Questions for 7Mag Reloaders.......

[5MilesBack]

Looking for some of your best loads for LR shooting in regular 7mm Winchester Magnums. I'm looking for any length COAL for single loads, as well as loads that will fit in the magazine. I've been working up some hunting loads to test for magazine length, and 3.350" is as long as will fit in my mag and cycle well. I'm shooting a Browning A-bolt with a 9.5" twist. I've loaded up two different bullets so far and both hit the lands at 3.4" exactly.......so I'm shooting them .05" off the lands for magazine length. The bullets are the Berger 168gr Classic Hunters and the 160gr Barnes MRX (which they don't make anymore). However, this gun has shot some amazing groups with the MRX's in the past so I'm confident loading them up. Looking forward to seeing what the Bergers will do. I normally run 175gr Partitions in this gun and they fly really well, but trying some more bullets that are better designed for longer range stuff. I have H1000 and RL-22 powder with Fed 215's and Win LRM primers.

So.....what are some of your pet loads?

I also have some 175gr Hornady ELD-X's and 175gr Barnes LRX's to try for single loading as well, but will hold off on testing those until I finish up with the mag length rounds. These two bullets are "quite a bit" longer than all my others, and not sure I want to run them at mag length unless they can outperform the others being seated that far down.

 

[mt100gr.]

In my Tikka with a 9.5" twist I have had great accuracy with the 168gr classic hunters seated about .10 off over 70.0 grains of Retumbo. That gives a COL of 3.29 for my rifle. Currently I am settled on the 168 vlds seated .13 off the lands with a COL of 3.31. I found better accuracy with jumping it than with jamming it. I am loading these shorter than the HSM factory loads which I also had really good accuracy with at 3.34 COL.

 

[mt100gr.]

...I had really good accuracy with the classic hunters with H1000 at 3.29 COL also. I just went on a bit more of a velocity quest and finally found a load with Retumbo at the expense of lots of tinkering and bullets down range.

I had the best results with the classics with CCI 250s and WinLRM primers with the VLDS.

 

[5MilesBack]

Thanks. What kind of speed are you getting with the Retumbo load? My last powder order I meant to add Retumbo to it for testing and forgot it. I'm surprised the HSM factory loads are longer than SAAMI spec. Seems like every factory load I've ever measured has been way under the 3.29". I also can't find my CCI 250's or 200's for some reason, I had a box of each. Hard to just lose two boxes of primers.

I'm anxious to shoot these test loads, but it's supposed to be windy and rainy the next two days. I'm also anxious to load stuff up, but can't do that until I do the testing. I shot a 1-hole group with the 175gr Partitions the other day from 100, but I just don't think they'll fly as well as these others much further down range. Once I finish the 100 yard testing, I'll take them to the 600 yard range and compare.

 

[TeaGull]

7mm Rem Mag
Barnes recommends 1:8" twist or faster for 168 LRX.
Barnes recommends .050" jump to start.

I shoot 150 TSX .050" off with 60.4g IMR 4831. CCI 250. 2920fps with no pressure signs. I should work up from here, just haven't spent the time. I have shot this round out of my Tikka with good accuracy and performance to 650 yards. Have not shot an animal over 450y. NOT Long Range.

 

[5MilesBack]

...I had really good accuracy with the classic hunters with H1000 at 3.29 COL also.

What kind of charge did you use with the H1000? I made it out this morning to shoot before it started raining. My 168gr Classic Bergers at 3.350" and 69.5gr H1000 was the most accurate load, but only about 2955fps average. If I shorten them up to 3.29" that should boost the velocity a little using the same amount. 69.5 is supposed to be max load at 3.29".

I didn't load any of the MRX's with H1000, but will this time seeing how well the Bergers liked it. The Bergers groups at 5/8". I had an MRX group the same size, but at almost 80fps slower with the RL22.

 

[cowboy300]

I ran 168 VLDs @3130 with H1000 out of a 26" tube with a throat cut for VLDs. I have switched over to 180 hybrids now @3100 with Retumbo.

 

[mt100gr.]

What kind of charge did you use with the H1000? I made it out this morning to shoot before it started raining. My 168gr Classic Bergers at 3.350" and 69.5gr H1000 was the most accurate load, but only about 2955fps average. If I shorten them up to 3.29" that should boost the velocity a little using the same amount. 69.5 is supposed to be max load at 3.29".

I didn't load any of the MRX's with H1000, but will this time seeing how well the Bergers liked it. The Bergers groups at 5/8". I had an MRX group the same size, but at almost 80fps slower with the RL22.

I was at the book max charge for 3.29" - 69.5 grains of H1000.
With my 24.4 in Tikka I think I remember the chrono reading about 2940.

My 168 VLD over Retumbo load that I am really liking now is averaging 2985. I am happy with that and the accuracy out of a lighter weight rifle. I may try stepping up the charge a little bit sometime.

 

[5MilesBack]

I have switched over to 180 hybrids now @3100 with Retumbo.

I haven't seen any of the 180gr Hybrids, or I would have bought those instead of the 168's.

 

[LaHunter]

For my 7mm rem mag:
160 grain Accubonds
IMR 7828 66.5 grains
Fed GM215M primers
Federal brass
approx .015 from lands
3150 fps
This load has produced .25 MOA 3 shot groups at 600 yards from my rifle. It routinely stays within .5 MOA at this distance.