Another reloading newb question

[JDArms1240]

Nice, thanks folks!  This is the info I’m looking for. 

I have a spot that stretches to about 1100 yards, but my scope won’t go that far.  The furthest I can go is 925 before the turret tops out.  Real fun to shoot that far but I’m not too worried about the scope since I won’t be shooting an animal that far.

The chronograph is on my list of things to get, so I guess a trimmer isn’t the last item I need to get.  For now I have used someone else’s chrono.

IMO 300-500 is plenty.  You don't want to stretch it so far that your equipment is being tested vs the rounds.  I'll add that keeping track of which impact is which gets more difficult the further the target.

Good points, and for those further ones I’d definitely say that you’re correct.

[JDArms1240]

Lots of ways to skin this cat….and all work.  I don’t like to waste powder or components so I do it this way…

1. Start at a safe powder charge and a seating depth of 0.020 off the lands. 
2. Work up 0.5 grains of powder for each subsequent round.
3. Shoot these rounds, allowing your barrel to cool between shots (or at least after ever 2-3 shots).  I prefer 2-3 minutes between shots depending on ambient temperature.   
4.after each shot, look for pressure signs on your brass.  If you see pressure signs…..stop immediately and know that is your max load. (Pressure signs include flattened primers, heavy bolt lift, ejector or extractor marks, blown primers, primer dimpling, etc.)
5.  Watch your target for trends in POI.  Document every shots location.
6.  Hopefully you can chronograph each round to track velocities.
7.   Find a node with the velocities or the POI trends and pick your starting load.
8.  Now you can load 3-5 rounds and shoot for group.   You can fine tune your groups in 0.2 grains of powder increments and with seating depths working away from the lands (jam) in 0.002 or 0.003 increments. 

Don’t hesitate to ask for clarification.  I typed this on my phone so I tried not to be to wordy.

Ok, I was finally able to get out and do a step test on the BondStrikes.  There doesn’t seem to be lots of published data on them so I started with a very close round and worked up from the lowest charge in half-grain increments all the way up the max.  I used @jrebel’s advice with the only difference being that I loaded up 3 rounds at each grain increment. 

This created more questions though; the rounds never showed even the slightest amount of pressure, not one sign that I’ve seen or read about showed up.  Also, I chrono’d each of my rounds and they were all at least 300fps slower than the published data said they should be; I understand published data isn’t gospel, but it should fairly close, right?  At the max grain amount, the bullets were goin slower than the speed that the book said they should be going at the minimum charge weight. 

So that brings me to the big question, should I keep going up in .5 grain increments, above book max, until I reach signs of pressure?  The book max is 70.5, at which weight the data says the bullet should be going ~3025fps (actual round speed was ~2770).  My round groups seemed to tighten up both in velocity and POI as my grain weight approached the max recommended weight.  my smallest group was the 70.5 with a little less than 3/4” group @ 100 yards.

Or should I switch up the powder completely and try some’m else!?  Thanks in advance fellas. 

Sorry if this made no sense, this felt like a novel to type up on a mobile phone.

[jrebel]

How full is your case at 70.5?  Are you compressing the load or do you still have room.  If there is no pressure I would work up carefully looking for pressure…..assuming I’m not compressing the powder.  I like 90% + case fill with my loads.  I’m not against slight compression but I try to avoid it.  If your case is full and you have not hit pressure and are not getting the velocities you should….i would think a faster powder is needed.

Lots of unknown on my part, so these are just general rules or thoughts.

[JDArms1240]

How full is your case at 70.5?  Are you compressing the load or do you still have room.  If there is no pressure I would work up carefully looking for pressure…..assuming I’m not compressing the powder.  I like 90% + case fill with my loads.  I’m not against slight compression but I try to avoid it.  If your case is full and you have not hit pressure and are not getting the velocities you should….i would think a faster powder is needed.

Lots of unknown on my part, so these are just general rules or thoughts.

Lots of room in there, I’ll try to get some pictures.

[JDArms1240]

I ran out and loaded up a 70.5 grain shell of h1000.  I took some pictures but they suck so bear with me.  I dropped a q-tip in there till it hit the top of the powder, took it out and measured, the bottom of the q-tip is the top of the powder.

[JDArms1240]

.

[EnglishSetter]

I'd be comfortable working up from there, but show us some primers.

Have you chrono'd anything else?

How long is your barrel?

[JDArms1240]

24” tikka T3X in 7mm rem mag
165 grain Norma bondstrikes
Winchester LRM primers
(For this round) h1000 powder

This first picture is 70.5 grains h1000 under a 165gr Norma BondStrike

[JDArms1240]

I also chrono’d some 162gr ELD-X’s, I loaded those on top of 70 grains of retumbo.  They shot real well, their average speed was 2775fps.

This primer pic is the eldx’s on top of 70 grains of retumbo.

[EnglishSetter]

Certainly looks like you have some headroom there.  Just starting to iron out a little.

Temps when shooting?

Do you have any factory available to "test" the chrono?

[jrebel]

Yeah, that combo appears to be a little anemic / slow.  Based on what I see, I wouldn't hesitate to work up a in half grain increments till you find pressure.  I'm not sure what the advantage of loading 3-5 rounds at a time is when your purely looking for pressure....but maybe the drive to the range is long and it makes sense?? 

When I started loading (many years ago) it was explained to me that accuracy trumps velocity.  I still live by that motto.  It is wildly important to chrono your loads for the data as a huge velocity jump can tell you that you are at pressure.  You should see incremental increased between each powder charge increase.  When that stable, incremental increase, has a huge spike.......That's usually the stopping point.  You should also be seeing signs on your brass / primers and likely heavier bolt lift. 

One last thing.....I have seen where seating depth has increased or decreased velocity before.  Closer to the lands can build pressure a little faster and effect velocity and pressure.  Do you know how far of the lands you are? 

[JDArms1240]

I have some factory ammo that I’ll chrono, that’s a good idea.  As far as temps go I think it was 40°-45°.

JRebel, I have seated my bullets at .020” off the lands.

[hunter399]

Yeah, that combo appears to be a little anemic / slow.  Based on what I see, I wouldn't hesitate to work up a in half grain increments till you find pressure.  I'm not sure what the advantage of loading 3-5 rounds at a time is when your purely looking for pressure....but maybe the drive to the range is long and it makes sense?? 

When I started loading (many years ago) it was explained to me that accuracy trumps velocity.  I still live by that motto.  It is wildly important to chrono your loads for the data as a huge velocity jump can tell you that you are at pressure.  You should see incremental increased between each powder charge increase.  When that stable, incremental increase, has a huge spike.......That's usually the stopping point.  You should also be seeing signs on your brass / primers and likely heavier bolt lift. 

One last thing.....I have seen where seating depth has increased or decreased velocity before.  Closer to the lands can build pressure a little faster and effect velocity and pressure.  Do you know how far of the lands you are?

I agree.
Took me a a lot longer to figure out, accuracy trumps everything.
I ran hot loads , probably first five years of reloading.
Hard bolt lifts , primer half popped out......lol.
Not good for brass,not good for barrels.

[hunter399]

I got a few questions.....

1 what primers are you using. Those are brass or gold color primers.
Did your brass come with primers,or what.

How are you resize your cases. On 7mag after I've fired them one time through rifle.
I neck size only after that. You'll see a bit more accurate,longer brass life that way.

I'm just gonna say it here.
H1000, retumbo might be on the slow side of powder for that caliber.
What I'm saying is ,you will fill the case and not reach 3000 fps ,see pressure signs before that velocity happens.

Different powders ,you should be able to hit 2800-3000 fps /160-165 grain bullet. Before max published load data even occurs. I say that ,cause 7mag is kinda strange that way.
Cause if you don't load for 2900-3000 fps,then you could use a 308,270,30-06 be more efficient with powder and hit the same velocity.

[Caseknife]

You are seating .020" off the lands, how does that compare OAL to the loading data you are comparing to?  If you are seating significantly longer than the data you are trying to emulate, the pressure and velocity will be less.  Have to add more powder to get the same velocity.  Hope that makes sense.