Played a little with QuickLoad and was wondering if anyone has first hand experience with Reloader 33 in the STW? I have the opportunity to trade off some powder with a friend and he has some unopened 33 on hand from his foray into a 338 LM that about took his shoulder off (he says not from shooting but from carrying it around...).
RL 33 in a 7 STW
- Thread starter ksubuck
- Start date
You're not getting much response so I thought I'd chime in. The 7 StW and the 28 Nosler are almost identical twins with the 28 Nosler having just a tiny tiny bit more case capacity. They don't list reloader 33 for data with the STW at noslers website but they tout it as being really good in the 28 nosler. It seems to be the top velocity getter and most accurate powder with heavies in the 28 nosler. I'm not saying the data is identical but it's so close that if I were you I would surely be looking at it! Probably the reason you don't see a lot of STW data with the brand newest powders is with all the new cartridges out there they just haven't gone back and retested the STW with the new stuff?
- Thread starter
- #3
Kraky, thanks for the reply. I have compared the cartridges a bit.
Alliant has a little data available for the STW. Not with the bullet of choice and the data seems slower than I expected. From some other sources it looks like it might squeeze a few more fps out of the cartridge and get down to the next accuracy node. Just wondering if anyone else had any experience with it before I decided to trade powder. I think I will blaze the trail and see what I come up with.
Alliant has a little data available for the STW. Not with the bullet of choice and the data seems slower than I expected. From some other sources it looks like it might squeeze a few more fps out of the cartridge and get down to the next accuracy node. Just wondering if anyone else had any experience with it before I decided to trade powder. I think I will blaze the trail and see what I come up with.
I was doing a little banging around on quick load looking at ideas for my 270 Weatherby and RL 33 popped up as one of the top choices. I was a little surprised because it seems pretty slow for that. So if you'll do that trailblazing let us know how it turns out and it might give me an idea if quick load got the burn rate right or not! I was never real crazy about the STW till my buddy got one and I did some loading for him.... I like that it has so much case room that you can dabble with more powders than the traditional 7828 or rl22 ideas!
- Thread starter
- #7
Started trailblazing with RL33 and 180g Berger VLD-H this weekend.
Started with some bore sighting action and met a new friend. I call her "Hero" because heroes always run towards gunfire, right?
Back to topic. I loaded up some test rounds with 80 grains RL33. Planned on chrono work and to test a seating depth theory. Previously, I had been jumping the VLD 0.090 to the lands. That still left me too long of a COAL to use the magazine. I figured, why not set COAL to 3.650 to comfortably fit the mag just to see how accurate they would be. This sets the jump to just shy of 0.200.
I was surprised with the accuracy. The Magneto showed an average of 2869fps with an ES of 17 and SD of 5. That seems pretty darn tight. The group was .6 MOA.
QuickLoad predicts I should max out around 86.0 grains. I have found some other personal references indicating 84.0 grains is more realistic. Next weekend I will start working up to see what happens. Fingers crossed. Can I get to 3100 and have decent accuracy???
Started with some bore sighting action and met a new friend. I call her "Hero" because heroes always run towards gunfire, right?
Back to topic. I loaded up some test rounds with 80 grains RL33. Planned on chrono work and to test a seating depth theory. Previously, I had been jumping the VLD 0.090 to the lands. That still left me too long of a COAL to use the magazine. I figured, why not set COAL to 3.650 to comfortably fit the mag just to see how accurate they would be. This sets the jump to just shy of 0.200.
I was surprised with the accuracy. The Magneto showed an average of 2869fps with an ES of 17 and SD of 5. That seems pretty darn tight. The group was .6 MOA.
QuickLoad predicts I should max out around 86.0 grains. I have found some other personal references indicating 84.0 grains is more realistic. Next weekend I will start working up to see what happens. Fingers crossed. Can I get to 3100 and have decent accuracy???
OU812
Handloader
- Apr 18, 2006
- 2,099
- 2
A friend of mine is running retumbo with a 180 berger and getting close to 3200 in his 7 STW.
- Thread starter
- #10
I could see 3200 with RL33 or Retumbo in some rifles, but I think most are seeing pressure signs before that. Conservative estimates are showing around 3100 to 3150 as reasonably attainable. From previous experience with this barrel, I expect to be on the slower side, but plan to work up to see where pressure signs arrive and then back the load down a bit. I will take any of the above if I can do it safely. 71.5 grains of IMR 7828 pushes the 180 comfortably to 2975 in my rifle, but I see random pressure spikes if I work the charge up further.
I played a little bit of RL-33 in my STW. I was trying to get the 195 VLD to shoot in my 1;9 twist. I also played with RL-33 with the 180 VLD.
I think there is something up with my STW though. I got a very good group (.2"-.3") with both bullets. Went back to the range to double check each load and ended up with 1.5" groups.
Swapping scopes to test again. I think RL-33 is a great powder for the STW. I had Great results with RL-26 as well, but again second test of the load went crappy.
I think there is something up with my STW though. I got a very good group (.2"-.3") with both bullets. Went back to the range to double check each load and ended up with 1.5" groups.
Swapping scopes to test again. I think RL-33 is a great powder for the STW. I had Great results with RL-26 as well, but again second test of the load went crappy.
- Thread starter
- #12
I worked up from 80 to 83 grains this weekend. Speeds are running slightly faster than my QuickLoad prediction, so I tweeked it some. At 83 grains, I am right at 3000 fps. It looks like I will make 86 grains and it will probably bring 3125fps or so. Seeing 20fps increase per half grain increase. We will see if I can wring any more out of it after that.
Accuracy has all been decent, from half inch at 81 grains, 1 inch above that, and 3/4 inch at 83.
If the rain finishes by Sunday I will run charges from 83.5 up to 86.0 grains.
Accuracy has all been decent, from half inch at 81 grains, 1 inch above that, and 3/4 inch at 83.
If the rain finishes by Sunday I will run charges from 83.5 up to 86.0 grains.
I was able to get out and play a bit with RL-33 and the 195 VLD Monday. 82Gr RL-33 gave me 3010 fps and a .25" group. I shot 83 gr as well and didn't get any pressure and was running about 3030 fps, but groups opened up.
I would think that you would have quite a bit of room to go up with the 180.
I would think that you would have quite a bit of room to go up with the 180.
- Thread starter
- #15
Worked up to 86 grains and 3050fps. No pressure signs. Seems like the velocity gains are lessening with each increase in powder charge. Was seeing 20fps per half grain, now seeing 20 per full grain. Probably getting close to max. QL predictions topping out around 3100 at this point.
Best news is that each of these groups is subMOA and I think my next tight node will be at 86.5 or 87.0 grains. Hoping to see half inch or better with 3070fps. I bet my safe max will be 88.0 grains.
Best news is that each of these groups is subMOA and I think my next tight node will be at 86.5 or 87.0 grains. Hoping to see half inch or better with 3070fps. I bet my safe max will be 88.0 grains.
- Thread starter
- #16
Put a few more rounds down range this afternoon. 86.5g put out 3115fps with no pressure signs. 87.0g ran 3141 but started to see a very faint ejector mark on all three cases, but not much primer flattening and no sticky bolt. Both shot .75 MOA.
Due to having a very nice and tight model on QL, I decided to quit there as QL predicts approximately 65K PSI at 87.5. Since brass is at a premium, I think I will preserve it as much as I can. Besides, OBT node predictions fit pretty close to my two tightest groups and I cannot attain the next node without a significant increase in speed and therefore dangerous pressures.
I plan on poking around between 86 and 86.5 grains to find the best charge weight. I should be running right around 3105 give or take a few. I expect taking the MagnetoSpeed off of the barrel will tighten my groups up quite a bit.
If this all works, I will have gained 140fps or so and shortened the COAL enough to make the factory mag work with a VLD at a cost of about 60 rounds of barrel life. I will have run my first OCW using the MagnetoSpeed on every shot, and I will have learned how to use QuickLoad in load development. Having an absolute blast!
Due to having a very nice and tight model on QL, I decided to quit there as QL predicts approximately 65K PSI at 87.5. Since brass is at a premium, I think I will preserve it as much as I can. Besides, OBT node predictions fit pretty close to my two tightest groups and I cannot attain the next node without a significant increase in speed and therefore dangerous pressures.
I plan on poking around between 86 and 86.5 grains to find the best charge weight. I should be running right around 3105 give or take a few. I expect taking the MagnetoSpeed off of the barrel will tighten my groups up quite a bit.
If this all works, I will have gained 140fps or so and shortened the COAL enough to make the factory mag work with a VLD at a cost of about 60 rounds of barrel life. I will have run my first OCW using the MagnetoSpeed on every shot, and I will have learned how to use QuickLoad in load development. Having an absolute blast!
- Thread starter
- #17
Loaded up a few more at 86.2 grains. Everything was going well, 2 shots to dial in the scope, 3 shots under a half inch, fourth shot flier that was not me, fifth shot back in the groove. Total group size 1.2 without the flier, almost 3 with it. Shot two more bullseyes on separate targets.
Went to shoot another group and this happened...
Looks like a perfect profile of the nose of the VLD. Why the heck did it keyhole?
Shooting at 1400ft above sea level, 62 degrees out, faint breeze, low humidity, moderate atmospheric pressure, 1:9 twist barrel, muzzle velocity at 3100 fps. Stability calculator says 1.6, so should be stable. Bad bullet or is something lying to me?
Went to shoot another group and this happened...
Looks like a perfect profile of the nose of the VLD. Why the heck did it keyhole?
Shooting at 1400ft above sea level, 62 degrees out, faint breeze, low humidity, moderate atmospheric pressure, 1:9 twist barrel, muzzle velocity at 3100 fps. Stability calculator says 1.6, so should be stable. Bad bullet or is something lying to me?
OU812
Handloader
- Apr 18, 2006
- 2,099
- 2
To me it looks like I see lead marks on the paper at the 6:00 position of the lower circle. Makes me think the paper might have just torn in a strange way when the bullet passed through or maybe some of the wood the target was stapled to came back through the paper. I could be mistaken too.
- Thread starter
- #19
The keyhole was 7 inches below point of aim. I think it was a bullet failure but have no idea why. I just took a couple more pictures and it looks like the bullet must have folded in some way and the tip was bent off at an odd angle.
The base of the bullet still went through in somewhat normal fashion causing the more normal hole at 6 o'clock position?
I have gone through the rifle, barrel looks fine, some copper fouling, crown looks good. I guess I will chalk it up to a structural failure of the bullet.
The base of the bullet still went through in somewhat normal fashion causing the more normal hole at 6 o'clock position?
I have gone through the rifle, barrel looks fine, some copper fouling, crown looks good. I guess I will chalk it up to a structural failure of the bullet.
OU812
Handloader
- Apr 18, 2006
- 2,099
- 2
Boy that is a spot on match for a tumble of sorts. I guess one might as well chalk it up as a bullet issue as I don't see any other reason for what happened. Maybe the bullet was bent little in the first place and caused a serious wobble in flight which lead to the odd impact on paper.
