Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 7MM Remington Magnum ???

GWN, I use 66gr. and have plenty of room for different types of bullets. I have had good accuracy with Nosler AB's, Partitions, and Sierra Gamekings, all 160 Grain. My rifle is 8 1/2 lbs with scope versus my 270 which is 7 1/2 lbs. My 7mm shoves me while my 270 kicks. Probably a combination of weight and barrel length. I use the 7mm for eastern Montana Mulies, wide open spaces.

SmittyoftheNorth, shooting from the bench, almost all of my rifles kick more than I like, has more to do with my physical geometry at the bench more than anything else. Aside from the bench, stock fit has the most impact on shooting comfort. My brown precision is the most comfortable shooting stock I own, it is on my 7mm rm. I have read that the guys at Rigby, in CA, not England, shoot the big bores standing up for testing. They have some sort of contraption where the rest the forend of the rifle on a carpeted dowel and shoot standing so they can "rock" with the recoil.

Funny thing, I was shooting my 338 sitting down, legs out in front, using shooting sticks. The recoil just about pushed me over backwards. Was pretty funny actually. The 338 seems to have a big push but not a sharp recoil.

Bought my first Rem 7MM in 1968. I fired over 2000 rounds through it before it was stolen. Since that first one I have owned five other Rem 7MM's and liked them all. Today I shoot a Custom Shop Remington 7MM Mag. I am not recoil sensitive so a 7MM mag does not bother me to shoot it off the bench.

I have used the same M700 KS 7mag for the last 5 seasons and everything I have pointed that gun at and squeezed the trigger has expired post haste. Recoil is managable and not overpunishing. It's like the Energizer Bunny, it just keeps going and going and going......

My next 7mm barrel will be a heavy contour 26" barrel. It might be a 7mm-08. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
GWN

257Bob:
I agree, they tend to push. You can stop'em from hurting, if you hold them snug, and you move with the recoil, but you can't stop'em from moving. I can understand why it almost tipped you over.
Smitty of the North

Question for Mule Deer,
I was looking at the new Sierra Manual today in the new Cabelas store in Rogers Minnesota.
The accuracy load for the 7MM Remington Magnum and the 160 Sierra gr HPBT is now 50.9 grs IMR 4064. It used to be 58.8 grs IMR 4350. Why would that change? I thought slow burning powder was always the best choice???? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> I think this might be the ticket for my new clearcut load for Northern Minnesota whitetail deer.


GWN

I am what one could call a big 7 nut plain and simple, end of story.

That said, I've more than your usual amount of experience when it comes to these rounds. Lot of tubes, lots of guns, and lots of rounds. Cal's I've worked with go from 7 RM, 7 Wby, 7x300 Wby, STW and the 7 Mashburn Super.

My thoughts on these rounds versus say the small 7's is that the greater majority of our hunters would be very well to keep their shots to 300 yards. I've long said that all rounds/shooters and guns are equal to 300. It is after 300 and to farther that things begin to change and challenge equipment and shooter.

About the pressure spike thing, honestly I've not ever experienced anything like this. People say it is out there but I've not seen it and that is not to say it can't happen. I just don't happen to believe it exists any more than with any other round.

As for there being an over abundance of big 7's sitting on the used racks looking like puppys at the pound waiting for someone to take them home. If that is happening then others have noticed it more than me. I get around to the shops in the west quite a bit, and you sure couldn't prove that by what I've seen.

About the issue of noticing the effects of using a big 7 versus a smaller 7. I believe if the shots were confined to 300 and the critter were say elk/lopes/deer and you took 50 of them with each gun. I personally do believe that you would notice that the big 7's were a bit more dramatic (in terms of down and out right now). I also know that with either round if you wreck the lungs, then said volunteer is not gonna be long for this world.

Then take and do the same test but take the range to 300-500 and see what the results yield. I would bet for sure that at that point you would see some fairly stunning results in terms of quickness of the kills. Now don't get me wrong I know that both will get it done, I am just saying that at the longer ranges the kills will more noticeable and most like with fewer rounds and with fewer steps by the critter.

Take the ranges to 500 and beyond and, well I'll just not go there cause I don't want to get into a big dony brook about that issue.

As for speeds, IMO the big 7's are gonna pretty much beat up on the smaller 7's (all things being equal) to the tune of 300 fps. Most likely in a few cases a bit more, and in some a bit less.

In my working with the big 7's I've found it to be quite attainable to run the following bullets at these speeds.

140's=3200 and then some

160's=3000 to 3100

175's=2900 and a bit more (on this one I've seen slow ones that would run at 2850 and fast ones that would run 3045, using 24" tubes)

The whole issue of recoil kind of puzzles me. I mean to hear some folks talk it would appear that big 7's just up and boot them on their butt! This my friends is just not true, IMO they are very user friendly. To me this recoil issue is kind of like hearing a young boy saying I want to play football, but I just don't want to get hit! Oh please, where oh where is the waambalance? Do the big 7's have a bit more of a bump when it comes to recoil say over a small 7 or one of the rounds off the 06 case, yeah they do. Is it caustic and difficult to deal with, absolutely not, and IMO if people are saying this then these just don't have much experience with the rounds! If anything it is a bit quicker and a bit sharper but not really anything to be of an issue IMO.

I am a bit of an anomaly in that I am both a fairly serious shooter and hunter. IMO you'll find people who for that most part one or the other but not often both. In my 7 Mashburn Super to date this year I am very close to 1000 rounds thru it. By the time the year is over I'll be over a grand for sure (toss in the rounds from my 270, 06, 340 and 375 and the number will about triple). Now do you think that if the big 7's were such a nasty bastard when it came to recoil that I'd be for shooting it that much? I may be stubborn but not that stupid!

Lastly, I'd say that I do believe it is a wonderful round, and I would also say that it is a round that is not needed by most of the hunting world. I also would qualify that once more by saying that most of the shooting/hunting world does not have much call to be shooting at past 300. They just don't have the time in behind the butt to be shooting at extended ranges. IMO if people lifted weights, and or drove a car with the same kind of reckless abandon that they shoot at game with then a lot of people would be for getting squashed!!!

Just some of my thoughts on a beautiful fall day.

Mark D

In the August-September 1996 issue of Handloader is an article by Walt Netzel titled "7mm Remington Magnum, Pressure Rated Loads". Walt put a strain guage on a 7 Rem Mag and tested 160 grain bullets with available powders. He gives the velocity and pressure at several levels with different bullets.
He said the pressure rating for most belted cases is 54,000 CUP or 70,000 psi, but the Remington Mag was derated to 52,000 CUP because of some early problems with chambers and pressure gradient.
Walts data shows when the pressure gradient becomes too steep and 51,700 CUP 65,000 psi is about it for most powders.
The article is full of info and it hooked me. I now have terminal RLS. Yes I have Rifle Loonie Syndrome and I put a strain guage on my 7 Rem Mag.
That has been an eye opening experience for me. I have read a little about the Oehler Ballistic lab. I was wondering if that is a similar system.
-Doc-

Mark, great post! I think of the 7 Mag's as "shootable 300's"... ie, the Big 7's do approx the same thing's at the same range but with less recoil.

Doc, I'd be really interested in your results...

Brad with the 160 Nosler Part:

60,000 psi 65,000 psi 68,000 psi
49,100 CUP 51,700 CUP 53,200 CUP
------------- ------------- -------------

RL-22 67.6 gr 69.7 gr 70.7 gr
Velocity 3,070 fps 3,160 fps 3.198 fps

7828 68.5 gr 70.3 gr Gradient too steep
Velocity 3,090 fps 3,170 fps

I was told that 7828 was developed for the 7 Mag and one could not dupe the factory velocities with avaliable powders when it was introduced.
I have used 74gr of 7828 for 65,000 psi with some lots, but not this one. I use a recent surplus 4831 that I call AA4831. Its burn rate is between RL-22 and 7828. Its much slower then IMR or H4831. Walts data showed his 4831 IMR to be slower then H4831. Both peak at 65,000 psi and 3,000 fps approx.
Slow is good when selecting powder for the 7 Mag.
-Doc-

XXBob,

What bullet weight are those figures with?

Ted

They are all 160's
Walt calls the following Group 1 bullets because the engraving resistence and pressure is similar.
Sierra GameKing
Speer Mag Tip
Nosler Solid base(BT"s)
Nosler Part
Speer Grand Slam
Trophy bonded
I use the 160 Nosler for just about everything. Elk, Africa etc, but also use the 175 Nosler a lot at 3,000 fps it works.
-Doc-

Doc-for what it is worth I've done the greater majority of my big 7 work using 7828.

Mark D

Mark and XXBob:
What about H1000? I'm using that in my 7mm Webby.
Smitty of the North

Smitty H1000 works in my 7mm Roy and Rem.
Walts numbers for the three pressure levels are as follows.
71.4 grs/3,020 fps 60,000 psi
73.8 grs/3,110 fps 65,000 psi
75.2 grs/3,160 fps 68,000 psi
Mule Deer says RL-22 is not good in cold weather, but most powders in the Hodgdon line are temp stable. I have used H1000 with 175gr bullets and it will launch them at 3,000 fps no strain. I want to try Ramshot Magnum. It works great in the 300 Win with a 200 gr Nosler my favorite elk load.
-Doc-

For what it's worth the load I shoot in my 7 Rem. mag.(an early M700 with a factory stainless barrel, & still a very good throat) is 69grs. of R22 for 3162 fps average. Exactly what XXBob said. That's my #1 elk gun. Pedro

Me too, but I think it varies from lot to lot and might be one of the reasons the 7 Mag was derated. Have you tried the new shortcut 7828 ?? The burn rate of 7828 seems to change as pressure increases in the 7 Mag more then other powders.
-Doc-

Yeah Doc the SSC is what I am burning in my 7 Mashburn Super now. It works just fine and is no different that I can tell. I've used about 3 lbs in the last couple of months.

Smitty-I've not used H1000 for a long time. The last I used it was in a 26" A-bolt and it shot really well with 154 Horn's and 175 Noz. The 150's were running 32 something and the 175's were about 3050 or thereabouts. I've also used R25 in my 7 Mashburn Super with the 160's and 175's and it shoots great with them and I get wonderful speed. Just a thought.

Gotta run guys

Mark D

Pedro-good to hear from you again, you beat up on any EL BUN (yotes) lately?

Mark,

You bet, Me and the Souper are having a great year with the dogs. Pedro