Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7mm wsm actual ballistics????

What kind of velocities are you guys actually getting with this cartridge? Please list bullet weight and speed. Accuracy too ....Thanx

I don't remember anybody at the camfire mentioning that they have a 7 WSM. (?????)

A real good sample of actual pressure tested data is available online from Hogdon powder co. This data would be more useful than some of what you might get from posters anyway because I don't think anybody here except Mule Deer has access to pressure testing equipment.

Example from Hodgdon....24" barrel

140 Nosler Pt. start load H4350 = 58.0/2979/53,700 psi
140 Nosler pt. max. load H4350 = 61.5/3133/61,900 psi

There is a lot of good stuff here and a lot (though not all) has pressure data. The 7 WSM link is right on the home page. The (DATA) tab at the top will take you to more.

www.hodgdon.com

JimF

You can find quite a few actual real world experiences here:


http://www.shortmags.org/shortmags/forum/default.asp

Pop
I will be building one soon for John Haviland. I'll get you the data if you will remind me. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
Charlie

Everything I've experienced or read about the short mags confirms what the factory has published about them..

I actually got a few 100 extra FPS with Winchester's 150gr Factory loads in the .270 WSM <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> They were a tad warm from the factory!!

Mike

Am thinking Don Martin drives a 7Whizzum and 3550fps with 120's strikes my memory bank,as the figure his rifle yielded with said combo.

No flies on that combo,IMHO....................

I answered POP on another forum and I hoped that someone else would chime in. Here goes. I got a new M 70 SS Classic in 7mm WSM last October. It is an excellent rifle with the exception of the plastic stock that they shipped with it. It is now on it's second Bell & Carlson and that one is going to get pillar bedded soon.



The rifle has the smoothest bore and chamber that I have ever seen on a factory rifle. Maybe the Rem 40X's are as good but it's been a while since I bought a new one.



At first I loaded up the 140 gr Sierra with IMR 7828 and then RL 22. Velocities were around 3175 fps. The rifle shot good groups now and then but keep in mind that a lot of stock work was going on. Then this spring I bought some 120 Nosler BT's and only on Big Stick's suggestion I reluctantly got some 120 VMax's.



The Noslers did not shoot that well but right off the VMax's shot like Sierra's! I was using RL 22 then and it was cold and the rifle would take 71 grains and velocities were around 3475 fps and sometimes over 3500 fps. Then it warmed up and I noticed some bolt lift effort and I had to work up for a new lot of powder anyway so I just dropped it down to 68.5 grains and the 3375 fps is just fine. The brass on this cartridge expands at the base just ahead of the rim. We know that loads that expand a base over .001" are supposed to be too hot. This case seems to expand that much but the primer pockets don't get loose at all. I FL all brass and these dies are Redding.



This rifle always fed from the magazine perfectly and it even feeds empty cases from the mag as well.



The rifle now has a Leu VX111 4.5 X 14 tac. on it with Leu QRW rings and a Farrel elevation base. This fall I will pull the scope and base and put the Weaver mounts back on and remount the VX1 2X7 that is also sighted in for this rifle. I shot it again last Friday and as usual it put the first shot 1" high at 200yds and the rest within 1.25" and was breezy but hot humid air. Sometimes the shots touch at 200 yds. This is an excellent very accurate rifle and it's all factory except for the stock. A friend who is a M 70 collector says that the action is as smooth as a pre war.



Overall when I ordered this rifle I did not anticipate that the cartridge would not take off in popularity due to the interchangeability problem with it's sister 270 WSM and it's subsequent redesign and late release. Since those two WSM's almost dupicate each other a practical person might just as well buy the 270 WSM.



Overall this is an outstanding rifle and cartridge.

POP,
I'm not too far into load development on mine yet, but here's what I've got so far.
I've only tried two different bullets, 140gr Triple Shocks and 120gr Ballistic Tips. I wanted one for the hunting load and one for my practice/play load.

With the Triple Shocks I started out with H4831 and Ramshot Magnum. My gut told me that the Magnum was a bit too slow but since I've had good luck with it in other rounds I gave her a whirl. 4831 did not impress me with accuracy although speeds were good. With Magnum I worked up to just over 3200 fps, but groups started opening up so I bakced down to 3175. I now have a load that after 12 - 3 shot groups the largest is 1.05 and the smallest is .45 with the average right at .6. It may be capable of better, but I'm not with the 8x scope. The reason I will most likely stick with this load is that thorugh the 36 shots fired over the chrono, the Extreme Spread was 11. I recorded SD for 4 - 9 shot strings and they ran 5.2, 5.4, and 5.4.

I may be able to get a bit more speed since these appear to be fairly mild loads, but I will have to switch powders as I'm pretty compressed now with Magnum.

My second load with 120BT uses RL19 right now, but I am going to give N560 a run this week. I am at Nosler's listed max and am only getting 3350fps, while their data lists 3500. It does seem like I have a little ways to go, but I generally don't like to exceed book max, go ahead and call me a wuss.

Again accuracy was excellent and SD's are running in the 6 to 7 range.

Although I am pretty satisfied with the 140gr TSX load, I am going to try N560 with each bullet this week. I don't know why I didn't try it to start with since I've had outstanding results with it in my 270WSM. The only thing that may cause me to stick with what I've got is that both of my loads shoot to the exact same 100yd POI. Pretty good stuff when I don't have to screw with my scope to go out and bust squirrels.