Bullet weight.

[williaada]

I have seem to have found out I really enjoy shooting 7mm caliber rifles. I currently own and use a .280I and a 7mm08. With the ammo shortage going on right now I am debating if I should just chose one grain bullet and run it in both firearms?

I have been using 150gr bullets in the .280AI, but have not been able to locate anymore ammo I have brought to get me through the hunting season. My 7mm08 is running 140gr AB. Should I just run the 140 AB in both rifles?

Thanks

 

[VikingsGuy]

I would switch both to 134gn or 144gn Hammer's or the TTSX 140gn - mono-metals moving fast are great bullets.

 

[winmag]

What are you hunting? What twist rate are the barrels?

 

[std7mag]

I'm taking it you don't handload.

The 140gr bullet weight in the 7mm-08, are just kind of meant for each other.
One thing i've found with that combo is if sighted in at 200 yards, BDC reticles align almost perfectly with their trajectory.

Alas, i shot out the barrel on my 7mm-08AI. I really miss that cartridge!

Now with my remaining three 7mms, i'm shooting the 150gr ABLR.
Using them in 284 Win, 280 Rem and 7mm Rem Mag.

 

[williaada]

I do hand load, and I hunt deer, antelope, and elk primarily. I do not know my twist rate on the rifles I own. The 7mm08 is a super grade model 70 Winchester. The .280ai I picked up, and do not know anything about the barrel.

 

[Bambistew]

Make your life easy. Pick one weight and go for it. The difference in 10gr is nothing.

I shoot 160s out of my 280s and 7mag. I see little to no gain by going lighter even with mono bullets. You trade spreed for bullet drop.. big deal.

 

[N2TRKYS]

160 grain Partitions/Accubonds in your 280ai and 120 grain NBTs in your 7-08.

 

[BenInMT]

I do hand load, and I hunt deer, antelope, and elk primarily. I do not know my twist rate on the rifles I own. The 7mm08 is a super grade model 70 Winchester. The .280ai I picked up, and do not know anything about the barrel.

You can run a patch down the barrel on a jag and using clamps on your cleaning rod, or tape, you can see how far the rod travels before making a compete rotation. Then you’ll know the twist.

 

[Gunner46]

If you already have 140 AB's I can't see any reason to not use them in both rifles.

If you're running short on AB's I have more than I can shoot in the rest of my career. (seconds)

 

[std7mag]

I do hand load, and I hunt deer, antelope, and elk primarily. I do not know my twist rate on the rifles I own. The 7mm08 is a super grade model 70 Winchester. The .280ai I picked up, and do not know anything about the barrel.

I appologize!
My mistake was when you said looking for ammo, instead of bullets.

I wouldn't worry too much about your barrel twist rate. Most 7mm's are 1:9-1:9.5 twist, with a few 1:10 thrown in.
Unless your planning on shooting 175gr plus weight bullets, they should stabilize just fine.

Your choice of the 140gr Accubond for both cartridges is a sound one.

 

[Don Fischer]

I'm a believer that in each cartridge there is normally one bullet that brings out the best in it. The 7mm-08 and 280 AI are in my mind worlds apart. the 7mm-08 could take a lighter bullet and not tear it up like the 280 AI just might do. My feeling is in the 7mm-08 a 140gr bullet should work well, the 150gr maybe a bit better. I have no idea how fast the 280 AI will push a bullet but guessing close to the 7mm Rem mag. My favorite bullet in the 7mm Rem mag years ago was the 160gr Speer Hot Core. I think the hot core was way ahead of it's time. And because of velocities the 280 AI might reach I would not go under the 160gr bullet. I had a 280 rem back in those days for awhile and used 154gr Hornady Spire Point's in it. They shot well but I never used the rifle hunting, old Rem 760 and I'm a bolt guy! Of course pretty much any of the premium bullet's today may well work in that 280 AI, I'm just not a guy willing to pay the price of premium when regular bullet's will accomplish the same end!

 

[RaiderRich]

I can't add much but agree if you want one bullet weight for both 140 is the way to go. @VikingsGuy mentioned the Hammer bullets, I am pretty certain once I find primers I will load 7mm-08 with the 134 Hammers. I figure with mono bullets a little less weight for more speed is win. Lead core I would go 140 and yeah Accubonds.

 

[Seamaster]

My best accuracy 280 load moves the 140 grain Nosler AB at approximately 3,050 fps. I use it for elk, mule deer, and pronghorns, and it does it's job quite well.

I used to switch to the 160 grain version for elk but found that the 140 worked for everything.

 

[Redman]

I am a 140gr mono for all 7mm.

 

[DamascusSteel]

My dad's 280AI absolutely loves the 160GR Accubonds. Can update you on how they perform on Whitetails once rifle season opens here

 

[williaada]

My dad's 280AI absolutely loves the 160GR Accubonds. Can update you on how they perform on Whitetails once rifle season opens here

Please let me know how it works.

 

[DamascusSteel]

Please let me know how it works.

Will do!

 

[EKYHunter]

If your rifle shoots a 140 AB well, what’s not to like?

 

[HSi-ESi]

I'd shoot the bullets. If the 280 shoots the 140's really well and you want to simplify your "bullet collection" - by all means go with it. If it doesn't like the 140, I'd do some development to get it shooting the way I wanted - which might mean switching bullets.