Ideal powder for speed and stability in 7-08

[ButterBean]

There are many powders you could use in 7-08. The biggest challenge is finding one that is available. H4350, Varget, Reloader 15 and Staball 6.5 are all options if you are looking for a temp stable powder that would work in a 7-08.
In all honesty 120gr Hammers from a 7-08 may not be something you want to shoot at a deer more than 500 or 600 yards so temperature stability may not be as important for this gun. Unless you are shooting at longer ranges and in a wide variation of temperatures, you won't see a large benefit from the more temperature stable powders. You may end up having good performance from CFE 223 or another less temp stable powder that you can actually find.

Staball is a NO-GO with the 120's

 

[Vortex!]

Thanks to all y'all for the helpful input. Special shout-out to ButterBean and his expertise in the field of hammers!

 

[ButterBean]

Thanks to all y'all for the helpful input. Special shout-out to ButterBean and his expertise in the field of hammers!

Just holler if you need anything

 

[wildbillb02]

I'm going to be trying 120 barnes in my 708. I have varget and H4895. I do have some RL 15 but that's for my 300 saum.

 

[ButterBean]

I'm going to be trying 120 barnes in my 708. I have varget and H4895. I do have some RL 15 but that's for my 300 saum.

There's not much comparison between the Hammers and the Barnes

 

[wildbillb02]

Probably not, but I have barnes.

 

[nugentfan]

"There's not much comparison between the Hammers and the Barnes"

I have found that to be incredibly true Hammers have been so much easier for me to find an accurate load for and on game performance has been impressive to say the least.

"I'm going to be trying 120 barnes in my 708. I have varget and H4895. I do have some RL 15 but that's for my 300 saum."

I don't recall which powder the ballistician at Barnes, Ty I think, wanted me to use but possibly it was big game. No matter what I did it was a basic 1.25" 100 yard group. Powder volume, seating depth, primers really minimal improvement no matter what I did. Changed to H414 and my first group was a ragged single hole. Only gun I still load with Barnes I sold about 15 different boxes of Barnes bullets and replaced with Hammers. So far two guns I could never get Barnes to work in are on the money, one took 5 bullets to get from starting point to sighted in. Starting load was fast enough that I stopped and then just checked my group and zero which never changed off my ballistic tip load.

 

[Peter Morton]

I got lucky, I think, with the Barnes in my 7-08. It's a really cheap Stevens 200 with a Timney trigger and a Boyd's stock. It has a slooow twist rate that won't stabilize the longer, heavier bullets in 7mm. In other calibers, I've had a heckuva time with Barnes getting a good load. In 224 Val, 243, and 280AI, I got better loads faster with Nosler Accubonds. Now I can't find AB's. I'll switch to Hammer when I've used up my AB's, unless supplies come back to reasonable levels.

 

[jpndave]

A QuickLOAD run shows RL17, then Win 760, then VV550 as the fastest with the 120gr in 7mm-08. That is with the data for Hammers they have in there. I don't think it is tracking correctly though. That said, I would listen to Butterbean's experience with the Hammer bullets. They don't get the same pressure rise early on like other bullets and you have to run faster powders to get the speed. Every time I look at these, have to take a step back and go several steps faster to get there. Save yourself some time and listen to Butterbeans recommendation if using those bullets.

 

[ButterBean]

A QuickLOAD run shows RL17, then Win 760, then VV550 as the fastest with the 120gr in 7mm-08. That is with the data for Hammers they have in there. I don't think it is tracking correctly though. That said, I would listen to Butterbean's experience with the Hammer bullets. They don't get the same pressure rise early on like other bullets and you have to run faster powders to get the speed. Every time I look at these, have to take a step back and go several steps faster to get there. Save yourself some time and listen to Butterbeans recommendation if using those bullets.

QL still won't work with Hammers, it's a totally different critter all together

 

[bob812]

QL still won't work with Hammers, it's a totally different critter all together

Myself I'm a little of a thick headed Canadian and I've heard you say this enough that I even get it. Have a good one fellas

 

[ButterBean]

Myself I'm a little of a thick headed Canadian and I've heard you say this enough that I even get it. Have a good one fellas

I'm Dead

 

[Prairie]

Should be able to make 7mm-08 from either of those.

Or resize some 308's.

 

[epoletna]

Many years ago, I resized .308 cases to make .243 Winchester. With the reduction in size, the case necks got significantly thicker. Dangerously so, and I had to ream them. The same might happen with .308s necked down to 7 mm. Just so you keep this in mind.