Bigcountry,

I've had some experience withthree different 7mm-08s. I think you're going to be very happy with the 7mm-08. I put several different makes of bullets through them with several different powders. I got a minimum of good accuracy, MOA, to exceptional accuracy, 1/2 inch-3 shot-100 yards, with most of them. I used CCI BR#2 primers in all my loads. Powder at the burn rate of W-760 and slower were too slow and didn't furnish the velocity I thought I wanted. H-4895 was the fastest burn rate powder I used and thought it was at the edge on the too fast a burnrate side. H-Varget was the powder I settled on in all three rifles. One rifle liked 43.5 grains of Varget with the 140 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip. MV2835fps average of 10 shots. Extreme spread was 6.0 fps for the same 10 shots. Five shots went into .289". Another rifle liked 44.0 grains of Varget. Extreme velocity spread was 11.2fps, velocity was 2861 fps and five shots went into .305". This rifle also like the 140 grain Sierra SBT with 43.0 grains of Varget. Velocity was 2805 fps and has an extreme spread of 25.6 fps. The five shots went into .418". One rifle liked the 120 grain Sierra and 48.5 grains of W-760, Velocity was 2967 fps and the ES=61.6 fps. Five shots went into .467".

My daughter, Katie, took a one shot kill on a cow elk with her 7mm-08 using 43.0 grains of Varget and a 140 grain Nosler Partition. I was there to back her up if needed, but I wasn't. We also took antelope and mule deer with out 7mm-08s. Anything hit where it should have beed died..

Some of these loads may be over book and may not be safe in any other rifle than the one thet were worked up in, so be carsful and work up slowly from below on your loads. I hope this is of some help.