Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 7mm Apollo Mach IV????????????

I don't know much about reloading, but what is nagging me is the shoulder angle...if the Apollo used something unique instead of just simply necking down the 300 WM.

How can I check that?

May be able to have the barrel bored out to .30 cal allowing you to shoot factory .300 Win Mag ammo. Or have a 7 of .300 mag barrel put on it.

Expat

nsaquam:

That's the best idea I've heard yet. I could get a 7mm Rem Mag neck sizing die (Lee Collet die?) and seldom need anything else. A 300 Win Mag full length die without the expander ball would provide everything but neck sizing, and I would be set up without spending a bunch of money.

How do I determine trim length? Pull a bullet from the loaded ammo and measure with a micrometer?

Trim length, use this.
http://www.sinclairintl.com/.aspx/c...+mm/Products/Case-Gauges-Headspace-Tools

mclevela: thanks, it's perfect! (and even better, it's cheap)

The 7mmRM Collet die wouldn't work because the case on the 300WM is longer than the 7RM. The LCD's need the entire case inside the die so the shellholder can push directly on the collet.
A regular 7RM FL sizing die should work fine however.

czech1022 & nsaqam-

The 7mmRM case is 2.500 inches long. The 300WM case is 2.620 inches long. The difference is 0.120 inches.

The 7mmRM Lee Collet Die may be made to work with the 7mm-300WM case by using a washer of 0.120 inches thickness with a hole just a bit bigger than case diameter. The case is put into the shell holder, the washer put over the case so it rests on the shell holder, and then the case is run into the 7mmRM Lee Collet Die.

It is possible that the internal shape of the 7mmRM collet may cause it to bear on the shoulder of the 7-300WM case when the neck is sized. The neck of the 7-300WM case is shorter than the 7mmRM case by about 0.007 inches. The diameter at the shoulder of the 7mmRM case is about 0.002 inches greater than the 7-300WM case. Both have a shoulder angle of 25 degrees.

If the case shoulder does happen to bump against the internal collet shoulder, then a possible solution is to use a slightly thicker washer. This will cause the neck not to be squeezed full length by the collet, but this should not make a lot of difference. Alternatively, Lee will make a custom collet die for not a whole lot of money.

--Bob

What about a bushing die? That should work.

Bullshooter is correct that the washer around the case thing will work with the LCD.

But, not only is the 300WM case longer by the .120 Bullshooter quoted but the shoulder is .1558" further forward on the 300WM case. This means that a .160" thick washer would probably need to be used to get the LCD to work properly.

The custom LCD makes a lot of sense.

A 7mmRM bushing die may indeed work fine.

Bushing dies aren't inexpensive though.

Thanks to all who responded. I'm still a little perplexed about what happened to Apollo Customs Rifles, but I did discover that Voere, the manufacturer of my rifle before it reached Apollo Customs, was sold to Mauser, and became the Mauser Model 99.

For anyone who is interested in the 7mm Apollo Mach IV, I believe it is also called the 7mm Practical. Here is an excellent article by someone who is building custom rifles in this caliber for long-range hunting:

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Resources/Articles/The+7mm+Practical.++A+Practical+Magnum..html

I have this same make in a .300 Apollo Mag. It is a 1 of a kind treasure. Looks just like your 7mm---
I am trying to find a value on mine---

Those rifles have a reputation for exceptional accuracy at least in the Klinguenther variation of the Voere. It is a piece of history so I would think a long time before modifying anything.

The cartridge is in the perfect range of case to bore ratio for a magnum 7mm like the Mashburn Super. I suspect you could use the same data. Or compare the case volume to the 7mm Dakota and you would be close for starting data.

With a modest load of H4831 you would be able to load several times with neck sizing only and be in 280AI territory velocity wise.

Great find.

Czech1022 the rifle you have is not the same thing as a model 99 Mauser.

This may have been mentioned, but you could use a full-length 300WM S die with the appropriate bushing. Midway has 'em for 52 bucks

grumpy:

They sure look the same! And I'm positive (as positive as my leaky old brain allows me to be) that I once read an old article that said Voere was sold to Mauser and that it became the basis for the first version of the Model 99 Mauser. Subsequent redesign changed the position of the safety, but the pictures I've seen from old magazines sure had a resemblance.

Some time ago a found a small store on the internet selling a NIB one in 300 Apollo Mag for $1895. Of course, that was the asking price and who knows if it ever sold?

Had I found one of those in the shop it would have come home with me as well..Very Nice

Nice rifle. the only address I have is: APOLLO CUSTOM RIFLE CO, 1235 COWLES ST, LONG BEACH, CA 90813

I've bought a Bushnell Elite 4200 to replace the old scope and a set of Hornady dies to neck down the 300 Win Mag brass.

Now I'm trying to find a starting load that will work with one of the powders I have on hand: Re7, Re15, Re22 and H100V.

I'm not interested in a 3200+ fps scorcher, but would like a load that generates a little less recoil. Still, it has to be good for everything from antelope to elk...say 2800-2900 fps with a 150 or 160 grain bullet.

Any suggestions?