I thought I had a handload dialed in but chrono'd it yesterday and it's averaging only 2700 fps.
Details:

Tikka T3 Stainless - 22" bbl
43 grains Varget (hot)
Rem 7mm-08 headstamped case
WLR Primer
139 grain Hornady Interlock BTSP seated to the canalure.

I'm not getting any pressure signs, maybe I should push on a bit with the charge?
Or try another powder? Velocity wasn't that great with max loads of IMR-4895 either.

If those loads shoot good I wouldn't care about 100 fps besides that is a great speed for a cup and core bullet.

I will go shoot my 7-08 today and clock it's speed. I am shooting 42 grns of Varget with 140 grn Sierra GK.

For starters, my 22 inch Remington Mountain Rifle gives much the same velocities. With a 140 grain Partition, 42 grains of Varget gives a velocity of 2710 fps.

According to the latest Hornady Manual your load is "hot". They list a maximum for Varget with the 139 bullet at 41.5 grains.

However, the latest Hodgdon Annual Manual shows a maximum load using Varget behind the 139 grain Hornady at 43.5 grains (with a pressure level of 50,000 CUP).

By using Hodgdon's data I have been able to get 2850 out of my 7-08 with any number of 139 or 140 grain bullets. Just work your way up there carefully.

Another good powder in my 7-08 with 140 grain bullets turned out to be H 4350. You will wind up with compressed loads at the top end, but you can get over 2800 fps with that combo as well. In MY gun, a good load with H 4350 was 48 grains behind a 140 Nosler Partition for a velocity of 2833 fps. ( 48 grains of H 4350 behind the 139 Hornady gave 2782 fps).

Hope this helps, work up slowly. These loads are safe in in my rifle, but may be too much in yours.

FWIW, I shoot 140 grain Partitions in my Win M-70 7-08. I load 45.0 grains of H-414 with Fed 210 primers, and it shoots 3 shots at 100 yards into 1/2" groups.
My go to load for my 7x57's is 47.0 grains of the H-414, same primers and they all come in at 1/2" for 3 at 100. I just scaled the H-414 down from the 47.0 7x57 load using a ratio of case capacities. It was that fastest load development in my history, one range session.
I don't know the velocity of the load however.
You might give H-414 a try. I've used it for 20 years in 7x57's with zero killing problems on Deer, and accuracy is a constant.

IMR4007ssc in my 24" 7-08 gave 2786fps with Nosler BTs, 2774 fps with 139gr Hornadies, and 2777 fps with Sierra 140gr SP. Not exactly 2800 but damn close.
All pressures were under factory according to a pressure trace and within avg 2K trace units of each other.
Accuracy was all I need for hunting with all bullet tested too.

42.5 grns. of Varget gave me 2753.666 ave. for 3 shots today from my Kimber 84M
It has a 22" barrel.

The real surprize was the Hornady Light Magnum 139 SST that the gun shop "threw in" when I got it in 2004.
3 shots av. 2980 fps that's smokin from a 22" tube and a 7-08

You might try VV 540.

Try some H4895 and some H414. I tried Varget in my 7-08s and both of these powders gave me better accuracy.

My Kimber Montana 7mm08 with 22" barrel gets 2840 fps with 43 gr AR 2208 (Sames a Varget) and 140 gr Nosler BT, Accubond or Hornady. The barnes TSX shoots best with 50 gr AR2209 (same as H4350) and that does 2880 fps. I find H 4350 (AR 2209) a reliable powders in this caliber as is Varget (AR 2208).

The suggestion of VV N540 is an interesting one & I hope to try this double based powder or N550.

I average 2840 fps with a 140 TSX and 44.5 gr of Varget and CCI BR2 primers and Rem brass in my Rem 700 7mm08.

Give us a link for V V 540 for a 7-08 I can't find it in any of my books.

a deer don't know 100FPS..

that's HIGHER than my load that gives me over 2800fps with hornady 139gr bullets .. and i got 2600 more or less from my 14" striker with the same load.

Thanks for the replies. It was 20 degrees yesterday when I shot - might have been responsible for 30 - 50 fps.

Normally I kind of scoff at folks seeking an extra 100 fps but wanting to go to 2800 fps while staying MOA is a good learning project for this newish reloader. I don't - for the present, hunt big game so my concern isn't about terminal performance.

Ted T thanks for the reports on your days shooting. There's no reason my Tikka shouldn't give me 2800, I've just got to work a bit to find it.

Alliant can't seem to get away from using nothing
but Speer bullets for their Rel 17 testing, but
they get 3,007fps with the 130gr Speer using 48.5gr
RL17 in a 24" tube. Then they jump up to the 175gr
GS, getting 2,574fps with 44gr, also in a 24" tube.

They don't give rifle/barrel details, other than
7mm/08 with a 24" barrel. I've had the best of luck
with RL17 in a .25/06 with good results in a
7mmWSM. Plan to do some testing later with it in
.243 and even .22/250. (Yes, LATER as these ol'
bones shivver too much for accuracy in the
present temps!)

47.0 grains AR2209 with 140 Sierra SBT gets me 2900fps and superb accuracy in my 24" barreled Rem 700 SPS. (AR2209 equivalent to IMR4350 so slower than Varget which is actually AR2208).

Recommended maximum load for IMR4350 from Sierra with their 140 grain bullet is 47.2 grains for 2900fps.

Go to the top of the class all those who suggested N550.

I have a 20" 7-08.

Factory sako 140gr (sierra pro hunter bullet) went 2,625fps - they use N140.

Handloads with 140gr bullets

Varget - 2,675fps
H4895 - slightly less
H4350 - 2,700fps partition and 48gr funny how that matches R Flowers load It seemed nuts that this slow a powder did better but there you go, it was easily the best until N550)

Then I tried N550 - Wow! Can't remember charges (48gr I think)I worked up from extrapolated data that I arrived at looking at the Viht loads for 160gr. I have shot 140gr at 2,825fps enough times in the same brass in varying temps to know it's a great load and whilst warm does not suffer any pressure signs. Must have shot a box of bullets using this load.

Prior to this I'd been considering rechambering to 284winchester.

I did try the 139gr BTS seated to the cannelure. The Hornady varget data is higher for their pistol chambering with the same bullet than the rifle. I used the Hodgden data which is more generous still. This bullet seems to have less bearing surface and gave less pressure than the 140gr prohunter.

So N550 and careful work up. BTW I used winchester brass and WLR primers.

quote:

Go to the top of the class all those who suggested N550.

I have no problem sitting in the rear with my H-4350 . It's not lonely here either.

I'm neck sizing with a Lee Collet die and neck tension seemed to be on the lower end. I wonder if that is robbing measurable fps as well?

out of my remington 700 S.S. 24 in barrel. 44grs. of RL-15 with a 140 sierra B.T. shot over chrono at 2925.. 48 grs of W-760 got me 2975 fps.. both are very accurate..

The Laupa website is where the VV data is. It does not list 540 or 550, but they both work well and I think the 540 would still work better with a 140 grain bullet than 550. Work up slow with both powders.

540 or 550 Starting point?

I posted this on another site several months ago. Might be of some interest since it was with a 139gr. Hornady bullet.

I worked up this load several years ago for a Wy. Antelope/Mule Deer hunt. The gun is a Rem. Mtn. rifle with a very slender barrel. PLEASE BE ADVISED, THIS LOAD IS WARM worked fine in my gun but yours may be different. Primers were fine, just a slight extractor mark on a couple of cases all mic'd within specs..

45.2 gr IMR4064, Hornady 139gr SST, CCI 250 primers. Avg. speed 2978, ES 26.6 SD 10.0

Shot was taken at 286 yards. I was aiming just behind the shoulder but the cross wind was stronger then I thought. Bullet entered dead center low on the right shoulder, took out the top 2/3 of the heart and exited off side shoulder. The goat never took a step.

One thing you've got to say about the '08, it ain't picky.

quote:

Originally posted by ted thorn:
540 or 550 Starting point?

My Max Load is 47.5gr N550 with 140gr Sierra PH at 2.780" in Winchester brass with WLR primers. Standard warning apply plus the fact that this is my own load for which there is no true published data. Viht does have N550 data for heavier bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Go to the top of the class all those who suggested N550.

I have no problem sitting in the rear with my H-4350 . It's not lonely here either.

That was best for me too until I tried N550. I had hoped RL19 would be good for 160s but found it very dissapointing.

My sweet spot was 47.5 gr H4350 under a 140 gr TSX. The chrony says 2840fps. My groups were under 3/4".

I bought a lb of RL-17 today and will see where that gets me and update this thread when I git 'r done.

a 139 grain Hornady chronographed 2800 plus out of my 7/08 barrel when I tried RL 17 in it..

but also did so easily with IMR 4350 and 4064 for that matter.

mine may be cheating.. it is a 26 inch TARGET barrel on a Savage action, with an aftermarket barrel on it.

as said above tho, will a 100 fps either way really matter to the intended use?

kinda reminds me of when we were in high school, our VWs topped out at 84 mph....

but we'd run them down steep hilly roads to see if we could get the speedometer to hit 90 mph, just to say we did it...

didn't accomplish anything except to give some bored kids something to do..

48.5 gr RL-17 averaged 2860 fps today out of my Tikka with 22" bbl. 48 gr was about 2820 fps. Slight flattening of primers. Didn't mic the case head to check for expansion. Accuracy wasn't great (1.75" / 100yds) so I'm going to full length float my bbl and try again.

quote:

Originally posted by Nomo4me:
I bought a lb of RL-17 today and will see where that gets me and update this thread when I git 'r done.

I would rather have good accuracy and long brass life in a 140gr 7mm/08, at even 2600fps, than be shooting eratic, high pressure loads at 2800fps...

Velocities were actually very consistent. The load just didn't set up a workable harmonic with the gun. I'll tinker a bit and see if there's any luv to be had with the combo.

I have the same rifle/cal. what was your accuracy with these loads and how far are you seating the bullets?

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:
My Kimber Montana 7mm08 with 22" barrel gets 2840 fps with 43 gr AR 2208 (Sames a Varget) and 140 gr Nosler BT, Accubond or Hornady. The barnes TSX shoots best with 50 gr AR2209 (same as H4350) and that does 2880 fps. I find H 4350 (AR 2209) a reliable powders in this caliber as is Varget (AR 2208).

The suggestion of VV N540 is an interesting one & I hope to try this double based powder or N550.

Gunsrgood
Accuracy at 100 meters ranges from 1.5" to 0.75". I find the Kimber tends to group most loads within 2.5" at 100 meters. Bullet seating is determined by the max magazine length of 2.80". I follow John Barsness' advise of 0.030" seating off lands for hunting bullets, with Barnes TSX at 0.050" as recommended by Barnes.

With these loads I have taken game and varmints out to 350 meters. The bigger issue with this rifle is to adjust the trigger creep out of it.