I am still thinking about a new rifle in the caliber 7mm-08 AI! Who has experience with the cartrigde? I prefer Nosler Bullets and here the 140 grs Accubond. What would be the correct twist? What precision potential can be expected?
Pls. let me know. Thanks in advance!

I don't need experience with the 7-08 AI...it's been well hashed here many times.

It will duplicate the performance of the standard 7-08 and should be built with the same twist as any standard 7-08...likely 1 in 9" is good.

No more precicion can be expected than with any custom chambered rifle. The accuracy claims for these chambers have nothing to do with the dimensions of the chamber....but they're a result of the precision to which these custom guns are chambered.

Have a standard 7-08 made for you and you'll have everything the AI version has less all the case prep and custom dies etc. You might get 50'/sec improvement by the AI conversion. The parent cartridge already has straight walls and there's very little additional capacity to be gained. This isn't a highly tapered case like the .250 savage.

I have shot 2960 fps safely with my loads using a standard 708 with 140gr bullets.

No interest in the AI myself.

I have a good friend, who built MANY rifles, and the 708AI would NOT equal my or others 708 standard chamber performance for whatever reason. Perhaps my saami spec chamber is 'looser' than a tight AI, and I partial size anyway.

None-the less, he opened it up to 284 I believe.

I have heard the same with 338-06 and its AI version.

Why this took place I cannot say, but results vary.

The 7-08AI will give you about 2 grs more capacity. I would look to just taking the normal 7-08 and loading it to a higher pressure. The 7-08 is only loaded to 61,000. The 6mmRem is loaded to 65,000.

Whether we AI it or load above the book, what good is the piddly little 50fps gained gonna do for us??
FYI, I have read folks that are supposed to know this stuff that for each 4% increase in powder capacity, you get a 1% increase in velocity.

I agree with the other posters, the .308 case is prety darn eficent as it is,to AI one seems a waste. the 7mm mauser cases can gain a little with an AI treatment. But not enogh to make a huge difference.
I would like a .257 roberts inproved just beacuse I already have a Roberts and it would be fun to see just how much I might gain...tj3006

quote:

I would like a .257 roberts inproved just beacuse I already have a Roberts and it would be fun to see just how much I might gain...tj3006

Hornady's manual has loads for both the standard and AI cases and the real gains is roughly 100'/sec.....Others disagree but I know that the data in their manual is from a pressure barrel.

The thing about the Roberts is that the standard case can be loaded easily several grains over max with safety. Not at all uncommon to run velocities 100-150'/sec greater than even +P loads. The standard .257 Roberts can be loaded to within 150'/sec of the much larger case of the .25-06 and the .257 Rob AI can nearly duplicate it.....

IMO the 150'/sec isn't worth the hassle of the AI.

My Rem 700 in 7m08 must have been built a little loose at the factory. I load up to 3 gr over max before seeing any pressure indication which is just a minor cratering on the primer.
I doubt if the 708AI will do any more.

dwight, I agree and share your experience, one advantage if you will with factory chamber is that it is looser and you can get amazing performance AS IS.

2960 fps with 139's and Varget in a 21", flat primers yes, but safe so far.

I had great success with Barnes 140 TSXs but being a loader I decided to try the 120 TSX and get 3090 average from a 20" tube using 46.5 gr Varget. No flat primers either but very minor cratering. Looking forward to October to see what they do to deer.

If you get 2950 with a 140grains in a 7-08, whats the point of stepping up to a 280?

Just wondering, because I have neihter of these..

quote:

Originally posted by Nortman:
If you get 2950 with a 140grains in a 7-08, whats the point of stepping up to a 280?

Just wondering, because I have neihter of these..

I think the 280 Rem has had it's day now we have the 7mm-08.

Now watch the sparks fly.

This thread makes me wonder if a .308 will drive a 150 grain to 3,000 without being grossly over pressured?

quote:

Originally posted by 308Sako:
This thread makes me wonder if a .308 will drive a 150 grain to 3,000 without being grossly over pressured?

Using heavy compaction of slow burning powders we might see 2,900 but I truly think one would be pushing 70,000 PSI before he reached 3,000

What's wrong with 2,800 anyway.....deer can't tell the difference at all.

Vapodog: the bragging rights man..

No, I really dont know.

quote:

Originally posted by heinzman357:
I am still thinking about a new rifle in the caliber 7mm-08 AI! Who has experience with the cartrigde? I prefer Nosler Bullets and here the 140 grs Accubond. What would be the correct twist? What precision potential can be expected?
Pls. let me know. Thanks in advance!

heinzman357...A friend of mine goes by 280_ACKLEY over at www.24hourcampfire.com has a 7-08 A.I. and killed just about every legal big game animal here in B.C. with it... If you do a search on his post there or www.canadiangunnutz.com you'll find photo's of the game he has shot and loads he uses...the rifle BTW is a 700 Rem that weighs around 6#'s scoped up..he uses mostly 140gr. bullets....last fall he turned a charging grizz with that rifle (140gr Barnes x or tsx) packing a stone sheep out he shot wth the 7-08 A.I...If you want a 7-08 AI GET IT...hell if we are going to be practical we would all own a 30-06 and call it good....