7 rem Mag

[338 Ultra]

First and foremost guys thanks for the welcome here :grin:

Now it is time for me to post a question with the 7 Rem Mag as the point of contention with the 150 Etip's. I am loading for a close and dear friend who wants to go lead free. I tried this last year with another lead free bullet ( you know the one with the groves) Load work up was easy and velocity/ group size was excellent. everything that was shot last season with those 150 grain bullets was lost with minimal blood showing. I loaded the standard hollow point that he purchased as he could not get any of the new tipped version. Not impressed with the results switched him back to the 150 Partition load over H-4831 I have been loading for him for the past few years and everything was bang flop including a huge mule buck at 382 yards.

He really wants to go lead free and I make no presumptions on his choice as we all have our personal choices in life and I can't talk him into the 160 AB for hell or high water. So I am asking you fine folks here what do you think the best starting point is for the 150 Etip in the Etip in the 7 RM I am leaning towards H-1000 or Retumbo so I can get more case fill to reduce SD and Es. I have been rolling ammo for almost 25 years and full cases with powders of the correct burn rate have worked for me year in and year out from .224 all the way up to .358. I have pretty much any powder that can be had from Blue dot up to H-50BMG. I do have a bit of a void with no IMR-4831 and only one pound of IMR-4350. I do have both in the H version in many pounds.

So any imput from the shooters here would be taken with great thanks and respect.

 

[C.Smith]

In my 7mm mag I used IMR 4350 (I know its not what you wanted to use) but I started at 59.0 grains with new winchester brass and Federal GM215m primers. Any started with 59.0 and worked up to 61.0 grains no pressure problems like I had with IMR 7828sc. Was getting on average 3016 fps and an ES of 9.79 and SD of 5.19.

Corey

 

[DrMike]

H1000 is somewhat classic for the 7mm RM. I also like RL22 and VN165 for the 7mm RM with 150 grain bullets. I haven't actually loaded the E-Tips in my 7mm RM, yet. It is on my agenda, however. When I do work up a load, you can bet that I'll be looking at the aforementioned powders. I'm aghast, however, that your powder magazine is devoid of IMR4831. And low on IMR4350? This deficit must be rectified shortly.

 

[338 Ultra]

H1000 is somewhat classic for the 7mm RM. I also like RL22 and VN165 for the 7mm RM with 150 grain bullets. I haven't actually loaded the E-Tips in my 7mm RM, yet. It is on my agenda, however. When I do work up a load, you can bet that I'll be looking at the aforementioned powders. I'm aghast, however, that your powder magazine is devoid of IMR4831. And low on IMR4350? This deficit must be rectified shortly.

I agree without question :!: the problem is when it gets here it is gone fast and I always seem to be a bridesmaid and never a bride :mrgreen: Seems whenever the orders arrive I am away working on some site in cows arse nowhere so when I do get back to town it is all gone or there is only one pound left. I prefer to buy at least 5 pounds of the same lot number if in one pounders or an 8 if I can get it. This hampers me in 30-06 with 180's with 4350 and 200's with 4831 best two powders I have found yet in 06 with Partition of either weight. The H versions do well but not as accurate as the IMR's hence the quick dissaperence from the stores I haunt on a regular basis. When I do locate proper amounts of both have no fear I will be laying in a stock that my kids will be able to enjoy for a good while.

I figure that I am going to start with either Retumbo or H-1000 basied on Hodgdon's listed data for the 150 Partition starting at minimum and working up 1/2 a grain at a time to the mid load ( as recomended by nosler) till the load shows promise then I will tweek the oal. From what I have read the Etips like to be jumped a fair bit no problem have been doing the same with abonds to fit mag lengths in a few rifles. Lucky for me having a 338 ultra I have a really good stock of H-1000 and Retumbo for filling that tiny powder efficent case

 

[Elkman]

C.Smith says
In my 7mm mag I use IMR 4350 (I know its not what you wanted to use) but I started at 59.0 grains with new winchester brass and Federal GM215m primers. Any started with 59.0 and worked up to 61.0 grains no pressure problems like I had with IMR 7828sc. Was getting on average 3016 fps and an ES of 9.79 and SD of 5.19. [/quote

I would go with H-4350 first with the 160 PT or AB, has worked for me for a number of years. My 7mm loads have been the same as corey's.
I also shoot the 160 with the Barnes in my 7mm STW and have not been superimpressed, but my rifle likes them better than the AB. Just my 02

 

[Bruce Mc]

I use H1000 with a 160 AB and its a compressed load. I have never been able to get enough H1000 in the case to do any good with a 150gr. My best load with the 150 has been with Reloder 22.

 

[1Shot]

With 140 to 160 gr bullets H-4831 has always been the powder for me. Top velocity and very accurate and right at 100% load density without compression.

 

[BeeTee]

My favorite 7 Rem Mag load is Nosler's 140BT, 68gr of RL-19 and either CCI-250 or Fed 210 primers, which produces about 3190-fps. A 10-shot string produced an extreme spread of 46-fps. 66 to 70 grains of RL-19 all shoot well with speeds between 3075 and 3275-fps. There's about a 50-fps gain/loss per grain of powder. Loading density is in the right range too. Other than some trigger tuning, the stainless Remington ADL is unmodified.

 

[SJB358]

Very nice! Hard to beat the 140's out of the 7RM. I swore by the 140gr PT and H870. Didn't think there was a better rifle made until I started hanging around you all! Scotty

 

[CAhunter]

H1000 has been the only powder I tried in my 7mm. It has given me great accuracy and burns very clean. Good luck with the etips. Im interested in how they shoot for your friend. Been considering them myself. One suggestion is start with at least .050-.100 jump to the lands.

 

[338 Ultra]

Thanks for the replies guys :mrgreen: No problems on this end with any lead core bullet in any caliber finding a good load over the years. I am guessing the Etip is still new enough that most of us are still searching to find the right stuff in in the 7 mm with the 150's. So I am going to start with Retumbo over a cci 250 in Win cases. With the bearing length of the bullets I think Retumbo might be about right with getting a good full case and not having pressure excursions in short order.

Once again thanks for all the replies you swell fellows