7mm-08 shooting funny?

elkaddict · 03-04-2004, 07:09 PM

I've been working on finding a load for my boy's synthetic stocked remington youth model 7mm-08. It shoots several 140 to 150 grain factory loads ok but not great--13/4 to 2"" groups that tend to be round and without any pattern. I've been working with hornady 139 interbonds and w-760. Through 4 different powder variations I see the following: the 2nd shot is 1/2" directly below the 1rst shot with the 3rd shot about 2" to the left of the 1rst shot. I'm waiting at least 5 minutes between shots and the barrel is absolutely cool to the touch. Any suggestions? I've thought it might be a bedding issue--but I'm not sure. Could an inperceptible change in barrel temperature be causing this? I'm puzzled because factory ammo shot under the same circumstances tend to shoot "round groups." I'm going to try 4064, varget and rl 19 next. The gun is shooting adequate for my boy's present shooting abilities--I just had higher expectations/hopes. By the way, Barnes 140 XLC shot 3-4" groups that had no pattern at all. This is my 6th box of barnes, none of which have ever shot well in a half dozen guns (with perfectly clean barrels). Am I stupid to keep trying them or just unlucky?

Wolf killer · 03-04-2004, 08:34 PM

This is a "pet load" Pa Jack gave me.

THIS LOAD IS ABOVE MAXIMUM SO WORK UP TO IT.

Hornady 139gr. BTSP
43.2 grains IMR 4064
Remington 91/2 primer

This load shoots great in my model-7 7mm-08.

Good luck,

Vapodog · 03-05-2004, 07:06 AM

at a minimum I'd glass bed the recoil lug and assure that the barrel is free floating. I suspect bedding is the answer rather than different loads.

Superpig · 03-05-2004, 01:26 PM

I have heard of alot of people having accuracy problems with the Remington ADL synthethics. The reason I've heard most is the stock has too much flex under recoil. I do have a shooting partner that was having trouble with his and had it bedded and free floated and it helped alot.

Buckshot · 03-05-2004, 05:19 PM

Years ago when I first bought my savage 7-08, it would shoot 2-3" groups no matter what I did. I replaced the factory stock with a ramline and still had the problem. What I had to do was glass bed the action and whammo the thing turned into a tack driver.

oldelkhunter · 03-18-2004, 02:47 PM

Wolf killer thanks for the load data..been looking for something like that for my 7-08 mountain rifle. I have the new sythetic model and I can tell you there is no flex period in this stock..it is certainly a significant upgrade over my previous 700 that came with a tupperware stock.

PaJack · 03-18-2004, 05:07 PM

Give my "pet load" a try! I haven't seen a gun it dosen't like yet...

oldelkhunter · 03-19-2004, 12:23 PM

PAJack, what brand of case did you use with this load?

PaJack · 03-22-2004, 07:34 AM

I use Remington brass...

lobo2003 · 03-27-2004, 08:47 PM

This may sound like a stupid suggestion but, have you checked your scope mount to see if you have any loose screws. A friend of mine bought his son the same rifle and he didn't lock-tite the scope base and it was shooting circles..I remounted the scope and adjusted the trigger pull ( it broke at 5 1/2 lbs. and I reset it at 2 1/4 lbs.) and it keeps 3 shot groups under an inch at 100 yrds using Remington 150 gr. Cor Lok factory ammo.