happened upon a new 08AI. No experience with the caliber and with powder getting scarce trying to decide between Varget and H4895 as I can also use it in my 223. i have a few cci bench rest primers as well rem 9 1/2 mag and fed 210s laying around. Any thoughts to which one powder or primers? Hoping to get a good 120 load with ttsx to 3200 or a 140 accubond or maybe ttsx to 3000? She sports a 22" brux tube. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Mostly for deer for my wife and eventually my daughter. Thanks in advance.
7mm-08AI
- Thread starter Blacktail
- Start date
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No help or love for the 7mm-08AI..did I buy the wrong gun..
Re: 7mm-08AIt
Well, the 7mm-08 is great round. AI, should be a bit better. I would think a 4350 or RL-17 would be the slow powder with a 140gr bullet. Maybe Varget or RL-15 on the faster burn side. On the 140s I start with the slows powders. With the 120s maybe start with Varget or something similar.
The 7mm08 was one of the first, IMO, just great moderate round that does so much well. I would have one if I didn't have a love affair with my 6.5 Creedmoor.
Well, the 7mm-08 is great round. AI, should be a bit better. I would think a 4350 or RL-17 would be the slow powder with a 140gr bullet. Maybe Varget or RL-15 on the faster burn side. On the 140s I start with the slows powders. With the 120s maybe start with Varget or something similar.
The 7mm08 was one of the first, IMO, just great moderate round that does so much well. I would have one if I didn't have a love affair with my 6.5 Creedmoor.
Marble
Well-Known Member
I have a 7-08AI. I had to have custom dies made.
My load is 44.5 grains of RL 15 behind a 140g Nosler AB. Shoots 2950 FPS. I bought 100 rounds of Hornady Lite Magnum (I think that's what it's called) and used those for a few years until I shot them all.
The gun has a stock 22" Browning barrel in it, I bedded the stock myself and it has the stock crappy trigger. I am getting ready to replace the spring for this next season. Even with the stock barrel and crappy trigger, I'll get 3/4 inch groups. I have not experimented around with the loads on this gun, although I would like to. Powder is so scarce that experimenting is just not in the cards.
The brass lasts a very long time. The necks will split before anything goes and I have found that if I anneal them, they last a few more cycles.
The gun is pretty bad ***. It shoot almost factory 7mm velocities in a short action.
I think I'm going to try loading some IMR 4350 with the Nosler AB and with some swift Scirroco 150s.
I live in Nor Cal and chase black tails around, this is the gun I use for my CA hunting, unless I get an X zone tag.
The rule of thumb I was told with the AI cartridges is that they can hold 10% more powder than standard loads. I would still start low and work up higher.
You are the only other person I know with this cartridge.
My load is 44.5 grains of RL 15 behind a 140g Nosler AB. Shoots 2950 FPS. I bought 100 rounds of Hornady Lite Magnum (I think that's what it's called) and used those for a few years until I shot them all.
The gun has a stock 22" Browning barrel in it, I bedded the stock myself and it has the stock crappy trigger. I am getting ready to replace the spring for this next season. Even with the stock barrel and crappy trigger, I'll get 3/4 inch groups. I have not experimented around with the loads on this gun, although I would like to. Powder is so scarce that experimenting is just not in the cards.
The brass lasts a very long time. The necks will split before anything goes and I have found that if I anneal them, they last a few more cycles.
The gun is pretty bad ***. It shoot almost factory 7mm velocities in a short action.
I think I'm going to try loading some IMR 4350 with the Nosler AB and with some swift Scirroco 150s.
I live in Nor Cal and chase black tails around, this is the gun I use for my CA hunting, unless I get an X zone tag.
The rule of thumb I was told with the AI cartridges is that they can hold 10% more powder than standard loads. I would still start low and work up higher.
You are the only other person I know with this cartridge.
Marble
Well-Known Member
Do you have dies for the gun?
Got some nosler 08 ammo to fireform. With 140 AB. Dies still on BO! I wish I would have got this go years ago. Always been a 270 fan if things go right this should be the ticket not only for me but my wife and kids as well.
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
I think you picked a great round. I have shot deer with the regular 7mm-08 round since I was about 12. It was my first bolt-action deer rifle...Still have it sitting in the safe. Excellent whitetail round. And to this day, the 7mm's are still my favorite calibers, although I have an array of different rifles in all sorts of calibers, but the .257's, 7mm's, and .30's will always be my top 3 favorites.
Maybe your dies will get off backorder soon. I know I'm still waiting on my .25-06 Ackley neck-sizer die to get back in stock @ Midway. God knows when that will be, as slow as Redding is about cutting their custom dies. Also still waiting on my Hornady OAL gauge 7mm STW modified case. Might just take one to the smith to have him bore and thread. I need another one cut from one of my .300 Ackley brass, anyway. Might just go abead and order me a 3-jaw chuck for my drill press at work and start making my own.
Maybe your dies will get off backorder soon. I know I'm still waiting on my .25-06 Ackley neck-sizer die to get back in stock @ Midway. God knows when that will be, as slow as Redding is about cutting their custom dies. Also still waiting on my Hornady OAL gauge 7mm STW modified case. Might just take one to the smith to have him bore and thread. I need another one cut from one of my .300 Ackley brass, anyway. Might just go abead and order me a 3-jaw chuck for my drill press at work and start making my own.
Marble
Well-Known Member
I got my dies by giving (I lived in Chico) 5 spent shells from my gun to RCBS. They then made the dies based off of my shells. It was expensive, I think retail
was $140.
Zero'd for 200, it drops
6.6 @300,
18.9 @400,
27.5 @450,
37.8 @500
My longest kill was a mule deer at 422. I got excited and held a full body over it's back. Shot it in the neck. I looked at my chart after I killed it and realized the gun only drops about 20" at 400 yards, loaded, sighted in and configured as it is.
Soon as you get the thing dialed in, you will love it.
