7mm Rem Mag pet loads

[bteate]

Alright, I've finally found the rifle that I've wanted for some time now. A Sendero 7mm RM. I shot some 140gr AB's over 64.5gr IMR 4350 with great results (.375") but I'm going to go with 160 AB's . I'm going to keep the 140gr load also, but I need some general info on what you guys think on a good solid starting point with the 160 AB. Stuff like how far off lands (magazine has plenty of room for out to lands), primers, powder, etc. I would like to be around 3000 fps or a little over. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Guy Miner]

You're going to need to figure out your own overall length. Nice thing about the Remington is that you can seat those bullets waaaaay out. Lots of magazine room. I've found the conventionally shaped bullets, like the AccuBond, tolerate a jump to the rifling pretty well.

Consider working your way up to around 65 grains of Reloader 22 - that powder charge was recommended to me several years ago by one of the Sierra loading gurus for their 160 gr bullet and I've found it works GREAT with any 160 gr I try. I like the 160 Partition. A lot. Should get around 3,000 or a bit more once you work up to it. Excellent accuracy from several different 7mm RM's for me.

Fed 215 mag primers, Winchester cases. Rem primers worked well too.

I think for general purpose game taking it's real hard to beat an accurate 7mm maggie tossing 160 gr bullets at around 3,000 fps.

 

[HTDUCK]

Been playing with a similar rifle I acquired in trade a few weeks back.
Mine is a Savage 110 Tactical with a 24 inch bull barrel.
First loads I tried were 67 grs of RL22 and a 140 AB and then same charge with a 139 Hornady BTSP.
The ABs (5) were all touching but strung out horizontally in a .8 inch group.
The 5 Hornady's were in a .35 inch hole.

I had every intention of having this thing reamed to a 7 STW but after exchanging a few PMs with Pop here at Nosler forums I decided I shoot it a few times and feel the ol gal out.

As I'm planning in using the rifle as a longrange whitetail gun I looked at the 160s as well.I have 20 rounds loaded on my bench to go to the range with and low and behold they are 65 grains of RL22 with a 160 Speer BTSP at various legnths.
I also have some more of the 140 ABs at various OALs to test.

Also don't discount H1000 in the 7Mag with the heavier bullets.

Howard

 

[JD338]

Another nod for RL 22 in your 7mm RM. :wink:

JD338

 

[DrMike]

I've had excellent results with a 160 grain Fail Safe and 66 grains of RL22 (sub-MOA, 3164 fps). I've also found a good load with the 160 grain PT and 59.5 grains of H100V (sub-MOA, 2983 fps).

 

[baltz526]

Over the years i have had several pet loads for the 7mm rem mag. I killed a lot of deer and a few bear with the 140gr ballistic tip, CCI 250, max load of H4831 at 3150fps. Then i shot the 120gr ballistic tip, max load of H4831 3400fps. The 120gr is a great bullet by the way. Then i went to the 160gr sierra HPBT GK, Again with a max load of H4831 at 3020fps. Now i have a 26" match pacnor barrel. It only likes long bullets. I'm shooting sierra SPBT GK 175gr as my primary bullet and 175gr partitions as a secondary bullet. Both with the same loads Of re22 , both perform very well. The 175gr sierra has shot 3 shot 300yrd groups of 1 1/4" repeatedly, At 2900fps. With re22 I worked up to 3000fps with no pressure issues. But groups opened up in my barrel. YMMV

 

[TXbaldhunter]

I've been shooting a 7mag loaded with 65.3grs of IMR-4350 with bullet weights from 139gr-150gr for years with excellent groups 1/2"-3/4" and velocities of 3200fps+.Last year I worked up a load with 69.5grs of Reloader-22 and was getting groups under 1/2" @ 3200fps with a 139gr bullet..I did shoot some 160gr bullets with my IMR-4350 load when I first got the rifle @ 3150fps,but the load was a little hot.If I was going to load some 160's today,I'd drop down a couple of grains from what I'm loading now,with velocities around 3050-3100fps.The best way to check your loads is with a ladder test,chronograph and play with your seating depth a little.That's what makes reloading fun.

 

[SJB358]

I will go with all the others. I load 66gr's of RL22 and a 160gr AccuBond with a CCI250 primer in WW cases (3.375 COAL). I get 3120FPS out of my Weatherby Vanguard and excellent groups. RL22 is very accurate in a number of my rifles. I used to use H870 for the 7mm Mag loads, but reserve them for my old M70 now. Good luck, as Guy said, there isn't really anything in North America I would feel handicapped hunting with the 7mm Rem Mag and a 160gr bullet. Scotty

 

[GB300wm]

My favorite caliber of which I do not currently own and regret ever getting rid of. I actually had it punched out to 7mm stw and that was a mistake. My custom barelled sako shot bug holes at 100 yards with rl-22 at 63.0 grains and a 162 hornady bullet. 3000fps average velocity and extreme spreads were single digits. Man I miss that rifle. I often said that if I were to build another, it would be a 7mm rem mag. These things shoot. :grin: :grin:

 

[SJB358]

You aren't kidding. My first big game rifle was my M70 7mm Rem Mag. I took a bunch of deer with it, a moose, caribou and a ton of woodchucks. Back then I used a 79gr H870, 160gr Barnes X, now it shoots the same powder charge of H870 and a 160gr AccuBond. Very capable rifle. I tell everyone that asks me what their first rifle should be (grown men) and I always tell them the 7mm Rem Mag. Scotty

 

[FOTIS]

Reloader 22 yielded the best results for me.

 

[spires5d]

Well,I really love my Savage 110 7Mag.In the past I've loaded up some 160 grain Nosler PT with 58gr.IMR4350 powder at 2943FPS and they shot really well. Got some more 160 Sierra's to load later. At the present I'm loading 175gr.Speer Mag Tip with 59gr. IMR4831 powder at 2827FPS and they work well in my mag. I've shot bullets from 140gr. up to 175gr. in my mag and it can handle all of them really well. I look for a 7Mag to be around a long time.
I use my 7Mag to deer hunt with and shoot targets occasionally.

 

[FOTIS]

With 66 grains of RL 22 and 160 AccuBond or Partition you can do ANYTHING in North America!

 

[YoteSmoker]

RL22 works great with 160s in my 7 RM and IMR4350 works great with the 140s. I have not tried RL 22 w/ the 140s as I was extremely impressed with the accuracy I got wiith the 4350.

 

[Guy Miner]

Bunch of doggone 7mm Rem mag nut cases here apparently... :grin:

 

[nodak7mm]

Regarding an affection towards the 7mm Rem Mag. Take a look in Nosler #6 load book and see who wrote the cartridge into..

The tried, true and proven, the original Seven Mag!

What is there not to like? It's an american classic..

Rod

 

[buckfever]

Don't forget about Retumbo my new favorite powder for m 7 mag

 

[corbin9191]

Don't forget about Retumbo my new favorite powder for m 7 mag

I would have to agree with buckfever, my current load in our 7mm rem mag is 74 grains of retumbo (this load is compressed and should be worked up to in increments) with a 168 grain berger target vld match, along with CCI BR2 primers and remington brass. We use this load for long range shooting. This combination gives us 3084 fps at muzzle. As well as 3547 ft lbs at muzzle and 1341 ft lbs at 1000 yards according to my exbal program. She's a shooter

 

[HTDUCK]

I was looking at a load notes book and Retumbo and RL25 both looked like they might be worth a try with the heavier pills.

 

[bteate]

has anyone tried Vihtavuori N560? just curious. It is supposed to be very tolerant of temp change and good-n-clean burn. I picked up some Nosler brass for when I nail down a powder to use. I've seen posts that say that Nosler brass might create higher pressures, any experiences?