Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7mm RM - powder suggestion

Certainly works well enough with 139 GMXs in my #1-S too!

I'm having a hard time finding 140 Nosler ballistic tip bullets!!

OK tried RL 26 in my LH Ruger,7 MM Rem Mag, 24" MK 2 , 180 GR Hornady ELD seconds from Midway. Shot 1 round each for velocity, and 3 for inital group. RP case, CCI Mag primer,
seated to mag length.

Accurate and no signs of bullet instability at 50 foot elevation.

66 GR RL 26, 3 @ 1.7" 2888 FPS

66.5 GR RL 26 3 @ 1.3 2897 FPS

67 Gr RL 26 2 @ .20" 3 @ 1.2 pulled one shot 2938 FPS

1 shot of 67.5 GR RL 26 2946 FPS

1 shot of 68 GR RL 26 3005 FPS

RL 26 continues to impress me. No excess pressure signs.

IMR7828 SuperShortCut at 69grains with the 140 bullet works good for me

Does anyone know how close RL-25 and RL-26 are in burn rate, loads, etc.? I have good RL-25 data, don't see much on RL-26.

Thanks, KK for your work. If you've used RL-25, how much difference in loads, velocity, etc. between those two.

DF

Just checked Alliant data, RL-25 and RL-26.

There was only one common bullet in the 7RM data, the 160 gr. Speer BTSP.

70 gr. RL 25, 160 BTSP, 3,012 fps.

67 gr. RL-26, 160 BTSP, 3,014 fps.

If one goes by that sample of one bullet, looks like RL-26 may be a hair faster than RL-25, slightly less powder for the velocity, which seems pretty close.

RL-26 may be a higher energy powder, like Vv n-570, which is double base. Not sure about RL-26.

DF

Very consistent with what I saw at 68 grains. Sticking at 67.2 though and having good success out at longer ranges.

Never used RL 25 pretty much used H 870 on my heavy loads.

870 is pretty close to Vv n-570, which I've been using in my 26 Nosler. It's faster burning than my previous favorite, 869. Vv n-570 is a high energy power outperforming the slower powder; it may be an option for 180's. Powder Valley has it in stock.

I just checked my notes. One of the tightest groups I've shot with my 7RM 8 twist #2 Brux, is a quarter inch group with 67.5 gr. RL-25/168 gr. Hunting VLD's at around 3K fps. RL-25 did well with 180 HVLD's, this load shot the tightest group overall.

Now, I don't think I could repeat it, but I know it shoots. Jump was .08", the sweet spot for that load.

I have a couple of pounds of RL-26, need to try new loads, with the 160 NAB, 175 NPT, 180 VLD, 168 VLD, and 162 A-Max. There should be some interesting combo's in there, somewhere. May even try n-570 with the 180's.

DF

H 870 is old and obsolete but it always works for me in the 7 RM and have about 7 #.

Here's a link to some good info, including BobinNH. Man, I really miss him. He always had good info from his vast experience with 7mm rounds.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/5974526/1

DF

Nice....

I4831/H4831SC behind 140 TTSX or 150 Ballistic Tip

There's very little n-570 data available. So, I went on line, used VihtaVuori data where both n-570 and n-560 are used. I compared charges, same bullet with similar velocities, worked out a ratio.

If one divides n-560 powder charge by .86, it's pretty consistent with published n-570 data. Of course, drop back and work up.

In the 7RM, 70 gr. n-570 comes up to the case shoulder, not in the neck. It must be pretty dense. For sure, it's the worst powder thru the measure I've even seen. I unscrewed the Uniflow drop tube, drop each charge in a scale pan and weigh. With the drop tube in place, n-570 stacks, won't flow.

I'll load some, check velocity. It should be close to KK's 870 loads for heavy bullets, similar burn rate. I plan to try 69-70 gr. n-570 with 180 gr. VLD's. 175 gr. NPT's, etc.

DF

Certainly keep us posted....looking to get a 7 Mag.

Still have about 8lbs of it and lots of 175s loaded but experimented with R26 anyway. R26 burn rate varies by case size but never use R25 data with out working up, you are usually safe using R22 data but the same warning. It seems to split the difference between 22 and 25 which are really close to begin with but an entirely different powder. R26 could easily equal my 870 loads or slightly exceed them velocity wise and with a cleaner barrel too. In fact if I used the 870 loads and then fired a couple with R26 afterwards most of the carbon was gone and clean up was easier. The verdict is still out on accuracy. Rifles that shoot anything work fine with R26 but the finicky ones don't automatically get more accurate. Slight changes in charge weight don't seem to make much difference so I will tweak seating depth on the next go round.

7 RM 67 Gr RL 26 180 Gr Horn seconds RP Case CCI 250 3 @ .56" at 200 yards. Around 2940 FPS.

Back up.

Been doing any more with this RL26 / 180 ELD-M combo? I am planning the same for a new rifle, except with Hornady brass. 1 in 8" 26". 2900+ would be great. Anything and everything is appreciated.

Retembo for 160 and 175 grain bullets

Never done 140s in a 7RM before but for the 160s either Re-22 or 7828.