Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Reloader 26

Agreed!!!

DF,
Africa is a big place. It can get pretty darn hot in certain areas even in mid winter. Also, I see the application of RL26 to get the absolute most velocity out of a cartridge which is typically not needed in most African hunting especially with the 7RM. When you are half way around the world, you want something that is tried and true and dead reliable, not a new load.

How would you fuel the 7RM with 160's for that application?

DF

In the 7mag with 160gr Accubonds,I am loading 66.0grs of Reloader-22 in several rifles.You can load around 1.5-2.0grs of Reloader -26 higher than you do with Reloader-22.I have some loaded with 67.5 and 68.0grs of Reloader-26 to test,just haven't made it back to the range yet.I bet the velocities and accuracy will be very good.

I see where JGRaider used Retumbo with his Africa 7RM/160 NAB loads.

Worked for him and he was pushing that bullet nearly 3,100 fps.

DF

That's right DF. The other times I used 66.5g RL22 with the same results. I've also culled numerous aoudad with this load. There's not much to dislike about it IME.

I don't have any experience with the 7RM but a little in Africa (Tanz and SA). Typical shots are about 100 yards or less with some areas/animals offering longer shots. My longest was 350 yards on a wildebeest with my 375 H&H and 350gr bullets at 2400fps MV everything else was 125yards of less.So even with rainbow ballistics, longer shots are doable.
The point I was trying to make is that even for a long shot on wildebeest or gemsbok the 7RM at anywhere north of 3000fps is more than enough and the last thing you want is to be way out in the bush with a load that locks up your bolt and end up using a borrowed rifle.
If you can't work up the load at or over the expected temps, err on the mild side. YMMV

Similar experience in Africa. Was using the 7RM with Barnes X, and Noslers Partitions with a max load of H870. Temperatures would range from freezing to about 80 degrees each day. I had no issues with the unstable H870 as the loads were worked up in hot weather. The magnum primers may have helped on the cool weather end.

I’m thinking RL-26 should be more temp stable than RL-22 or H-870, even though it may not be THE most temp stable powder out there. If those two worked OK, ‘26 should do fine.

I’m going to proceed with developing 7RM loads, 160 NAB over RL-26 for African PG.

Will report.

DF

That should work. The max charge varies from about 66-69 grains for the 160s but I could not find a specific load for the Accubond. I am loading this much in the WSM with 140s so it must be the SAAM pressure levels that keep the 7RM at lower charge weights. This is probably a good thing for widely varying temperatures. If I am shooting in temps much above 80 degrees I will try to keep the ammo in a cooler if I have one.

It's right in line with most double base non-stabilized powders. Depending on the application it generally clocks in at over 2 ft/s per degree of instability which is enough to take a load outside of a velocity node with only a 10-20 degree variation from the temperature it was developed at.

Well designed temp stabilized powders like the Alliant RL16/23/ARCOMP series or the more recent Hodgdon Extreme powders can stay on the same velocity node over a 100+ degree swing.

Laffin........

Seems we have everything but data.

DF

My thoughts and limited experience with RL26 is very favorable. LB flings stuff against the wall in hopes some of it sticks.

So what's another 100 fps worth? I seem to recall a few gun rag writers suggesting zero which matches my experience? In fact some write that a 7-08, 7x57, 270, 280, 30-06... lose their distinguish in the field.

I compared my 7mm Rem Mag 162 eldx load with a hypothetical load using the same bullet out of my 7mm-08. The difference in muzzle velocity was 174 FPS, which turned into 150 yards. The 7mm-08 load at 200 yards has a similar velocity to the 7mm Rem Mag load at 350, etc.





P

Yup. I use RL26 in various rifles, including my competition rifle, and have chrono’d and used it in all sorts of weather conditions, and velocity and dope have never varied more than a few feet per second in total.

In contrast, this sounds like first hand data and observation...

I'll go with Jordan...

DF

I have a pound of unopened RL 26, I don't dare use it for fear of never finding it again!!!!

Won't do you any good in that bottle...

DF