7mm-08 load for Weatherby

[CollegeDad]

I purchased a 7mm-08 Weatherby Vanguard Talus a few years ago. Since then I've been working on getting a load that shoots sub MOA groups. I've tried half a dozen different powders, different primers, different bullets, etc. Anyone have any reloading experience with a 7mm-08 Weatherby rifle that they could pass on? What powder worked? Primer? Bullet seating depth? I would like to shoot 140gr bullets. So far Nosler 140gr Accubond was about the best with just over 1.125 groups.

 

[slatebuilder]

Take your 140 Accubond load and run with it. If you are getting a 10 shot or multiple 3 shots groups that over lay for 1.125” you have a great load. 1.125 is 1.07 MOA. No one is missing game because of .07 MOA. Make sure all of your action, base, and rings screws are torqued properly and practice from field positions. You’ll kill everything you shoot at.

 

[Jnasa]

How many shots are you shooting for each group? Depending on your barrel you may want to shoot 3 shot groups and give the barrel time to cool. I prefer 5 shot groups. However, with thin barrels they heat up and you don't keep tight groups. I do multiple 3 shot groups instead now.

If you have a good load with the accubonds you can try tweaking it a little. Try different seating lengths to see if that improves. Then try different primers and see if that tightens it up.

As slatebuilder said though nothing wrong with your current group.

 

[CowboyLeroy]

708 is a pretty forgiving cartridge, If you've shot that many combinations and can't get it under an inch id start looking at stock/scope/rings and bases.

 

[turbobrick]

I'd for sure try the 140 ETip in that rifle with Varget or Big Game, should work pretty good. The 132 Hammer HHT would be near the top of my list too, those HHTs just seem to work for me in everything.

 

[Sheltowee]

The 132 Hammer HHT would be near the top of my list too, those HHTs just seem to work for me in everything.

 

[BuzzH]

I'd for sure try the 140 ETip in that rifle with Varget or Big Game, should work pretty good. The 132 Hammer HHT would be near the top of my list too, those HHTs just seem to work for me in everything.

I would NOT shoot the 140 grain e-tip in the 7-08. Just not enough velocity to ensure expansion.

Shot them in the 7 RM and even at 3000+ fps, you get barely adequate expansion.

I think 120 grain Barnes or hammers would be better in the 7-08.

 

[turbobrick]

I would NOT shoot the 140 grain e-tip in the 7-08. Just not enough velocity to ensure expansion.

Shot them in the 7 RM and even at 3000+ fps, you get barely adequate expansion.

I think 120 grain Barnes or hammers would be better in the 7-08.

Thats different from my experience, I load for a friend who has dropped a cow elk, blacktail, and a large feral hog with a Howa Superlight in 308 and the 150et. I'd think the velocity in 7ht with a 140 would be great for reasonable hunting distances. I do know that the ETip has been easy to develop a load for in everything I've tried it in.

 

[BuzzH]

Thats different from my experience, I load for a friend who has dropped a cow elk, blacktail, and a large feral hog with a Howa Superlight in 308 and the 150et. I'd think the velocity in 7ht with a 140 would be great for reasonable hunting distances. I do know that the ETip has been easy to develop a load for in everything I've tried it in.

Any lesson worth learning is worth learning the hard way.

 

[turbobrick]

Any lesson worth learning is worth learning the hard way.

What game did you shoot the ETip into?

 

[Jnasa]

Thats different from my experience, I load for a friend who has dropped a cow elk, blacktail, and a large feral hog with a Howa Superlight in 308 and the 150et. I'd think the velocity in 7ht with a 140 would be great for reasonable hunting distances. I do know that the ETip has been easy to develop a load for in everything I've tried it in.

I don't think Buzz meant the E tip wasn't a good bullet. Just that with a longer copper bullet for weight you will loose some case capacity. Generally go lighter with copper to keep velocity up for expansion.

Having said that 140 e tip would be ok as long as you confirm velocity is high enough at the ranges you'd want to hunt.

I see a couple ammo offerings with 140 grain copper. Many drop down to 120 grain though.

 

[BuzzH]

What game did you shoot the ETip into?

Bull moose, bull elk, cow elk, whitetail bucks...65 yards to 350 all from a 7 RM at a pinch over 3000 fps.

 

[mtmuley]

132 HHT. mtmuley

 

[turbobrick]

Bull moose, bull elk, cow elk, whitetail bucks...65 yards to 350 all from a 7 RM at a pinch over 3000 fps.

You lost all of those animals to inadequate expansion?

 

[turbobrick]

I don't think Buzz meant the E tip wasn't a good bullet. Just that with a longer copper bullet for weight you will loose some case capacity. Generally go lighter with copper to keep velocity up for expansion.

Having said that 140 e tip would be ok as long as you confirm velocity is high enough at the ranges you'd want to hunt.

I see a couple ammo offerings with 140 grain copper. Many drop down to 120 grain though.

Oh I know, the 150et in a 308 is so damn close to a 140et in a 7ht its nearly a wash.

 

[BuzzH]

You lost all of those animals to inadequate expansion?

If you want to be a smart ass, do your thing. You can do a search on here about the bull that npaden's son had a hell of time finding a day or two after it was shot with a 140 e-tip from a 7-08.

For the rest of the folks reading this:

Here's what I know, they are easy to work up loads for and shoot well, at least for me.

I've caught 4 of them from my 7 RM at 3000+ fps, this one is the best expansion I got out of those that I recovered (furthest on left) compared with a bunch of 140 accubonds at 2850 from my 7-08.

Frontal view of the same bullet:

Same bullet compared to a dime:

All the others were pass throughs and exit holes were probably the size of a nickel/quarter, compared to the usual 50 cent piece sized exits I get from 140 accubonds. Blood trails were less than stellar from every animal I shot with them. Which is about a 180 degree difference from the blood trails I get with either 160 AB's out of my 7 RM or 140 AB's from my 7-08.

Which, IMO/E, could be a real problem for people that aren't experienced or even for someone that is experienced during dry conditions. I want blood trails and good ones, not picking around looking for drops of blood every 5-10 yards.

Seeing how little expansion I got out of the etips pushing them probably 300-350 FPS faster (at least) than I could get out of 7-08, I would recommend not using them at MV's less than 3k. Even at that velocity I would use caution at much beyond 350.

But hey, what do I know?

 

[slatebuilder]

@CollegeDad
How many shots are in that 1.125” group and how many groups have you shot at 1.125” with the 140 accubonds?

 

[mtmuley]

I killed an elk, a mule deer and a couple antelope with the .30 caliber 180 grain E-Tip years ago. I was scooting them along pretty good though. mtmuley

 

[CollegeDad]

How many shots are you shooting for each group? Depending on your barrel you may want to shoot 3 shot groups and give the barrel time to cool. I prefer 5 shot groups. However, with thin barrels they heat up and you don't keep tight groups. I do multiple 3 shot groups instead now.

If you have a good load with the accubonds you can try tweaking it a little. Try different seating lengths to see if that improves. Then try different primers and see if that tightens it up.

As slatebuilder said though nothing wrong with your current group.

Yeah I typically do 3 shot groups. I used to do 4 & 5 shot groups but for the reasons you stated I went to 3 shot groups.

 

[Jnasa]

Yeah I typically do 3 shot groups. I used to do 4 & 5 shot groups but for the reasons you stated I went to 3 shot groups.

When I do three shot groups I always like confirming with another group before taking that load to the bank.