Here's my delimma. I finally found a load that shoots good from my 7mm-08. It is very accurate. However, here's the bad part, it is 45.5grains of H-4350 under the 139 gr. Hornady SP Flatbase bullet. The only thing bad about the load is at 45.5 gr. of powder I am not getting that good of velocity. I don't have a chronograph, just going by the published data it is alot lower than what this caliber can shoot. Is this a major problem? Would you choose accuracy over the velocity and here is my big question, Out to 300 yards how much more drop will I see compared to a load that might be shooting 200 fps faster?? Thanks for your help.
Brian

With 45 grains of 4350, you'll be a lot more than 200 fps slow in a 7x57. In mine 50.5 grains will go under 2750, your loads are probably 2500, possibly less. With H414, my rifle and several others you've seen on the forums will go 3038 fps with a 140 grain bullet, and very likely shoot as good or better. I wouldn't give up accuracy for velocity, but 500 fps is a bunch. When I work a hunting load up, I like to find one that has good accuracy within a variation of 2 grains of powder, 1 grain plus or minus. When you have a load that 47.2 grains groups an inch, 47.7 grains groups 2", temperature and altitude variations makes the level of accuracy unpredictable. I have a .220 AI Swift that will group in 3/4" ammo loaded with 45-47 grains of powder mixed together. It will shoot .4 with either load. That's the way I like to have a hunting load perform. If you have to increase or decrease charges .1-.2 to get accuracy, your load is too finicky and will change with weather conditions and make you crazy.

Different cartridge, same problem. I have a Ruger RSI, the little carbine with the mannlicher style stock. Most tempeamental damned rifle I own and I love the gun. Only one load really is useful, 49.0 gr. of W-760 for 2550 FPS chronographed with the Speer 165 gr. Hot-Core. I fretted and stewed about it for months. Accuracy was only 1.25".
I could have gotten more velocity with other powder, but the groups were more like "spray and pray".
I took it on a Mule Deer hunt anyway, as I wanted to hunt with the rifle. On it's first outing, I took a nice eating sized muley at 250 yards, laser measured. The bullet literally traveled the full length of the deer coming to a stop at the back leg bone of the deer, breaking the bone.
The deer was facing me slightly uphill and the bullet hit in the chest, angled up to break the spine, then went to one side cutting several ribs and finally breaking that back leg. Bullet retained 65 perent of it's original weight.
other load giving as much as 200 FPS more velocity just did not have the accuracy. A couple of other mule deer taken since then have been more or less broadside shot that were complete pass throughs.
You might want to invest in a Shooting Chrony F-1. They're about the cheapest chronograph you can get. Estimating velocities based on loading manuals may or may not be close.
I have a .270 that I loaded up some 150 gr. Nosler partitions for possible use on elk. Estimated velocity was about 2800 FPS. While testing them at the range, a fellow who had a chronograph asked me what I thought I was getting. I said about 2800. We ran five rounds through his chronograph, an old Oelher M10 with skyscreens. The average speed of that load was 2999 FPS, for all practical purposes, a 3000 FPS load.
As each rifle in an entity unto itself, you may be getting more or less velocity than you think.
Do a Google search on "chrony" and see just how cheaply you can get into a chronograph. IIRC, they have rebuilt instrumenst as low as $60 or thereabouts.
Paul B.

To determine your bullet drop for various muzzle velocities use this ballistic calculator: http://www.biggameinfo.com/BalCalc.aspx

I load all my hunting loads for accuracey. A few hundred FPS in MHO is just not that big a deal. Well placed shots drop game not bullet speed.

Huntsalot,

I could never get the IMR 4350 to get up to velosity in my 7mm-08 either. At max listed load (46gr)I was only getting around 2600 on my GamaChrony. The best performance I have gotten is out of H414. Before I got my Chrony I had worked up a load w/ Hornady 139 SST to a max of 49.5 gr and a fairly accurate load of 48.6 gr. The 48.6gr load chonrographed at 2840 w/ CCI200 primer. With a magnum primer it was pumping out 3004 fps. The only problem was it was not consistant with eiter primer, some days it grouped good other days it tended to spray. I think the load was a little too hot to be consistant. Out of frustration, I tried some Nosler Partition 140's working up to 47.0 gr. THIS LOAD WORKED GREAT. .75" groups at 2839 fps. I'm trying some H380 right now but have not had time to go the range to test em.

Have you tried some H4895? Or H414. These are powders that have performed well in my 7-08's acrost the board. With the nod going to H4895. I have several 7-08's (don't ask) and they all shoot well with various amounts of H4895. I would re-check my screws, barrel clearence, scope security and such. Perhaps look at your bench technique. What you have there sounds like a very bland load. Could you have an unconscious flinch with the hotter loads?
At a guess, you should be getting @2800fps with your load of H4350. That's plenty to kill any deer I've ever seen.

Is that load maximum in your rifle? If it is maybe the velocity is up there also?

Hodgdon shows 48 grs as max.

www.hodgdon.com/data/rifle/7mm08rem.php

At some point velocity does count and 300 yds is a long way. Some say if you hit them right it does not matter. I don't say that.

It's a small cartridge. Load it up for long range.