7mm Rem Mag 175gr ABLR at 2,815 fps.....should I be happy with this?

[surgeon260]

My personal opinion is that I would not be happy with that velocity. You are basically getting 280 AI velocity, not 7RM. It all comes down to your choice of powder. Personally I would not choose to handicap a cartridge with a sub-optimal powder. If I wanted 280 AI velocity, I would build a 280 AI.

To me, optimizing the performance of a given cartridge/bullet combo is part of the fun.

All of that being said, an animal will never know the difference. If you aren't an OCD reloader like me, then call it good and go shoot.

Edited to add: to give you a data point on how much performance you are leaving on the table, I shoot Berger 180s with N570 right around 3000 out of a 27" barrel. This is not a hot load in ADG brass.

 

[Ingwe]

My personal opinion is that I would not be happy with that velocity. You are basically getting 280 AI velocity, not 7RM. It all comes down to your choice of powder. Personally I would not choose to handicap a cartridge with a sub-optimal powder. If I wanted 280 AI velocity, I would build a 280 AI.

To me, optimizing the performance of a given cartridge/bullet combo is part of the fun.

All of that being said, an animal will never know the difference. If you aren't an OCD reloader like me, then call it good and go shoot.

Edited to add: to give you a data point on how much performance you are leaving on the table, I shoot Berger 180s with N570 right around 3000 out of a 27" barrel. This is not a hot load in ADG brass.

If you were developing a load with my set up, 26" 1:8 barrel, etc what velocity would you be happy with?

 

[Raudy707]

My personal opinion is that I would not be happy with that velocity. You are basically getting 280 AI velocity, not 7RM. It all comes down to your choice of powder. Personally I would not choose to handicap a cartridge with a sub-optimal powder. If I wanted 280 AI velocity, I would build a 280 AI.

To me, optimizing the performance of a given cartridge/bullet combo is part of the fun.

All of that being said, an animal will never know the difference. If you aren't an OCD reloader like me, then call it good and go shoot.

Edited to add: to give you a data point on how much performance you are leaving on the table, I shoot Berger 180s with N570 right around 3000 out of a 27" barrel. This is not a hot load in ADG brass.

I wouldn't say Reloader 23 is a sub-optimal powder. He just needs to add another grain or two and it will be right at 2950. Also, the bearing length of the ABLR is higher than the 180 Bergers so he's going to struggle to get the velocity as high as you can with the Berger's. I do agree with you on trying to get the most out of his 7mm mag by getting the velocity up over 2900, but it's tough to turn your back on cloverleaf groups. On the bright side, he can add a few more grains and see if he still has a good accuracy node, if not he can go back to his 2815 fps or try a different powder.

 

[surgeon260]

If you were developing a load with my set up, 26" 1:8 barrel, etc what velocity would you be happy with?

Every barrel is different. I would be using a case full of Retumbo or N570 with that bullet. I think 2950 puts you in "magnum" territory, but that's admittedly pretty arbitrary.

 

[Raudy707]

Thanks for the response! You are telling me what I want to hear, since I hate to start all over, I have a good supply of components, and I also have a few hundred rounds loaded up already

Is my 2,815 an egregiously LOW velocity for a 175gr 7mm Rem Mag?
From what I have read so far I know that it's on the low end of the spectrum but is it THAT slow?

Another thing to think about is are you just breaking in this barrel? It will speed up after about 200 shots. So maybe continue with some barrel break in and see if your velocity changes. I looked at the quickload data and 63.5 is 99% and near maximum so depending on your rifle, you can't go up the powder charge very much from here. QL also says you should be at 2897 fps with a 26" barrel. Check your drops out to 600 yards and verify your chronograph is correct. Good luck. You're definitely onto something good with those groups. Keep slinging em!

 

[Ingwe]

Every barrel is different. I would be using a case full of Retumbo or N570 with that bullet. I think 2950 puts you in "magnum" territory, but that's admittedly pretty arbitrary.

So essentially, I should be happy if I got another 135fps....2,950-2,81=135

I guess that the bottom line is do I want to bother with changing the load for another 135fps?

 

[Raudy707]

So essentially, I should be happy if I got another 135fps....2,950-2,81=135

I guess that the bottom line is do I want to bother with changing the load for another 135fps?

If it makes you feel any better I'm shooting Sierra 165 gamechangers at 2900 fps using H1000. I don't change it because they're little groups out to 800 yds so far. I have a turret so I just have a bigger number out there than some guys. I'm ok with that. 26" bbl on a Browning Long Range rifle. But I can hit ground squirrels at 6 and 700 yards. There's something to he said about an accurate rifle you have confidence in. Food for thought.

 

[surgeon260]

Only you can decide if it's worth it. If you intend to shoot game at long range where that bullet is starting to get close to the fragmentation velocity threshold, additional velocity might make a meaningful difference. At moderate ranges it won't make much difference in terminal performance.

 

[xsn10s]

Is my 2,815 an egregiously LOW velocity for a 175gr 7mm Rem Mag?
From what I have read so far I know that it's on the low end of the spectrum but is it THAT slow?

2815fps is on the lower end of the spectrum. But the groups, low ES are pretty favorable. And like Raudy707 and I have mentioned if your barrel is new it could speed up with break in. If it is a new barrel and it were my rifle I'd shoot it the way it is for a couple of hundred rounds and then re-evaluate. If I needed/ wanted more velocity then I'd bumped up the load or switch powders. If your barrel speeds up then you're set.

 

[gte901m]

Shot placement kills animals.

Keep loading and shooting your current load.

And if you have time, keep exploring other powders and bullets.

I have go to loads in all my rifles, but always try new powders and bullets when I have time. That's the fun of hand loading.

Factory 175 Rem Core lock ammo clocks 2,787fps in my 26" tube, so your load isn't the slowest in town

 

[zr600]

How many rounds are down your barrel, what kind of brass you using? I have a new build 7mag criterion 1.8 twist barrel I have shot 175g hornady eldx, 165gamechangers, and 180 Berger vlds with h1000 and retumbo. Retumbo seems to be the better accuracy powder in my gun. The 180s I'm right at 3000, the 165 best accuracy was at 2950, the 175 I know I had up to 2900 but don't remember them being as accurate as the other two bullets I tried. What cases are you using I'm using adg brass with fed215m primers. Pretty sure I'm going to stick with the 180 vld hunters.

 

[nmbarta]

Only you can decide if it's worth it. If you intend to shoot game at long range where that bullet is starting to get close to the fragmentation velocity threshold, additional velocity might make a meaningful difference. At moderate ranges it won't make much difference in terminal performance.[/QUOTE
Exactly that, 3000 fps will give about another 100-150 yards of the same velocity, basically if you speed up to 3000, your rifle will do the same damage at 600-650 as it's doing at 500 now. It already has plenty, but I don't like to leave that much performance on the table without at least trying, that said, I don't try to make something it's not either.

 

[Ingwe]

How many rounds are down your barrel, what kind of brass you using? I have a new build 7mag criterion 1.8 twist barrel I have shot 175g hornady eldx, 165gamechangers, and 180 Berger vlds with h1000 and retumbo. Retumbo seems to be the better accuracy powder in my gun. The 180s I'm right at 3000, the 165 best accuracy was at 2950, the 175 I know I had up to 2900 but don't remember them being as accurate as the other two bullets I tried. What cases are you using I'm using adg brass with fed215m primers. Pretty sure I'm going to stick with the 180 vld hunters.

I have 300+ through it now but I need to chrono it again to see if anything changed.

 

[johnish]

With a velocity of 2,815fps that is. I'm using a 26" 1:8 Criterion barrel, and I am loading with 63.5 gr of RL23 behind my 175 gr ABLR bullet. Federal 215 Match Primers. It is pretty mild recoiling, plus usually touches rounds at 100yds unless my hold is off. Extreme velocity spread is only 4fps!

Of course I am happy to get an accurate load but I have to say that I does bother me when I see guys here getting over 3,000fps with 180gr bullets. I do realize that and extra 175fps isn't going to make a difference on any game animal but it bothers me non the less. I have 200 loaded up with good Norma Brass.

What are your thoughts on this....am I overthinking velocity?

I have some 170gr Nosler partitions hitting 3,000 out of a 24 inch barrel. 72 grains of H1000. You won't find that load in modern tables, but it was back in the day. These rounds only get taken out in the field for special trips. They shoot on top of each other and hit hard.

btw: I'm not saying this a particularly fast. It's as fast as I can get out of this rifle- which is an economy priced and old Santa Barbara. I like it because it is consistent. It holds zero fantastically and is easy to shoot.
I guess my point is, some rifles have different capabilities (calibre notwithstanding) I expect my .257 weatherby to be super fast. It is. It is a bit pickier than the 7mm RM, but I accept that for its speed. If it wasn't fast it would go. The 7mm (for me) doesn't have to set speed records because I use it for different reasons.