I am now retiring my 7 mag and pulling a Stevens 200 in 7mm-08 off the bench and out of the safe. It will finally get it's turn as first string, across the canyon, deer rifle. I have a box of 139 grain spitzer bullets that start the round development off. I'm pretty sure that I will use IMR 4064, but I will develop a load that the gun prefers. I have found this gun does not like polymer tipped projectiles for some reason. I have achieved promising results with soft tips, however.
History of this gun- I purchased this rifle from a friend at work a couple of years ago. It was a bare bones cheap Stevens 200 with a cheap Tupperware stock and for some reason it kicked like a mule. This little 7mm-08 would absolutely punish you at the range. I made a few mods and have improved its performance as well as its disposition on the bench. It's a pleasure to shoot now.
The Mods- After shooting the gun as I received it it was not pleasant and really didn't shoot very well. It had a terrible trigger and stock. I replaced the trigger with a Timmney and put a good Hogue stock and added a bi-pod for weight and stability. The trigger is crisp and the recoil is a sweet, loving nudge as we shoot. All this was done a couple of years ago and since then it's been a safe queen.
Popular opinion is that the "7-08" will perform well for my needs, which are currently shots at about 200 to 400 yards with very little need for 400. I have always liked the caliber and look forward to exploring its abilities as well as my own.
I would greatly enjoy hearing your opinions and comments on this caliber and topic. Please feel free to engage in the comments box provided below.
-Steve Smith-
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