Duplicating Light Magnum 7mm-08

[Chuck White]

Has anyone tried duplicating the 7mm-08 Light Magnum loads with 139/140 grain bullets?

How much REAL gain do these have over regular by-the-book reloads?

[jhalcott]

Depends on barrel length! I get about 100 fps in my stubby 18" barrel over my best handloads.Accuracy is better than minute of deer also. I DO have more accurate loads,but the lite mags can be relied on to hit clay pigeons on the berm at 300 yards from the bench.I ain't shooting at deer that far!

[longwinters]

From what I have read, you cannot get the same umph out of homemade stuff.  I realize that, with the proper caution, a reloader can do hotter loads than what is in the reloading guides.  But typically the Ammo manufacturers use different powders etc... than we can obtain.  At least that is what I have been told.

Long

[Chuck White]

I sort of figured that manufacturers might have a special or blended powder for this ammo!

Thanks for the input!

[Graybeard]

Hornady Light Mag ammo definitely does give the stated increase in velocity over their and other brands standard ammo. In my rifles it has almost without exception been highly accurate. For some reason my LW243 doesn't like it. This rifle is normally a 0.4" to 0.8" shooter with the majority of decent loads. It easily stays under an inch with Hornady Custom ammo but don't like the Light Mag at all. Every other Light Mag load I've tried have easily shot sub MOA in my rifles.

Accurate Powder Co. has a powder called MagPro that offers around 100-150 fps increase over anything else usually listed for the cartridges for which you can find data on it. But load data for it is mighty scarce and hard to come by. I've not found any for the 7-08. Of the guns I'm currently working with only .243 and .30-06 have data listed by Accurate. I've shot some of my .243 loads already and accuracy has been good. I've not clocked them yet tho.

VV Powders offers their 500 high energy series that like Magpro seems to have the potential to add 100-150 fps to normal powder velocities. I'd explore these two if you're wanting more from your rifle at safe pressures.

[SLAVAGE]

that mag stuff from them says its for bolt action rifles an such could an encore hold ther kind of pressure?

[Duffy]

I asked Hornady about the Light Mag in the Encore and they said it's ok. They just don't want it in the lighter pumps some autos and lever actions. I have achieved as the same performance or maybe a bit more in my 708 Encore with the VV N550 powder. Usually can run a 140 BT at 2600 accurately while the Light mags run around 2550 so it's really close.