Barrel just came in and going to chamber the straight 7mm-08 (no AI chamber) and then cut to 16.5” (may go 18” first just to see). Barrel is a Bartlein M24 1:8.7 for lighter bullets so thinking lightest at 140’s and heaviest at 168’s with Varget to get the quickest burn I can in the short barrel. Any thoughts/opinions on this setup would be appreciated.
16.5” 7mm-08 powder/bullet combo
- Thread starter Kck
- Start date
Not sure what you plan on shooting but don't overlook the 120 Ballistic Tip and 120 TTSX. I also love the 100 grain Sierra Varminter for shooting groups and actual varmints. They are super accurate little bullets and seem to like fast burning powders like 4895.
Toolbreaker
Gold $$ Contributor
140 Bergers with resized LC brass were accurate in the 24" barrel I used to run. The downside was seating depth was pretty picky, for mine at least. Also, the 130 Match Kings were more accurate than they had any right to be out to 300ish yds and they were very easy to tune. Never hunted with the 130's, so I can't say how they would perform on deer.
Loudenboomer
Silver $$ Contributor
Been Shooting 22" AR 1-8 X-caliber StaBALL 6.5 is showing promise with the 180gr JLK VLD a bit south of 2600fps.
My 2 cents would be start at 18" or a shade longer. Many 7-08 loads will be happier with the extra barrel length.
My 2 cents would be start at 18" or a shade longer. Many 7-08 loads will be happier with the extra barrel length.
I have a Ruger compact/youth model 7-08...not sure of barrel length but pretty short. I like taking kids hunting and quite a few have killed their first deer with this gun. I load 140 Nosler Partitions with Varget. I like the NP in case these kids make a marginal shot I know the bullet is going stem to stern or thru shoulders etc. I have good accuracy and it hammers deer.
I agree that Varget is a fine powder and good on cornflakes.
I question any effort to get the quickest burn in any barrel. All the powder that's going to burn is burning in the first few inches.
I've seen people who believed there is some cross over point at which the quicker burning powder gives better external ballistics than a slower burning powder. There is no cross over point. The load that's faster in a long barrel is faster in shorter barrel. If the idea is to reduce muzzle pressure or some such then that's a different matter. Do please say why you want a quicker burn?
I agree. The only reason for that would be to get the best velocity I can out of that short barrel with respect to case capacity AND the fact that I have a bunch of Varget for my 6BR and some short barreled 308's I've built. I'm going to shoot some 168's out of it as well as the 140's. I should be able to get the same velocity from 40 grains of Varget as I would out of 44 grains of H4350 (just using that as an example) so that's kind of my thought process there. By no means am I saying my ideas are the best, hell ask my wife
. If there are better options, powders, etc. please post them up as I'm always down to learn more.CFE did give me some good velocity, but so so accuracy. I couldn't get the ES/SD to settle down.
While 40gr of Varget may give you about the same pressures as 44gr of H4350, you'll more than likely get a little better velocities with the H4350.
With the 1:8.7 twist, you can shoot the heavies. Most 7mm's will shoot heavies fine with 1:9-19.25 twists.
Your 140's are not heavy.
And a 120gr copper is equivalent in bullet length to a 140gr lead/copper bullet. Hence why they shoot well in standard twist 7mm barrels.
To go to a 160gr or even some lighter all copper bullets require a special twist barrel.
Watch using load manual load data. Some are using 24", even 26" barrels for their velocity for the 7mm-08. You can take off about 25 fps per inch shorter barrel.
Hence, i'd also try the 18" first.
Your 308 is going to like a faster burning powder than the 7mm-08. Ditto the 7mm-08 compared to a 243 Win.
And it's a shame you don't care for Ballistic Tips. Deadly on deer! And group sizes smaller than Hornady.
I shoot a lot of both!
While 40gr of Varget may give you about the same pressures as 44gr of H4350, you'll more than likely get a little better velocities with the H4350.
With the 1:8.7 twist, you can shoot the heavies. Most 7mm's will shoot heavies fine with 1:9-19.25 twists.
Your 140's are not heavy.
And a 120gr copper is equivalent in bullet length to a 140gr lead/copper bullet. Hence why they shoot well in standard twist 7mm barrels.
To go to a 160gr or even some lighter all copper bullets require a special twist barrel.
Watch using load manual load data. Some are using 24", even 26" barrels for their velocity for the 7mm-08. You can take off about 25 fps per inch shorter barrel.
Hence, i'd also try the 18" first.
Your 308 is going to like a faster burning powder than the 7mm-08. Ditto the 7mm-08 compared to a 243 Win.
And it's a shame you don't care for Ballistic Tips. Deadly on deer! And group sizes smaller than Hornady.
I shoot a lot of both!
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