Working up 7mm-08 load suggestions

[CHRIS MCBRIDE]

Ok I am building a new 7mm-08 and looking for good starting point on loads to test. Its AR 10 22" 1:9.5 barrel. Looking for some loads that will work out to 500 yards as thats about as far as energy is high enough for deer size game. Main reason for doing 7mm-08 is I have 3 other 7mm's and plenty projectiles and powders for them.If end up with either or both be totally different so be it.Others are 7mm rem mag and 2 7mm mausers. If loads work great with 150 gr Nosler partitions that would be awesome since big stock pile.

 

[LVJ76]

I have a great load using 44.5gr of IMR-4350 that groups 0.25" at 100yds, but on a 26" competition bull barrel, it might be too slow burn with a short 22" AR barrel.

IMR-4064 works great on shorter barrels, for hunting I have a load of 40.2 gr with a couple of 150gr bullets, sub Half MOA at 100 yds. I've read Varget is also very good for the 7mm-08.

 

[manitou]

Mine really likes Varget, 45.2 gr (pretty hot in my gun) and 120 gr Nosler ballistic Tips. It also does nicely with 140 NBT. Varget is a great powder for the 7mm-08.

 

[Kimber7man]

Other powders that work well
Ramshot BigGame - 47 to 47.5 grains with 140 Accubond or E-tip, or 46 grains and a 150 ELDX or Accubond LR
Reloder 16 - several book loads

 

[CHRIS MCBRIDE]

Funny that here 22" barrel is short and over on a AR10 site I am being told it needs to be 18" and no problem at 500 yrds. I agree that 18" would probably work but I feel that longer will give lot better performance out that far.

 

[LVJ76]

Funny that here 22" barrel is short and over on a AR10 site I am being told it needs to be 18" and no problem at 500 yrds. I agree that 18" would probably work but I feel that longer will give lot better performance out that far.

I doubt that an 18" in a 7mm-08 will work out to 500 yards for hunting purposes but I may be wrong, for targets yes but hunting, I doubt the bullets will have the speed to cause a clean kill, but again, I may be wrong.

 

[NDF]

Imr 4064 & varget get my nod with fed gm210m's, I'm currently right around 40 gr's on both using 162's in the hornady flavor, work up as always for your setup

 

[jjmp]

Your 22 bbl is fine ,Congrats being ar,HorIMR 4895 would be a good choice as many are . Im a bolt guy so we can run many powders , as per 150's npartions if your rifle likes them and I think it will ,all you need is the rite reload combo ,good luck , cheers !

 

[B-LOT Banga]

For meat hunts I ran a 7mm-08 with 154 gr Hornady SST, 40.6 gr IMR4064 @ 2573 FPS. It was a palmetto state armory upper and lower originally in 308 win and I decided to change the barrel out to a 24" fluted heavy contour, warne cantilever scope mount, Vortex Viper HS-T 4-16x44 and a 3lb timney trigger. I didn't run a brake on the end due to the excessive noise it would produce. I ran this same combination in my Browning X-bolt, 22" barrel and got about a 120 FPS faster... go figure. It was a bit heavy but with a 25 rd clip it was a killing machine out past 500 yds. Did some steel out to 650 yds once but did most of my kills from 50 yds - 300 yds. A solid bipod is a must or a tree will work fine. The ease of cresting a hill and hammering game without working the bolt is a dream, so you can concentrate on where your animals drop. Good luck with your setup... if I was to do it again I would use a 20" barrel in a lighter contour because of the weight. Aloha

 

[elf]

In my custom 7mm-08 best load is 43.6 grs. Varget under 140 AB

 

[CHRIS MCBRIDE]

well I am already lite weight I only have 20 round mag.LOL As for Muzzle brake.I am at toss up there,but figure have it threaded and can run brake,suppressor or just thread protector cap. Great thing about a AR with small investment other than scope I can have another caliber.

 

[Rln21]

I doubt that an 18" in a 7mm-08 will work out to 500 yards for hunting purposes but I may be wrong, for targets yes but hunting, I doubt the bullets will have the speed to cause a clean kill, but again, I may be wrong.

I have an 18" AR10 in 7mm-08. It shoots the same loads as my bolt gun, 45.0 grains of Varget with 120gr Nosler ballistic tips. In the bolt bun with 24" barrel it's a nearly 3100 FPS load, in the 18" barrel it goes 2850, still faster than many other hunting loads in most other mid size cartridges.

 

[LVJ76]

I have an 18" AR10 in 7mm-08. It shoots the same loads as my bolt gun, 45.0 grains of Varget with 120gr Nosler ballistic tips. In the bolt bun with 24" barrel it's a nearly 3100 FPS load, in the 18" barrel it goes 2850, still faster than many other hunting loads in most other mid size cartridges.

I agree with you when using a 120gr bullet like a ballistic tip you can reach out to 500 yds, but with a 150gr Partition with a low BC like the OP mentioned on his original post the bullet just won't have enough juice to cause to clean kill

 

[CHRIS MCBRIDE]

The data I have seen and admit its just data and not real world.We have to use something for base's. Show 1000 ft. lbs at 500 with 150 gr is very doable. I try to limit most to 1100 to 1200 ft lbs but once I have gun dialed and know I can make clean shot at that range I do not see any problem with clean kill. I have made multiple shots past 500 on both deer and paper,not bad sniper, but I do have experience and practice to make the shot. Now which bullet may have big effect on that I agree.