Need a little help with a 7-08...

A good friend of mine had a 7-08 built. It's a 700 acton that has been trued, Timney trigger, 24" Bartlein barrel 1 in 9" twist, 20MOA rail topped with a NF NXS 5.5-22x56 scope. Currently it is sitting in the laminate hardwood stock that it had on it originally but it was bedded when the rifle was built.

SO...... heres the deal. It shoots HSM 140 berger ammo lights out. I'm talking a one hole group. He has been reloading for years and would like to reload for this gun as well. He has tried several different loads, Powders, Bullets, bullet weights, seating depths, neck tensions, ect. and it shoots everything he has tried around 1-1.5" 3 shot groups at 100yds.


Any ideas on why or what to do next?

chronograph results, fire formed, annealing. scale .02+- grain

Find out what the load is in the HSM ammo and just copy everything into your reloads.

PackersFanboy said:

chronograph results, fire formed, annealing. scale .02+- grain

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He has done all of that as well...

Jud96 said:

Find out what the load is in the HSM ammo and just copy everything into your reloads.

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I have looked all over the internet and so has he. No luck yet...

Bowhunter84 said:

I have looked all over the internet and so has he. No luck yet...

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Tear one down, weigh the powder charge and then take a picture of the powder and post it on here. It will give some of us an idea of what's in them. Say its 44gr of powder, look in the load manuals and see what goes the advertised velocity with 44gr of powder. Say its IMR 4350, start with the minimum charge of IMR 4350 or whatever powder happens to be in the HSM ammo, then work up and see if the accuracy shows up.

Jud96 said:

Tear one down, weigh the powder charge and then take a picture of the powder and post it on here. It will give some of us an idea of what's in them. Say its 44gr of powder, look in the load manuals and see what goes the advertised velocity with 44gr of powder. Say its IMR 4350, start with the minimum charge of IMR 4350 or whatever powder happens to be in the HSM ammo, then work up and see if the accuracy shows up.

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Thats the plan. We're just waiting for some to come in so we can take one apart.

Bowhunter84 said:

Thats the plan. We're just waiting for some to come in so we can take one apart.

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That is about the only thing to do if you're not having success with load development. What all powder and bullets have you tried?

Jud96 said:

That is about the only thing to do if you're not having success with load development. What all powder and bullets have you tried?

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he's tried H414, H4350 and varget. Bullets he's tried, Berger VLD, Classic Hunter, Barnes TTSX, ELD-X...

Bowhunter84 said:

he's tried H414, H4350 and varget. Bullets he's tried, Berger VLD, Classic Hunter, Barnes TTSX, ELD-X...

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Another bullet i would try is a 162 a-max/eld-m. The A-max just plain shoots I haven't seen a gun not shoot an A-max well. Id imagine the eld-m is no different. Its my go to bullet for my 7mm RM

Creedmoor shooter said:

Another bullet i would try is a 162 a-max/eld-m. The A-max just plain shoots I haven't seen a gun not shoot an A-max well. Id imagine the eld-m is no different. Its my go to bullet for my 7mm RM

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Sorry I left that that bullet out. He has tried the Amax but not the ELD-M...

Bowhunter84 said:

Sorry I left that that bullet out. He has tried the Amax but not the ELD-M...

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I probably wouldn't bother with the Eld-m if he had no success with the A-max. They are basically the same bullet. I would do as suggested and tear apart a HSM load. It weird a rifle like that is so finicky

Creedmoor shooter said:

I probably wouldn't bother with the Eld-m if he had no success with the A-max. They are basically the same bullet. I would do as suggested and tear apart a HSM load. It weird a rifle like that is so finicky

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Tell me about it. He is very frustrated with it and now so am I...

Bowhunter84 said:

Tell me about it. He is very frustrated with it and now so am I...

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Has he taken it to a smith to get bore scoped? I may also contact Bartlien and see what they have to say