Post by: Duckslayer89 on November 25, 2017, 01:14:38 AM
Post by: Crunchy on November 25, 2017, 05:55:16 AM
Post by: Magnum_Willys on November 25, 2017, 07:28:10 AM
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 !
Post by: hogslayer on November 25, 2017, 07:56:13 AM
Post by: Duckslayer89 on November 25, 2017, 12:16:38 PM
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
Post by: Duckslayer89 on November 25, 2017, 03:49:57 PM
Post by: hogslayer on November 25, 2017, 08:12:20 PM
Post by: Thehowler on November 25, 2017, 08:56:07 PM
Post by: Duckslayer89 on November 26, 2017, 01:52:36 AM
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.
Post by: Duckslayer89 on November 26, 2017, 02:04:06 AM
Post by: Magnum_Willys on November 26, 2017, 08:50:52 AM
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.
Post by: Duckslayer89 on November 26, 2017, 08:06:33 PM
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.
Post by: hogslayer on November 26, 2017, 08:39:13 PM
Post by: rudysts on November 30, 2017, 09:16:47 AM
Post by: rudysts on November 30, 2017, 09:59:28 AM
Post by: Duckslayer89 on November 30, 2017, 11:29:13 AM
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.
That is a bad ass group at 500 I would be stoked with that. Sweet looking gun who made the stock? I've been meaning to join nisqually is that the one you belong to? I think the Redding is the die that hogslayer suggested so if that works with his set up i might take you up on it!
Post by: rudysts on November 30, 2017, 07:46:26 PM
Post by: Snakeriver on November 30, 2017, 08:12:53 PM
Post by: W_Ellison2011 on December 01, 2017, 04:15:22 PM
3100 out of a 7mm Rem mag and 180's is great. I've got a 7mm Rm with a benchmark barrel. I'm shooting 70.5 grains of retumbo pushing the 180 vlds a little over 2900. I have not tried any Rl 26.The RL26 is faster burning than your retumbo thus a higher MV. The only issues with that are shorter barrel life, speed doesn't mean accuracy, and also RL26 much like the RL22 I use for loads in my 300 wby mag are more temp sensitive than your retumbo or a powder like H1000. My 300 wby mag pushes a 208 gr eld match at 3050 fps +-3-5 fps with rl22 but with H1000 I got about 2875 fps average. The retumbo would be close to the H1000 mv due to both powders burning slower than the rl22. These are also things you need to think about. If you are shooting 200-300 yards max its no biggy and an animal won't know the difference but when shooting 500+ yards and working with a custom load.. the RL26 will have a different MV in the cold than it did in the warm. All powders are that way a little but ones like RL26, RL22, RL15, and several others have a bigger variance. My vote for loading a 7mm rem mag would be H1000. Its a good powder and it isn't nearly as temp sensitive as RL26. that's just my :twocents: though.
Post by: rbros on December 02, 2017, 07:43:53 AM
Post by: W_Ellison2011 on December 02, 2017, 03:58:31 PM
Post by: b23 on December 02, 2017, 04:51:18 PM
RL26 has a faster burn rate than retumbo. The only good thing about RL26 compared to retumbo is that it is more dense and occupies less space thus you won't have to worry as much about compressed loads. Faster burn rate usually means more temp sensitive. If you are going to hunt with this rifle as well as long range shooting I recommend H1000. That's just my :twocents:
I don't think burn rate really has anything to do with temperature sensitivity. One of the most, if not the most, temperature stable powder is H4350 and it's not particularly slow.
Post by: Magnum_Willys on December 02, 2017, 05:00:11 PM
Post by: hogslayer on December 02, 2017, 08:58:48 PM
Post by: Biggerhammer on December 02, 2017, 10:37:47 PM
Post by: birddogdad on December 04, 2017, 06:40:01 AM
Retumbo 👍
I run H1000 but the 7 mag is a very fussy cartridge to develop.. once you get it, don't change..