7mm-08 help needed
#12
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Kansas
Posts: 141
RE: 7mm-08 help needed
Seems like the most votes on powder are for IMR 4350 nad IMR 4064. So for you powder experts, what the difference? How does powder affect the accuracy of the projectile from one gun to another?
#13
RE: 7mm-08 help needed
Well, the two powders are not really all that close. IMR 4064 isan extruded powder for medium size cases; and IMR 4350 is a slower extruded powder for larger capacity cases. The latter is probably one of the slowest powders one would consider for this application whereas IMR 4064 is about right down the middle of the road.
However, each gun has its own little preferences based on barrel harmonics and a bunch of other factors. You never really know what a given gun is going to like or not like until you go to the range. My particular 7MM-08 seems to like H-380 with several different bullet weights - and doesn't shoot very well with IMR 4350, at least so far. I could take that 25" Douglas barrel off, cut it to 22"; and it might shoot like nobody's business with IMR 4350. And then again it might shoot everything better . . . or everything worse. You just don't know.
Having said that, however, there are certain bullet/powder combinationsthat seem to shoot exceptionally well in a majority of guns of a given caliber. These are quite often the first load one would try in a new gun. But if it doesn't shoot with one of these "pet" loads, all is not lost. It may drive tacks with some other combination that shot really mediocre out of the last ten guns in that caliber you tested.
However, each gun has its own little preferences based on barrel harmonics and a bunch of other factors. You never really know what a given gun is going to like or not like until you go to the range. My particular 7MM-08 seems to like H-380 with several different bullet weights - and doesn't shoot very well with IMR 4350, at least so far. I could take that 25" Douglas barrel off, cut it to 22"; and it might shoot like nobody's business with IMR 4350. And then again it might shoot everything better . . . or everything worse. You just don't know.
Having said that, however, there are certain bullet/powder combinationsthat seem to shoot exceptionally well in a majority of guns of a given caliber. These are quite often the first load one would try in a new gun. But if it doesn't shoot with one of these "pet" loads, all is not lost. It may drive tacks with some other combination that shot really mediocre out of the last ten guns in that caliber you tested.
#14
RE: 7mm-08 help needed
cban - I have one other thought - Have you tried shooting factory ammo out of your rifle? If these shoot fairly well, it may be something you are doing in your reloading process. Do you trim your cases each time? Even just touching the case mouth and ensuring it is 'square' will improve accuracy.
#15
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,618
RE: 7mm-08 help needed
my savage likes nosler 140 #28140 and H414 49 gr.with a COL of 2.880my gun likes hotter loads than your trying , try heaver loads 1/2 gr. heaver in three shot test loads . you mite all so try presser point at the fore arm .i have seen this work on a 243 and a 308 its easy to do just a peace of paper between the fore arm and the barrel
i did have an encore in 708 butit shot like what your describing
i did have an encore in 708 butit shot like what your describing
#17
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 34
RE: 7mm-08 help needed
I was pleasantly surprised with the performance acheived in my son's 308, using 150 Seirra SP & Hodgdon BL-C(2). I have not checked Hodgdon's web site for 7mm-08 info.
One of the other powders that imediately sounded good to me was H-380, which was confirmed by one of the other guys already.
http://www.hodgdon.com/
Good luck, Don
One of the other powders that imediately sounded good to me was H-380, which was confirmed by one of the other guys already.
http://www.hodgdon.com/
Good luck, Don