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7mm-08

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15 comments

  • mond
    Just got a BLR in 7mm-08 and I hate to buy factory bullets. Can anyone suggest a load for whitetails? Most of my shooting will be in the 50 yd range (I hunt in a swamp) and I want ot use the heaviest bullet I can for this round.
    Watt yoo got?[8D]
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  • Jim Rehm
    Have you checked your scope for parallax? Normally a scope is factory adjusted to be parallax free at 100 yards +- unless it has a parallax adjustable front lens. Normally on a fixed focus scope the parallax error is most noticeable at less than 100 yards and diminishes with increases in target distance. I have personally seen a new non adjustable scope with over 5" of parallax at 100 yards.
    Jim
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  • mond
    Hi Jim, I tried several scopes to eliminate the possibility, scope all fine, thanks.
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  • charliemeyer007
    What a can of worms. I'd start with JB Bore Paste to polish the barrel. What is your twist rate and is it standard rifling? How is the action bedded? I like barrels free floated except right at the end of the stock and then about 5# of up pressure to dampen vibrations. Action screws need to be tight. Perhaps use a torque wrench for repeatable results.

    I would start with your brass, perhaps new 50 or 100 rounds from the same lot. Flash hole de-burr, light inside champher load with a cast bullet and fire form. Then trim to uniform length, inside and outside champher then neck sized. I would pick a load with a full or nearly full case and set the bullet about .003 out of the rifling. Candle soot is much better for marking than sharpie black.

    I had a buddy that had issues due to his way over tightening the rings which caused internal binding in the 3 scopes he tried mounting himself. I did the 3rd scope over and the rifle settled in and shot fine.
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  • navc130
    Start with the most accurate bullet weight at 100 yards and keep using that bullet. Then start examining / changing one thing at a time: scope, scope mounts, action bedding, barrel bedding, trigger, bore condition, and anything else you can think of, including your own proficiency to shoot at long range. Maybe you will get done by next year.
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  • mond
    quote:Originally posted by charliemeyer007
    What a can of worms. I'd start with JB Bore Paste to polish the barrel. What is your twist rate and is it standard rifling? How is the action bedded? I like barrels free floated except right at the end of the stock and then about 5# of up pressure to dampen vibrations. Action screws need to be tight. Perhaps use a torque wrench for repeatable results.

    I would start with your brass, perhaps new 50 or 100 rounds from the same lot. Flash hole de-burr, light inside champher load with a cast bullet and fire form. Then trim to uniform length, inside and outside champher then neck sized. I would pick a load with a full or nearly full case and set the bullet about .003 out of the rifling. Candle soot is much better for marking than sharpie black.

    I had a buddy that had issues due to his way over tightening the rings which caused internal binding in the 3 scopes he tried mounting himself. I did the 3rd scope over and the rifle settled in and shot fine.


    The rifle is new form the box, I put 90-100 rounds thru, varying from 120-140g factory ammo & also 120-150 reload .
    a standard howa 1500 barrel been 7-08 cal with 1-9.5 twist & 20" long.
    all reload I have done are accurate & it free float barrel in both Hogue stock & boyds walnut. scope mounts are 20" lb torque .... I recrowned the barrel, polished the finish.. im done in !! ahahha

    Been a qualified precision engineer, I think im on the ball , but the ?kr has me beat ..
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  • charliemeyer007
    In loading for hundreds of firearms in the 50 years I had one rifle that shot better with factory ammo than my reloads. I tried nearly every bullet made, most powders and primers, three different die sets in 5 presses. I gave that rifle away to a friend that didn't mind buying factory Rem 223 ammo for the 700 Varmint Special.

    I'm hoping those are 20 inch pounds.
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  • mond
    quote:Originally posted by charliemeyer007
    In loading for hundreds of firearms in the 50 years I had one rifle that shot better with factory ammo than my reloads. I tried nearly every bullet made, most powders and primers, three different die sets in 5 presses. I gave that rifle away to a friend that didn't mind buying factory Rem 223 ammo for the 700 Varmint Special.

    I'm hoping those are 20 inch pounds.


    you got it 15-20 :) max
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  • buddyb
    I have a friend that bought a Steyr ProHunter in 7-08 a few years ago.He wanted some hand loads to see how it would do.Being young,he wanted the fastest thing I could load with 140 grain bullet.It shot all over the paper.Several tries later with different powders,primers and seating depth,it still shot all over the paper.When he was not around,I worked up a load that ran about 2500 FPS.I didn't tell him what the load was,just take these to the range and let me know how they do.He back a few days later,with his targets,with one ragged hole.
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  • Mobuck
    This doesn't make much sense. A consistent 1MOA grouping rifle DOES NOT turn into a 3MOA grouping rifle by simply extending the range. There's another problem-shooter error, scope variability, wind effect, something other than simply a rifle problem.
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  • sandwarrior
    Mond,

    Did you take some of the ammo that would not shoot at distance back to 100 yds.?

    As mentioned, tweak by tweak you need to find the source of this problem.

    First, how many groups did you shoot @ 100? And is the rifle keeping them there with different ammo.
    If so, then the problem is how the scope is set up, or shooter (i.e. not calling the elements {wind}, solid position...). Something of note here: My brother has an astigmatism. Sort of a prismatic effect on how he sees distance. I watched his groups go either on target (@800) or high and right eight feet. But they went one of either place, not in-between. Do you have any visual issues? Checking/changing the scope focus can help. This happens to him when he focuses long. He can focus short (1-200) without a problem.

    I hate to say this but, if the rifle will group @ 100 with all intended bullets it's not the rifle. At least until you go transonic, but you haven't been anywhere near that far.
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  • perry shooter
    wrong twist for the weight bullet you are using or Vision problem on your part either your eyes or scope issue
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  • Okie743
    quote:Originally posted by perry shooter
    wrong twist for the weight bullet you are using or Vision problem on your part either your eyes or scope issue


    If you get a 1" group CONSISTENT at 100 yds and 4 inchs or more group at 200 yards it's kinda a no brainer. Wrong bullet
    Think of it as shooting round balls. I've seen rifles shoot 1 inch or less groups at 100 yards and 12-16 inch groups at 300 yards with same bullet.

    try a match type boat tail bullet DESIGNED for target shooting.
    Bulk type cheap bullets will also produce your results (rotational unbalance (wobbling)
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  • mond
    Thanks again guys, I been away on a French shoot.. I be starting from fresh this week :) I let you know how it goes. Regards
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  • Okie743
    quote:Originally posted by mond
    Thanks again guys, I been away on a French shoot.. I be starting from fresh this week :) I let you know how it goes. Regards


    Link would not show?

    How many Frenchmen did ya get, guess you had them inside 100 yards since you have long range accuracy issues? (ever thought about shotgun and buckshot?)
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