What did you do in the reloading room today?

[NorthIdahoDude]

@NorthIdahoDude those are some interesting figures. I did double-check Hornady's data suggesting a 0.5gr increase in max from Hodgdons (49.0 vs 48.5), but a much lower velocity of 2,900 (unfortunately I can only pick 139gr bullets, and they don't differentiate copper vs cup and core loads, etc). Nothing wrong with playing it safe with the primers though. I wasn't trying to be argumentative, just genuinely curious. For whatever reason, my Tikka 7mm-08 has stiff bolt lift before flattened or mushroomed primers. First 400 rounds were factory loads before I started handloading.

Thanks for sharing the data and experience! I've only played with Big Game, H4350 and Varget, but have a pound of Hunter on the shelf I'm going to try in the next set (I don't know why...I have ~1 MOA 10-shot loads with all 3 of the powders listed above - probably wanted to tinker more and it was cheaper than buying a new rifle in a new cartridge).

Happy to share, such as I know, and happy to hear your Tikka 7mm-08 is a hammer. I am really hoping mine turns out to be too (hopefully with the Varget and the 140 TGKs - I have 1k of those bullets on hand and enough Varget to load them all).

This is my first 7mm-08, about my 9th or 10th Tikka, and around the 30th or 40th rifle I've loaded for over the years. I have loaded a lot of 7x57, which in theory should be similar, but in practice so far, it seems is not (it's a H4350 and slower powder game, and likes heavier bullets more).

I was pretty surprised by my results here. I do still expect the Hunter and N160 and 4350s and the like will do well in the 7mm-08 with heavier bullets tho, and I have some 160 Speer SBTs to try them with later.

Random note on the primers - I am using win primers at this point, which are pretty soft compared to CCI or the like. They will get good and flat before heavy bolt lift (heavy bolt lift being around 75kpsi, or so I assume, based on crap I've read on forums, LOL).

 

[neandth]

I've been loading up some stuff for deer season.

Loaded some 110 gr Accubonds for the younguns .257 Wby Mag

Loaded up some 180 gr Accubonds for one of my .300 Win Mag.

 

[Castle Rock]

Installed a new vice setup! Happy not to have to swap the press out for the vice now.

You might find it is more convenient to mount the barrel vice vertically

 

[Tahoe1305]

You might find it is more convenient to mount the barrel vice vertically

That’s a good idea I haven’t considered. Space is tight.

 

[bhovda]

Just loaded up some 185 juggernauts for the 300 wsm. And prepping some 556 brass for my new rokslide special

 

[Mike D Texas]

Loaded up some 33XC rounds for Raton next month.

Prepping some .223 for my grandson to hunt with.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

I was pretty surprised by my results here. I do still expect the Hunter and N160 and 4350s and the like will do well in the 7mm-08 with heavier bullets tho, and I have some 160 Speer SBTs to try them with later.

Ran a test with Hunter and 160 Speer SBT's from 44 to 48 - a bit less velocity than I was expecting, but also primers look like a bit less pressure than I was expecting also (load data based on 160 SMK's at shorter OAL than mine). Topped out at 2640 FPS at 48 - I think I'd be comfortable to push to 49 and see +/- 2700 FPS. Not my preferred bullet, so I probably won't bother, but it does prove out the theory that Hunter + heavier bullets in the 7mm-08 looks pretty solid/in line with expectations, more so than Hunter + 140 grain bullets. I expect N160 and so-on will probably be about the same in terms of happier with heavier bullets in this cartridge.

 

[neandth]

I’ve loaded up 95gr SST’s and 95gr Nos BT’s for the 243

Also some 130 TMK’s for the 6.5 Creedmoor. Not a whitetail in Nc can handle any of these.

 

[MD97756]

Set a pound of big game on it. Probably be more effective if I had the 150gr .284 bullets to load up for 7/08.

 

[Harvey_NW]

This is my first 7mm-08, about my 9th or 10th Tikka, and around the 30th or 40th rifle I've loaded for over the years. I have loaded a lot of 7x57, which in theory should be similar, but in practice so far, it seems is not (it's a H4350 and slower powder game, and likes heavier bullets more).

Not uncommon to get a slow Tikka barrel, how many rounds down the barrel?

I was pretty surprised by my results here. I do still expect the Hunter and N160 and 4350s and the like will do well in the 7mm-08 with heavier bullets tho, and I have some 160 Speer SBTs to try them with later.

Random note on the primers - I am using win primers at this point, which are pretty soft compared to CCI or the like. They will get good and flat before heavy bolt lift (heavy bolt lift being around 75kpsi, or so I assume, based on crap I've read on forums, LOL).

Is this testing being done on new brass, or fireformed and properly sized? Excess headspace can exhibit false pressure signs.

 

[Huntingfarandwide]

Completely and I mean it... cleaned my bench off so I could actually reload.

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

Not uncommon to get a slow Tikka barrel, how many rounds down the barrel?

Yeah, the loong throats on Tikkas and the slow twists both tend to make them pretty slow, usually. But that slow is usually because of lower pressure than expected, not higher.

My old 308 Win Tikka had a 0.25 inch jump (yes, 1/4 inch jump) at max mag length (shot great tho).

This one has about 30 rounds down the pipe, just pressure/velocity testing in the back yard over the Magnetospeed.

Is this testing being done on new brass, or fireformed and properly sized? Excess headspace can exhibit false pressure signs.

Ill check some headspace measurements when I get back to the bench, but this is not virgin brass (although it was Norma factory 308 brass last time it was fired, LOL). If that was the huckleberry tho, I would expect everything to be showing pressure and slow, but Varget looks good for pressure and is 30-40 FPS fast, whereas Staball looks awful and is 100+ FPS slow (tho Staball 6.5 has been high pressure/low velocity in every single thing I have tried it in)

 

[Harvey_NW]

Yeah, the loong throats on Tikkas and the slow twists both tend to make them pretty slow, usually. But that slow is usually because of lower pressure than expected, not higher.

Not all of them have long throats, some of the newer chamber designs are actually really short. I had my 6.5 PRC throated out so I could optimize it. It's theorized that it might have something to do with their super hard barrel steel and hammer forging. My current gunsmith tries to avoid sticking reamers in factory Tikka barrels at all costs, he says they chew them up.

Ill check some headspace measurements when I get back to the bench, but this is not virgin brass (although it was Norma factory 308 brass last time it was fired, LOL). If that was the huckleberry tho, I would expect everything to be showing pressure and slow, but Varget looks good for pressure and is 30-40 FPS fast, whereas Staball looks awful and is 100+ FPS slow (tho Staball 6.5 has been high pressure/low velocity in every single thing I have tried it in)

I only have experience with slower powders so just trying to think outside the box. I would expect 100+ rounds down the tube and some fireformed brass might change the results a bit. Interested to see what you find.

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

Not all of them have long throats, some of the newer chamber designs are actually really short. I had my 6.5 PRC throated out so I could optimize it. It's theorized that it might have something to do with their super hard barrel steel and hammer forging. My current gunsmith tries to avoid sticking reamers in factory Tikka barrels at all costs, he says they chew them up.

This one has the classic Tikka looong throat. 140 TGKs are 2.931 jammed to the lands (I am running them at 2.823 in current testing (well, sort of, see my other thread I started on the 140 tgk's and unusual length variations past the ogive). Thats max mag length, more than 0.100 jump - I will get a M+ mag and run them longer in the future most likely, assuming they show some promise for accuracy.

140 Accubonds fare a little better, 2.87 jammed, so I could run them 0.65 ish off the lands and still fit the OEM mag. But I only have about 30 of them on hand, and I have 1,000 of the TGks, so gonna burn those before I buy other bullets.

First range trip earlier today, 1.16 MOA for 7 rounds after I dialed the scope in - not bad for a first try.

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

Is this testing being done on new brass, or fireformed and properly sized? Excess headspace can exhibit false pressure signs.

Fired vs sized brass using the Hornady D400 gauge is .002 diff (fired is .002 longer). Seems pretty reasonable to me.

 

[Jamr]

Loaded up 60 rounds of 6 Creed.
108 ELD M
43.3 gr N555