Favorite Loads for the 7-08 Remington

[DrMike]

Alway glad when I am able to help a friend.

 

[JD338]

Shot 42.5 grs Varget with the 140 gr BT.
Avg MV 2772.3
ES 11.7
SD 4.3
I did wait a few minutes between shots but I'm thinking the bedding is causing the vertical stringing. Still pretty good for a woods rifle that could shoot out to 400 yards if needed.

JD338

 

[DrMike]

Nice, tight SD. Should be easy to find precision with that load.

 

[NYDAN]

Looking good, Jim.

 

[Aussie Wanderer]

Shot 42.5 grs Varget with the 140 gr BT.
Avg MV 2772.3
ES 11.7
SD 4.3
I did wait a few minutes between shots but I'm thinking the bedding is causing the vertical stringing. Still pretty good for a woods rifle that could shoot out to 400 yards if needed.

JD338

Is the barrel free floating?

 

[JD338]

Is the barrel free floating?

I was surprised to find that the barrel doesn't have a pressure point. It's free floated to the action.

JD338

 

[RL338]

Kinda surprised that there aren’t barrel pressure pads at the tip of the stock. Wby thin profile barrels usually have them molded into the stock.

 

[JD338]

I was too

JD338

 

[Firebird24]

Had reason to look this load up today-my daughters win m70 featherlite with 120 Barnes ttsx. Uses bl-c2 and nickel plated cases.
My rem 700 really likes bl-c2 with 100 gr Sierra hp bullets- a marvelous varmint load in that rifle

 

[JD338]

Had reason to look this load up today-my daughters win m70 featherlite with 120 Barnes ttsx. Uses bl-c2 and nickel plated cases.
My rem 700 really likes bl-c2 with 100 gr Sierra hp bullets- a marvelous varmint load in that rifle

Thanks Firebird

JD338

 

[RL338]

Uses bl-c2 and nickel plated cases

Burned a quite a few pounds of BL-C2 but never in 7-08. Excellent in 308.

 

[JackLeg308]

I'm no stranger to the 7-08 Remington. A friend introduced me to Metallic Silhouette shooting in the mid '90's. He let me use his M700 VLS with a Leupold fixed 20x scope and 2 oz. trigger. I was impressed with the accuracy and the power . The 160 gr Sierra Ram Loads hit those 55 lb rams at 500 meters with authority.
Fast forward to last summer, Sue and I stopped by Weatherby in Sheridan WY and she really took a shinning to the Weatherby Camelia. Then during a late season doe hunt, Sue used my Nosler M21 308 Win. She really liked the mauverability while sitting in her "Cabin" deer blind.
Well being good at math, I added it up and laid out a plan for her birthday.
I ordered a Weatherby Camelia Wilderness in 7-08. I have already secured RCBS dies, 150 pcs Star Line brass, and a few bags of 140 gr BT seconds. I have Big Game, Varget, StaBall 6.5, IMR and H4350, and RL17.
What are your favorite loads?

BTW, I'll post pictures of the rifle and the birthday girl in a few weeks. Mums the word.

JD338

IMR-4350 with 150 gr SGK has excelled for me.

i'm just shy of 2# of it myself

i like Alliant powders also. Imr-4064, Imr-4350, work excellent with 140 and 150 gr projectiles.

 

[JackLeg308]

I was too

JD338

Yes. The first Weatherby Vanguard - Sporter- when I checked, I was surprised that it was not free-floated. I emailed Weatherby, they replied that it was not necessary to have the barrel free floated.
The Wthby in 270 win - is one ragged hole shooter.
The Wthby Vanguard .308 is more picky- also I have had loads that did vertical stringing from the .308 - the same loads did not vertical string in other .308’s.

 

[JMRhino]

My NOS 120gn BT and Barnes 120 TTSX (not pictured) load have become some of my favorite hunting loads in my Tikka 7-08 w/ a 16" barrel. Doesn't have the best ES and SD but I guess it doesn't matter too much to the whitetail at my ranges. It may be worth noting that the first photo is with using SR "Palma" brass and the second is with LR primers both in Alpha brass.

 

[Blkram]

Shot 42.5 grs Varget with the 140 gr BT.
Avg MV 2772.3
ES 11.7
SD 4.3
I did wait a few minutes between shots but I'm thinking the bedding is causing the vertical stringing. Still pretty good for a woods rifle that could shoot out to 400 yards if needed.

JD338

Correct me if I'm mistaken...
Isn't vertical stringing action screw torque, and horizontal stringing is bedding?

 

[wvbuckbuster]

My NOS 120gn BT and Barnes 120 TTSX (not pictured) load have become some of my favorite hunting loads in my Tikka 7-08 w/ a 16" barrel. Doesn't have the best ES and SD but I guess it doesn't matter too much to the whitetail at my ranges. It may be worth noting that the first photo is with using SR "Palma" brass and the second is with LR primers both in Alpha brass.

View attachment 27220
View attachment 27221Big difference in the brass. I'd stick with the large rifle primer brass. Just me.

 

[longrangehunter]

I probably should look at my log book but I know that mine loved RL15 with either the 140 BT, or the 140 GameKing running fairly fast. Or the 160 AB with H414/W760 for the payload factor.

 

[TexasLife]

I probably should look at my log book but I know that mine loved RL15 with either the 140 BT, or the 140 GameKing running fairly fast. Or the 160 AB with H414/W760 for the payload factor.

To bad 15.5 takes up too much room and 16 might be a tad slow. I thought 17 should be the go-to in 7-08

 

[JMRhino]

Just a continuation of this thread with more data fun entertainment purposes. FYI only...

I wanted to push my Tikka 7-08 with 120gn NOS BTs a little harder. Very satisfied with the results. I never saw any pressure signs but determined the 51gns of Big Game seemed to work the best. I know... Small sample size...

Best group of the day:
51gns Big Game
120 Nos BT
Alpha Brass (SR) w/ CCI small magnum primers
Hi: 2827 fps
Low: 2814 fps
Ave: 2821 fps
ES: 13.5
SD: 5.9
3 shot Group: .466

I went up to the listed max of 52gns and still got good groups (none over an inch) but not much in the way of added velocity, so I stuck with 51gns. There is one 2 shot group below of my 120gn TTSX with CFE223. I only had 2 TTSX cartridges with me so I shot them for fun, and I had my chrono with me. I routinely get 3000 fps with my Barnes load.

I am getting the same exact POI out of the NOS 120 BTs and the Barnes 120 TTSX out to 300 yards. That's as far as I've tested them. Coincidentally, I have taken 4 deer this year at 130, 295, 211 and 265 yards. Three with the Barnes and 1 with the NOS BT.

The very bottom targets were placed at 265 yards to recreate a hunting shot with both the Barnes (right) and Nosler (left). I had a steady 10mph RT to LFT wind at full value as can been seen in the results. Still amazed how close they are to each other. That was with using a new Leupold VX6HD 2-12 with a custom CDS made for my Barnes load. Seems to be pretty effective...

Happy New Year.

 

[FOTIS]

Big game works well in most 7mm-08's I have played with.