Latest rifle load development- 7-08 Ackley

Here is a recent target from a THF member, shooting his custom 7-08 Ackley Improved. This is his fire forming load. The brass was loaded as standard 7-08, and this is the fire forming load work up. Now I have fire formed 7-08 Ackley brass, I will clean the brass, FL size it with a neck bushing, and do a second load work up on the Ackley brass to get the full Ackley speeds. Bullet is a 162 grain Hornady ELDX and Lapua brass, Fed 210M primer, Varget powder.

This rifle showed the typical signs for a load work up with a quality rifle and scope. Loads were tested at 200 yards and chronographed with a Lab Radar. Load A showed a little stringing. This tells me I am approaching an accuracy node. Load B tighten up some and gave a nice round group. Load C is a 5 round group at 200 yards with 3 bullets touching, and 2 real close. Total group size was .826" at 200 yards, with a little wind mixed in, I think (I had a switching wind from about 6 o'clock to 8 o'clock all day). .39 moa with an 8 fps ES (extreme spread)! I'll take it! Load D opened up and Load E the same. Overall, all groups shot good, and the rifle shot well. But you can see the difference between the loads that are tuned to the rifle and the one's that are not.

Chad, do think he'll get similar results if he were to use CCI 200's? .826" at 200 is darn good, looks like a bucket of fun.

Actually, I forgot, we used CCI #200 for that. I'm just used to using Fed 210;s.

That's good shooting and nice writeup. Thanks!

Told ya.

LOL!

Don't burn the barrel up on my new rifle !!!

Who hasn't he told might be a better question

Says the guy that just built a 7mm-08 A.I.

I'm not as hard headed as some

You talking about me, boy?

Yeah, you're one of them.

Look at all you followers......... Grin

I've gotten better over the years.

I was just talking to anyone who will listen

Mine is a cool little 16" Encore that will wear a suppressor. I'm excited to see what it will do. Right now, Jason and I are arguing over bullets

120 from a 16" tube would be tough and they are some hard hitting little suckers

You were first. I yeild to you.

Hell, I had to buy Tony the reamer. He was wondering if A.I. would be worth it. I said, "well, I've watched dee's numbers and I'm sold." Chad doesn't want any part of it for his own use, but he's coming around, now that this 4th rifle the same smith and reamer has done the same thing, which is shoot very tight while fire forming as well as fire formed.

You said you weren't as hard headed as others, but you still are with the bullet choice.

Having shot 162's out of the 17", then 150's out of the same rifle, both shot well, both have their merits, but I'm leaning on committing to the 162's. I like long heavy bullets.

162 in a shorter barrel are a bit turtle like, no?

Not in an A.I. I got them shooting well at 2640 fps MV. That's not "fast" but it ain't slow either.

Yours will end up shooting them around 2800+ since you have 7" more barrel. And the angels sing a beautiful song.

2640fps is a turtle...hence the reason I was thinking 140’s but now that dee has chimed in now I’m leaning toward 120’s

Text me your wife's phone number, and tell me what her favorite wine is. I'm gonna have her whisper in your ear, when you're asleep "use the ELDs, use the ELDs".

120 inside 400 is hard to beat. Outside of that I'd give the 150's a good shake down.

WHAT and risk my Berger stock dropping

Thinking about ELD's when I'm sleeping is a good way to cause nightmares

They wind drift worse than the 162's do.

You can't get them fast enough to be even or better?

Kinda a side note the 150 needs a faster twist for a better sg than the 162. I've just got a box of them to try.

I think a 22 creedmoor sounds like a freaking awesome rifle. But most of the options listed seem to be good ones.

Short as my barrel is, the 150's run 2700 MV, versus the 162's running 2640 MV. My gut tells me I'm better off with the 162's. Three deer, three hogs, two coyotes and lots of steel struck is why I'm leaning that way.

I don't think the 150 would kill any better and with only 60fps in speed I can't see a ballistic advantage.

My new barrel is a bit longer than my first one and a 8 twist which should give me some good wiggle room.

I agree.

And I thought I had problems...

I always thought heavy bullets lose less speed in shorter barrels?

Not much a good 140-150 won't do with less recoil than the heavies. The 120 Noz and Barnes are proven. No doubt the Amax is a top wind cheater.

It would be interested to get pressure data in a given barrel, with speed info, with OEM then AI chamber.

Assuming no feed issues with the AI, we are talking the 40 degree version correct?

Does anyone have any data and if so, what barrel length, with the new OEM 7/08 Eld-X ?

Best information I can give you on speed vs barrel length for 7mm-08 and 7mm-08 A.I. is this:

•20" + suppressor 7mm-08 162 gr A-Max 2640 fps MV. You can go 1.0 grain hotter than where I am, but it might over pressure in wet weather. That happened to me.

•17" +suppressor 7mm-08 A.I. 162 gr ELD-X 2640 fps MV.

•17" +suppressor 7mm-08 A.I. 150 gr ELD-X 2700 fps MV.

•24" 7mm-08 (fire forming) 162 gr ELD-X 100% case fill of H-Varget = 2700 fps MV 1/2 MOA, or better, shooter. Ran it out to 1400 yards.

•24" 7mm-08 A.I (formed brass) 162 gr ELD-X, 100% case fill of H-Varget = 2820 fps MV, 1/2 MOA, or better, shooter. Have not tested past 800 yards.

A.I. feeds from an accuracy international magazine without a single hiccup.

Good info thanks. So the top 3 loads, those handloads also? Nice meeting Chad at the recent Shilen meet.

I was curious about factory ammo speeds - if anyone clocked the Hornady 150s especially in say a 20"

All are hand loads. I have not purchased centerfire ammo in a decade. I can't report any data for any of them.

My mid size 7MM is a 7x57 with a 19 inch barrel. Back a few years ago SPS had a sale on 150 gr. Ballistic Tips and I bought a bunch. Went on to use them on many deer, hogs and coyotes and found them to be an excellent bullet when pushed to 2700 fps. Longest shot was 350 yards but I would like to shoot farther for the fun of it. When this barrel goes it will be replaced with a 7-08AI but I am still going to have to shoot up all the 150 gr. BT's I have.

Gotcha, thanks for the clarification. It shows what potential short 7/08s have with those class bullets.

Rick, had a buddy who had put a surplus Mauser bbl on a Ruger action, chopped at 19" - did well, but that guy always loaded to the max.

I always thought the 150 BT was a sweet balance in weight and construction, BC, etc. for the 7/08 class rounds. I'd not hesitate to punch Elk, as others have done so. The 140, I'd want the AB or similar, but not a BT on anything over Deer sized game.

I used a lot of 140 gr. bullets though all were Partitions.