7mm-08?

[MarlinMark]

I am working up a load for my new Remington Mountain Rifle LSS in 7mm-08. I have tried a couple of bullet combos and powders and have not been happy yet. So, I bought some Varget and started out at 38grains behind 140gr Accubonds. Well the groups are great. My question is this....can I expect to get this accuracy with an increase of powder. I have heard that the groups will "open up" or , become less accurate and that they may then tighten back up as I keep increasing powder. Of course, watching for pressure signs along the way. I don't own a chrony yet so I'm not sure what the fps is either. Don't get me wrong I'm happy with the accuracy but, if I can get this accuracy again with a faster load then I'll take it. So, should I work up and see? Or, are my groups likely to not get tight again. What grain increase is a "waste of time" and how much is too much to increase at. What increment is recomended for this case?

Thanks for your input,

Mark

 

[JD338]

So, I bought some Varget and started out at 38grains behind 140gr Accubonds. Well the groups are great. My question is this....can I expect to get this accuracy

MarlinMark,

What do you consider great groups?
Guns are like people, different and unique.
I would work up and see what you get. You might get better accuracy and higher velocity. :wink:

JD338

 

[Ol` Joe]

I use the ballistic tip or Hornady SP with Varget in my708. I`ve had 3 of them now and all shot very well with Varget and seemed to do best near or at the top.

 

[Reloder28]

As rule of thumb: you should get roughly 50 fps increase with each grain of powder increase. If your rifle begins to exhibit sticky extraction, hard recoil or erratic groups....STOP!!

I used RL15 in my 7-08. With short cases like this you will enter the law of diminishing returns with too much powder increase. a 7-08 is not tempremental. Its flexible. It does not need a magnum powder charge to shoot accurately. Magnums generally exhibit their best accuracy in two velocity ranges, either medium or ALL JACKED UP.

7-08's are tough to beat. It is not a WSM but it will deliver decent velocity. A good stiff load (meaning near the top) is o.k. & should give you around 2900 fps in your new gun. Speaking of which, I am way jealous !!!!

 

[muzzleblast525]

I'm shooting 43.1 grains of Varget with 139 grain BTSP and "clover leaf."

 

[MarlinMark]

Thanks for the input guys. So, what should my incremental raises in Varget be? To work up a load, starting at 38 grs. should my next test be 38.5 and then 40? Or is this jump too big?

Mark

p.s. the load at 38 grains put 2 shots into the same hole and one less than an inch away @ 100 yrds. And, yes I am happy with this load. I am just curious if I might be able to get the same accuracy with a faster load.

Thanks for all of your input.

 

[Ol` Joe]

I use .5gr progression in powder charge when working up loads. I doubt you`ll run into trouble before seeing warning signs with this increase. Stop if you get the normal warning signs or reach the manuals top load, which ever comes first.
You will likely find max around 42.5-43gr of Varget but remember that figure is likely worth what you paid for it, zip! I just tossed it at you as an example of where I found it in my rifles. Best accuracy is usually around 41-42.5 grs Varget in my limited experiance.

 

[R Flowers]

I own the same model of Remington Mountain Rifle and am quite pleased with how well that little thin barrel shoots.

Your load of Varget is quite mild and you should be able to increase it by several grains.
Increase your loads one grain at a time till you get close to the maximum listed in the reloading manuals then try a half grain at a time if you are getting concerned.

And, if your groups open up, you may find that you might want to try another powder. In my rifle, I get my best groups with the 140 Ballistic Tips when loading Varget. But, I get my best groups with either the 140 Partition or 140 AccuBond if I load H 4350.

When shooting maximum loads of either powder in my 7-08 my chronograph tells me I am getting about 2850 fps with any of those loads.

I am very fortunate in that I can interchange any of those three bullets and the point of impact remains virtually unchanged. In fact, I shot some groups using one of each of the Nosler 140 grain bullets (BT, PT, and AccuBond) and still got groups of just over an inch.

Those are great little rifles, I really like carrying mine. I have shot one deer and one wild hog with it using the 140 Accubonds and they performed well.

 

[Reloder28]

I agree with Flowers. I go up in one grain increments until I either find what I am looking for or the pressure signs show up. If the accuracy is within 1" @ 100 yds, I then back up in 1/10 gr at a time.

I don't stop at the manuals max load. THe manual shows 72 gr as max for IMR 7828 with 140's in my 7 Wby. I can load 78 gr in it for 3350 fps with no pressure indicators. I settled on 72 gr because I only wanted a 3050 fps load.

I like my 7 Wby, I can load it down to any lesser 7mm offering or make it shoot like a laser beam with 3300+ fps loads.

I will soon own a 7-08.

 

[Ol` Joe]

I don't stop at the manuals max load. THe manual shows 72 gr as max for IMR 7828 with 140's in my 7 Wby. I can load 78 gr in it for 3350 fps with no pressure indicators. I settled on 72 gr because I only wanted a 3050 fps load.

Personally I wouldn`t go past the manuals recommendation without pressure test equipment.

Pressure signs are not as common in todays rifles with their tighter chambers, smoother chamber walls, and commonly don`t show until around 80K PSI, or so I`ve been told. (primers don`t flatten until well past 70K psi) The max PSI of any cartridge built today is 65K PSI.The primers flatten first, then bolt lift gets sticky, primer leaks are well past any sane level. Once signs appear you are well past any safe pressure level. Dropping a tenth gr isn`t enough., I believe the old rule of thumb was to drop 5% when signs appeared.

The manuals don`t stop just because pressure are at max. Some loads show spikes when pressure gets high, or the burn rate changes eraticly. The 243 and 7mm Rem Mag are two cartridges that have had their max loads lowered in most newer manuals because of modern pressure test equipment showing problems with unexplainable spikes.

The A-Square manual is one every reloader should have on their bench. The book has very little load data but the content is worth twice the price of the book. They have facts and figures for changeing just about every thing one could think of and the result they found when doing so. Trust me the book will make you think!

Remember too metal weakens over time with stress. The rifle may well not show signs until one day headspace is suddenly excessive or worst.

 

[Seedsntrees]

I have experienced great luck using RL-15 & the 140 grain Solid Base. 1/2" groups and drops Whitetails. This bullet performs great and my 7mm-08 loves RL-15.

Regards,

 

[longwinters]

So what brands of 7m-08's are you guys shooting?

Long

 

[Seedsntrees]

Hello Long,

I have the blue version and my Brother has a stainless, both are TIKA T-3 models. I use a Trijicon 3-9 scope. Both rifles are very very accurate!
He shoots the 120 grain Nosler BT and I use the 140 grain Nosler Solid Base. Winchester case, Federal match primer, Reloader 15. I tried Varget, but went back to Reloader 15. Cleaner burning, a little more velocity and accurate!

Regards,

 

[MarlinMark]

I have a Remington Model 700 Mountain Rifle LSS. I like it a lot.

Mark

 

[chundoo]

I recenlty bought a Thompson Encore in 7mm-08 and have found some exceptional accuracy using the 120 BT and H380. Groups well under an inch always impress me! :grin:

 

[big rifle man]

I am shooting a Remington Titanium with a Leupold 2.5X8 scope. S&K mounts. with a 140Grain Partition and IMR4895 the rifle shoots into 1/2 to 3/4 inch at 100yards.

 

[bludog]

I shoot a 700 Rem SPSS, 24" barrel. I am getting right at 3000 fps and 0.60" groups with 140 gr Accubonds and W-760 powder. Varget and 120 gr BTs yields 3140 fps and 0.75" groups. Noslers shoot the best so far in this rifle.

 

[muzzleblast525]

Remington 700 LVSF in 7-08....

 

[Caine]

I hawe a Sako 75 DL whith a Zeizz 2.5-10x50 victory. Love the gun and the scope. Shoots good and seems to dropp eny thing i point it at :grin:
I used 150grs swift scirocco in it but now im using 160 a/b.

 

[firstshot]

I have a Remington Model 700 Mountain Rifle LSS 7mm-08l, however, with the 140 grn Accubonds I was only able to achieve a muzzle velocity of 2798 using Varget and that was only by going over book max to 42.5Grns.

I do get decent accuracy with this load though which averages about 3/4" CTC @ 100 Yds.

firstshot
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