I have a customized Model 7 in 7mm-08. I have a hunting lease for whitetails and I want a good moderate speed load for the 150's. I currently use 120 grain hornady's and they are deadly accurate but tend to blow big holes in these small N.C. whitetails due to the speed. Ive used 150's in my 280 in the past with awesome results at around 2700 fps. I want a 7mm-08 load in this neighborhood. Please advise and don't publish loads from a manual because I have everyone known to man. I just want some practical load info that you folks have used that worked well and was really accurate. I hunt short lanes and thick brush and being able to slip a bullet between limbs and small holes in the cover is premium for me. I really appreciate all your ideas.

I don't have a load for you as my notes are in the shop and its raining. But I have had my best luck with the 7-08 using H4895. Also I am curious about your need for a NP for smallish whitetail deer. If that is the bullet you have confidence in, then, by all means use it but since I've moved to WV I've had a go with the Horn 154gr RN bullet with excellent results. It will tip a whitetail right over on the spot. With two holes. It opens quickly and leaves a good wound channel but doesn't blow the bejeezus out of a deer. In my rifles, a 7-08 and a .280, its gives me all the accuracy I need.

Snider700

I should probably say up front that I too am a member of the "you don't need Partitions for whitetail" camp.

With that said, I have a new Rem 700 Mtn LSS in 7mm-08 (22"barrel) and while I have not had a chance to hunt with it yet, I have developed a number of loads with it over the summer. Two of the loads although not partitions, are in the 145Grn-154Grn range.

The first is for the 154 Grn Hornady RN which iwzbeeman mentioned. I used Rem brass and Fed Gold Metal primers. My work up loads were from 44.5 Grn to 48.0 Grn of H414 in 0.5 Grn increments. I found this combination to be extremely accurate in my rifle. Every single one of the work up loads delivered sub MOA groups at 100 Yds with the overall average for all the work up loads coming in at 0.665" CTC @ 100 Yds. I must say that I was totally surprised to get that kind of accuracy from a round nosed bullet. The load I settled on was 47.5 Grn H414 for a muzzle velocity of 2,736 FPS and the groups averaged 0.586" CTC at 100 YDs.

The other load with same Rem brass & Fed primers was the 145 Grn Speer SP (HotCor) on top of a max charge of 48.0 Grn of IMR 4350. This load generated the best groups of all the work up loads with an overall average group size of 0.587" CTC @ 100Yds at a average muzzle velocity of 2,825 FPS.

I hunt the mountians of NW Arkansas and can totally appreciate your wanting to be able to "slip a bullet between limbs and small holes in the cover". For that very reason, I mounted a Burris 3-9x40 w/ Ballistic Plex reticle. This reticle allows you to sight in dead on at 100 Yds and then use the additional 200Yd, 300Yd, etc. aim points should the need arise.

Being sighted in dead on at 100 Yds allows me to take those "thread the needle" shots without having to compensate for being sighted in 2"-3" high @ 100Yds like most folks do.

I had prety much decided to go with the 145Grn Speer SP for this seasons hunting; however, after seeing iqzbeeman's post on the performance of the 154RN's I might just reconsider. I can take 1 buck and 1 doe with firearm this season, and have some of both loaded up, so I might just try them both and see how they each perform on game.

Good luck picking a load and good hunting!!

firstshot
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Make your first shot count!

Guy's this is excellent information and I will put it to use in my development. I've worked up 2 loads using Imr 4350 but I'll try H414. I saw an article where someone praised the H414.
As for the Nosler Partitions, I agree you don't need them but I really liked the pencil hole in and 25 cent piece hole out. The wound channel was nice and no mess. Not to mention they shot so well in my gun. I don't have any round nose bullets but Ive loaded for friends on round noses and they suppiled the bullets. They surprised me as well at their accuracy.
I also, have fell in love with the ballistic plex burris. I have a 3x9 on the 270 and 4x12 on the 280 Ackley I'm taking west in a few days. Dead in at 100 and no guess work after that. I was real pleased. The 7mm-08 I have has a 2.5x8 Vari X III on it and I always sight dead on at 100 with it. I do not have over a 125 yard shot on any stand I use it. It's great for a box stand with the 22" shilen and the thumbhole laminate stock I have on it. It's my oldest son's (age7) college graduation present when he gets that far. I have a custom 270 for the high school day. I use this excuse to buy gun's so the wifey don't fuss when I drop 1500-2000 on a project. Since the 2nd child (age 2) I had to quit with those projects. I have him a 260 custom and a 270 that I want to custom when $ allows. Their for his graduation days too. Again, thanks for the info.

Snider700

I've used IMR 4350 quite a bit for my 30-06, but I'm thinking it might just be a sleeper for the 7mm-08. The first time I tried this powder in 7mm-08 was with the 145 Speer SP's which you generally don't hear much about being a very accurate bullet, yet I'm getting 1/2" groups with them and IMR 4350. After hunting season, I'm going to go back and try it with the 140 Sierra game kings and the 140 Nosler Accubonds.

Although the 140 Accubonds are kind of long, the Nosler manuals max load for IMR 4350 is 46.0 Grns so I think there will be plenty of room. The manual also shows the 46.0 Grn load to be the most accurate load for IMR 4350.

On the other hand, although H414 proved to be very accurate with the 154Gnr Hdy RN, it wasn't nearly as accurate with the 145 Speer SP's with the overall average groups size for the workup loads coming in at 1.5". So far, these are the only two bullets I've tried with H414.

By the way, my son just turned 5 Yrs old and after reading your thread, I'm beginning to think he needs a new Browning BAR in 338 Win Mag.....LOL

firstshot
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Make your first shot count

Save the H414 for your yard, use 39.5grs. Varget, CCI 200 or Rem 9 1/2 primers, same amount of H4895 will group as well, judging from the 3 test shots I tried with it.
Either of these 2 loads will put 3 shots under 1/2" at 100yds. Let the barrel cool for a couple minutes between the first 2 shots and subsequent shots and you'll get 5 under 1/2". Of course, this is from a 24" 700 Rem. S/S.
From the limited experience with the model 7, it should come very close to that.
BTW, My bullet is the 150NBT, probably more accurate than the Partition, and something you don't need for deer. It just punches a hole through, kinda like a big pencil. BTs makes a nicer hole, with a big blood trail, if you need it.
And just so you know, I've tried 760/414, good velocity, but accuracy, no good, 1.5" groups are the norm, this being the same lot# as the current BTs I'm shooting now. Jay

JAY, MY 7MM-08 MODEL SEVEN HAS BEEN STRIPPED DOWN AND CUSTOMIZED. 22" SHILEN, BLUE PRINTED ACTION AND A CUSTOM THUMBHOLE STOCK ETC. SHOOTS MOST ANYTHING YOU RUN THRU IT FROM 100 GRAIN TO 140. I WANT TO TRY 150'S NOW. THE BEST LOAD I HAVE IS 120 GRAIN NOSLER BT AT C.O.L. 2.888 BUT IT WON'T FIT THE MAGAZINE. ONE SHOT WIZARD. I HAVE TO LOAD TO 2.830 OR LESS TO MAKE IT FIT. IT LIMITS WHAT THAT GUN WILL TAKE. CAN YOU HAVE IT MODIFIED SOME WAY WITH THE MAGAZINE?

quote:

Originally posted by Snider700:
JAY, MY 7MM-08 MODEL SEVEN HAS BEEN STRIPPED DOWN AND CUSTOMIZED. 22" SHILEN, BLUE PRINTED ACTION AND A CUSTOM THUMBHOLE STOCK ETC. SHOOTS MOST ANYTHING YOU RUN THRU IT FROM 100 GRAIN TO 140. I WANT TO TRY 150'S NOW. THE BEST LOAD I HAVE IS 120 GRAIN NOSLER BT AT C.O.L. 2.888 BUT IT WON'T FIT THE MAGAZINE. ONE SHOT WIZARD. I HAVE TO LOAD TO 2.830 OR LESS TO MAKE IT FIT. IT LIMITS WHAT THAT GUN WILL TAKE. CAN YOU HAVE IT MODIFIED SOME WAY WITH THE MAGAZINE?

My load for the 150NBTs shoot as well at 2.830"or .020" longer, so I wouldn't worry about OAL. The ogive was touching the lands at 2.860" if my memory is right. Get the NBTs, set the oal for 2.830 with the aforementioned load and see if that Shilen barrel shoots as good as my Remington barrel, if not, I'd give Doug a call and let him know about it. Just let the barrel cool a bit between shots, I'm curious to see if it shoots as good. Jay

Snider-for what it is worth I've a 788 Carbine in 7/08. The load it loves is 41 of Varget with the 150 NBT. I'd just give the NPT a go with the load. It runs just under 2500 in the 18" tube and shoots basically in one hole.

For what it is worth use what ever bullet you wish , no lectures from me on this one. I kind of get a kick out of it when a person says this is what I am gonna do. Note they do not ask should I use this or that. And then, out of the blue people start giving them the talk about what they should use. I find it somewhere between annoying and rude!

Good luck and give Varget a try, it should do just fine for you.

Mark D

Not a Nosler, but using a Sierra 150GK and 42gns of H4350 I got a 1" group @ 2770. capt david

Jay,Mark and Captdavid: Thanks to each of you for your advise. I'll try each suggestion and see how it does. I've found in the past, when I've used peoples advise that they've personally experienced that I'm able to draw success from those ideas. That's what makes certain parts of these threads useful. Most times you have to just weed thru some peoples desire to stirr the soup. Great info and I really appreciated all the advise. Happy hunting/shooting. May all your shots land in a hole already printed.

Snider 700,

You should try the Speer 130 gr. bullet, its and awesome bullet, it normally gets you a exit hole about the size of a 50 cent piece..not too soft and not to hard, just right...I have used the 7x57 or years on cull hunts and for big game, and the 130 Speer is an outstanding game bullet on deer size animals, at the same time it does not leave a lot of bloodshot slim on them....

Yes, friend at work really likes the 130 Speer, also. Shoots em all in one hole from his Sako. Jay

I have seen some nice results from IMR 4895 in this caliber with 140gr Nosler BT's.

Snider, The other powder I use for the 150s is RE15, to me it's the ballistic twin to Varget, both take about the same amount of powder, both are deadly accurate in my 708, as in shooting in the low to mid 4S @100yds. for 5 shots.

The 39.5grs. Varget and 150NBTs has produced a 1.535" 3 shot group @300yds. Not going to get much better than that. And judging by the ballistic tables, I seem to be getting around 2700fps. 2" high @100, 9" low @300.

FWIW, When I was working up this load, 40 and 41grs. of Varget were also very accurate. Actually, looking at my test targets now, the 3 shots I took with each load are with 1/2 caliber of each other, try em all, see what you get. But, I'd definitely go with the NBTs, had great results with them on Whitetails. Jay

quote:

Originally posted by Snider700:
I have a customized Model 7 in 7mm-08. I have a hunting lease for whitetails and I want a good moderate speed load for the 150's. I currently use 120 grain hornady's and they are deadly accurate but tend to blow big holes in these small N.C. whitetails due to the speed. Ive used 150's in my 280 in the past with awesome results at around 2700 fps. I want a 7mm-08 load in this neighborhood. Please advise and don't publish loads from a manual because I have everyone known to man. I just want some practical load info that you folks have used that worked well and was really accurate. I hunt short lanes and thick brush and being able to slip a bullet between limbs and small holes in the cover is premium for me. I really appreciate all your ideas.

Snider
I know this is not Nosler partition information but I am from NC and hunted for years using Sierra 160HPBT in my 7mm08 with great accuracy and never lost a deer but they separate real bad and leave pieces of bullet all in a deer. I have switched to Barnes 140 TSX with 44.5 gr of Varget and average 2831 fps. I have gotten almost the same results with 48.5 gr of H4350EXT. The groups are 3/8 on both loads. The H4350 is compressed. Seat the Barnes deeper than normal if you decide to try them. I got an opportunity to use them on deer for the first time last week in Ga. I shot 3 and they performed perfectly by not separating and the exit hole was about 3/4". One high shoulder shot took out the nervous system for instant death and very minor meat damage. The other two were lung shots which allowed about 50 ft of running before running out of blood and air.
All they say at BArnes appears to be true.

Re15 or Varget and the Rem 150 PSPCL @ 2650 is my go-to load for sub-200 yard whitetail hunting in open hardwood to closer, thicker cover. I've had excellent accuracy results with this bullet (which surprised me a bit at first) and performance is excellent at these more moderate velocities.

THis will probably set everyone off. How about picking a slower powder and run the bullet at a slower speed?