160 gr Accubond for 7mm-08

[Tecumseh]

Worked this load up last year for my 7mm-08 with a 160 gr AB using a near max load of H4831 SC. Most accurate load out of all the billets I tried!

gonna put it to use on a 2021 spring bear hunt in Idaho. The hole on the lower right is from my 22-250.

 

[Brian in Montana]

That's a hefty bullet for a 7-08. What sort of velocity are you getting?

 

[Tecumseh]

That's a hefty bullet for a 7-08. What sort of velocity are you getting?

I don’t know for sure, the Hodgdon load data I used is show at or just above 2600 FPS.

 

[std7mag]

They are listing H4831, not the SC.
Different.
Be careful interchanging.
They are also using a 24" barrel. If yours is 22" subtract about 50 fps.
They are also using a Speer SPBT, again, different.

I'd take a wager on 2,518 fps +-10 fps.
Over 5 shots!

 

[Losing_Sanity]

They are listing H4831, not the SC.
Different.
Be careful interchanging.
They are also using a 24" barrel. If yours is 22" subtract about 50 fps.
They are also using a Speer SPBT, again, different.

I'd take a wager on 2,518 fps +-10 fps.
Over 5 shots!

Interesting... How would that compare to the same brass pushing a .308, 165 grn bullet? The 165 works pretty well in that caliber. One would think you would get near the same performance in a 160 grn in the 7mm - 08.

 

[morgaj1]

Nice group. What gun is it?

 

[Dougfirtree]

I had a great 7mm-08 load with the 160 AB, using IMR 4350. Was getting 2525fps, or something like that. It was a wicked accurate load, but I think I looked at numbers and decided that the 140 actually makes more sense. They didn't make it back then, but the 150 would likely be an excellent bullet as well. In any case, accubonds are fantastic bullets, but I've pretty well switched over to monos. Good luck! That load should handle pretty much anything!

 

[std7mag]

Interesting... How would that compare to the same brass pushing a .308, 165 grn bullet? The 165 works pretty well in that caliber. One would think you would get near the same performance in a 160 grn in the 7mm - 08.

The 308 is a different beast.
Due to the larger diameter, the 308 typically likes a faster burning powder.
I've tried slower burning in the 308, with 165 & 168gr bullets. Just doesn't respond as well as with faster burning powders.

The 160gr out of a 7mm will have a good jump on BC compared to simular 308 bullets. So at distance they are faster, buck wind better, and carry more energy at distance.

Either way, that 160gr bullet is encroaching into the case like mad in the 7mm-08!
If you had the magazine length, and throated the chamber so the bullet shank/boat tail junction was loaded to the neck/shoulder junction, would be a HUGE bonus!

 

[Tecumseh]

Nice group. What gun is it?

Savage model 16 Weather Warrior.

 

[Don Fischer]

The 308 is a different beast.
Due to the larger diameter, the 308 typically likes a faster burning powder.
I've tried slower burning in the 308, with 165 & 168gr bullets. Just doesn't respond as well as with faster burning powders.

The 160gr out of a 7mm will have a good jump on BC compared to simular 308 bullets. So at distance they are faster, buck wind better, and carry more energy at distance.

Either way, that 160gr bullet is encroaching into the case like mad in the 7mm-08!
If you had the magazine length, and throated the chamber so the bullet shank/boat tail junction was loaded to the neck/shoulder junction, would be a HUGE bonus!

I don't know if I mentioned it or not but the longer action and throating is exactly what I did with a 7mm Rem Mag about 1971. Had an L61 Sako and action was plenty long enough. Then gave the rifle to a gunsmith in Kalispell, Montana, Joe Dezivi, with a dummy round I'd made up seating a 160gr Speer HC to the base of the neck. At that time I was using N205 powder and doing that increased how much pwder I could use by 2 grs and got group's just over 1/2" all day long! These days, I always look to seat bullet's to the base of the neck with any cartridge with the bullet just off the lands. Have tried seating bullet's one caliber depth but prefer the base of the neck. I don't care for bullet's seating past the base of the neck. Had a 6mm Rem in a 700 and with 100gr bullet's, he action wasn't long enough to seat the bullet's out where I wanted them.

 

[GunTruck]

I loaded some 160gr Nosler Partitions in my Tikka 7mm-08 using RL26 I got 2762 FPS out of it.

might be able to get just a little more. Win Cases and WLR primers. Next time I will use WLRM primers.

 

[Gunner46]

In the 7mm class of cartridges I personally feel that the 160's are better utilized in stronger cartridges. The 7/08 is at it's premium performance with 120-140's (close in 150's).

Black bears are not that hard to kill. A well constructed 140 will be plenty, with a properly placed shot.

That said, bears have fat, thick hair that absorb blood...and hard bones. This is why I built a 338 Fed. Bigger Hole.

 

[std7mag]

I'll agree with Gunner46.
There really is no need for the 160gr bullet in a 7mm-08 for bear.

People have been hunting them with 115gr bullets in 25-06.

 

[GunTruck]

I agree I was just testing to see what I could get out of 160gr Bullets. I have more loads

made up but I,m staying in due to COVID-19. I also have loads loaded using 154gr Interbond bullets.

I will probably use 140gr Bullets for hunting except in California i,m using 120gr Barnes TTSX.

 

[std7mag]

I can't blame ya there!
When i had the 7mm-08, 7mm-08AI i tried the 160gr HPBT Sierra GameKings with RL19.
At 150yards 10 shot ladder test covered by a quarter.

But i just couldn't get over how much of the bullet was down in the case. WAY compressed loads!

Since then i've taken to a more bullet weight for cartridge capacity approach.

120-140 for 7mm-08.
150gr for 280 Rem & 284 Win.
150gr+ for Rem Mag.
For hunting.

Match rifle build plan is 7mm-08AI throated to seat the 160gr Sierra Tipped MatchKings to base of neck. Shooting through 30" barrel.
Should be able to get 2,800 fps at the muzzle without stressing the case too much.
Rifle will probably weigh 15lbs or so.

 

[GunTruck]

I can't blame ya there!
When i had the 7mm-08, 7mm-08AI i tried the 160gr HPBT Sierra GameKings with RL19.
At 150yards 10 shot ladder test covered by a quarter.

But i just couldn't get over how much of the bullet was down in the case. WAY compressed loads!

Since then i've taken to a more bullet weight for cartridge capacity approach.

120-140 for 7mm-08.
150gr for 280 Rem & 284 Win.
150gr+ for Rem Mag.
For hunting.

Match rifle build plan is 7mm-08AI throated to seat the 160gr Sierra Tipped MatchKings to base of neck. Shooting through 30" barrel.
Should be able to get 2,800 fps at the muzzle without stressing the case too much.
Rifle will probably weigh 15lbs or so.

RL26 will get you there. I only use flat bases bullets as they take up less space in the case, plus they are shorter. Winchester cases.

 

[Don Fischer]

I can't blame ya there!
When i had the 7mm-08, 7mm-08AI i tried the 160gr HPBT Sierra GameKings with RL19.
At 150yards 10 shot ladder test covered by a quarter.

But i just couldn't get over how much of the bullet was down in the case. WAY compressed loads!

Since then i've taken to a more bullet weight for cartridge capacity approach.

120-140 for 7mm-08.
150gr for 280 Rem & 284 Win.
150gr+ for Rem Mag.
For hunting.

Match rifle build plan is 7mm-08AI throated to seat the 160gr Sierra Tipped MatchKings to base of neck. Shooting through 30" barrel.
Should be able to get 2,800 fps at the muzzle without stressing the case too much.
Rifle will probably weigh 15lbs or so.

I don't know if you can do it with your rifle or not but something I did years ago to set out a longer bullet. Had a 7mm Rem Mag in a Sako L61. Really liked the way 140gr bullet's shot but they were just to fragile. Went to 154 and 160gr bullet's and they shot well but not near as well as the 140's. Got to looking and the 140's were seated to the base of the neck and the 154 and 160 were well down into the case to keep them out of the lands. That Sako action was a bit longer than most other actions so I took the rifle to a local gunsmith in Kalispell with a dummy round using the 160gr bullet seated to the base of the neck. Had him ream out the throat so that the dummy round would chamber easily. Worked great! That rifle was running just over a 1/2" @ 100yds and the max load actually increased quit a bit. If I remember right after that I went from 67grs N205 to 69grs N205. Had a mod 700 in 6mm that had accuracy problems with and was going to seat a 100 gr bullet out that far. Shoot even with the bullet seated to fit the magazine, it left a bunch of jump to reach the lands. That was the 6mm case though, never tried it with a 308 case, might and might not work. I have a long action mod 70 in 6.5x55 that also has a jot of jump to the lands with 140gr bullet's. Tried a dummy with it and the round wouldn't fit in that magazine either.

 

[BucksnDucks]

One of the first loads I found success with years ago was 162 grain SST. Had tremendous groups out of a youth 20" barrel. It worked out very well for my son with 200 yard and under shots. First deer and multiple pigs. The velocity was just not there, and subsequently switched to 140 accubonds. Could be a winner for Spring Bear.

 

[std7mag]

Bear in mind, if you do as Don suggests, which does work, but the cartridge will probably be too long to both seat in the magazine, or eject a loaded round.

As for RL26....
I don't think your gonna have enough case capacity for that slow of a powder.
Not too sure i would try RL16, or RL23 either. Those two are really bulky!

 

[GunTruck]

Bear in mind, if you do as Don suggests, which does work, but the cartridge will probably be too long to both seat in the magazine, or eject a loaded round.

As for RL26....
I don't think your gonna have enough case capacity for that slow of a powder.
Not too sure i would try RL16, or RL23 either. Those two are really bulky!

RL26 takes up less space than RL23, About the same as RL16.