162 ELD-M 7mm-08 Tikka

16Bore

WKR
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Mar 31, 2014
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RL15, CCI’s, 162’s was money in my Remington. Not sure the twist on a Tikka
 
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Ram94

Ram94

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Jul 24, 2019
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Thanks guys! I was back and forth between Varget and IMR-8208xbr but given I can’t find any 8208 at the moment I’m going to start with Varget.

Lapua brass
Federal 210 Match primers
162 ELD-x
Varget

Will report back what I come up with


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Ram94

Ram94

WKR
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Closing in on a load at the moment. Shot a bunch of plinking ammo through the summer to get my round count up before starting load development and finally started this week with 150 rounds down the barrel.

Lapua Brass
162 ELD-M
CCI 200 Primers
Varget

Shot a couple ladders yesterday at 20 thousandths off the lands and it's looking like there is a velocity node between 41.6 and 42.2 grains. Loaded up a few at 41.9 to test out later in the week. Getting 2750+/- fps in this window. Took it all the way up to 42.5 grains without pressure signs. Pretty exciting stuff!

Rifle 3.jpg
 
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Hi,

I have a 7mm-08 Tikka Superlite that I recently picked up and am thinking about working up a load with 162gr ELD-M as they look to hold energy down range nicely.

Has anyone here done this? What kind of accuracy and velocities are you seeing? Details please!

Thanks in advance.


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I had a Tikka T3 stainless 7mm-08 that I set up for the 162 ELD-X's By that I mean I modified the magazine to accept up to 2.96" OAL rounds, and modified the bolt stop so the bolt would come back far enough to pick up the rounds.

This allowed me to seat the 162 ELD-X's just off the lands, at 2.92" and it resulted in superb accuracy using 40 grains of IMR 8208 XBR (2680 fps). That powder is excellent with the 162's. I'd highly recommend trying it.
 

pburtman

FNG
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Jul 10, 2018
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North Dakota
I recently cracked out my old Model 700 heavy barrel 7-08 and wanted to try some newer powders/bullets. Got great results with Varget and 150 ELD-X
 
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Jul 19, 2023
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Location
Northern CA
Closing in on a load at the moment. Shot a bunch of plinking ammo through the summer to get my round count up before starting load development and finally started this week with 150 rounds down the barrel.

Lapua Brass
162 ELD-M
CCI 200 Primers
Varget

Shot a couple ladders yesterday at 20 thousandths off the lands and it's looking like there is a velocity node between 41.6 and 42.2 grains. Loaded up a few at 41.9 to test out later in the week. Getting 2750+/- fps in this window. Took it all the way up to 42.5 grains without pressure signs. Pretty exciting stuff!

View attachment 214157
I’m working on this same combo. Did you refine this load?
 
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Ram94

Ram94

WKR
Joined
Jul 24, 2019
Messages
658
I’m working on this same combo. Did you refine this load?
You bet! I ended up at 41.6gr of Varget with a CBTO of 2.126. They seemed to like a bit of jump. Still shooting this combo and it’s been great!
 
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Messages
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You bet! I ended up at 41.6gr of Varget with a CBTO of 2.126. They seemed to like a bit of jump. Still shooting this combo and it’s been great!
Awesome! What velocity, accuracy and Es? I have varget, Staball 6.5 and h4350 I planned to find something out of those powders
 
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Ram94

Ram94

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Messages
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Awesome! What velocity, accuracy and Es? I have varget, Staball 6.5 and h4350 I planned to find something out of those powders
I’m right at 2750fps, 16es and 4sd. I only checked those numbers off the start and have shot a pile of the load since. Been really consistent. If you can find imr-8208xbr I would recommend that one as well.
 
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Feb 2, 2020
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Has anyone tried more loads with h4350? I've got a Tikka 7-08 I'm considering trying the 162 in and h4350 is my main powder.
 

ZWA

Lil-Rokslider
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Jan 22, 2022
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I run the 162eldm in a 7 saw with IMR 4350, alpha brass and br4’s. Just a little less capacity than the 7-08 but you step on the alpha brass a little bit.
 
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I run the 162eldm in a 7 saw with IMR 4350, alpha brass and br4’s. Just a little less capacity than the 7-08 but you step on the alpha brass a little bit.

I was kind of thinking about getting alpha brass and stepping on it!

In the load data, it looks like imr4350 gives better velocity than h4350. But I would think that H would still work well.
 

wyosam

WKR
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Aug 5, 2019
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I was kind of thinking about getting alpha brass and stepping on it!

In the load data, it looks like imr4350 gives better velocity than h4350. But I would think that H would still work well.

I’ve had great luck with Alpha brass in my Dasher, but I just chucked a batch of Alpha 7-08 in the recycle bucket. I’ve had 4 case ruptures (longitudinal, not case head separation) out of that 100 in 3-4 firings in my 7-08ai. I don’t even load that rifle hot, well inside standard 7-08 velocity. Have a 100 pieces of Lapua that are at 8 or 9 firings in that rifle with similar loads without issue. Switching that rifle to Peterson 260 SRP brass since I have a surplus of SRP.


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I’ve had great luck with Alpha brass in my Dasher, but I just chucked a batch of Alpha 7-08 in the recycle bucket. I’ve had 4 case ruptures (longitudinal, not case head separation) out of that 100 in 3-4 firings in my 7-08ai. I don’t even load that rifle hot, well inside standard 7-08 velocity. Have a 100 pieces of Lapua that are at 8 or 9 firings in that rifle with similar loads without issue. Switching that rifle to Peterson 260 SRP brass since I have a surplus of SRP.


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Yikes. I haven't heard of any issues like that with alpha
 
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What COL are you guys getting when touching the lands with the 162 eldm? My 7-08 has the bolt stop cut to allow use of LA mags, so I'm thinking of trying those seated just off lands.
 

wyosam

WKR
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Aug 5, 2019
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About 2.9 in mine. It’s 7-08ai, but a standard throat. I keep thinking about extending the throat since it’s in a Tikka, but shoots really well so I hate to mess with it.


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Aug 18, 2015
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Harrisburg, Oregon
IMG_1750.jpeg

IMG_0378.jpeg

150 ELDX in a few Tikkas (two more not pictured) does pretty well. A couple of bulls, couple of antelope, a truckload of deer. 2790 fps at the muzzle.

Only 4 shots per grouping but…





P
 
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I've decided to offload my 7-08 barrel. Been bouncing back and forth between shooting it more and just swapping the barrel out for a .308 I have. Need to be able to shoot cheapish factory ammo for practice and spend less time loading at the moment
 
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