ya'll help me out with some good loads using 140 gr bullets. am new to this caliber and am looking for something around 2900 fps with hornady sst's and sierra's. was looking at 260 rem but the 7mm bore seemed to offer more latitude concerning bullet weight and lower pressure. hoping to wind up with something a little bit better than the 308 out to 600 yds and beyond out of a short action with a 26" bbl. your input would be most appreciated. most cordially, victor e.

I don't know what's happening out at 600yards but my 7-08's have all liked 4895 -both kinds.
For a game load, I use 140partitions or 145grand slams. whichever one the rifle shoots best. I have two that like the grand slams and one that perfers the partition. On game I can't tell any difference. You are gonna like this cartridge.

I doubt that you will find anything significantly better than the better .308 loads out to 600 yds. There was a time when a few 7 mm bullets seemed have a BC edge over similar .308 bullets. But they didn't work out that way. Bullets have a bad habit of changing BC, or not shooting very accurately at extended ranges with those sexy BC's.
The .260 does have a couple of advantages. It's best bullets do drift just a touch less in the wind. But there real advantage is the round produces 30% less recoil. Worth something to a target shooter. E

I have a 308 and a 7-08Ackley The 7-08 is more accurate then the 308 from 100yrds on out. But my 7-08 AI is a freak gun. My 7-08 is flatter shooting and bucks the wind better also. But most will not see the difference. Both guns are equally accurate. The 308 is a better all around gun if you want a one gun does all. More bullet weights and because the 30cal bullet is shorter seems to be able to stabilize a wider selection of bullet weights. I love both guns but for deer hunting the 7-08 is my favorite.

For deer hunting the 7-08AI with 120grn Ballistic tips Is the best instant killer I have ever used. I have killed out to 450yards all one shot kills right where they stood. I know this is going against the grain, but it is a fact the 120s kill better than the 140s. I have made people eat crow watching what happens when they get hit and drop on the spot, even if the shot a little off. I always shot 140s till I heard STEVE TIMM and Darrel Hollands talk about the instant killing power of the 120 Bt. So I tried it and have been converted. Shot placement is key as always. All I can say is try it you will be amazed like I was.

I have found RL-15 to give the highest velocities of all the powders I have tried from a 22 inch barrel. Use caution when working up loads as 2,900 fps with a 140 grain bullet is pretty high.

I was in the same boat trying to decide between a 7-08 and a 260 and settled on a 260. It is for a grandson and will mainly be used for target shooting and for deer sized game. Based on the post from Erimicus l may have just lucked out on my selection due to the 30% recoil reduction.

Good luck, good shooting and thanks for posting this topic.

A slight correction to my post. The sentence towards the end should read "Based on the comments by Eremicus l think l got lucky with my selection of the 260 due to the 30% recoil reduction".

The rifle is for a new and young shooter so less recoil will be a plus.

I would just doublecheck the math and you will see that there is a bit of a difference in your example.

35lbs - 30% = 10.5lbs. I think he just got the decimal point in the wrong place.

35 (100%) - 10.5 (30% of 35) = 24.5 (70% of 35) pounds of recoil. - Dan

I have a 260 and a 708. You won't go wrong with either. Yes you can tell the difference in recoil. The 260 kicks less, though the 708 is pretty mild also. WW 760 (or H414) is the only powder I've gotten a safe 2900 fps out of for a 140 gr 7mm bullet, though N550 might be a candidate.