Tried RL22 this morning!!!

[wisconsinteacher]

Not to jinx myself but it looks like RL22 might be the choice for the 7mmRM. Thanks for the suggestion to try it.

66.5gr=1.682" 2977/2995/3006 2 touching
67.0gr=.542" 3038/3020/3030
67.gr=1.44" 3056/3049/3067 2 touching




So do I mess with seating depth or just take the 67.0gr load and shoot a few more groups to see if it repeats?

 

[truck driver]

What's your OAL? it could probably use a little more tuning since the 67.0rg load looks like there is 2 in and 1 out also but hard to tell in the picture.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

OAL is max mag length so I can go deeper.

 

[TackDriver284]

Looks like 67 grains is your node average. Change of primers, seating depth and a few tenths of a grain up or down will sweeten the pot. Good shooting. It's fine as is for hunting.

 

[FOTIS]

RL 22 is the powder for all my 7mm mags,, H1000 is also great!

 

[69gto]

Another excellent powder for 7mm is IMR 7828, I use it in all of my Weatherbys from .257 up through .340.

 

[SJB358]

That 67 grain load looks excellent!

 

[Songdog]

What's your OAL? it could probably use a little more tuning since the 67.0rg load looks like there is 2 in and 1 out also but hard to tell in the picture.

How about you shoot a half dozen three shot groups with the 67 grain load, then superimpose them? I bet those "one outs" will fall right into the rest of the "group"... and I bet the "group" is pretty similar to the "groups" on either side of it in relation to powder charge... it'll just include 18 shots rather than 3, especially since all of the rounds you fired went to roughly the same POI.

Ive shot a lot of RE22 in 7 mags... and I've never seen 1/2 a grain up or down have any kind of drastic effect on the accuracy of one load vs. another. I think you just got a lucky 3 shots out of what will be a much larger group of you increase the number of shots in that group. Consistency leads to accuracy... not the other way around.

What I see, is a bullet/powder combo that will produce 1.5" groups. Change the bullet, or change the powder... but I wouldn't spend a lot of time messing with both. You changed the load by less than 1%, and it got drastically more accurate... then changed it by less than 1% again... and it got drastically worse again.... that ain't the kind of consistency is be comfortable with. I've had several 7 Mags shoot under an inch with five different charges of RE22 fired into the same group... I've seen it happen with Retumbo and 7828 too... that's a powder/bullet combo consistency that leads to very accurate loads.

 

[BF375]

I never feel I've arrived with a load until I've shot it at 300-500 yards, regardless how good the 100 yard groups look.

 

[OU812]

The 67 load looks awesome to me. I wouldn't change a thing with the 67 grain load group, 1/2 moa is more than enough for hunting and even at longer ranges. I would however load some more and look for a repeat. Even if it opened some it's still a great hunting load and if it shoots well again I would stretch it out and she how she/you fair. Looks like a great start/ending if she holds.

 

[SJB358]

Yup, run it out and see what happens. Even as it sits, .5 or 1.5" you'd play heck seeing the difference from field positions shooting it out to 500-600 yards.

 

[BretN]

That 67 gr load looks good. Load up some more and see how it does. Glad you found a load for it. How are you liking the new gun?

 

[lhsako]

Not to jinx myself but it looks like RL22 might be the choice for the 7mmRM. Thanks for the suggestion to try it.

66.5gr=1.682" 2977/2995/3006 2 touching
67.0gr=.542" 3038/3020/3030
67.gr=1.44" 3056/3049/3067 2 touching




So do I mess with seating depth or just take the 67.0gr load and shoot a few more groups to see if it repeats?

>>> my buddy found it shot best and fastest in his 7MM mag w/ a 150 tip

 

[Guy Miner]

Long a favorite powder for the 7mm Rem mag...

 

[preacher]

Hot dog! What a nice group Teach! You are set...now, may I suggest you sight it in only about +1" high at 100? with flat shooters, that's all you need as we "instinctively" want to "hold up a bit" at 300 plus! Doesn't it feel so good when you have worked up a successful load for a favorite rifle? Good luck to you Pard!

 

[Songdog]

Pretty funny that three shots at 100 yards... with scrub groups on either side of it +/- .5 grains... is considered "working up a successful load"....

what happens when it's 40* cooler outside... or warmer... Betcha dollars to donuts that instability will rear its ugly head and the "groups" will look more like the one either side of the 67 grain charge.

 

[SJB358]

SD, I hear what you are saying but how many deer and elk were taken at fairly longish ranges with rifles that would barely shoot that well 20 years ago and we managed to make them work. I understand what you are saying but looking at those 3 groups, I'd be just fine since they are all staying relatively close in POI and would shoot plenty accurate for normal hunting ranges.

 

[Songdog]

If your looking for moderately acceptable at moderate (sub-300/400 yard) ranges... then sure, that's a "successful" load.

I'm saying don't dilude yourself into thinking you've "developed a 1/2 MOA load" when three shots outta 9 are 1/2"... and the others are 1.5"+... even though there was a .7% (yes point seven percent) difference in powder charge. There is ZERO consistency in that load.... unless you overlay all the groups fired... then you'd get a nice round 2" 10-shot group about 1" high. Which.... is borderline acceptable.

 

[kraky1]

Many years ago I had a little single shot CVA Scout rifle in 7mmo8... the thing drove me crazy with vertical stringing and I came to believe that anything near factory loads was stretching the frame on ignition and causing the bullets to flick upward. After much tinkering over time I finally reduced the loads down towards 3030 type pressures and it became pretty darn good shooter.
Being it was slowed down quite a bit I figured I would never probably shoot it over 250 yards and this was my final proof testing of the load at 200 yards with a 2-7 scope....phewwww.... I was glad to get that one behind me!

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[wisconsinteacher]

I understand that it is not a confirmed load that will always shoot .5 MOA. I am okay with that. I did shoot it again today and shot 2 more sub MOA groups with it. I am going to load up 20 rounds, cut out a deer silhouette target and shoot it at 200 and 300 from field positions. If I can put them in the kill zone, then I am going to be happy and confident with the rifle, bullet and practice. If that goes well, I will load up more to practice with and hunt with.