7mm 08 loading question

[hammer111]

Just got a lee challenger reloader. Ok here's what I have. I'm running 140 grains nosler
Ballistic tips with 45 grains of Rl 17.

I weighed it out on the lee scale and put it in the shell case . The powder comes close to the bottle neck of the case.

I'm nervous that it's too much powder. So is this right, this the first bullet I loaded. I've tried to triple check the scale, and it's zeroed per directions.

Never seen the inside of a factory load so I'm real nervous. Anything you can tell me is a big help to put me at ease. Thanks.

 

[ntg]

You should be fine, especially if it's not in the neck. Nosler doesn't list this powder in their data, but Hornady lists 47 grains for their 139, and Alliant says you can stuff 46 under the 145 Speer so I think you're fine.

I've just started paying with RL17 in my 7-08 and it's a little bulky IMO. It's not as bad as H4350. With H4350 I was crunching granules with the bullet long before hitting max. Even some crunching of powder isn't a big deal.

Let us know how it shoots.

 

[pods8]

Start low and work up always...

 

[hammer111]

Good to know thanks a bunch. I was going to have my girlfriend fire the first round .

I was under the impression there was a sizable gap between the bullet and powder.

The powder does seem bulky, I thought the same thing.

Thanks pod8, I thought I was starting low to medium. That's the lowest I found for this particular load and bullet.

Crunching powder does sound scary. I tell ya at first I found load data real fast , I'm sure it was nosler. Then I got the loader, went to double check and couldn't find it.

So I searched for 5 hours, reading info and personal hand loads. Then I read to check alliants website for data. I'm confident on the grains. I wasn't confident on the scales accuracy.

 

[pods8]

No some charges are compressed and are shown with a "C" after the charge value. I'm not familiar with the RL17 load data but you indicated you were wary so thus my reminder to start low and work up, if you've done your homework and already are starting low then good to go.

 

[hammer111]

Thanks again pods8. Awesome , I didn't what the c was for . Now I know. If you can't get your answer on this website, you don't need to know.

This great off to the bench.

 

[ntg]

Like pods8 said, start low and work up. You could have brass with thick walls/lower capacity as part of your equation as well. If so that plays in on the pressures as well.

Hornady suggest that ~43gr of RL17 will give about 2500 with their 139. I'd start there if I were loading that bullet and work up. The lowest listed in Hornady for the 139 is 41.3 and that gives about 2400fps.

 

[hammer111]

Ok ntg never thought of looking at hornady, but I'm loading a 140 grain bullet. 45 was recommended. But I can do 43. I only loaded 1.


Ok now what I have to say next is weird beyond belief. I'm the only person in my house that loads. Nobody has been near my bench but me.

Went to load a second shell. Measured 45 grains. Pour it in and it was too much. So I checked the scale , zeroed it. Weighed a penny twice. It matched what it was supposed to.

Measured powder again, and again too much, 2 more times same thing. I was just about to throw the scale , when a thought entered my head. Look in the shell.

Sure enough something was in there. I dug it out and it was a cleaning patch. I never had or used a patch on or near the loader or the shells. No reason too.

I'm stumped, but the charge fits and good to go. Anyone else come across this.

 

[ntg]

Odd...is it new brass?

I mention the 139 because it's weight is 1/7000th different than a 140 and the bearing surface of it and the Nosler BT are close in length.

One thing you'll notice with bulkier powders is they'll sometime bridge, especially in smaller/thinner cases. Bridging is where the tiny "tubes" of powder are not totally settled in the bottom. They're bumping into each other causing a jam of sorts before they all settle to the bottom. There's a few ways to settle the powder in there. Some use a drop tube, essentially a long tube that you pour the powder into that then goes directly in to the case. Giving them a distance to drop helps them separate enough to keep them from getting into a jam before settling. Maybe you've read this in reloading manuals. Read all that you can.

I, at times, will take the case, plug it with my index finger and just tap it on the bench a few times, and then wipe my finger across the case mouth as I remove it as the kernels can stick to your finger. I usually only do this if I see the powder starting into the neck. Doing this will usually settle it enough that you can see the top of the powder drop about 1/10".

 

[hammer111]

I see what you saying ntg, I felt the same way. I tapped the case with the funnel.

Please feel free to help me out in anyway. Im new to reloading, so any little tid bit or trick can help.

I've been reading a lot, but not everything I get sometime. I'm very interested in learning all I can, I'm having a blast reloading.

 

[ntg]

Enjoy it. It is fun. Go slow and be safe. There's lots of little things that can come up and that can change things without you even knowing it.

As to reading, the Lee book is a good one for the basics. That was my first. I then went from there, and read others. There's lots of people that will give good pointers and help on here and on the 24HCF (I cruse these two the most).

 

[hammer111]

I did it , finished my first box. One thing I just learned there is a locking button on the lee scale. Don't ask me how but it moved on me in between measuring loads.

Thank goodness I caught it. It's official I'm getting a digital scale.

 

[frankinaustin]

Get rid of that RL17 and find some Varget and/or IMR4064. Varget in 7mm-08 will shoot every bullet pretty good, and a few bullets sub half MOA. With Varget you can shoot to your rifle's full potential. The accuracy nodes you will find are wide and forgiving. A red hot barrel full of dirt and grime shot during an earthquake will still get you close to MOA.

Rl17 is better for 300 wsm.

Every third Chinese fortune cookie says "He who hoard Varget ain't no fool."

 

[ntg]

I can tell you my last 7-08 was a fan of Varget as well. I'm just about finish building my current 7-08. I will shoot Varget in it for sure. I have some RL17, Mr2000, and 4064 I'll try. I want to try big game and the new 4451 in it. I've heard some go real well with cfe223 and lighter bullets. Ah the fun of reloading.

You made a good choice in starting with the 7-08. Its easy to reload and find a good load.