7 08 remington or 7 08 AI

[fher]

Hi buddies! It's been a long time I don'get in forum...now need your opinion about thinking in rebarrel a 308 win rifle in 7 08 rem or 7 08 AI...What do you think? Worth? increase velocity? I'm looking for 3000 fps velocities in 24 inches barrel with 140 or 150 grains bullets...thank's for helping!

 

[Dgd6mm]

I'd stick with the 7-08 over the AI. You can get close to 3000 fps with a 140 gr. bullet and the right powder out of a 24" barrel. If you are into AI's and don't mind spending $ for dies and ff, go for it. But in my book it is not worth the hassle. I ran some QL #'s on both cartridges, and on paper it is not worth the hassle at all, just my .02.

 

[trebark]

I'd stick with the 7-08 over the AI. You can get close to 3000 fps with a 140 gr. bullet and the right powder out of a 24" barrel. If you are into AI's and don't mind spending $ for dies and ff, go for it. But in my book it is not worth the hassle. I ran some QL #'s on both cartridges, and on paper it is not worth the hassle at all, just my .02.

Agreed.

Given the marginal increase in velocity for the AI weighed against the extra work and expense it takes, it's just not really worth it.

Have you considered the 260rem? It is a far more versatile cartridge than the 7-08.

 

[gohring3006]

I say get the .260 and if you want a good standard non magnum 7mm then I would look at a .280 rem.

 

[Canadian Bushman]

I just chrono'd a 7-08 with a 24" barrel shooting store bought hornady superformance 139 gr bullets and it clocked near 3100. As with all cheap chronos that number can be a little off, but as was said, 3000 fps with a traditional 7-08 is doable.

 

[fher]

I say get the .260 and if you want a good standard non magnum 7mm then I would look at a .280 rem.

Agreed.

Given the marginal increase in velocity for the AI weighed against the extra work and expense it takes, it's just not really worth it.

Have you considered the 260rem? It is a far more versatile cartridge than the 7-08.

First of all thank's everyone, I decided after opinions in rebarrel in 7 08 rem... and apart, I own a 260 remington ackley improved in a weatherby germany action with a Douglas air gauge barrel in 26 inch ...very deadly rifle with 48 grains of imr 43 50 and a sierra 120 grains bullet...shoots 3264 fps a the muzzle! Show a picture...

 

[Marble]

I would do the AI but I already have one so the money for the dies has already been spent. The gun came to me on a horse trade and the guy didn't even know it was an AI. Nor did I. So all of the smithing came to me for free.

I just worked up a new load for it and will be shooting it soon just to see how it does.

Before I was using RL 15 and getting 1/2 -3/4 groups at 2950 with a 140 AB. The rifle is all factory except for the rechamber. I could push it faster but that's where it shoots good.

When the barrel is done I'll put 24" custom on in the same cartridge. It is my favorite rifle.

 

[Marble]

Dies made by RCBS cost me $140 about 10 years ago. Pretty pricey. But it's a toy...

I gave them 5 spent cartridges and they made the dies based off of those pieces of brass.

 

[J E Custom]

I like ,and have both. the 40o shoulder adds about 100 ft/sec over the 7/08 across the range of bullets.

I hunt with the 120 grain in the 7/08 @ 3010 ft/sec and the rifle is deadly past 500 yards.

For 140 grain I like the 7/08x40 because it will produce 3140 with the heavier bullet when a heavy
bullet is needed.

Both rifles have short barrels (7/08 is 20'' and the 7/08x40 is 22'' both are in 1 in 9 twist Lilja,s)

lots of die makers making both so either set of dies will be under $100.00

J E CUSTOM

 

[MudRunner2005]

I like ,and have both. the 40o shoulder adds about 100 ft/sec over the 7/08 across the range of bullets.

I hunt with the 120 grain in the 7/08 @ 3010 ft/sec and the rifle is deadly past 500 yards.

For 140 grain I like the 7/08x40 because it will produce 3140 with the heavier bullet when a heavy
bullet is needed.

Both rifles have short barrels (7/08 is 20'' and the 7/08x40 is 22'' both are in 1 in 9 twist Lilja,s)

lots of die makers making both so either set of dies will be under $100.00

J E CUSTOM

Hey JE, you done any load testing on the 7mm-08 AI and 168 or 180 VLD's? I would be interested to see if the 7mm-08 AI works well with heavies, like the .308 Win does with my 210 VLD's.

I would test it, but my 7mm-08 has a 20" pencil barrel and is only a 9.5 twist...

 

[J E Custom]

Hey JE, you done any load testing on the 7mm-08 AI and 168 or 180 VLD's? I would be interested to see if the 7mm-08 AI works well with heavies, like the .308 Win does with my 210 VLD's.

I would test it, but my 7mm-08 has a 20" pencil barrel and is only a 9.5 twist...

I have tried the 160 grain bullets but nothing heavier because of the velocity.

The 150 grain bullets worked well in the 7/08 but the most I could get out of them was 2750 ft/sec.

The AI version exceeded this with the 160 grain bullets. They all shot extremely well with the heavier bullets in my rifles with 1 in 9 twist barrels and Hunter bench rest tapers on both.

I know of some people shooting 180 grain bullets with very good accuracy.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Marble]

So yesterday I went and shot a new load of 48 grains of IMR 4350 and it was clocking right around 3100 with a 140 AB. This is the AI. And it shot tremendously better than my other load. I shot both back to back and the load with 44g of RL 15 was very inconsistent. It did get slightly warm and hot out and I suspect the warmer cartridges may have been part of the problem. But the 4350 had an ES of about 20 fps.

So I'm going to load up a bit more, some slightly hotter, some a little less potent. I'll then dicker around with the seating depth a bit. I am limited with my depth as it is an A-bolt and the mag limits me.

We shot my son's 7-08 in the youth version (he's 12 and still rather slight). I made him practice for about an hour with my 10/22 first. It's scoped with a nice Volquartsen barrel/trigger combo. I wanted him to work on trigger pull which is his nemesis. At 12 he just wants to shoot. It doesn't matter what it is, which I get. But I want him to develop good shooting skills. He did very well! We were shooting 49 grains of IMR 4350 behind a 120 Nosler. About inch groups. We then switched to a new Remington bullet my dad and it was horrible.

But the shiny penny was the 150g Scirocco. It was a somewhat weak load at 43 grains of 4350, but printed near .5 groups. So we will be working on that one also. It was just an experiment since I shoot those in my 7mag. We will be working with this one a little bit more.

This made me very happy. I have killed lots of animals with the 150.Scirocco bullet and found it to be a great performer for shooting and it's terminal performance have been great. I'm surprised it's not more popular with other shooters.

 

[J E Custom]

So yesterday I went and shot a new load of 48 grains of IMR 4350 and it was clocking right around 3100 with a 140 AB. This is the AI. And it shot tremendously better than my other load. I shot both back to back and the load with 44g of RL 15 was very inconsistent. It did get slightly warm and hot out and I suspect the warmer cartridges may have been part of the problem. But the 4350 had an ES of about 20 fps.

So I'm going to load up a bit more, some slightly hotter, some a little less potent. I'll then dicker around with the seating depth a bit. I am limited with my depth as it is an A-bolt and the mag limits me.

We shot my son's 7-08 in the youth version (he's 12 and still rather slight). I made him practice for about an hour with my 10/22 first. It's scoped with a nice Volquartsen barrel/trigger combo. I wanted him to work on trigger pull which is his nemesis. At 12 he just wants to shoot. It doesn't matter what it is, which I get. But I want him to develop good shooting skills. He did very well! We were shooting 49 grains of IMR 4350 behind a 120 Nosler. About inch groups. We then switched to a new Remington bullet my dad and it was horrible.

But the shiny penny was the 150g Scirocco. It was a somewhat weak load at 43 grains of 4350, but printed near .5 groups. So we will be working on that one also. It was just an experiment since I shoot those in my 7mag. We will be working with this one a little bit more.

This made me very happy. I have killed lots of animals with the 150.Scirocco bullet and found it to be a great performer for shooting and it's terminal performance have been great. I'm surprised it's not more popular with other shooters.

Varget is also a very good powder for the 7/08and the 7/08x40.

For your sons 7/08 try 45.5 grains of Varget or 49.0 grains of H 414 with the 120 grain Ballistic tip.
also use the CCI Br2 primer.

These are my best loads for the 7/08. the H-4350 works best in the 7/08x40.

J E CUSTOM

 

[MudRunner2005]

Varget is also a very good powder for the 7/08and the 7/08x40.

For your sons 7/08 try 45.5 grains of Varget or 49.0 grains of H 414 with the 120 grain Ballistic tip.
also use the CCI Br2 primer.

These are my best loads for the 7/08. the H-4350 works best in the 7/08x40.

J E CUSTOM

That's what I use in my 7mm-08 and .308 Win. Best powder I've come across for the .308-based calibers.