles. If I could get packets of twenty and half sized powders I would be a happy man.

 

[veeman]

I reload for a Savage 16 in 7 08 as well and have found Varget to be a pretty good all around powder. 100 grain varmiters to 140 grain Bergers it works rather well for me. As I live in Saskatchewan and shoot year round I like how its not as temp sensitive as H4350, which gives me my best accuracy and speed with the Bergers but there is a lot of velocity drop between 90 in the summer and -35 in the winter.

 

[Wils37]

Is the problem the cold weather or the hot? It doesn't get that cold in Australia in the summer it's hot 42 Celsius and winter -3 at coldest. But when I go to New Zealand each year it can get cold but -20 would be extremely cold. I have a friend that uses h4350 and it works well for him but he only shoots in Australia.

 

[3degreesbelow0]

The more serious problem is the hot weather,...If you develope a load in temperant conditions that is near max,....the hot temperatures could push that load to a dangerous over max pressure status.

For hunting my H414 aren't a concern they are developed in late spring to early summer when its warm and shot in november when its cold. But on silloutte matches sitting in the sun when's 105F for hours that puts me a little on edge.

 

[Daveinjax]

I shoot 7mm-08 as my main deer gun and have been shooting it for about 15 years. If I was just starting out I would go with Varget and the 139gr sst to start. I will not say what my Varget load is as it is hot hot hot! For the second choice I would go with H4350 . The H4350 is what I hunt with these days and gives the best performance in my 24" barrel. The Varget is a little faster burning for your 22" barrel and will yield 150 rounds + out of a pound while a warm H4350 load will yield just a bit under 150 per pound. Third time through a 50 count bag of brass you will have a couple of empty cases with H4350. I have shot over 100 deer with a 139gr sst and most where drt if I did my part. None that I hit well went far. Keep the loading cost down so she can shoot more. Being able to shoot well is the most important skill. A 22LR will kill any deer if you can hit them right . Good luck!