140 gr Accubond load for 7mm08 - UPDATED w/data

[HuntClub]

First, let me take a moment to say I am new to the board and was hoping to get some "pet" loads before hitting the range today. Kinda rushed through my first post but I look forward to still "hearing some of you your loads.

I did manage to get to the range and had a fairly successful day with three different loads:
1) 120 TTSX / RL15 - 42.2 grains / Rem 9 1/2 / 2.175" Ogive (Vortex Factory load)
2) 140 AccuBond / IMR 4320 - 40.0 grains / CCI BR2 / 2.190" Ogive
3) 150 Gameking / RL15 - 38.8 grains / CCI BR2 / 2.245" Ogive

 

[pharmseller]

Welcome to the forum!

I can't help you with the powders listed, but Big Game is readily available. If you're set on the powders you listed, quit reading.

Work up, of course, but if you're shooting a T3, put 47.5 grains in a case over a Winchester Large Rifle Magnum primer, seat to 2.805" OAL (I'll have to check on base to ogive), and then hunt anything you want.


My dad's best so far, 225 yards, one shot above the heart. The bull went about 90 feet and tipped over.

I killed a nice antelope (the one on the left) with the same load at 303 yards.

My dad's rifle prefers the AccuBond, mine likes the Partition better. You can't go wrong either way.

This is what my T3 does with the Partition load at 100 yards:

This is what my dad's T3 does with the AccuBond load. Note, 200 yards:

P

 

[SJB358]

You really make a strong case for that set up Pharm!

 

[pharmseller]

You really make a strong case for that set up Pharm!

Dead bucks and bulls make for a very compelling argument.

I killed a big forkie last year at 541 yards. The Partition broke a rib on the way in, destroyed both lungs, then broke the offside shoulder knuckle on the way out.

In 2015 I killed a spike bull at 346 yards. Quartering away. Broke a rib on the right, caught both lungs, exited in front of the shoulder on the left. I'm sold.




P

 

[RuralPlural]

Hi guys. Newbie to the forum, but this post sums up the main reason I came searching...perfect.
I've only just gotten into reloading. My mentor and I loaded up some 140g Accubonds and also BTs with 38grains of Varget/AR2208. Wow! The BTs shot about a 1" group but the Accubonds blew my mind with a 7.10mm clover-leaf group. I was ecstatic.
Got home and loaded up twenty of the same loads with the only difference being the use of my press versus my mentors the first time. Shooting the next batch of twenty, I haven't managed a group better than about 1" again.

Seating depth?
Air temperature?
Help


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Blkram]

Welcome to the forum gentlemen!

That 150 gr SGK load looks like a winner, HuntClub.

Pharmseller's loads and performance on game shows the performance and accuracy in their rifles. The 7mm-08 has a strong following here. And is very popular for women, kids and new hunters. I don't think enough of us men give it enough credit as to its capability! (Probably because we were started with larger cartridges first, like myself. Although I chose the 280 Rem because everyone else in the family had 30-06's and 270's, and wanted something different.)

My wife's 7mm-08 shoots the Nosler factory 140 gr AccuBond load sub-MOA, and the hand load that DrMike developed for her rifle is the 140 gr Sierra Pro Hunter over 47.2 gr of IMR4350 and F210M primers at 2.276" coal, produces 1/2, groups. She is impatiently waiting to harvest her first animal with her rifle.

RuralPlural, did you ensure your loads were the same coal as the loads out of your mentors press? I've had this problem before. Ambient temperature can make a difference, but if Varget is a temperature stable powder (do not recall at this particular moment as I do not use it, yet), then that should not matter. Other questions would be;
Clean barrel?
Shooting form?
(Was your shooting rest the same from range session to range session? Was your hold -back pressure into the shoulder- and seating position in relation to the rifle the same? Your cheekweld and eye alignment the same?
Shooting practices? How long do you take between shots when shooting for groups? Or between groups? Is your barrel getting hot? Do you give it enough time to cool?

So many variables can cause the change. Consistency is the key to accuracy.
The biggest variable is the human factor. While we may feel we are doing everything the same, one minor detail will provide different results. Stiff neck, sore shoulders or back, and you will not be holding the rifle in the same manner as the previous session and it will show.

 

[jimbires]

Hi guys. Newbie to the forum, but this post sums up the main reason I came searching...perfect.
I've only just gotten into reloading. My mentor and I loaded up some 140g Accubonds and also BTs with 38grains of Varget/AR2208. Wow! The BTs shot about a 1" group but the Accubonds blew my mind with a 7.10mm clover-leaf group. I was ecstatic.
Got home and loaded up twenty of the same loads with the only difference being the use of my press versus my mentors the first time. Shooting the next batch of twenty, I haven't managed a group better than about 1" again.

Seating depth?
Air temperature?
Help


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

a couple of things jump out to me on this .
seating depth for sure .
different die set could be sizing your brass different .
a different scale will probably be weighing your powder charge different . I'd get both scales together and check out the difference in a weighed charge . 38.0 on his scale might not be 38.0 on your scale .

 

[SJB358]

Hi guys. Newbie to the forum, but this post sums up the main reason I came searching...perfect.
I've only just gotten into reloading. My mentor and I loaded up some 140g Accubonds and also BTs with 38grains of Varget/AR2208. Wow! The BTs shot about a 1" group but the Accubonds blew my mind with a 7.10mm clover-leaf group. I was ecstatic.
Got home and loaded up twenty of the same loads with the only difference being the use of my press versus my mentors the first time. Shooting the next batch of twenty, I haven't managed a group better than about 1" again.

Seating depth?
Air temperature?
Help


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

a couple of things jump out to me on this .
seating depth for sure .
different die set could be sizing your brass different .
a different scale will probably be weighing your powder charge different . I'd get both scales together and check out the difference in a weighed charge . 38.0 on his scale might not be 38.0 on your scale .

Jim brings the mail with this one.. Check that stuff out and I'd bet you'll find something.

 

[pharmseller]

Hi guys. Newbie to the forum, but this post sums up the main reason I came searching...perfect.
I've only just gotten into reloading. My mentor and I loaded up some 140g Accubonds and also BTs with 38grains of Varget/AR2208. Wow! The BTs shot about a 1" group but the Accubonds blew my mind with a 7.10mm clover-leaf group. I was ecstatic.
Got home and loaded up twenty of the same loads with the only difference being the use of my press versus my mentors the first time. Shooting the next batch of twenty, I haven't managed a group better than about 1" again.

Seating depth?
Air temperature?
Help


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Accuracy is everything, but 38 grains of Varget with a 140 AccuBond sounds rather, well, anemic. According to the manual I'd be surprised if your muzzle velocity was much over 2500 fps. You can do better.




P

 

[RuralPlural]

Hi guys.
Thanks for all your advice above.
My gut tells me that a slight difference in COAL and and increase in ambient air temp is having a dramatic effect from my first fluke group. I'll check the scale calibration between my mates and my scale too.
As for an "anaemic" charge, I learned a long time ago that faster isn't always better, whether target shooting or hunting. You're right...AccuBond velocity is just on 2560fps currently.

Incidentally, I went for a hunt last week and took down a Sika stag at 335metres with a perfect HILAR shot using 42grains Varget/AR2208 under 140gn Ballistic Tips. Also a hind at 220m. Both dropped on the spot with devastating internal trauma. Impressive, thanks Nosler. Very happy hunter

So pretty safe to say I'm likely to continue with the BTs and ditch the Accubonds, in spite of their initial excellence.
Cheers, Mike