Well, Norm and I went to the rifle range today testing more loads. He's going to Canada for a caribou hunt the day before I leave for WY on my antelope hunt. He asked if I'd load up some Barnes 168 Triple Shock bullets for him. He's a West Chester Police officer. He's taking his 300 SAUM.

I went out with my 7mm Remington Magnum and 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips over IMR4831 (63.0 grains---a middle of the road charge). I also took some more loads with more powder in half grain increments up to the max charge of 65.0 grains. I figured it's been a few years since I killed anything with this rifle so maybe it will go to WY with me.

Norm had about 7 different loads to test in his rifle with 3 different powders. We tried Varget, H4350, and IMR4064.

I shot my first 3 over a 10 minute period, so did he. I kept looking at my quarter sized orange sticker with a little black center and the black center seemed a bit bigger. I actually pulled a "Robin Hood" for the first time in my life but with bullets instead of arrows. I put 3 ballistic tips through the exact same hole. The absolute cool thing about this is I had plenty of witnesses. One guy was there (a benchrest shooter) that knew Norm. He came with Norms boss, Gil. They showed up a few minutes after we did. I forget the benchrest shooter's name but he said, "you know, we have 28 and 36 pound benchrest rifles in 6mmPPC that won't shoot that good."

I told him it is most definitely luck and will most likely never happen again. I used Winchester brass, and Federal Gold Medal primers. I seated the bullets just .005 from the lands. Nosler's book says their speed on this load is about 3130 if I recall, so I'll automatically deduct 100fps for "reality."

I have a chronograph but didn't have time to take it out. I did full length resize this virgin brass and turned the necks, and weighed all of them. Did all the proper case prep.

I went ahead and checked the other loads for grins and the 64.0 charge grouped about 1". I didn't bother checking max load. To heck with it. We got Norms rifle to print a decent 7/8" group using H4350 and it happened to be the max published load. There were no pressure signs on the brass and no problems with bolt lift. Norm's rifle liked the max charge on all 3 powders best and not one had any indication of high pressure, so we're wondering if I could go up but only in half grain increments. I will mess with seating depth first.

His rifle preferes the H4350 and IMR4064. Max printed about the same in both. Since Hodgdon powder is not supposed to be temperature sensitive, we chose to go with it.

When I checked my 7 mag loads on the concentricity gauge, they were only out of round .002. I found this to be odd because it was virgin WW brass. I expected it to be worse.

Now that the brass is formed to my chamber, I'm wondering if I do my part carefully, if I can keep the loads that tight. I actually considered selling this rifle because I hadn't shot it in a few years, but it AIN'T HAPNIN NOW.

Oh, it has a Shilen #4 select match grade bbl. When you look at the target the bottom group which spread out to about an inch is the 64.0 grain load, all else is identical. Amazing what one more grain of powder will do. Nosler's published best load with this powder was their minimum charge of 61.0 grains. If more test loads print similar, then I think I'm ready to hunt. What do you think?





This is by far the very best I've ever done at the range. And FWIW, we didn't even have a breeze. Perhaps that had something to do with it.

But Doc, you know those BT's will just blow up right?

What's your xxx load for that rig?
Best luck on your hunt--Don

Just awesome BTW, --but you already know that!

Great group Doc

With as much shooting as we all do, the laws of probability say that sooner or later all factors will come together and get a one-holer.

Just kidding, keep it up

That hole is a little ragged. Try to tighten it up a little.
That is the best group I've ever seen from a hunting rifle. I would have to look back through my log book to check, but I think 64gr. of 4831 with 160gr. Noslers and Hornady bullets was my magic formula. But the best I've done is consistant 3/4" groups, which is not to shabby. I probably would have been shakey on the third shot. I've ruined a few five shot groups with the fourth or fifth shot being a flyer. Great job Doc and hopefully it will shoot that good for years. BTW, you may want to weigh the brass and use that particular weight from now on.

quote:

Originally posted by Fish30114:
But Doc, you know those BT's will just blow up right?

What's your xxx load for that rig?
Best luck on your hunt--Don

Just awesome BTW, --but you already know that!

Yea, here's my prediction: they'll blow up alright, right in the middle of the boiler room AS ALWAYS for me anyway. Meaning they'll blow up the vitals. Believe it or not, I have not tried a TSX in this rifle yet. Several years ago, I killed a few spike and Doe in Alabama with this rifle but that was before it was customized. I was using the 140 NBT then and shots were always about bow range to 50 yards at most.

quote:

Originally posted by Perforator:
That hole is a little ragged. Try to tighten it up a little.
That is the best group I've ever seen from a hunting rifle.

Sorry dude, I just cannot tighten it up any more than that.

Honestly, it is the very best group I've ever punched downrange. I usually shit with glee with 1/2" groups and those are maybe 60-75% of the time. And yes, it is the best I've ever seen with a hunting rifle too. I'll post a pic of the rifle. Looks alot like my 30.06---same paint job.

Doesn't that just make you all warm and fuzzy inside!!

Cool..

Here's the rifle with the target:

I don't know if I would accept that for accuracy or not Doc??
B.S I would be jumping all over the place if I shot that group with my hunting sticks!!! I can't do much better than .472 with my factory hunting rigs.
Great shooting and it looks like you found a good load!

I'm envious here.

My dad doesn't even like to hunt with a rifle if the bullets aren't in one hole like that or touching.
There are a lot of rifles that will do that with ballistic tips if the shooters could shoot.
Trouble is there literally just isnt that many damx shooters that can hold a rifle that good.

Very nice groups though

That was offhand of course
Awesome combo

So, it shoots to the left a bit. Back to the range?
JL.

quote:

Originally posted by Doc:
What do you think?

Hey Doc, You sure you didn't "miss" the ENTIRE target with one shot?

Only kidding. Great shooting.

Is that a Lefty M700 shooting those fine groups?
---

By the way, when you see your buddy, here is something you can tell him. That M700 with that Load shoots so tight with you doing the trigger yanking, that if you had fired any more shots, the hole would have just closed back up.

Best of luck on the hunt.

Fine Rifle and Nice Group! Only problem I see w/ the rifle is the Bolt is on the Wrong side . South Paw huh

Doc, You ever tried R22 in that rig?

In my Factory 7RM 700 R22 seems to be "The Powder" w/ the 150 NBTs. I've got a few groups in the .4s and several in the .5s w/ the R22/NBT loads. I like those sub one inchers at 200 as well . w/ 66.5 grains I'm getting 3120 fps at 15' from the Muzzle (24" tube). I'm hoping to get to reach out and tag one on a Texas Whitetail hunt this Nov.

Man, those dime sized groups sure do give ya a warm fuzzy feeling. One of the reasons I love to reload.

Good Luck w/ your WY trip.

Reloader

Remember, just shoot at your target one time and then you don't have to worry about those other "pesky" holes in your target.

Just barely!

quote:

Originally posted by Reloader:

Doc, You ever tried R22 in that rig?

Reloader

Yes, you cannot see it but the rifle is covering the other target. I was using Re22 on that one with the Btip and 175 partition. 1" groups.

quote:

Originally posted by JAL:
So, it shoots to the left a bit. Back to the range?
JL.

Ha ha ha. Actually, yes. I'll be back tomorrow. What do you think, one click to the right?

That was some fancy shooting. I'm curious as to why you stopped after only 3 shots?
Will you be brave enough to show us what happens this weekend?

I only had 3 loaded like that. I always start out with loads of 3.

Then, if I can go to the range and duplicate it or close, I check with 5.

Loading up some 300 SAUM right now for further testing. Running to Bass Pro in a minute for more powder.

I can hear it now and for the next twenty years. That one can of powder stuck em all in the same hole. And now I can't find that lot number anywhere. Good luck with the new batch of powder.

Great group there Doc.I am a slow learner it took me 63+ years to get one like that at 300 yds with a factory rifle.

Owensby:
What finally got you there? Money,luck,skill,better whiskey?
I'm still a fairly youg man-I gotta know.

quote:

Originally posted by one-holer:
I can hear it now and for the next twenty years. That one can of powder stuck em all in the same hole. And now I can't find that lot number anywhere. Good luck with the new batch of powder.

NO NO NO!!! I went to buy more H4350 for the 300 SAUM.

Hahaaa, I have over 9 pounds of the IMR4831 in the same lot number that produced those 7 mag loads. Plus, I have 400 of the bullets all the same too. As far as brass, well, I have a box of 500 and I've weighed all of them and separated them. And lucky for me I still have 600 of the gold medal primers. I think I'm in good shape.

Reloader, the bolt is on the CORRECT side, not the right side.
Doc, from one southpaw to another, congrats on a lights-out load, and a beautiful rifle as well! My BDL in 7RM shoots very well, but I haven't shot anything like that. (I don't shoot NBTs; just pigheaded I guess...) But my rifle likes 79 grains of AA8700 behind a Nosler 162 Solid Base really well. It'll cloverleaf them at a hundred, but that is still well short of what yours does.

Good luck chasing the speed goats. They won't outrun what you're toting, that's for SURE!

Well, my Ruger 77 (old model) likes the 150 BTs and IMR4831, but not that good!! Around .75 is all I have gotten but it knocks the feral hogs, coyotes, and whitetails in the dirt.

Best group I've shot was out of my Ru 77 (old model) in .25-06 using IMR 4831 and Hornady 120gr HPs. It measured .11 and I have never come close again.

You lucky skunk--I don't think I like you anymore.

Those groups must have been at 100 yds?

A friend who shoots bench rest had a 23" Hart fluted and put on a short Remmy for hunting. It was done by his BR smith.

Here are his groups at 100 yds with 140 Partitions and BT's. It's a 7mm-08 I.

An old FN in 270 I have is very accurate. It shot two shots close to each other from a cold barrel last Thursday at 200 yds. The wind was all over the place and maybe 5-12k. The group was to the left however by at least 2". Good enough for big game hunting or a sideways coyote.

quote:

Originally posted by owensby:
Great group there Doc.I am a slow learner it took me 63+ years to get one like that at 300 yds with a factory rifle.

300?!!! Geez, It's taken me 16 years to get my print at 100, but 300?? Damn, I think that is beyond my shooting skills by a substantial margin.

Good shooting. I posted a group like that and some said, "a blind hogs finds an acorn occasionally"

Doc
I hate to be the first "wise a#@" to tell you this but you missed the dime!
Now that I got that out, Man that is one super group, I had a Ruger 7mm Mag and the best I ever got out of it was 1 1/2 inch.
That is the best Camo job on a rifle I have seen.
Looks like you shoot backwards like my wife, I got paid back for my ribbing my wife about being left handed cause my son turned out to be a lefty. I'm sorry Lord.

Steve E......

all chubby here. Gotta love a nice group with those lousy old balistic tips. Man,..they just don't shoot all that well and they perform even worse. I wish I didn't have so damn many boxes of them around here.

Nice shooting Doc.

quote:

Originally posted by Doc:
Here's the rifle with the target:

Doc:

I really like your paint job. How did you do it, or who did it for you?

Thanks,


Jordan

The paint job on this and my 30.06 were done by John Noveske in Grants Pass, Oregon. He used to work for PacNor.

Here's his website. If you find the photo gallery, you'll see a Remington 270 painted up the same way. That's my brother's rifle. John calls it SouthWest Oregon I think.

John Noveske Rifleworks

quote:

Originally posted by Steve E.:
Doc
I hate to be the first "wise a#@" to tell you this but you missed the dime!
Now that I got that out, Man that is one super group, I had a Ruger 7mm Mag and the best I ever got out of it was 1 1/2 inch.
That is the best Camo job on a rifle I have seen.
Looks like you shoot backwards like my wife, I got paid back for my ribbing my wife about being left handed cause my son turned out to be a lefty. I'm sorry Lord.

Steve E......

Judging from my results at the range last night, I could have taken the dime out at 200. And that is a conservative distance. I bet I could do it at 210!

OH, and FWIW, I'm not left handed. I'm right handed, left eye dominant. When I was in ROTC in High School and we shot at the range, I was all over the place. I was too embarrased to ask the instructor if I could shoot left handed. When I finally got the nerve to ask, everything changed for me and my TARGETS.

I also have to shoot my bow left handed. Boy, that was weird learning how to do that.

It has actually turned into a blessing. There's plenty of times my brother and I bowhunt together from the same tree, thus can shoot at the same trail, or line up side by side real tight to pull a double on deer with a rifle. We dropped a couple of Does on our farm one time in a cut bean field. We had very little cover and were walking right at them single file. At 175 yards or so, we got into prone positions, our bbls were all of 11" from each other, ON 3, BANG. Venison stew 4 hours later.

Regarding the camo, well, let me just say if the metal wasn't stainless, it's damn hard to see that rifle in the bear woods of New Brunswick and Alberta. Plus, I like BIG patterns like that.

Good example of NBT accuracy.

Couldn't figure out why my targets don't look like that. Thanks for posting the picture of the rifle. Now I understand - my bolt's on the wrong side of the gun!!!

quote:

Originally posted by brassbender:
Couldn't figure out why my targets don't look like that. Thanks for posting the picture of the rifle. Now I understand - my bolt's on the wrong side of the gun!!!

Actually, I don't know if there's any truth to it or not but a riflesmith in AZ once told me that because most rifle manufacturer's make less run's of left handed actions, they tend to be more true. Of course this point is meaningless in my rifle because they've all been blueprinted.

What gets my goat is when I read all the posts about shooters consistently getting 1/2" groups with factory rifles. I never got that. I'd get them now and then but when testing more of the identical load, they'd print different. It sometimes makes me wonder why I bother with handlapped bbls.

I guess I bought the wrong factory rifles. Who knows.