7mm-08 reloading question

[std7mag]

So as powder becomes harder and harder to get mainly the one I use (reloader 19). I'm leaning towards trying some different loads in my gun with a powder that's easier to get right now. I have a 20" barrel with 1-8 twist shooting 139gr Hornady interlock btsp. Anyone got any loads or suggestions for this setup. I've tried 140gr seirra gamekings and swift a-frames with groups i didn't really like. Thinking H380,H4895,or a imr powder might work.

I have a bunch of questions, but most important at this juncture is, what powders do you have onhand?

For your 20" barrel using the 139-140gr weight bullets, i'd choose a faster burning powder.
Varget, RL15, the new RL15.5, IMR 4166, IMR or Accurate 4064, Vithavouri N140, and Alliant PP2000MR.

I think once you go slower burning than say RL16, your gonna be pushing unburnt powder out of your barrel, with the accompaning fireball.

 

[yakimanoob]

FWIW, I recently picked up a lb of RL-16 and am getting a clean 3000fps with 131gr hammer hunters over 47.1gr of powder.

The difference between the RL-16 and the H4350 (which also shoots great) in how sharp it punches you in the shoulder is quite dramatic actually. Granted, my rifle is 8lbs soaking wet.

 

[std7mag]

Yeah, i noticed a sharper recoil impulse with my 7mm-08AI using RL16 also.

 

[yakimanoob]

Yeah, i noticed a sharper recoil impulse with my 7mm-08AI using RL16 also.

Coming from what powder? I'm suddenly aware that my post above is ambiguous; sorry. I meant that the H4350 hits harder than the RL-16.

 

[Washington Hunter]

Coming from what powder? I'm suddenly aware that my post above is ambiguous; sorry. I meant that the H4350 hits harder than the RL-16.

That's odd, they're very similar powders (I thought.)

The one powder I've noticed a lot more recoil is RL26. That's in my 270, in comparison to H4831, but it is also getting an extra couple hundred fps, so it's understandable.

 

[std7mag]

Coming from what powder? I'm suddenly aware that my post above is ambiguous; sorry. I meant that the H4350 hits harder than the RL-16.

From IMR4350, H414, PP2000MR, RL17.
Recoil was a sharper impulse with RL16 than the above.

 

[Greggkp]

Most accurate loads for me have been RL17 for bullets around 160g and H380 for those around 140g.

 

[misser]

 

[misser]

 

[misser]

 

[N2TRKYS]

What where the velocities?

 

[grizzly63]

What where the velocities?

and the distance?

 

[misser]

and the distance?

100yd

 

[Dougfirtree]

View attachment 215666

Those are really impressive groups, but even more impressive is that you can see that little dot in the center through your scope, at 100 yards!

 

[misser]

Thumbtack s are about what ? 5/16 have hit many.

 

[Dougfirtree]

Thumbtack s are about what ? 5/16 have hit many.

Ah, I see. I thought they were little dots drawn with a pen.

 

[ImBillT]

Thumbtack s are about what ? 5/16 have hit many.

Stop placing them at your point of aim? Seems like a pain to walk down there and put the target back up in the middle of a group.

 

[RaiderRich]

I am new to reloading and yeah been looking for Varget for a bit. Tough powder to find. I did get my hands on some Staball 6.5 so going to work up some 7-08 loads with that. Finding powder is still a tough go, I felt lucky when I was able to find primers. Seeing @misser accuracy with Staball 6.5 I am optimistic.

 

[misser]

Stop placing them at your point of aim? Seems like a pain to walk down there and put the target back up in the middle of a group.

Ya one time out I put up 3 thumbtacks .one shot each killed them .then a week later set up one more same loading and killed it

 

[Brian in Montana]

Let's see, did somebody mention Varget? Yep, good stuff. I've also done good things in 7-08 with H4895 and especially Big Game. These days if I'm going to try a new projectile I'd start with Big Game. I've found it to be the fastest and most accurate in 7-08. But really, there's a number of powders you can't go wrong with, and the 7-08 is actually pretty forgiving to load for. It's versitile, but he 3 mentioned are the best in my opinion.