OK, I need some help please!

[tddeangelo]

I gave my daughter her birthday present tonight.... a Model 70 Classic Sporter, left-handed, in 7mmWSM. I have H4895 in plentiful supply, and a good supply of 120gr BT's, and brass and primers. I have dies. What I don't have is time. Our rifle opener is 11/30, and while she can keep using the 257 she used in October, I'd hate to make her do that.

That means I gotta get this thing humming along in record time.

Suggestions on seat depth on the BT's (relative to the lands)? Her shot distance limits will likely be on the order of 125-150 yards this year, so I don't need to get speed, I just need a solid 2-2.5MOA load that won't kick the snot out of her....and I need it fast.

I'm completely and totally open to suggestions on this one, folks! My little girl is all smiles tonight, and I want to put that gun on a buck of her taking in a few weeks if at all possible!

 

[Alderman]

I would think the manual suggested seating depth would get you groups good enough for deer hunting shots at 125-150 yards.


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[gerry]

I don't think you will have any trouble finding a suitable load. I would just start at a depth that works fine in your magazine and is deep enough into the case to hold the bullet securely.

Hodgdon H4895 .284" 2.825" 50.0 3,059 51,600 PSI 54.0 3,262 62,500 PSI

Copied this from Hodgdon's site, they used the 120 gr V max but you should be able to start at around 50 gr or even less and be safe.

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle

 

[Guy Miner]

How little is your "little girl" ?

Why not use the .257 again?

I sure as heck don't mind using a 6mm Rem or a .25-06, and don't consider them at all unworthy.

Use what she shoots well.

Regards, Guy

 

[Anonymous]

7WSM looks like 2.85" with any "normal" bullet per Nosler data....

I've had no problem loading any of the WSMs to book OAL. Your accuracy requirements aren't real demanding.... I'd bet book OAL will easily get you there.

 

[tddeangelo]

To answer the "why".....

She's a left-handed shooter and the 257 is not a left-handed rifle. I got her the 7wsm because it's a backwards M70, so she's happy as a clam right now to have the bolt on the side of the gun where she wants it.

H4895 data on Hodgdon's site shows a max 120gr charge as 54gr. They show that you can then reduce H4895 to 60% of max for reduced recoil loads and do so safely. 60% of 54gr is 32.4gr.

I went to QL and did a recoil energy calculation on the 257 loads she shoots easily. Then found the 7wsm/120gr load with H4895 that generates roughly the same recoil, which happened to be 38.0gr. Estimated MV of 2300, keeping 2000fps out to 150 yards.

Talking to Scotty a little tonight, I went with four seat lengths, based off the rifle itself. Started at the longest that would chamber reliably (which is inside max mag space) and then did 0.025" increments down from that. Have 4 batches of 4 to shoot. From there, I'm gonna guess she shoots it and has no issue at all and I can goose the powder a little if we want. 40gr will take it to about 2500 at the muzzle, although I'm not sure there's much practical gain there?

When we hunt, I'll have my 300WSM, 270, or 264 with me to bat clean-up if the animal isn't put down for the count.

We'll see how it goes.

I'll keep you all posted!

She's a happy, happy girl to have not only her own rifle, but one with the bolt where it should be for her.

 

[truck driver]

Now that sounds like a plan. Keep them happy and they will never stop hunting and will be proud of that rifle for life.

 

[tddeangelo]

Yep, definitely!

I was thinking about hellrazor's 280, but Megan loves that this is a Model 70 like I use.

It looks like, if it gives even 3-minute accuracy, this will work nicely. I bet by next fall she's shooting more 7-08 to 280 like loads and reaching out to the 300 yard steel at the range.

I have 120BT's loaded up and ready to start trying the loads for accuracy. QuickLoad says recoil energy should be quite similar to her 257 loads, but the old Bob has a thin hard pad. Her 7mm has a decelerator on it, so I won't be shocked if we can nudge it up a bit for the charge weights. We will see how it goes.

From what I can tell, the 120BT should handle shoulder penetration ok?

 

[tddeangelo]

Here's Megan just after she received her rifle. Her youngest sister had a birthday just a few days ago and decided to get into the pic too....

 

[sask boy]

Three beautiful Ladies in that photo. Megan has the biggest smile that I have seen in some time. I am sure that for this fall your work up will work fine. A left handed Model 70 is pretty rare & is a great rifle. Once Megan gets a little older she can get a 35 Whelen & then she will be set for life :wink:.
Thank you for getting your daughters involved in such a great sport these values & memories you are instilling in your children will be there for ever..

Blessings,
Dan

 

[rmarshall]

The 120 BT will kick butt! Been using them in the 7-08 and they rock, awesome penetration, not need for worry on that, My boy shot a nice mule deer this fall with his 7-08 and the 120 BT, range 325 yards, bullet entered the hind leg breaking the big bone traveled up into the body cavity took out all vitals and lodged on the opposite shoulder. Yes sounds crazy the shot angle was crazy weird, we were above the deer shooting across the canyon, hit the buck just as he was turning, hence the shot angle! Those bullets do amazing things, It shed the lead core somewhere along the line, but it was picture perfect! shoot and don't look back...!!!

 

[DrMike]

Always enjoy seeing youngsters enjoying their own rifle. Megan will surely enjoy that particular rifle.

 

[SJB358]

Looking forward to your range results. That load should be really gentle in that Sporter. Might not even feel as hard as the 257.

Good luck. Post tons of pictures. I have no doubts about that 120 BT. Too many around here have been destroying animals too doubt it.

 

[tddeangelo]

It's windy as heck here today and is forecast to continue tomorrow, but I'll get out and shoot Sunday.

If all goes well, and depending on how the recoil feels, I think I'll juice em up a little once I have it zeroed and a feel for what it's doing.

The seller had it professionally bedded and the trigger tuned, so it's already to go in that regard. He relayed it produced one-holers with 120gr TTSX's.

 

[hellrazor]

Supposed to be windy tomorrow too. I didn't go to the range today with this crap weather.

Friday - 20-25 gusts to 40
Saturday -15-20 gusts to 30

No info from me on this one. I didn't mess with reloading for my model 70 7mm WSM. I picked it up from someone who was going to quit hunting. I used it one year but I am going to sell it. Let me know if you are looking for bullets or I will sell them here.

3 boxes of Interlock 139gr, 1 box of 150gr BT, 1 Interlock 159gr and some 160gr GS. I think the BT and GS are partial boxes but I will need to look.

 

[tddeangelo]

It's not near as windy now as it was supposed to be. Took the dog to the Kutztown gamelands after work tonight in hopes they tossed out some chickens there, but no luck. He got to run a bit, though, so that was good at least.

I'm hoping the winds tomorrow aren't what is predicted. I know they sure weren't that bad up here. I probably could have gotten by with shooting at the range tonight, but oh well. It was good to get the dog out.

If it's not too bad tomorrow, I'll take the 264 and 7WSM to see what they do. The 264, I'm hoping, is done and will shoot as it should. The 7mm, no clue. But I'm optimistic.

 

[truck driver]

I did get to the range today and had a stead cross wind blowing. The 100yd line flags were straight out all day. Good luck with the 7-WSM.

 

[tddeangelo]

I really just need to see a good group from the 264 to know it's done.

The 7wsm, I can wait till Sunday if need be, but I'd like to shoot tomorrow so I can squeak in a 2nd trip on Sunday so I can make some headway on it. If I have it at 2-2.5MOA, it'll be huntable for her for sure. I really would like to goose it up to the 2600-2700fps range, but I don't know if she'll be ok with that.

 

[SJB358]

My 7mm WSM was quick. If it's a load it likes in the least, it'll be much less than 2.5 MOA

 

[tddeangelo]

Got to shoot her rifle today. I put the swaro 3-10 on it, by the way.

First group right out of the gate:

I'm pretty pleased!

Range was stupid busy, so no chance to run the chrono. When I averaged water case capacity off four fired brass from her rifle and then fed that and my OAL to QuickLoad, it says it should be running about 2259. That'll do.