7mm-08 loads

markley

New member
Well i ordered a tikka t3 lite stainless 7mm-08 today. now i am trying to decide on how i am going to break the barrel in. I want to load some cheap bullets like the hornady 139gr sp. i am just wanting to break the barrel in so i am not worried about load development right now so they dont have to be super accurate but i would like to get decent groups. Should i load these bullets at the low end, middle or somewhere between the two. i know i dont want a hot load for breaking the barrel in. I was also curios on what people are using for their "pet" loads. would like to shoot the either the 139gr sst, 140gr nosler bt, or the 140gr remington accutip. I am also hoping that people are getting good results with varget because i really dont want to have to go buy more powder when i already have a ton of varget. i also have imr 3031 if anybody is getting good results with that.
 

I worked up this load several years ago for a Wy. antelope/mule deer hunt. The gun is a Rem. 700 Mtn. rifle in 7mm-08 with a very slender 22" barrel. PLEASE BE ADVISED, THIS LOAD IS A LITTLE WARM, BUT 125psi UNDER MAX PRESSURE ACCORDING TO QUICK LOAD. Primers were fine, cases mic'd out O.K. just a slight extractor mark on a couple of cases.

After trying several powders this is what I have settled on. 45.2 gr IMR4064, Hornady 139gr SST, CCI 250 primers. Avg. speed 2978, ES 26.6 SD 10.0

The shot at an Antelope was taken at 286 yards. I was aiming just behind the right shoulder but the wind was stronger then I thought. Bullet entered dead center low on the right shoulder, took out the top 2/3 of the heart and exited the off side shoulder. The goat never took a step, and fell on his nose.
 
Looks like my load out of my model 7 was Hornady 139gr. SP. with CCI LRM primer and 39.5gr. of Benchmark. I ended up switching to 140gr. Sierra Game Kings and IMR 4064 later due to better availibility, but after looking at the target I wonder if there were any other reasons because that's a tight [beeep] group for a model 7. 3 shot group measured .39" center to center. Have no idea what the velocity was, never got that one over chrono when it was on loan to me.
 
Originally Posted By: markleyWell i ordered a tikka t3 lite stainless 7mm-08 today. now i am trying to decide on how i am going to break the barrel in. I want to load some cheap bullets like the hornady 139gr sp. i am just wanting to break the barrel in so i am not worried about load development right now so they dont have to be super accurate but i would like to get decent groups. Should i load these bullets at the low end, middle or somewhere between the two. i know i dont want a hot load for breaking the barrel in. I was also curios on what people are using for their "pet" loads. would like to shoot the either the 139gr sst, 140gr nosler bt, or the 140gr remington accutip. I am also hoping that people are getting good results with varget because i really dont want to have to go buy more powder when i already have a ton of varget. i also have imr 3031 if anybody is getting good results with that.

I would start ur load developement as part of the break in.My T3 243 took 60-80 down the tube before it settled down this is common with the T3.I chased accuracy with a few loads and it made the round count high before i settled on 45 RS Hunter/85sgk its a shooter avg. group.27 no BS.So the faster you get on the accuracy part the better.
I will be eagarly awaiting your results cuz i want a 7-08 myself.
 
I was told by the salesman at scheels that tikka quit making the 7mm-08 in the t3 lite stainless. he said that 2010 was the last year. i had to have them ship me one from another store.
 
Originally Posted By: markleyI was told by the salesman at scheels that tikka quit making the 7mm-08 in the t3 lite stainless. he said that 2010 was the last year. i had to have them ship me one from another store.

Are they going to stop making them or is Beretta going to stop importing them?.Beretta shows T3 lite & T3 LT/Stless in 7-08 but not the Hunter.I think not importing is the case.Whatever salespeople say take with a grain of salt.
 
yea i thought it was odd to since i saw them on their website but he said in their new brochure for 2011 they didnt have the t3 7mm-08 in it.
 
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