BD1965
Well-Known Member
Great info thanks
Optimum 7mm-08 twist rate
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From my learning years ago before good target bullets ,I measure bullets,Hornady's ,this is common or the worst about same item number,but bullets are different.Sorry,Hornady is the most consistent of being the most inconsistent of all bullet makers.Hunting bullet ,speers measure very consistent.
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Wachsmann
Well-Known Member
So I've been on this post about improving the 308 and I guess the original article was how to improve upon a 308 win. The person making the post seem to have an affiliation with bad land bullets. But the interesting thing is he is getting super fast results from powders not used in the 308 win or published load data like Leveroution and 6.5 staball. I use staball in my 7-08 with good results but I might try LVR in my 7-08 for some fun. Would have to start out low and see where pressure is but it's supposed to burn a lot cleaner that CF223. Burn rate is a little slower than CF223 I think. Don't know if anyone else has tried some different powders where there was no load data but really powder is just the thing that makes it go boom within reason. Not saying start using pistol powder in rifle cases but some of this stuff might improve the velocity. Personally I generally stay with tested book publishers powders but I've been wondering if some of the slower or faster powders can help out when you are using really heavy bullets and having to compress loads. Sometimes it might just be what you need to get that one certain bullet combination to run the way you want it. Just some thought.
Lefty7mmstw
Well-Known Member
Unless you are working with rather slow powders for the cartridge and doing things like bullets seated out and compressed charges you probably will not beat book velocity by a meaningful amount without being seriously higher than normal pressures. I've worked quite a bit with mil- surp powder and done load work up in cartridges that were brand new at the time (think 25wsssm the year it came out). There really is no free lunch here. If the best powders in the book won't get there, you probably need a bigger cartridge.
std7mag
Well-Known Member
VinceMule and a couple others are on to an important point in this.
That is getting a reamer with the proper freebore length to seat the bullet out of the powder column.
One of my most accurate targets (smallest group) was 160gr SPBT GameKing over RL19.
But seriously compressed!
Seated long enough, i think the 7mm-08 or AI with a good barrel in the 30" range shooting the 160-175gr class could raise some eyebrows in 600-1,000 yard competitions.
As a side note, in my Stevens 200 with 22" barrel, i really didn't notice that much difference between standard 7mm-08 and AI.
Speed demon in mine with 140gr Berger VLD was RL17 at 2,916fps.
H414, H4350, Alliant PP2000MR all gave velocity in the 2,830fps range.
That is getting a reamer with the proper freebore length to seat the bullet out of the powder column.
One of my most accurate targets (smallest group) was 160gr SPBT GameKing over RL19.
But seriously compressed!
Seated long enough, i think the 7mm-08 or AI with a good barrel in the 30" range shooting the 160-175gr class could raise some eyebrows in 600-1,000 yard competitions.
As a side note, in my Stevens 200 with 22" barrel, i really didn't notice that much difference between standard 7mm-08 and AI.
Speed demon in mine with 140gr Berger VLD was RL17 at 2,916fps.
H414, H4350, Alliant PP2000MR all gave velocity in the 2,830fps range.
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Wachsmann
Well-Known Member
It's just something I thought I might pass along. Right now the speed I'm getting from the 6.5 staball is plenty for what I'm doing. The biggest improvement I could make on my own rifle is getting a longer magazine so I can seat out further and still mag feed or just refine my own load a bit. Also with the stock I got on it now I'm not sure if there is a longer magazine that would work. It's the HMR stock with the detachable mag. So I might would be single feeding anyway if seating out long. Looks like refining my load will be the easiest option.
160g TMK are awesome at some distance, R17, Lapua brass, petal to the metal is where the accuracy node is in my custom 9 T barrel.
Most would cringe, but the 180g eldm, with proper throat, is a monster at distance.
Most would cringe, but the 180g eldm, with proper throat, is a monster at distance.
std7mag
Well-Known Member
Wish i could find the bullets i want from Sierra!!
Namely the aforementioned 160gr TMK.
Along with the 140 & 150gr Tipped GameKings in 7mm.
And the 110gr TGK in 25 caliber.
I feel Sierra and Nosler will lose their market share of reloading, and I do not think that they care one bit.
I have not been a Hornady fan, but I am getting there as their product seems to be the only one available. We can hunt and wait for Berger with some success, also.
With millions more shooters in the market, and military and police contracts absorbing manufacturing supply, you would think they would have many more bullet-making machines on order.
From now on, if I can find a Hornady or Berger product that will work for my needs, Sierra and Nosler can pound sand!
I have not been a Hornady fan, but I am getting there as their product seems to be the only one available. We can hunt and wait for Berger with some success, also.
With millions more shooters in the market, and military and police contracts absorbing manufacturing supply, you would think they would have many more bullet-making machines on order.
From now on, if I can find a Hornady or Berger product that will work for my needs, Sierra and Nosler can pound sand!
Lefty7mmstw
Well-Known Member
Right now if I need something I'm buying a known bullet from a maker whom I've bought from before, and not locking onto a specific brand. More just a bullet style and weight range. I've stayed with Hornady to an extent, but have started bringing in more Speer and Barnes too. As my Sierra and Nosler inventories dry up I'm not sure they will be replaced. I've also bought up some blem. bullets and Priv Partizan stuff. It all shoots, but you may need to tweak your load a bit from one brand to the next. I'm doing similar with powder. I'm drifting from Rl as the availability and price sucks. It seems a couple of the other decent powder makers do not have quite the hang-up getting things to market so I've bought their stuff.
Rflshootr
Well-Known Member
I'm curious as to the reason(s) why you want to go to 7mm-08 from 308W.
std7mag
Well-Known Member
Better 500 yard plus ballistics would come to mind.
Rflshootr
Well-Known Member
Then why not take a look at the 260 Rem with 143 ELDX?
Compare the same velocity for the 7mm 162 ELDX, at let's say 2700 FPS.
Then compare max velocities for both.
I don't think the 6.5 will give up anything, especially at the higher velocity with the lighter bullet. Just saying. And btw, I asked the question to the original poster.
