What is your favorite 7MM REM Mag Load?

[Lefty7mmstw]

Lefty7mmstw,
Your concerns are misplaced.

Ruger #1s do not have a bolt.
There are white lies, lies, **** lies, and then there are 7mmRemMag published data.

I work up to the threshold of long brass life and then back off 4% powder charge with that powder.
Those are usefull loads, not silly lawyered up loads that reduce the 7mmRM to less than what the 7x57mm can do with long brass life.

Sheesh.


I also way overload every rifle and pistol design to see what happens.
I take my rifles WAY past the threshold of long brass life.
I know what they are capable, when the bolt yields, and how much.
There are huge amounts of safety margin between long brass life and where the rifle fails.

This is a 7mmRM at QL 108kpsi fired in a VZ24 I converted from 8x57 to 7mmRM
180 gr VLD moly 70 gr Re17 108 kpsi primer fell out
Alliant's max load for 175 gr is 57 gr, so that case was fired with 13 gr extra powder.
I later hunted with that rifle and shot a deer and an antelope in 2011.

Yep, I've got a #1 also, but mine's a 338. People who intentionally post overloads are why I feel like getting off this site. Posting crap like that will get someone hurt.
Just because a rifle's destructive testing has shown it will take 100K psi doesn't mean every action or piece of brass in that cal. will take anywhere near that much pressure. Normal proof loads are about 30% over normal running pressure and that's it. The 7rem is a bad cartridge running at lower pressure than many of the designs are capable of. But there are rifles in 7rem that do NOT have the headroom to play with extremely heavy loads. Not to mention the fact that the higher pressure you run the rifle, the faster the throut wears and the more action wear you will have and I don't care if you have a bolt or falling block.

In short get a bigger gun if you want to run with the bigger guns.

 

[KRasmussen]

Lefty7mmstw,
Your concerns are misplaced.

Ruger #1s do not have a bolt.
There are white lies, lies, **** lies, and then there are 7mmRemMag published data.

I work up to the threshold of long brass life and then back off 4% powder charge with that powder.
Those are usefull loads, not silly lawyered up loads that reduce the 7mmRM to less than what the 7x57mm can do with long brass life.

Sheesh.


I also way overload every rifle and pistol design to see what happens.
I take my rifles WAY past the threshold of long brass life.
I know what they are capable, when the bolt yields, and how much.
There are huge amounts of safety margin between long brass life and where the rifle fails.

This is a 7mmRM at QL 108kpsi fired in a VZ24 I converted from 8x57 to 7mmRM
180 gr VLD moly 70 gr Re17 108 kpsi primer fell out
Alliant's max load for 175 gr is 57 gr, so that case was fired with 13 gr extra powder.
I later hunted with that rifle and shot a deer and an antelope in 2011.

I have only been reloading about a year. That ^ scares the **** out of me, it should scare you too. I am sure am glad I have a private range and not shooting next to that!

 

[DRG]

Clark, I would like to consult with you about the pressure of my 7mm STW load. I use 80 gr H4831 and a 140 grain Nosler ballistic tip. The primer is smashed flat, but extraction is easy. There are no loose primer pockets. I suspect that I can crank this load up a few grains.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Clark, I would like to consult with you about the pressure of my 7mm STW load. I use 80 gr H4831 and a 140 grain Nosler ballistic tip. The primer is smashed flat, but extraction is easy. There are no loose primer pockets. I suspect that I can crank this load up a few grains.

I had a pressure guage on my last stw- a sendero. It was at 64000 psi at 78 I 7828 with a 140 sierra and a 215. Basically I'm saying you are at or over max already and it doesn't do anyone any good to go farther.
No wonder my brother won't buy a used rifle and rifle makers won't warrant their rifles for people who handload.
h4831 is rather fast for full power loads in the 7stw to start with. You would be much better off with rl25 or retumbo and possibly better off still with one of the 50bmg powder offerings. If you want to read more on this go to the stw brotherhood thread where this has been discussed in depth.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I have only been reloading about a year. That ^ scares the **** out of me, it should scare you too. I am sure am glad I have a private range and not shooting next to that!

Amen to that. It is good to hear there are other sane people out there that actually respect their equipment for the dangers inherent to said equipment. I've seen guns either freeze or come apart from careless handloading. I'm not letting it happen to my rifles.

 

[DRG]

Thank you for that info about the slower powders. Maybe that is the route to more velocity with this cartridge. It was a good cartridge when designed, but it has been eclipsed by the RUM in my personal opinion.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Thank you for that info about the slower powders. Maybe that is the route to more velocity with this cartridge. It was a good cartridge when designed, but it has been eclipsed by the RUM in my personal opinion.

The 7rum is a bit faster, but not enough to notice. I also shot one 7rum tired in 600 rounds, but my last 7stw was still sub 1/2" at 100 1500 rounds in. IMO the 7stw is better than either the 7rem or 7rum, but it looks like both of the bigger rounds are dead as far as factory stuff is concerned.

 

[shawnb]

To get back on track here, I tried viht n560 with 66gr and f210m with Norma brass 5 thou off. Shoot 2 shots at 700 the other day (all I had left) and they were side by side. Velocity is 3030 with crony 20 feet away. That's with 168 bergers.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Looking back at old data this morning I think I'll have to do some test work with 170 sierra's and 171 Barnes as I don't have the test work done on my 7mag(m700) to really say what ther load is. I've worked with wc872 a bit, but accuracy wasn't anything stellar. I'll need to work up rl22 and retumbo I guess.
The load data on this cal. is scatterbrained at best so it'll be fun.

I really like the 140 sierra in this cal with either 68-70 rl22 or 56 or so i4064. I'm out of 4064 and don't want to burn the rest of my 140's up on targets. They do too well on critters to waste 'em.

 

[DRG]

I have had bad luck with Barnes pooping up the barrel.

Although they have a spotty reputation, I like the Nosler ballistic tips for deer sized game. On antelope you can use any bullet and they will go down even when hit in the toenail. On deer at close range, I may need more than one shot due to the fragility of the ballistic tip, but at 300 yards they do great.

 

[chucknbach]

Yep, I've got a #1 also, but mine's a 338. People who intentionally post overloads are why I feel like getting off this site. Posting crap like that will get someone hurt.
Just because a rifle's destructive testing has shown it will take 100K psi doesn't mean every action or piece of brass in that cal. will take anywhere near that much pressure. Normal proof loads are about 30% over normal running pressure and that's it. The 7rem is a bad cartridge running at lower pressure than many of the designs are capable of. But there are rifles in 7rem that do NOT have the headroom to play with extremely heavy loads. Not to mention the fact that the higher pressure you run the rifle, the faster the throut wears and the more action wear you will have and I don't care if you have a bolt or falling block.

In short get a bigger gun if you want to run with the bigger guns.

Anyone who would take someones load off the internet and use that as there starting point.....well do I really need to say anything?

I give people a little more credit then that.

I just worked up a load. 66 gn IMR 4831 162 gn Amax Nosler brass CCI 250
another one is 69 gn H4831sc with same bullet. I haven't cronoed either yet but what I have been shooting is 67 gn IMR 4831 160 gn sierra for 3140 fps

I do not load for velocity. These loads are what my rifle shoots most accurately, With absolutely no pressure signs. Depending on what book, I'm 3 to 4 gns over their published Max. I did start at the min charge weight.

That's funny, I just checked, I'm in 7mm rum published territory. Who knows if I had a rum I'd might be off the charts, if that's what my rifle dictated. I do have rifles that are loaded below the max because that's what they shoot the best.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Anyone who would take someones load off the internet and use that as there starting point.....well do I really need to say anything?

I give people a little more credit then that.

I just worked up a load. 66 gn IMR 4831 162 gn Amax Nosler brass CCI 250
another one is 69 gn H4831sc with same bullet. I haven't cronoed either yet but what I have been shooting is 67 gn IMR 4831 160 gn sierra for 3140 fps

I do not load for velocity. These loads are what my rifle shoots most accurately, With absolutely no pressure signs. Depending on what book, I'm 3 to 4 gns over their published Max. I did start at the min charge weight.

That's funny, I just checked, I'm in 7mm rum published territory. Who knows if I had a rum I'd might be off the charts, if that's what my rifle dictated. I do have rifles that are loaded below the max because that's what they shoot the best.

Another gent with a small block looking for big block performance. There's nothing wrong with the small block if you respect its limits.
I can do 3200 fps with a 7mm stw with a 160 grain or 3100 fps with a 171-175 grain. I prefer to get a big enough stick and run it easy; I'll get twice as many shots out of my rifle that way.
I have shot out a 7rum- you are barely into start loads at 3100 fps on a 160. My brother is using published Retumbo data and doing 3450 fps on a 150 with his 7rum. I was doing 3500 fps with a 140 without even trying. The 140 load got me a 700 yard + kill offhand after a 600 yarder offhand on a trotting deer in the wind the evening before, also offhand- both witnessed.
I actually like 30 cal a lot better for hauling freight and will usually go there if I want to go over 140-150 grains. I've gone to 3300-3400 fps with mil-surp 50bmg stuff in my 30 ultra with 180's. My normal 180 load is 3300 fps with a mid-load of rl25.

 

[chucknbach]

Another gent with a small block looking for big block performance. There's nothing wrong with the small block if you respect its limits.
I can do 3200 fps with a 7mm stw with a 160 grain or 3100 fps with a 171-175 grain. I prefer to get a big enough stick and run it easy; I'll get twice as many shots out of my rifle that way.
I have shot out a 7rum- you are barely into start loads at 3100 fps on a 160. My brother is using published Retumbo data and doing 3450 fps on a 150 with his 7rum. I was doing 3500 fps with a 140 without even trying. The 140 load got me a 700 yard + kill offhand after a 600 yarder offhand on a trotting deer in the wind the evening before, also offhand- both witnessed.
I actually like 30 cal a lot better for hauling freight and will usually go there if I want to go over 140-150 grains. I've gone to 3300-3400 fps with mil-surp 50bmg stuff in my 30 ultra with 180's. My normal 180 load is 3300 fps with a mid-load of rl25.

Not really, don't care as much about velocity as I've already stated. In fact I didn't crono that first load till 2 years after I found it. Your rum is perfectly safe from my rem mag. Not trying to compete. I just looked at the hodgdon sight for the published data on the RUM 160gn that 3050 is the max.


160 GR. NOS PART IMR IMR 4831 .284" 3.600" 76.5 3050 61,000 PSI

 

[chucknbach]

Funny thing, was talking with my brother about this subject. He looked up my load in his 1960's speer manual. The suggested max load back then was 72gn IMR4831. Back then I was 5 gn under loaded.

Guess they weren't as scared of lawyers back then.

Oh yeah and Lefty I have a .243 that humms along at a furious 2450 fps and I'm still confident of my penis size!