7-300 Norma Mag Improved. IT’S ALIVE!!

Still obviously learning this cartridge and what charge weight for what bullet weights. So this evenings test wasn't ideal.

I was over pressure on the 190 LRHT's and H1000 in my once fired brass. Which I honestly thought I had enough cushion not to be. I was wrong.

85gr. yielded a bolt click and 3200fps right of the bat

I had 5 loaded at 86gr. for the little accuracy test. I still decided to shoot all 5 because that's what I was there for and it didn't feel that dangerous. Shot just under a 1 MOA 5 shot group at 400 yards. Decent bolt lift for sure, so not ideal conditions for accuracy being that far into pressure. But I did find out that H1000 is really consistent, even in this under filled case, and into pressure.

This is 5 shots at 86gr. H1000 and 190 LRHT's
IMG_1892.jpeg


I believe I would have to drop down to 84gr. or possibly even 83gr. to get out of pressure with the 190's. So realistic velocity probably around 3100-3140fps with H1000.


Then I shot the 160 Copper Rose with Retumbo. They shot just over 1 MOA at 400 yards for 5 shots. Also not ideal, since they were loaded in my old 300 NMI that I just necked down for testing purposes.

87gr. 3436fps
88gr. 3460fps
89gr. 3470fps bolt click
90gr. 3523fps heavy bolt lift

5 shots at 87gr. Retumbo
IMG_1893.jpeg



Basically we're all just learning this cartridge together lol. Everything is new to me also. So I'm just trying to test and document data for future possible interests in the cartridge.
 
Also if you're wondering why I'm doing some testing in my old brass. It's because I'll never use that brass again, so if I'm way over pressure with an estimate, it wont matter. Because it's all getting thrown away. I'm just trying to find baselines with it.

And still I thought I was safe shooting my once fire brass with the 190's and H1000 and was dead wrong. Probably torched those cases lol. But live and learn. Only way to know is to actually do it and find out 🤷‍♂️
 
It's amazing how a change in bore diameter increases pressure, I shoot my 300 NM with 215s over 87 gr H1000 and no pressure, decrease the bore 0.024 and it's a different ball game.
Absolutely dude. Pretty crazy to see the comparisons first hand.

From what I can correlate so far, the 180 ELDM creates pressure similar to a 225 ELDM or 230 Hybrid, in relation to powder charges.

So roughly:

92gr. N570
89gr. Retumbo
85gr. H1000

Seem to be similar for both cartridges with 180 ELDM and 225 ELDM.

And now from there, we can adjust charge weighs based off different bullets in the 7mm class.
 
It may be possible. Wonder how it would compare. But I think these are realistic numbers with a 180 ELDM.

7-300 NMI - 85gr. H1000 3200FPS

28 Nosler - 83gr. N570 3100FPS
Are you monitoring or measuring your throat erosion during all this testing? It would be interesting to see the amount of throat erosion over the total shots fired….just for the heck of it and you are testing at your expense for us. lol.
 
Don't mean to get too far off topic on Huntnful's thread but how are you guys that are pushing the top end loads determining what the max charge weight is for your rifle. Are you simply looking for stiff bolt, ejector marks, flat primers, or are you measuring the case head before your brass is fired and checking the expansion of it after to see how much it grew.

I know with all the tough brass out there, and actions that are built to such great tolerances pressure can be difficult to spot at times. If you had a single shot action without an ejector, you wouldn't have that tell tell ejector mark to go by. By the time you had a stiff bolt in that scenario I'm betting you'd be way over pressure.

Just curious as to what others do to find their max loads, especially when playing with some of these wildcats.
 
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