load work for custom 7mm?

[Duckslayer89]

Ordered a 7mm Rem Mag and was wondering if anyone knows somebody who does load work for hire? Or somebody who is passionate about reloading and wants to make a few bucks? I don't reload yet but want to maximize accuracy potential out of the rifle. There's an online guy Copper Creek Cartridge but I want somebody who's really going to take their time to find a perfect load for the gun. He might I'm not sure has anyone used him? Thanks for suggestions

[Crunchy]

You need to find someone local or very experienced at load developement.  I probably loaded and shot 140 rounds to find my rifle's sweet spot.

[Magnum_Willys]

Talk to your builder - for example Rbros said they use pretty much the same load for their same cartridge builds and it works out great.   Your builder may put you in touch with someone he built the same rifle for and that would be a good start they may donate 5 rounds to try.

But load development can be a lot about finding what doesn't work and that can take days. 

Sample process  - labor of love

0) Pick a bullet, powder, and primer combination

a) start low and shoot ladder test until hitting max pressure, 10 rounds, .015 off the lands

b) Adjust quickload software to actual velocity and see when you are close to a node, or drop a grain from max

c) Load .5 grains on and plus/minus around node, shoot 4 shots each

d) Pick best and test seating depth .005, .010, .015, .030, .060 four shots each

e) Fine tune seating depth .003 +/- around best 4 shots each

f) Fine tune powder +/- .3, .6 gr up and down four shots each

If you want to hit a 6" paper plate everytime at 500 yards or better this should get you there.

If you want to hit a golf ball at 500 yards you may need to Try Different Primer, Then Try different powder, Then Try different bullet

SHORTCUT: Pick a standard proven, load at .015 off the lands and go shoot.  You may be done !

[hogslayer]

Your pretty close to me.   I would buy some RL 26 and either 180 Berger VLD or 180 ELD M bullets.  Depending on your free bore you may end up getting 3100 from a 180.  Or close to that.  Are you planning on getting into reloading your self?  I have loaded quite a few 7mm mag rounds.  I can help you find a load.  I have RL 26, primers, Berger 180 Hybrids.  I sold my 7mm Mag dies and brass last year.  IF you buy some Norma brass and either Redding or Forester full length dies with mico seating stem, ill help you out.  And make you ammo.

[Duckslayer89]

Your pretty close to me.   I would buy some RL 26 and either 180 Berger VLD or 180 ELD M bullets.  Depending on your free bore you may end up getting 3100 from a 180.  Or close to that.  Are you planning on getting into reloading your self?  I have loaded quite a few 7mm mag rounds.  I can help you find a load.  I have RL 26, primers, Berger 180 Hybrids.  I sold my 7mm Mag dies and brass last year.  IF you buy some Norma brass and either Redding or Forester full length dies with mico seating stem, ill help you out.  And make you ammo.

Sweet man that would be awesome. I really don't have any intent on reloading myself yet, but should start thinking about it with one of my rifles ammo being really rare and hard to find now (338rcm). Once it starts getting closer to delivery time for the gun I'll start asking them about load development maybe for a jump off. If you have loaded a lot of 7mm I'm sure we could figure it out. Do you toy with the different primers and stuff like magnum said? Custom rifles are spendy I want to max its potential out. What's the difference between the hybrid and the hunting bullets? Is Norma the best brass for 7mm? Thanks all for advice. What do you think about accubonds? I heard the VLDs are really accurate though

[Duckslayer89]

What would you guys suggest for equipment for someone just getting into reloading? What do you really need and how hard is it? Seems a little confusing with different measurements and everything but might be worth it in the long run? I just have no idea where to start. But I do love shooting!

[hogslayer]

The only time that i would switch primers is if the extreme spread was large.  The only two primers you could play with would be a Federal 215 or CCI 250.  I have about 6K fed 215 and 14 lbs of Reloder 26.  I would definitely use a 175-180 grain bullet to get pax performance.  The berger 180 VLD or Hornady 180 ELDM is what i would use.  The Hornday bullet is classified as a match bullet but has been working good on game.  I have 180  Berger hybrids and 162 Hornady ELDX in 7mm that you could try.  Gunwerks does/did load there ammo with 180 Hybrids and have killed lots of animals with them.  I would just come over when your ready, and i'll show you the process that i do.  Reloading can be basic or extremely detail oriented depending on your expectation.  It would be best to get a reloading press and a scale along with a few other things.  Say we find a load pretty fast, most likely at about 100 rounds your barrel will speed up and it will throw your powder charge off.  You will need to lower your charge weight to get back to the optimum load for your rifle.  Do you know what reamer was used for your chamber?  There usually made with a certain amount of free bore depending on the bullet your going to be using. 

[Thehowler]

now this is turning into real bologna

[Duckslayer89]

The only time that i would switch primers is if the extreme spread was large.  The only two primers you could play with would be a Federal 215 or CCI 250.  I have about 6K fed 215 and 14 lbs of Reloder 26.  I would definitely use a 175-180 grain bullet to get pax performance.  The berger 180 VLD or Hornady 180 ELDM is what i would use.  The Hornday bullet is classified as a match bullet but has been working good on game.  I have 180  Berger hybrids and 162 Hornady ELDX in 7mm that you could try.  Gunwerks does/did load there ammo with 180 Hybrids and have killed lots of animals with them.  I would just come over when your ready, and i'll show you the process that i do.  Reloading can be basic or extremely detail oriented depending on your expectation.  It would be best to get a reloading press and a scale along with a few other things.  Say we find a load pretty fast, most likely at about 100 rounds your barrel will speed up and it will throw your powder charge off.  You will need to lower your charge weight to get back to the optimum load for your rifle.  Do you know what reamer was used for your chamber?  There usually made with a certain amount of free bore depending on the bullet your going to be using.

That sounds good man I would like to see how you do it and maybe in the future I could load my own stuff. I'm not sure about the reamer but I'm sure if I asked him he would let me know what was used and where to start for a load, I know it's going to be a 1/8.7 twist and 24 inch barrel. The stock is anywhere from 4-8 months out and then 2 months to finish everything else. So could be here in 5-9 months from now.

[Duckslayer89]

I also told him I planned on shooting the 180 grain Berger Vld hunting bullets when I put my order in. Not sure if that would change anything in the way he builds it though

[Magnum_Willys]

I also told him I planned on shooting the 180 grain Berger Vld hunting bullets when I put my order in. Not sure if that would change anything in the way he builds it though

The length of the magazine limits the cartridge overall length.  Using just under this length the smith will ream out the chamber to match with the depth depending on type of bullet you specify.  With similar shaped bullets it won’t matter but if you were just using factory loads it would.

[Duckslayer89]

I also told him I planned on shooting the 180 grain Berger Vld hunting bullets when I put my order in. Not sure if that would change anything in the way he builds it though

The length of the magazine limits the cartridge overall length.  Using just under this length the smith will ream out the chamber to match with the depth depending on type of bullet you specify.  With similar shaped bullets it won’t matter but if you were just using factory loads it would.

Ok cool! Would the 160 grain accubonds count as similar shaped you think? @hogslayer are the 215 the federal match primers? I looked online today and NOWHERE has Norma or Nosler brass for 7mm Rem mag. I'll keep my eyes open every few days the next few months.

[hogslayer]

I would be really surprised if you had magazine length problems with a 7mm mag on a custom build using a long action.  160 accubonds would be shorter than a 180 grain bullet.  No they are not the match primers.  Those have been very hard to find over the last few years.  It's a toss up if they are really that much better.  Only difference i have been told is that the more experienced workers make the fed match primers.  I have seen some Norma 7mm mag brass recently at Sportsman's Warehouse in Federal Way.

[rudysts]

A 7 Rem that is built with a quality barrel by a good smith can be extremely accurate with proper load development. I bought a 7 Rem barreled action from Benchmark barrels back when it only took them 4 weeks to build it and it was a hammer. the 3 shot group was shot at 500 yards to confirm seating depth and the 5 shot group was at 600 yards (windy that day @ 600) but the waterline was impressive 1 inch vertical the 5 shot group bullets were colored with a purple sharpie . this was with a 180 berger hybrid and some Retumbo CCI250 primer.

[rudysts]

Forgot to mention if you need some help let me know I can sponsor you to shoot at my range it goes out to 550 yards. I also have a set of Redding dies for 7 Rem it has the competition seating die I can sell you for a good price.