All I shoot in my 7-08AI are Nosler Ballistic Tips or Partitions, but I was nosing around Graf and Sons the other day and wound up with some 7mm 130gr Barnes X going home with me. I don't know why, but now I have them. I've never used Barnes bullets before, so I never invested in a Barnes loading manual. Anybody with a Barnes manual, what loads are listed as maximum for the 130gr X bullets? I've got most powders on hand. I've been shooting moly in this barrel, so I've already got these babies mollied up. Just looking for a starting point. Any help out there?

Here is what the Barnes manual says for 7mm-08 Remington (No 7mm-08AI Listed)

130gr XBT (NOT MOLY)
S.D. .230
B.C. .444

Powder Gr Vel Max Load Vel
RL 12 37.5 2562 41.5 2835
RL 15 38.5 2677 42.5 2955
RL 19 44.0 2615 48.0 2853
IMR4895 37.5 2639 41.5 2920
IMR4320 39.5 2675 43.5 2946
IMR4065 37.5 2656 41.5 2939**
IMR4350 43.0 2731 47.0 2985
H414 44.5 2757 48.5 3005

**Recommended Powder
Good Luck! More Powders are listed if needed.

Thanks. I normally start with the max load for the standard 7-08 and work up from there. With moly, I also have to go beyond what the plain bullets require.

You are going to love the barnes bullets!! Well at least I sure do. I have seen on occasion that they will not work great with some guns but for the most part they are awesome in most guns I have experience with.

My barrel is a Shilen. With moly coated bullets, I don't believe fouling will be an issue. I'm not sure how they will shoot in this rifle. 140gr Ballistic Tips and Partitions shoot beautifully. I was considering giving the Groove bullets or North Fork a try. Both brands are solid copper bullets offered in slightly lower weights than I'm accustomed to using, so I thought I try the Barnes first, based on the price difference. They sure are long suckers.

SST,
The Northfork is not a solid copper bullet, it does have a solid shank with the forward half being bonded lead core. Check this page out
http://www.northforkbullets.com/
I have not personally loaded them, as I'm am a big Barnes fan but they are a bullet that I would take a look at if I didn't like Barnes so muck.

Simdow

Thanks. I knew that, but brain damage caused me to think of only the solid shank.