Hey guys I am just starting reloading and am wondering about your opinions on a 7mm-08 load. What would be good powder to use? best grain load? Favorite/best bullet and grain to use? Thanks for the help!!

Kushy, welcome to the forum!

Tell us a little more about your plans for this rifle. What do you plan to hunt with it? Are elk on the menu, or just deer and antelope?

Yup, need to know a little more about your plans.
I've been shooting a 7-08 since it was still a wildcat. The Hodgdon folks suggested I use H4895 as a starter powder. The first 10 shots I ever shot through a 7-08 (douglas barrel) measured 7/8". That was a good start for the long love affair I've had with the 7-08.
I've tried other powders but I've kept coming back to H4895. Any of the 140-ish gr bullets will work well depending on which gives you the best accuracy. The performance window of the 7-08 is ideal for your standard C&C bullets or the partitions. I've never felt any need for one of the magic bullets.
I've never hunted elk with a 7-08 as I have rifles which, IMO, are better suited. But if a 7-08 was my only rifle, I load up some 160s to around 2500-2600fps and go elk hunting.
The only down side to the 7-08 that I can think of is it restricts any need you have for another rifle, unless you plan on hunting the great bears.

Varget is an excellent powder that I also use in my 7mm08. I use the Barnes 140TTSX at 2880fps with 43.5 gr of Varget. Varget worked great in my factory barrel and great in the new tight neck chambered barrel. This is not a max load but you should always start a little less and work up to find your sweet spot. Primers are CCI BR2 but others will work just fine. It will also shoot SMK 130s and 150s in very small holes.

Hornady 139 gr IB shoot great in mine and perfect for whitetail deer.

Varget is ideal with 140 to 160 gr bullets. H4350 also works well as does VV N150 or N160.

I use 150 gr bullets - Barnes TSX is absolutely lethal on deer out to 300 meters. I find that 140 gr & 150gr bullets do cause blood shot meat on shoulder shots - but that is hunting.

Barnes 120 gr TSX is also very effective on deer and very flat shooting - makes it shoot like a 270 Win with low recoil. Varget, N150 and Re15 would work for this.

for deer size game in mine it is 43.0 grs of RL-15 or IMR 4064 with a 140 SIERRA SPBT very accurate.

139 hornady I-lock and 50-52 grs of RL-19
with a rem 9-1/2 primer.
works on everything from 2 lbs to 800 lbs.

quote:

Originally posted by Lamar:
139 hornady I-lock and 50-52 grs of RL-19
with a rem 9-1/2 primer.
works on everything from 2 lbs to 800 lbs.

Lamar, Thank you.Although I messed up the chrono reading yesterday for 50grns with R.L.19, there was no sign of pressure.The case seemed near enough full,how do you get 52grns in there if I wanted to.jc

Kushy, Sorry to hi-jack your thread,thought I was on mine on the same subject. jc

I have had good luck with R19, H414, varget and R15 with 139 grain hornady BTSP. Best loads are usually around the 2800fps mark which is near max with most powders

neck size the fired case.

i give a range because some rifles will take a bit more and some a bit less.
and primers have made quite a difference with the accuracy.
i have a bunch of 7x57's and thier accuracy nodes with the same rl-19/case/bullet combo is truly amazing.
48.5 in one [win primers] 51.2 in another [fed 210's] and 52.3 in the third [rem 9-1/2's.

in the 7-08 mine likes the top end load shown [52] and the girls likes the 50.5gr load but both like the rem 9-1/2 primer.

Win 760 works very well in my 7/08 with 140gr bullets