RL-26 and 7mm Wby

Dr. Vette

Handloader
Apr 16, 2012
1,435
262
Finally found some RL-26, mostly because Dad drives by Cabelas a few times per week and volunteered to check often.

My plan is to try the 160 AccuBond with the RL-26 and see how that goes. I will load to factory length (I have some here) since at one time they shot well in my rifle. Brass will be Hornady that was previously shot in the same rifle.

Alliant lists 71.6 grains at 3048 fps. Is that the max load? Mid load? YMMV?
I plan on starting below that, 69.5 or 70,0, and working up to check. Any other suggestions with this powder?

Thanks !
 
QL projection at SAAMI specs:

Code:
Cartridge          : 7 mm Weath. Mag.
Bullet             : .284, 160, Nosler AccuBond 54932
Useable Case Capaci: 77.642 grain H2O = 5.041 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.360 inch = 85.34 mm
Barrel Length      : 26.0 inch = 660.4 mm
Powder             : Alliant Reloder-26

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 1.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-10.0   85    65.07   2873    2932   44406  11975    100.0    1.464
-09.0   86    65.79   2904    2996   45991  12037    100.0    1.440
-08.0   86    66.52   2934    3059   47628  12099    100.0    1.417
-07.0   87    67.24   2965    3123   49322  12160    100.0    1.395
-06.0   88    67.96   2995    3187   51073  12220    100.0    1.373
-05.0   89    68.69   3025    3251   52884  12280    100.0    1.351
-04.0   90    69.41   3055    3316   54758  12338    100.0    1.330  ! Near Maximum !
-03.0   91    70.13   3085    3381   56695  12395    100.0    1.309  ! Near Maximum !
-02.0   92    70.85   3115    3446   58700  12452    100.0    1.289  ! Near Maximum !
-01.0   93    71.58   3144    3512   60774  12507    100.0    1.269  ! Near Maximum !
+00.0   94    72.30   3173    3578   62921  12561    100.0    1.249  ! Near Maximum !
+01.0   95    73.02   3203    3644   65143  12615    100.0    1.230  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+02.0   96    73.75   3232    3710   67443  12667    100.0    1.211  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+03.0   97    74.47   3261    3777   69825  12718    100.0    1.193  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0   98    75.19   3290    3845   72292  12769    100.0    1.174  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+05.0   99    75.92   3318    3912   74848  12818    100.0    1.157  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba     94    72.30   3288    3841   77582  12116    100.0    1.149  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba     94    72.30   2996    3189   48576  13179     99.8    1.388
 
I used 76 gr of RL 25 with 160 Partition and got 3160 fps. Now that said RL 26 is a bit quicker, as is RL 23 compared to 22.
 
Thanks gentlemen. Internet chatter is that RL-26 doesn't show typical pressure signs quite as early as other powders, so I will keep a close eye on speeds and case appearance. If I got 3100fps out of it I'd be thrilled.
 
I know this is not what you are asking, but I run 67.0 gr VVN160 in my 7 Wea Mag with a 160 gr AccuBond at 3100 fps. Last week I shot this load out to 600 yds and had 3 consecutive 5" 3 shot group at that distance. I had earlier tried RL 25 with a 162 gr SST and got into trouble before I hit 3000 fps , as you stated, without any warning, so I have not tried RL 25 again.
 
Dr. Vette":2jys0yn6 said:
Thanks gentlemen. Internet chatter is that RL-26 doesn't show typical pressure signs quite as early as other powders, so I will keep a close eye on speeds and case appearance. If I got 3100fps out of it I'd be thrilled.

My first hand experience in a 280 Rem with 154gr Interbonds and RL-26, is that the internet chatter is accurate..I quite before I started seeing any pressure signs because the speed was quite fast..I actually throttled it back 1 full grain from my stopping point for accuracy and it's still besting my old max load of RL-22 by over 100 fps (give or take 10 fps)..I don't know how far I could have gone before I started seeing any of the classic pressure signs, but caution prevailed.

You should quite easily get 3100 fps...At 61.0 grains (the throttled back accuracy load), the 154 IB's are averaging 3019 fps from my 280
 
I used the 71.6gr recommended by Alliant. Loaded up 10 of them as a trial. Speeds were:

3233
3256
3261
3240
3233
3256
3267
3241
3290
3294

Though the last 2 may be a bit higher due to sun finally breaking through the fog.
Accuracy at 200 yards was not that great (4-6 inch group), so I will try some lower loads and see what happens.

Given the speeds above, how does that then adjust a Quickload calculation?

I was surprised how short the COAL of the Weatherby factory loads are. I have a few boxes (last in the country?) and measured them. To match, I had to crank my seating die way down to as short as it would go. It makes me wonder if a longer COAL might also be useful since there is plenty of room.
 
Vanilla 7mm Rem Mag, 69.0 gr R26 gets me 3100 on the dot, single-digit extreme spread, and .539" groups. I would expect significantly more from the Weatherby. Otherwise, what's the point of the Wby cartridge?




P
 
pharmseller":2ceaxi1u said:
Vanilla 7mm Rem Mag, 69.0 gr R26 gets me 3100 on the dot, single-digit extreme spread, and .539" groups. I would expect significantly more from the Weatherby. Otherwise, what's the point of the Wby cartridge?




P
PM sent.
 
I should have included the bullet, huh?

162 ELDX, velocity measured by a Magnetospeed, so I'm confident in the accuracy. This load is safe in my rifle, not yours, start low and work up.




P
 
This should be close.
Code:
Cartridge          : 7 mm Weath. Mag.
Bullet             : .284, 162, Hornady ELD-X 2840
Useable Case Capaci: 76.766 grain H2O = 4.984 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.360 inch = 85.34 mm
Barrel Length      : 26.0 inch = 660.4 mm
Powder             : Alliant Reloder-26 ?, Temperature:  70 °F

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 1.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-10.0   85    64.44   2959    3150   52226  11492    100.0    1.375
-09.0   86    65.16   2988    3211   54060  11557    100.0    1.354
-08.0   87    65.87   3017    3273   55953  11621    100.0    1.333  ! Near Maximum !
-07.0   88    66.59   3045    3335   57909  11684    100.0    1.312  ! Near Maximum !
-06.0   88    67.30   3073    3397   59930  11746    100.0    1.292  ! Near Maximum !
-05.0   89    68.02   3101    3460   62018  11807    100.0    1.272  ! Near Maximum !
-04.0   90    68.74   3129    3522   64176  11868    100.0    1.253  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
-03.0   91    69.45   3157    3586   66405  11927    100.0    1.234  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
-02.0   92    70.17   3185    3649   68710  11985    100.0    1.216  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
-01.0   93    70.88   3213    3713   71093  12043    100.0    1.198  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+00.0   94    71.60   3240    3777   73557  12099    100.0    1.180  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+01.0   95    72.32   3268    3841   76106  12154    100.0    1.163  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+02.0   96    73.03   3295    3906   78742  12209    100.0    1.145  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+03.0   97    73.75   3323    3972   81470  12262    100.0    1.129  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0   98    74.46   3350    4037   84294  12314    100.0    1.112  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+05.0   99    75.18   3378    4103   87217  12365    100.0    1.096  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 3% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 3% relative to nominal value:
+Ba     94    71.60   3272    3850   78279  11975    100.0    1.151  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 3% relative to nominal value:
-Ba     94    71.60   3205    3695   68824  12238    100.0    1.211  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
 
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