Sako Finnlight 7mm-08 Reloading Questions

[wseidel]

Update: Found a sweet spot at COAL of 2.840. Ended up with .88 inch group at 100 yards and .98 inch group at 200 yards....which I'm very pleased with. One of the keys I found in shooting my lightweight rifle (Sako Finnlight) was to keep one hand on the forend with light pressure. I remembered Nathan Foster talking about the importance of this factor. Holding the forend this way was a bit awkward with a large bench rest bag but appeared to help markedly - that and using a snap cap do dry fire periodically! Thanks again for the tips and recommendations...most appreciated.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Those groups are too big. I'll take the rifle off your hands for you if you want to sell it.

 

[deerkiller]

First I determine the COAL that puts the bullet to the rifling, then back off about .030" or more to fit the magazine. I wrap a piece of masking tape on a cleaning rod, drop in a bullet and tap it into place, then put the rod in through the muzzle and mark with a razor blade. I then insert a dummy cartridge and close the bolt, put the cleaning rod back into the barrel and mark with the blade. The distance between the marks is the clearance to the rifling at that COAL.
My 7-08 is an XP100 with 15" barrel. It shoots to the same point of impact with 34 IMR4895 and 139 Hornady, 35 IMR 4895 and 154 Hornady, 37 Vihtavouri N140 with 154 Hornady, 39 IMR 4064 154 Hornady. COAL's 2.83" to 2.86" for about .050" to the rfling. All these loads are good for 40/40 in IHMSA silhouette.

seems like a lot of extra work if your magazine has limits …. wouldn't a simpler process be to just load OAL to the longest the mag will allow and work shorter from there if necessary ? coincidentally, each Tikka (I know, his is a Sako) I've ever worked with (a bunch) has shot best with OAL "just" short enough to allow it to function in the magazine, easy peazy ...

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Same here...