Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7mm Mag loads for my new barrel

So I recently had a new 26" Shillen barrel installed on my old model 70 in 7mm Rem Mag.

I am currently about 50 rounds down the tube shooting and breaking in as the mfg suggests.

I have begun trying to shoot groups with handloads and it is teasing me.

I shoot five shot groups, not letting the barrel heat up too much, and I will get a good group with part of the loads and then get one or two that goes where it shouldn't.

I am loading H1000 and 160 Accubonds, and IMR7828 and 160 Partitions. 66 grains of IMR7828 did not shoot well at all (2.5" group), but 65 grains was almost a one holer with three of the shots, and two laying out of the group an inch or so.

H1000 is doing the same thing, really good one day with a load and the next day it shoots really bad with the same load. Same lot of powder, same bullet lot etc.

Right now, I am loaded .02 off the lands according to a stoney point gauge.

Any ideas?

FH

I got great results with Reloder 22 but my rifle shoots everything well. Look for something wrong with your rifle, maybe the crown needs being redone. I know the barrel is new but usually poor shooting new barrels have problems with their crown.

H4831SC with 140 grains Nosler Ballistic Tips.

I did notice that I needed to free float the barrel again. It was making contact on the very front right side. So this weekend I opened the barrel channel and resealed the stock. Can easily slide a dollar bill to the area that tapers from the chamber. It does have a recessed crown on the barrel already. Can't see or feel anything obviously wrong, but I could have the smith "chamfer" the muzzle just to make certain.

This is my "elk gun" so I want to load with tougher bullets in the 160 range.

I tried RE22 several years ago in my "old" barreled 7mm Mag and didn't get good results. I have two pounds of H1000, one pound of IMR7828 and one pound of IMR4831. I am hoping to find a good load with one of those powders, but would certainly consider purchasing a different powder if it is necessary. I have avoided RE22 since that past experiment, but I am willing to try again if that is what is recommended.

Any other ideas?

Might be the action needs bedding. If it moves around a bit that will happen. You said it was bedded from the chamber forward. Is the end of the bedding under the chamber in a straight line across? If not that can do it too.

with my krieger barrel my big groups are around .8 .

Are you checking the velocity of your loads? The 7mm RM is notorious for inconsistency. The most accurate 175 gr. load in my 7RM is several grains over book maximum in order to get up to the velocity I want. If I went by the max. book loads my velocities would be several hundred feet per second slow. The chosen load gives good case life and keeps tight primer pockets with my supposedly "hot" load.

Based on the results I've had with my current 7RM I would never buy another one. The only reason this one is still in my possession is because it is a Winchester Custom Super Grade purchased 19 or 20 years ago which has very nice wood on it. Took one moose with it then relegated it to play gun status.

Jim

Haven't shot over a chrony yet. Hope to sometime soon. The action is bedded and it is even across the front.

1OntarioJim, I too have had great success loading past the current max loads with my previous barrel. Of course it was near max loads with the older manuals I have laying around as well. Funny how it has changed so much in the past.

Roninflag, that is the kind of accuracy I am looking for too. I have had that kind of accuracy with all my rifles in the past. I had the same gunsmith do a barrel on my 7mm-08 with a Shillen a few years ago. It is a consistent "one holer" with the right loads and the right shooter.

Before rebarreling and prior to shooting out the last barrel, this same model 70 was a consistently accurate rifle. I have had terrific luck with it and it is a beautiful rifle. I am sure that my barrel will tell me the right load sooner or later.

Is it possible that the barrel still just needs time to "settle" in? Have you ever seen that from a barrel that is new?

Thanks again for all of your help.

FH

I had a 7x57 I put a new barrel on and I was about to rebarrel it again as it shot so poorly. Poorly in my opinion anyway, hardly better than 1.5 inch groups. I replaced the stock and shortened the barrel to 19 inches and now three shots touching is the norm. Keep trying you will get there. As for Reloder 22 the reason I can't get overly enthused is that the powder seems to vary between different lots greatly. I bought two pounds of the lot my rifle likes and when thats gone I may go back to H4831.

Firehawk, sometimes, a barrel needs more freefloating than a dollar bill barrel, as the barrel may slap the stock during firing. I give all mine a thick business card at least, especailly on wood stocks.

My 7 mags(700's) reallly like Retumbo with Win mag primers with the 162's, start at 69g and go up in two shot groups till you see two bullets touching or just about touching. Somewhere between 71-71.5g, you may reach a max load, your rifle may be different.

Shooting 5 shot groups is really going to copper foul your barrel quickly, go for 3 shot groups and save much barrel life and components. With a good barrel like you have, you are really looking for some very small groups.

Do not beat your head against the wall if you see that your rifle does not like a particular bullet. I have some rifles that will not shoot a nosler bullet, and others that love them.
Your rifle may love the 154g Hornady Interbond for example, 150g Tripple shock, etc.

Mine likes 4350 really, really well. I have thought H-1000 to be a little slow for the 7 mag.

I have a pacnor stainless match custom taper on my 7mm rem mag. If i shoot 2 shot groups it is capable of 1/2" 300yrd groups. 3rd shot always opens the group by 1" My solution is to shoot 3 2 shot groups from a cold barrel. It drives me crazy that the barrel will not shoot a 5 shot group. But in reality while hunting the first 2 shots need to get it done anyway.

Yeah....I had a 7mm Dakota that was a drill with R22, 7828, etc and bullets 140 gr and under;but went sour grapes with those powders with 160 gr bullets,for some reason....until I switched to RL25,which cured it.

I would try working up to about 70 gr RL25 with 160's and Fed215's,chronographing as you go.I have seen RL25 cure some 7 mags as to velocity and accuracy with heavy 7mm bullets....Retumbo is another I would try.These two should get you into the 3100+- range with 160's, especially from a 26" tube.

R22,7828,etc are good powders, but not really all that "slow" for a 7RM.

This may help,but who knows? All these rifles are laws unto themselves.

Depending on your twist rate, our new one is doing fine with 70.5 to 72 grains of Retumbo with 168 bergers. May or may not try 180s as the 168s are flying well.

My suggestion is to continue with the Accubonds, and IMR7828. Both of these are favorite components of mine and I have alot of faith in them, and then to work with your seating depth. The loads are showing promise, but when you find the seating depth it likes you will really be able to dial it in with powder charge.