Reloading For 7mm Rem Mag

[markg]

I recently purchased a tikka t3 in 7mm remmington magnum and I will be reloading for it. I did a few searches on the topic on the forum but didnt find any info. Ill bet there are several threads about the topic i cant find.

That being said, any suggestions? I plan on starting with imr 4350 with the nosler accubond long range 150 grain. Noslers manual says that 63 grs of imr 4350 was the most accurate load of that powder and it produced the highest Velocity.
I have some IMR 4831 , H4831 SC and some imr 7828 and was currious if those are better starting points.

Your advice is always appreciated.

[markg]

I should note that I am hoping to get 3100 to 3200 fps out of the load if i can.

[Cowtown guy]

Those numbers are for their gun and conditions. Yours may be totally different.
Secondly 63 is their max load. DO NOT START THERE. Just because it is safe for them, don't assume it is safe in yours. They list a minimum. Start there. Work up slowly.
Next, if you are chasing accuracy, and by the bullet choice I am assuming that LR accuracy is your end strategy, don't get all hot and bothered with the speed. At the end of the day if you are shooting over 400 yards you are cranking dials. Does it really matter if it is 38 clicks or 41 to hit a 500 yard target? Chase the accuracy first. If speed follows safely then that's a bonus of sorts.
Last, many, many 7 Rem Mags seem to really love the 4831 powders. Again yours may not but they seem to really like each other.

[markg]

Thanks Cowtown. That was exactly what i was looking for. I have been reloading lighter calibre's for several years. I hate recoil, but i bought a 7mm and put a muzzle brake on it because i have some friends that have access to some land with moose and elk.

[elkhunter11]

I have had the best results in my rifles with R-22, but it is so hard to get, that it isn't worth considering. The second best powder in my rifles was IMR7828, with IMR 4350 close behind. I pay very little attention to the so called most "accurate load",as they have rarely been the most accurate in my rifles. I did some testing with the 150gr Accubond LR in two rifles, but accuracy was disappointing in those rifles. Both rifles did much better with the 140gr Accubond. I find that I am usually able to reach around 3100fps with a 150gr bullets in the 7mmremmag, and 3200fps with the 140gr bullets.

[Altaboy]

Try 63 grains of H4350 and a150 Ballistic tip. This has been my accuracy test load for all the seven mag I have owned. Seldom fails to impress

[Throttle_monkey1]

I've just started reloading for the 7mm as well. I went with the 150 e-tips as I can't find any 150 grain accubond long range bullets.

4350 might be a bit quick. Reloader-22 is a great powder but good luck finding it. Norma MRP is almost identical and is more consistent and is available. Start low and work up.

Norma's website shows 3250 fps max with some 150 grain bullets using MRP. Play with your seating lengths as the the accubond LR bullets are long but do have a short bearing surface. I have obtained great velocity & accuracy with them out of a 6.5x55 T3 and reloader 17 (almost identical to h4350).

Send me a message if you want to know where to get MRP

[rembo]

I've always thought IMR4350 to be a bit too fast for anything more than a 140 in the 7 Rem Mag. I did have an accurate load with a 150 Ballistic Tip and H4350 but at max it only ran about 3050. I can run a 160 near that speed with Rel25. I'd start with slower powder like your H4831.

[James 1]

I am running I'M 4831 in my 7mm RM getting 3000ft per sec. About 1/2 MOA. with 160gr Accubonds. 😊

[elkhunter1234]

I reload for my Tikka T3 varmint in a 7 mag and have had my best results with 64gr of imr4831 pushing a 168gr berger hunter bullet. It's only at 2900fps but will hit a 8 inch gong at 1,00 yards all day long.
The one thing you will notice reloading the T3 is you are restricted with the overall cartridge length becouse of the clip they use, if I want to use the clip I'm over .400 off the lans, but it still seems to shoot fine even with that big of a jump.
If I ever get lucky enough to get my hands on some accubond LR like you found I would like to try them as I'm not sure bergers are what I'm really looking for in the end anyways, but for now it's the best I can get my hands on.

Jim...

[7mmremmag]

Im running 140gr TTSX's out of a Benchmark 1 - 9.5 twist barrel. 66grs of RL-22 and Fed LRM primers. I dont have a chrony so I have no idea how fast their going?
Id love to try some 160's but premium bullets in the 160gr seem tough to come by.

[Throttle_monkey1]

Originally Posted by elkhunter1234

I reload for my Tikka T3 varmint in a 7 mag and have had my best results with 64gr of imr4831 pushing a 168gr berger hunter bullet. It's only at 2900fps but will hit a 8 inch gong at 1,00 yards all day long.
The one thing you will notice reloading the T3 is you are restricted with the overall cartridge length becouse of the clip they use, if I want to use the clip I'm over .400 off the lans, but it still seems to shoot fine even with that big of a jump.
If I ever get lucky enough to get my hands on some accubond LR like you found I would like to try them as I'm not sure bergers are what I'm really looking for in the end anyways, but for now it's the best I can get my hands on.

Jim...

Wow that is a lot of jump. I didn't know the t3 mag was that restrictive in 7mm but it makes sense as they're all one length for standard action.

My max length for my Carl Gustafs 7mm internal mag is about 3.410". What is it in your t3?

[bulletman]

I have had a 7mm since I was 19. It is still my favourite hunting cartridge and I have a couple of these, one in a hunter and the other one I use for testing various loads and new bullets as they come along. In the 7 the only Nosler ABLR that passed the test was the 168 grain. They fly pretty nice. 2nd place went to the 150 ABLR and last was the 175 which were darn near awful. You're wanting some pretty hefty numbers. I settle for a few less fps and accuracy instead. The last big game animal I harvested was not chronograph equipped nor will next one.
As ELK 11 says RL22 is the ideal powder in the 7mm Rem. Mag. however since it is so hard to find others will work. I use Retumbo in one and H 4831 SC in the other. Nosler ABLR's aren't too easy to find either so the regular 160 Accubonds do quite will in quite a few rifles that I load for.

[elkhunter1234]

Originally Posted by Throttle_monkey1

Wow that is a lot of jump. I didn't know the t3 mag was that restrictive in 7mm but it makes sense as they're all one length for standard action.

My max length for my Carl Gustafs 7mm internal mag is about 3.410". What is it in your t3?

Looks like I should stay away from a computer until after my morning coffee.. .400 was wrong, the longest ocl the factory clip will handle in 3.310 but the gun will handle a 3.550 ocl, so I guess I'm 2.40 off the lans not over .400.. Sorry

Jim...

[Cowtown guy]

Originally Posted by Altaboy

Try 63 grains of H4350 and a150 Ballistic tip. This has been my accuracy test load for all the seven mag I have owned. Seldom fails to impress

Hodgdon says a max of 57 for that load. Nosler online doesn't have data. My older Nosler book doesn't list that powder either.

OP do not just try this load. I am also hoping that this poster isn't just whipping up a batch and heading out to the range with a new 7 Rem Mag if one is found.

[markg]

Originally Posted by elkhunter1234

I reload for my Tikka T3 varmint in a 7 mag and have had my best results with 64gr of imr4831 pushing a 168gr berger hunter bullet. It's only at 2900fps but will hit a 8 inch gong at 1,00 yards all day long.
The one thing you will notice reloading the T3 is you are restricted with the overall cartridge length becouse of the clip they use, if I want to use the clip I'm over .400 off the lans, but it still seems to shoot fine even with that big of a jump.
If I ever get lucky enough to get my hands on some accubond LR like you found I would like to try them as I'm not sure bergers are what I'm really looking for in the end anyways, but for now it's the best I can get my hands on.

Jim...

I'm glad you mentioned this. We ran into the same problem. A group of us are reloading together, 3 shoot Tikka and one shoots Sako. We did a Coal test on all three with them all being within a thousandth of each other. We made some ammo and the cartridges wouldn't fit in the Tikkas. We had to go back and seat them deeper.

[rembo]

Originally Posted by Cowtown guy

Hodgdon says a max of 57 for that load. Nosler online doesn't have data. My older Nosler book doesn't list that powder either.

OP do not just try this load. I am also hoping that this poster isn't just whipping up a batch and heading out to the range with a new 7 Rem Mag if one is found.

I've shot this load a lot.

63 grs of IMR4350 is a max load in the Nosler #6.

The H4350 is listed somewhere I know. It runs 3050 to 3075 in my 24" barrel 700. Not fast but very accurate.

[markg]

Originally Posted by Cowtown guy

Hodgdon says a max of 57 for that load. Nosler online doesn't have data. My older Nosler book doesn't list that powder either.

OP do not just try this load. I am also hoping that this poster isn't just whipping up a batch and heading out to the range with a new 7 Rem Mag if one is found.

I won't be just whipping up a batch. Thank you for your concern (seriously thank you) I'll start in the low 60's and work up to 63 in the Imr if there aren't any pressure signs.

Seems like I am on the right track with our powder choices. I guess I'll just have to experiment.

I have connections in a gun store so luckily I have access to a cuboid long range bullets

[markg]

Went to the range today with some 150 Accubond long ranges loaded with 61grs of IMR 4350 and i was getting velocities of low 2700's. Strangely the guys i was with using the same loads were in th high 2700's and mid 2800's I have a muzzle brake and they dont. Curious if this would make a difference. 2 of us were shooting brand new Tikka T3 and the one who had the highest velocities was shooting a Sako.

No sub MOA groups.

[Throttle_monkey1]

That's discouraging, you could up the charge a bit, obviously keeping an eye out for over pressure. I would go to a slower powder for the 150s if you can't safely achieve the velocities and accuracy you're after.

[Kevlak]

I reload for my 7mm rm, I use nosler 150gr etips and get an average speed 3025fps using Winchester supreme 780, 66gr. I know that this powder is not really available, I've only ever seen 4lbs and bought all 4, but perhaps you can find a powder with the same burn rate and give it a try. I know the etips are solid copper, so this could play a factor in it as well. I had no signs of pressure.

Kevin

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Kevlak

I reload for my 7mm rm, I use nosler 150gr etips and get an average speed 3025fps using Winchester supreme 780, 66gr. I know that this powder is not really available, I've only ever seen 4lbs and bought all 4, but perhaps you can find a powder with the same burn rate and give it a try. I know the etips are solid copper, so this could play a factor in it as well. I had no signs of pressure.

Kevin

The E-Tips are a monometal, but they are not solid copper. Like the GMX they are gilding metal, but unlike the GMX, they have no grooves on the shank.

[Kevlak]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

The E-Tips are a monometal, but they are not solid copper. Like the GMX they are gilding metal, but unlike the GMX, they have no grooves on the shank.

Thank you for the correction.

[Dean2]

Hornady 162 grain BT with 4831 SC is an awesome combination. The 7 Rem Mag really does seem to love 4831 powder. I can get higher velocities with a couple of others but I cannot get as high a velocity with the outstanding accuracy I get using 4831.

For killing game at close or long range the 162 grain Hornday's are very hard to beat. Great B.C., easy to load and relatively inexpensive so you can afford to shoot a lot of them. You can also get the 162 and 175 Hornady to shoot exactly the same POI at 300 yards with a little work on the loads.

[Cowtown guy]

Originally Posted by markg

Went to the range today with some 150 Accubond long ranges loaded with 61grs of IMR 4350 and i was getting velocities of low 2700's. Strangely the guys i was with using the same loads were in th high 2700's and mid 2800's I have a muzzle brake and they dont. Curious if this would make a difference. 2 of us were shooting brand new Tikka T3 and the one who had the highest velocities was shooting a Sako.

No sub MOA groups.

You likely already know this but this is exactly why load data can't just be switched around willy nilly. Which I know you aren't doing. Your scenario is proof that different barrels produce pressures differently. 2 T3's with 2 very different results. Hence the start low and safely work up mantra that so many experienced loaders chant so often.

There is a chance that your barrel will max out its pressure at a higher powder charge. It still needs to be discovered obviously but at least for the newer reloaders on the site that may be reading this they have something to think about.

We constantly get folks here just passing out load data saying how safe it is. That may be true in their rifle, it also may not be. I always worry that a newbie is going to run with a load. Hell the guy may show up to the range and shoot beside me. I don't want him experimenting beside me.

[Cowtown guy]

Originally Posted by rembo

I've shot this load a lot.

63 grs of IMR4350 is a max load in the Nosler #6.

The H4350 is listed somewhere I know. It runs 3050 to 3075 in my 24" barrel 700. Not fast but very accurate.

IMR 4350 wasn't listed in the other post I was referring to. It is not the same burn rate as H4350. The other post was saying that the OP could take the 63 grains of H4350 and go since it was good for his gun.

I don't know how much experience Markg has so I was showing him that this may not be a safe alternative. It may, but it would take the proper time and caution to find out.

I did a little more digging and IMR data online shows a max of 57 grains of H4350.

[Jordan Smith]

The listed max of 57gr is for a 150gr Nosler PT, a bullet known to have a long bearing surface and high friction. The listed max for the 150 TTSX, a bullet more comparable in pressure generation to the 150 BT, shows 62.5 gr of H4350. Bullets make a big difference in pressure generation, and one cannot simply assume that data for a PT is the same as for a BT.

You are right in that different barrels/chambers produce different pressures/velocities, for a variety of reasons. If the OP works up until he sees pressure-tested velocity using like components and barrel length, or traditional pressure signs, whichever comes first in his rifle, he can be confident that he is not exceeding published pressure.

[markg]

Anyone shooting 7mm Rem Mag with Retumbo?

[7mmremmag]

I tried Retumbo but couldnt get the groups out of it like I did with RL22

[Xbolt7mm]

A search will come up with this exact topic about two weeks ago