Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7mm Express

Picked up a real nice 1979 model 700 in 7mm Express.

Looking for an all around good load for deer and elk. Seasons here overlap, although the area I hunt bulls don’t live past 3 years usually.

I have on hand 160 gr Sierra GK, and Partitions
Also, a few 150 gr Accubonds
140 Ballistic Tips and 140 and 150 gr Solid Base.

Powders I have are IMR and H4350, RL 15,19, and 22.
And H4831sc.

What would be your choice to try out. Shots can be bayonet range out to 450 yds.

IMR 4350 and 140 and 150 grain bullets do good in mine.

Nice rifle. I’m a bit envious. I’ve often thought that a 7mm 160 grain Partition at around 2800fps might be a perfect all around load. Not much that one couldn’t do.

H4350 is ideal for most bullets, H4831 work with heavier bullets.

For an all around a 150-160 Accubond be perfect. Should hit 2900 with the 150, 2800 with the 160.

Thanks for the info fellas. Look forward to loading for and hunting this rifle. Forgot to add I have some Norma brass I picked up in the classifieds.

WMR , I was beyond excited to find this lying on a table at a gun show. Doesn’t look too have been shot much.

What a great score. I’ve used H4831, 26, H4350, and RL23. All of them worked excellent in my old M725 280.

Beautiful rifle.

Thanks, I was very pleased to find it. I would like to try RL26, but hard to find from what I’ve seen.

Very nice rifle. Congrats.

Thank you. It’s in really nice condition for being a 1979.

Yes it is. I'm not a mag guy, don't own any but that's neither here nor there, that's on me. Still a very nice rifle.

What do you mean Mag ST? It’s a 280 Rem in its 2nd name Remington gave it.

Kind of a neat novelty having one marked 7mm Express. From what I’ve read, the 150 Ballistic Tip would also do about everything in this round. SPS has some of those now.

Oh yeah sorry missed that! Reading over it too quickly. Well heck, that makes it even better in my opinion. Great score.

Yeah, to score one that clean marked 7 Express is a good danged grab.

Very nice find.

I seldom stray from the 4831 powders be it H or the IMR flavor for 140 to 160 grain bullets. Have dabbled with other powders but those two I just keep going back to in my .280 rem.

I ran 160 gr partition and the 160 gr Speer Spitzer for a lot of years, lots of game ground squirrels to mud covered rank bull elk. Found 56 grains of imr 4831 in the tang safety Ruger with 160 grainers worked best. Warm load, work up to it, 2850 fps and north, YMMV.

Last few years, I have been running a load I stole from ol' mule deer consisting of 58.5 grains of H4831, 150 grain btip bullet. The load shoots bug hole groups, cleaved darn near 3 foot of elk on its way to the off side shoulder angled in from behind the last rib on the opposite side, bore threw that scapula to stop against the hide. Yet to find one in a deer. I suspect a 150 gr. Accubond will do equally as well or better.

The 280 rem/ 7mm express in the tang safety Ruger and Leopold glass has been an absolute perfect combo for the deer/elk same day season. Even worked for the unplanned bears and one cougar over the years. It does not have the roar as the 7 rem mag but works just as good 99% of the time.

Yep. Wont run across the combination of those 2 things very often. I never have. Great rifle.

Thanks for all the great load info. Looking forward to getting some time at my load bench.

According to the information I could find, they only made around 4000 with only the “7mm Express “ stamping. From late 1978-1981 or so.

Boomwack,
Have you ever used the old Solid Base Ballistic Tips?

I seem to recall Mule Deer saying they were good ones.

280 Rem used to be my favorite round, until I met a lightweight Rem 700 Ti in 7-08, LOL.

My favorite powders is the 280 are RL-19 & RL-22/23, but all of those a pretty much unobtainium, & unless you have a pretty deep supply of either or both, you might want to go to something else.

H4350 is never a bad choice, but not always the best either.

IMR-7828 SCC is good & you might get the best velocity of the bunch out of StaBall 6.5 & it's pretty available.

I use 59 gr of RL-19 with 140 gr bullets & 59 gr of RL-22 with 150's, 58 gr RL-22 with 160's.

Unless you are into needing the ultimate BC for those Ho-Hum 1500 yard shots, 140 Partitions or AB's are hard to beat...........if you feel the need, step up to the 150 or 160's for elk, but the 140 will easily do the job.

MM

Some 140 loads & powders, & a single 120 gr load in one of my 280's during load workup.