7mm RM Recipe for Muley Hunt

[The Badger]

Wow, lots of good data in this thread! Figured I might as well throw in. Here's where I've ended up in my 7 RM with a 1 in 9 twist barrel. After working with H1000 with several bullets with less than stellar results, I ended up trying the 143 gr Hammer Hunters and RL-23 powder. Using 66.3 grs and seated .020 off the lands they are running at 3,210 fps and by far the most accurate load yet in my rifle.

 

[Bang4theBuck]

Wow, you guys have all come through for me big time. I have got some bullets on order, as well as some better brass and a Neck collet die. I am going to get going right away on a few of these combinations. Thanks a bunch.
One question I did have was regarding the Hammer bullets. I went and had a look at them, and the BCs don't seem to be nearly as good as other bullets. Are guys just willing to sacrifice some BC for razor's edge accuracy, or is there something about a monolithic that makes the BC less of a factor?

 

[JMW67]

Wow, you guys have all come through for me big time. I have got some bullets on order, as well as some better brass and a Neck collet die. I am going to get going right away on a few of these combinations. Thanks a bunch.
One question I did have was regarding the Hammer bullets. I went and had a look at them, and the BCs don't seem to be nearly as good as other bullets. Are guys just willing to sacrifice some BC for razor's edge accuracy, or is there something about a monolithic that makes the BC less of a factor?

You will most likely be shooting a little light for caliber so the increase in velocity will help here besides bc does not mean that much till after 500 yards or so

 

[imartin]

Wow, lots of good data in this thread! Figured I might as well throw in. Here's where I've ended up in my 7 RM with a 1 in 9 twist barrel. After working with H1000 with several bullets with less than stellar results, I ended up trying the 143 gr Hammer Hunters and RL-23 powder. Using 66.3 grs and seated .020 off the lands they are running at 3,210 fps and by far the most accurate load yet in my rifle.

Good to know! Just added a 1:9T to my 7RM stable and will be running the 143 Hammer Hunter as well. Will prob start with H4831sc.

 

[imartin]

Wow, you guys have all come through for me big time. I have got some bullets on order, as well as some better brass and a Neck collet die. I am going to get going right away on a few of these combinations. Thanks a bunch.
One question I did have was regarding the Hammer bullets. I went and had a look at them, and the BCs don't seem to be nearly as good as other bullets. Are guys just willing to sacrifice some BC for razor's edge accuracy, or is there something about a monolithic that makes the BC less of a factor?

Berger's 7mm 140 VLD has a G7 bc of .256 and the 7mm 143 gr Hammer Hunter has an estimated G7 bc of .253, not much difference. Should be able to pick up some additional velocity with the hammers as well.

 

[JMW67]

Good to know! Just added a 1:9T to my 7RM stable and will be running the 143 Hammer Hunter as well. Will prob start with H4831sc.

 

[JMW67]

You will like that bullet I have great luck finding accuracy out of all the hammer bullets including the 143 in my 280 ackley

 

[Betarider]

I think those 150grain accubond long range are sweet, fast enough to buck the wind and big enough to create some energy on target.

 

[Lefty G-gear]

I booked my first Wyoming hunt, which happened to be a Mule Deer Hunt in Northwest Wyoming. I have a Rem 700 in 7mm RM (9.25" twist) that has a lot of sentimental value to me, and has been my tool of choice for many successful whitetail and bear hunts. I would like to use this rifle on this hunt. My loads for this rifle have never been fully developed, and the most recent load I partially developed is not showing enough promise for me. It's a 168 grain Berger VLD going around 2750 FPS. Not particularly fast, not particularly accurate, not particularly good ESs. I'm currently loading in Winchester brass, and I'm prepared to buy better brass (ADG maybe) to improve things. Having never been on this type of hunt, I dont want to go there with any accuracy/distance limitations imposed by the rifle. Where would you start with redeveloping this load, from a component standpoint? I've got H4831, H4350, H1000, IMR7828, RL26, and I'm prepared to try others. For bullets, I like Berger, but not hung up on using them, if something else would work well. Thanks in advance for your help.

7mm
.456 B.C.
150-gr. NOSLER SPITZER PARTITION
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010505329?pid=165195

.475 B.C.
160-gr. NOSLER SPITZER PARTITION
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010512838?pid=658507

Half-inch groups are not uncommon.

.308 SMK 168-gr.
B.C. = .462 (HPBT) for comparison.

IMR-4350

Load data 150-gr.
Load data 160-gr.
https://load-data.nosler.com/load-data/7mm-remington-magnum/

 

[D.Camilleri]

Back when I used to shoot a 7mm mag, my hunting load was a 160 grain nosler partition in front of 65 gr of Imr 4350 with a proven velocity of 3150 fps. This was a published load from an old Pacific reloading manual, but it was hot, and many 7mm's will not handle this load. It killed well though!

 

[Ben Keller]

I'm surprised I only saw one other person mention the Hornady ELDM! I'm currently shooting the 162 ELDM out of a 24" brux barrel 1-9 twist with 69.0 gr of H1000 at 2869 FPS. Great BC, and a quarter minute round for my rifle. See the pictures for results on a doe I shot at 397 yards.

 

[Country Bumpkin]

I booked my first Wyoming hunt, which happened to be a Mule Deer Hunt in Northwest Wyoming. I have a Rem 700 in 7mm RM (9.25" twist) that has a lot of sentimental value to me, and has been my tool of choice for many successful whitetail and bear hunts. I would like to use this rifle on this hunt. My loads for this rifle have never been fully developed, and the most recent load I partially developed is not showing enough promise for me. It's a 168 grain Berger VLD going around 2750 FPS. Not particularly fast, not particularly accurate, not particularly good ESs. I'm currently loading in Winchester brass, and I'm prepared to buy better brass (ADG maybe) to improve things. Having never been on this type of hunt, I dont want to go there with any accuracy/distance limitations imposed by the rifle. Where would you start with redeveloping this load, from a component standpoint? I've got H4831, H4350, H1000, IMR7828, RL26, and I'm prepared to try others. For bullets, I like Berger, but not hung up on using them, if something else would work well. Thanks in advance for your help.

My vote would be to try factory Barnes 160 TSX, or Barnes 150 TTSX or Barnes 139 LRX.

 

[D.Camilleri]

A buddy just texted me his go to 7mm mag load this morning, and it is a hammer! 180 gr Berger with a max charge of Retumbo (around 70 grs, you would need to load up to find your max, I won't give you that info) Fed 215 primer and ADG brass. 3097 ave with 5 ft per sec ES, .25 groups. This load works in many 7 mags that he has tried it in. Just another one to explore. This load has killed elk at over 1000 yards.

 

[imartin]

A buddy just texted me his go to 7mm mag load this morning, and it is a hammer! 180 gr Berger with a max charge of Retumbo (around 70 grs, you would need to load up to find your max, I won't give you that info) Fed 215 primer and ADG brass. 3097 ave with 5 ft per sec ES, .25 groups. This load works in many 7 mags that he has tried it in. Just another one to explore. This load has killed elk at over 1000 yards.

Awesome, that's smoking. I would guess he's closer to 72+ grs of Retumbo. I run a 180 ELD-M in my 1:8T, 26" criterion s.s. barrel around 3,000 fps with around 72 grs of Retumbo. I knowthe Berger's will run faster than the ELD-M, all things being equal, but doing 3,100 with 70 grs is impressive. Maybe a tighter chamber and a longer barrel? Brass could have an effect too, I'm using Norma, not ADG.