Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Just starting out

That's what I'm getting at. For most shooting outside of long range competition with small targets, a few tenths +/- of a grain of powder won't amount to a lot in a well developed load.

Keep you initial tuning simple.

Get a good reloading manual and read it.

Start with the recommended minimum power charge, and work up in 1/2 grain increments until you either experience pressure signs, or reach the max load. Shoot groups. If you get some good results, load up some more of the load that produced the smallest groups and see if you can reproduce that result.

For powder, I'd start with H4831, It's and old classic that's worked well in 7mm Rem Mags for me in the past.

when you say "H4831" do you mean IMR4831? That is a powder load from the reloading book I have. I don't really feel comfortable using a powder that is not listed in a book.

The powders listed under the 160 grain bullet options are IMR4064, IMR4320, IMR4350, AA3100, RL19(my neighbor has this powder), RL22, IMR4831, Vihnt N165 (most accurate powder with their test rifle), IMR7828, and H870.




Keep you initial tuning simple.

Get a good reloading manual and read it.

Start with the recommended minimum power charge, and work up in 1/2 grain increments until you either experience pressure signs, or reach the max load. Shoot groups. If you get some good results, load up some more of the load that produced the smallest groups and see if you can reproduce that result.

For powder, I'd start with H4831, It's and old classic that's worked well in 7mm Rem Mags for me in the past. [/quote]

There is plenty of loading data available free on the Hodgdon website. You'll likely find what you need there for H4831.

I'd suggest giving IMR7828 a good try.

Reloader-22 has made it so easy to load for the four 7mags I have.
69.5grs for 140's
67.5grs for 150's
66.0grs for 160's
63.0grs for 175's
The 160gr Accubond would be a very good choice for elk.

[/quote]

Nope, I mean H4831. It might not be in the book you have, but it's in plenty of others, and as RR mentioned, Hodgdons provides data for it on their sight.

Of the one's you list in your book the two I'd try first are IMR-7828 and RL22

If I were to try one of the new breed of IMR powders, 7977 looks like it could be interesting.

The hodgdon website does make it easy as they have 150 and 160 partitions.. A very nice gentleman gave me some partition 150 and sierra 160s to try. I am sure this is a redundant question but can I use the data on the Hodgdon website for any 160 grain bullet or is it just the bullet type thats listed?

Partitions are a little harder to engrave than cup and core bullets, and will generate slightly higher pressures and speeds.

I've used a 7mm Rem Mag her in AZ. Personally, I have not harvested an Elk with it. My son did drop a cow in unit 6a at 175 yards using Federal Blue Box 175 gr PSP. DRT.

I'm using 140 gr Nosler Combined Technology Ballistic Silvertip's out of a Winchester Model 70 with a pencil thin 26" barrel. It just works. IIRC, I think velocity is mid-range for the bullet ? I'm thinking that it's 70 grains of RL-22 @ approx 3,500 fps (loosing my memory). Using Winchester Magnum primers, and Remington brass. With this load, I have dropped a couple of whitetails out to 500+ yards. They did not even wiggle. But, I have not hunted the rifle for nearly 10 years. So all of these figures are in the recesses of deep, dark black holes in my memory.

You'll need to work up your own loads as each rifle is different. But this is what works for me.

What unit and hunt did you draw ?

Denton,

I am sorry but I don't understand what you mean. But from what I am guessing every bullet or projectile will have its own load profile as it flies differently.

Also in looking at the rifles used to generate load data they have longer barrels and faster twist rates. That being said would it be more efficient to start off in the middle of the load recommendation?

Baker, there is some resistance as a bullet engages the lands. Lead bullets are soft and engrave with little resistance. Harder bullets resist the engraving to a greater degree. Jacketed bullets vary quite a bit in this regard due to jacket material and thickness and in the case of bullets like the A-Frame and Partition, construction. Monolithics like Barnes resist even more. That resistance to engraving or conforming to the lands tends to increase pressure at the very beginning of the burn and causes higher peak pressures.

Baker,

As a beginner, it's best to start off with minimum loads. As you become familiar with your individual guns, cartridges, and component choices you will be better able to judge when it's reasonable to start with median (or in some cases even max) loads, and when it's not.

This is even more true when substituting components. Even changing something as simple as brass can change you max powder charge by a full gain.

makes sense to start with the starting loads... would you guys recommend crimping 150 and 160 grain partitions? I have been looking and I have not been able to find a definitive answer on if crimping partitions is necessary or not.

I don't crimp anything but handgun rounds.

Most here don't crimp bottle neck rounds. Crimping is typically reserved for straight cases.

I'd only crimp if not crimping could cause problems, say with a very heavy-kicking rifle while hunting dangerous game, or when loading for a tube-fed lever action. That said, I don't crimp bottleneck rounds unless they contain cast bullets, which don't have the same neck tension as jacketed or mono-metal bullets due to the lube.

Partitions don't typically have a crimp groove (though some sold through SPS will have one per the specs of who Nosler is making the bullet for), and crimping without a crimp groove is not going to add anything to your accuracy potential. I've tried Lee Factory Crimp Dies with rifles and jacketed bullets, and lost accuracy more often than not. Often, your best seating depth for accuracy will be nowhere near any crimp groove on the bullets that have them.