New Stevens 200 7mm08

[tjf76]

Found a great deal on a new Stevens 200 7mm08 at a local shop yesterday and it came home with me. Was wanting to shoot deer/Elk with this rifle next yr but tested the twist rate and I got a darn 1/11.5 barrel. Whats the heaviest gr bullet I can shoot with this now? I wanted to shoot factory loaded 140gr Nosler Partitions with it, will I be ok?

[Catfish]

You should be ok, nut the only way to know is to try them. I`ve tried Partition bullets accouple of time and there accuracy never suited me.

[scotsman]

My son and I have the same rifles same twist as yours, 140 grain works great. I have been reloading 120 grain noslers and really like them for deer. The only way to know for sure is to buy a box of heavier bullets and try it.

[scootrd]

I'm not challenging any real life experiences above , Just scratching my head to understand why Stevens would use that twist rate in a 7mm-08. I would have assumed you would see some keyhole-ing using 140gr .

[tjf76]

I was not able to get any 140gr ammo to shoot. I have since sold this rifle and bought a marlin in 7mm08 that has the correct twist rate of 1/9.5

[scotsman]

I'm not challenging any real life experiences above , Just scratching my head to understand why Stevens would use that twist rate in a 7mm-08. I would have assumed you would see some keyhole-ing using 140gr .

I have wondered the same thing myself. At the time we bought those they were on sale at Academy for a very cheap price, we bought 4, for me, my son, and my two brothers. Afterwards we learned the twist rate. As far as I know Stevens was the only one to ever make a 7-08 in that twist. I always wondered if it wasn't some sort of screw up. We bought factory loads in 140 grain and saved the brass I have loaded hornady 139 grain and I think sierra 140 both shot well in all four. My son killed a spike buck at about 200 yards with the 139 grain hornady.  At the price we paid we can't complain much I am pretty sure we gave 178 dollars a piece for them.