Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7mm Remington Magnum

Good evening. My friend was given a load for a 160gr partition with 65gr H4831SC.

Will we have any problems with this charge. It seems a bit high.

Thanks again.

5 grains over Hodgons Reloading Data?

You only live once huh....

I've been loading the 7 R for a lotta yrs. I have not used that combo so I'm 'interpolating' from used data and exp.

Sounds hot to me. Start w/LESS and work up. Every rifle has its own recipe.


PS - Check near the bottom of this page for Thread, "Good 7 RM Loads".

A max that's only listed at 49K CUP.

In an unknown rifle I wouldn't assume anything but it's not my fingers, face, or rifle.

It isn't a bad idea to approach any 7 Rem Mag by sticking with manual loads, working up,and watching the chronograph as you go. The reason is that many will show a substantial difference in charge weights and velocities depending on the differences in barrel and throat dimensions.

In some rifles i have seen "standard" manual loads produce sub standard velocities and the rifles required "over max" loads to reach what the manuals say.

Said another way, the charges were substantially over listed maximums,but safe in that rifle. One rifle in particular that I recall took charges of H4831 with the 160 gr bullets that approached those listed for the 7mm Weatherby magnum but still produced about 3080 fps with the 160 NPT and 160 BBC,all of which is pretty standard for a 7 Rem Mag and about what the cartridge was designed to deliver with that bullet weight.

Point being, treat the rifle like a wildcat....not a bad idea for any cartridge. So none of us can tell the OP whether the 65 gr load is excessive, or what to use because what is "max" in one barrel may be under max in another.

Always best to start low, work up,and watch the chronograph as we go along.

Good advice as always BobinNH.I have a 24" Douglas barreled 7mag that will get higher velocities and pressures than my 26" Remington barrel 7mag with the same load.I have to drop down 1 grain in the 24",so as always,treat each rifle different.Most reloading data that I have seen lately,has the 7mag loaded at a max around 58,000psi,most magnums are loaded a little over 60,000psi.That's where those extra few grains over book max may be needed to get the 7mag shooting near max velocity that it is quite capable of safely doing.I really like to use a chronograph when working up new loads as well as looking for the visible signs of pressure.I have always enjoyed shooting and hunting with this round.Seems to always get the job done.

66gn of H 4831sc generates 2916fps in my rifle which is 200fps less than my best load for 160gn bullets using 67gn of Rel 22 or 64gn of Rel 17.

SakoHunter264: I have been using a similar loading in my Remington 700 Classic with 24" barrel since 1985!
The load: 7m/m Remington Magnum, Nosler 160 grain Partition, Federal brass, Federal 215 primers and 66.0 (sixty six point zero) grains of H 4831.
I did NOT write down in my loading log back then WHERE I got this loading information - but I guarantee it was NOT above book maximum back then.
I am a notorious "non-hotrodder" when it comes to my handloads.
Anyway my brass is still alive and original and shows NO pressure signs and this loading produces excellent accuracy in my Rifle - and Elk, Bear and Deer kills have ALL been one shot types (IIRC) to date.
With a sturdy Leupold 3.5x10 variable scope on my Rifle I normally shoot three shot groups (sight-in verifications) of just over 1/2".
In fact the last three sight-in verification groups I have shot with this Rifle over the recent years measured .522", .541" and .510" (3 shots at 100 yards).
I would never give up this nifty Rifle or load.
Best of luck to you and your friend and be sure and check around in some "older" loading manuals and then start low and work up.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thanks for all the info. Dug up a few older reloading manuals, 65gr is a pretty hot load however will try a few to see how they shoot.

Obviously safety is paramount, but I've found in various 7mags that the closer you get to high/max pressure, the more accurate my loads seem to get. I use healthy doses of RL22 primarily, but do have a supremely accurate H4831SC/150 BT load @ 3150fps.

As BobNH pointed out, 7mm RM's vary considerably in what loads they'll take. This is partly because the cartridge is pretty touchy, but it also erodes throats relatively quickly, which contrary to what many believe can work both ways with pressure. It also depends on the H4831 and the particular bullet.

I've loaded for more than one 7mm RM that would get an easy 3000-3100 with 65 grains of H4831. Have loaded for more than one that wouldn't take anywhere nearly that much powder.

SAKO 264- what rifle does your friend have?

Custom Winchester Model 70 SS CRF
1-7.5" Benchmark #2
Borden UL Stock
Custom OD bottom metal

baldhunter/Mule Deer: I too have had Douglas barrels in 7 Rem Mag and presently have one that "follows the manuals" pretty well. Another that is now shot out and long gone did the same.

I have seen Remington barrels show on the "slow side" and don't know why this is.But I did not own the rifles myself so knew nothing about the throats etc.

The rifle that took 7mm Weatherby data was a Krieger CM 9 twist, 4 land barrel with a "longish throat. I could cite the load with H4831 and 160's but would be branded a reckless nut for using the load but it worked fine at those charges and I got pretty standard case life. In fact, the rifle would not "shoot" well until I had approached 7mm Weatherby data.

Like I mentioned it is well to approach any 7mm Rem Mag as if it were a wildcat.In truth I think some other cartridges display these tendencies as well but the 7 Rem Mag gets mentioned more often than others in this regard.

BobinNH,

What you posted sounds reasonable. My son-in-law's gets 3,284 feet per second with 140 grainer from starting loads.

30" barrel with a really short throat?

Factory 24" barrel over Oehler 33 with sky screens set at 7' apart.

Ringman/mathman: Had another Krieger that gave about that velocity with 140's;actually others that exceeded 3200 with a 140 pretty easily.

Mostly I have worked with custom 24" barrels but have come to think of "standard"
7 Rem Mag velocities as being 3050 with 160,3150 with 150,and 3200-3250 with 140.Seems about 100 fps spread between each jump in bullet weight,subject to a million variables.