Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Help with my Dads recipe

I am taking my father on his first elk trip this Nov. He used to be a very serious and avid reloader back in the late 70s and developed a load for his 7mm weathery mag, consisting of 162grn Hornandy bthp match bc=.534, using 57 grns Imr 4350 and cci magnum 250 primers. Oal=3.360 .The rifle is a 1970s model Weatherby Mark 5, 1:10 twist with there smallest diameter sporter barrel..26 inch. It grouped in the .5-.75 @100yds.His only concern was the watermelon sized hole it left in the one and only deer he took with this particular load. I happen to like that idea just don't shoot the shoulder direct.

Any how he still has 50 of these bullets and we reset up his work station today for him. Anyone have a close number on Mv( he never chronod, to poor back in the 70s) at @4000 elev 50% humidity and 50 degrees f? We want to develop a drop chart out to 800 for him.
Also anyone used a similar set up on elk and muleys?
Kind Regards

JMO but I would not use that bullet for elk. Elk are very tough critters. You would not want a blow up on an elk and wound it. If it were me I would stoke you rifle with some 140gr TTSXs or even the 120gr TSXs. A hollow point to me gives too much margin for error and bad things to happen. Do what you want but remember a injured non recovered animal is your fault not anything elses lack of preparation and poor equipment selection will leave your huting trip memories very bad instead of very memerable. HAPPY HUNTING

57 grains? At that level I doubt you're seeing as much as 2900 fps.

Using the Hornady 7th Edition, your dad is in the vicinity of 2900 fps. He can work up to 65 grains, which would provide a velocity of approximately 3200 fps. I do not doubt that the Hornady bullet will work for elk, however it is approaching the maximum recommended muzzle velocity (3300 fps) suggested by Hornady. Elk are tough, but they are not so tought that a good cup and core bullet at reasonable velocities will kill them quickly and efficiently. It is important to place your shot well, but the bullet will do what it is designed to do.

DrMike,

I used to work with a couple of 7mm Wby. rifles and based on what I found I believe that 3200 fps figure Hornady reports will be hard to reach. At least it was for me with two rifles, many powders including the one in question, various primers, and the Hornady 162 gr. BTSP. Also I don't know how the match bullet mentioned in the original post compares to the Interlock as a game bullet.

mathman

You have 50 bullets left over from 30 years ago. You are not real sure of the velocity. And you want drops to 800 yards. Sounds like a bad plan to me, based mainly on the range expectations. I'd limit range to where you have first shot hits on an 8.5x11 piece of paper from field positions. If that happens to be 800 yards, you are among a very elite group of shooters.

Good deal that you are taking dad out for a hunt and I hope you come up with a viable load and have a great time.

The watermelon sized hole that you mentioned is the reason that match bullets should never be chosen for big game hunting. They are designed for one purpose only - accuracy. The jackets are too fragile to insure good penetration. Pick a big game bullet, and if you are planning on a velocity in the neighborhood of 3000 fps or more, buy a premium bullet of some type.

+1

Please don't use bullets designed to punch holes in paper (with NO concern for terminal ballistics) on elk!!

Check these out.

FWIW, BC of .498.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...owflat/Number/2222237/page/1#Post2222237

Mathman,

You're absolutely correct. I overlooked the fact that he said it was a match bullet, which does change things considerably. I wouldn't use a match bullet as they are too frangible for big game like elk. Good point. Thanks for pointing it out.

go with a 120g TSX or TTSX, drive it as fast as you safely can with MOA accuracy or better ... go shoot it yourself, and figure out your drop from THAT RIFLE, and then just go hunting ...

there is no other logical, sane way to go about it ...

and if the Barnes bullets don't tickle your fancy, choose another appropriate big game bullet that's known for great penetration, like a Partition, A-Frame, or possibly even a bonded bullet like a TBBC or Accubond ... either way, don't be afraid to go with a 140, or even 120g bullet - as today's technology has offered us MANY great bullets who's construction is more than adequate for big game hunting, while keeping weights lower than what you'd have expected back in the day when your pop was reloading on his own ...

I don't load for a 7mmRoy, but I was thinking it sounded light too.

If y'all are going to be loading anyway, why not find a better bullet, Partition perhaps, and a slower powder better suited to the large case. 4350 was the "go to" powder back in the day, but there's much better suited powders for the big cases these days.

The 162BTSP is an interlock IIRC. 3200 in a 26" bbl? I don't know, maybe. Most of the load data I see online falls short of 3200fps with 160s. Alliant shows R-22 moving a 160 a little over 3100 at @ 52K CUP. Hodgdon (almost always the slowest velocities of any data) doesn't show a single load going over 3000fps with a 160TSX or XFB, and all at @ 50K-53K CUP (which is going to be @ 63K PSI IIRC) At any rate, IMO H4350 wouldn't be the best powder to get max performance.

This thinking where very light X bullets are now suggested for big game hunting has not gone unnoticed. On one hand I can see where the short mono X type bullet will penetrate well as it does not loose much weight when expanding.

On the other hand the grooves they are putting on the TSX and TTSX bullets and light for the bore bullets themselves hurt the BC and the topic author is talking about practicing at long range.

Note that the BC for a 7mm 120 gr TTSX bullet is only .373 and a longer bullet without grooves has a BC of .531 using a 160 gr Accubond as the example. Its wind drift thats real difficult to figure at longer ranges and the higher BC of the Nosler would win out in my view for placing the shot.

Barnes data

Nosler data.

Should have mentioned that he is also loading 160 Accubonds and Partitions he allready has velocity for those. Thanks for the useful comments we were guessing around 2900-3010 looks like it may be a wee bit lower, The drop chart is just something we are working up for three different loads and the reason for 800 is he doesn't want to take an 800 yd shot but feels comfy out to 600 +- 50, didn't want the chart to stop at his comfy level.
Any how thanks again.

Well Hornady has an external calculator on the website if you know BC and MV.

I'd try the 154 Interlocks or interbonds they always worked very well in a 7RM at 3000+.