I don't have a lot of time or $$ to spend playing with a rifle I just bought (gently used 7RM); I'd like to get a buch of cases that are all the same brand.

I won't be able to pick up the rifle until later this summer when we go to Minnesota. The good part is that my friend who does my reloading is there, and I'll probably ask him to work up a load with RL-22 & 160gr. Accubonds.

Is there a particular brand of brass you recommend that is economical & gives good returns on accuracy, case-life, & velocity?

The neurotic OCD part of me likes to think of using the originating manufacturer of a cartridge matched with the brass head-stamp; i.e. .270 WIN brass, 7mmRM Brass. But the better part of me says perfection does not exist in this first life.



So, I'm looking for advice. I'm contemplating taking this rifle on my elk hunt this fall, but will almost certainly stick with my tried & trusted .270 model 70, for both practical & sentimental reasons.

Lastly, another alternative would be to go out and buy a load. Double Tap has one listed that is along these lines for about $50/box after shipping.

Thanks for the help,

friar

I may be able to help you out if you can wait a little.
I have a 7mmRM that I have had some issue with and never trusted it completely. When I dropped it off at the gunsmith I also dropped off a .300WM barrel. It may be a little while before I get the results but if that tube comes off I'll have brass, bullets, and Redding neck dies that I'll have no need for. - Nate

Why would you buy anything from double tap?
Do you feel the wide range of factory ammo is not suitable?

I do not understand why you have someone else load your ammo. It does not really take that much time.

You want brass. Right now is not a good time to buy them.
But here is what I do.
I try to find an indoor range that has brass that I can sort through.
In my experience the 7mm Rem Mag is not sensitive to the make of brass.
Simply get a large supply of one headstamp and live with it.
My brass is all Federal. Why because it was available, all the same headstamp and cheap.

What brass would I choose if I could choose any brand? I don't know. Probably some European brand that is uncommon in the US. Other than that WW, R-P and F-C all work fine for me.

Thanks guys!

Nate, I'm a patient man...if you do decide to forgo the 7mm barrell, I'd be very interested in what you have. I won't be going to MN until the end of July, so there's time...

SR, Federal dropped its Accubond load, and their TBBT load seems pedestrian at 2900 fps. I do realize that will vary greatly barrel to barrel.

I'd love to roll my own, but the time + start-up investment = more than my wife, kids, & work schedule allow. Plus, my friend in MN is retired special forces, and I trust he knows what he's doing. Whenever we've worked up a new load, he always has the rifle in-hand. Granted, it's harder to get up there now that I'm in NE., but its a good reason to go see an old friend.

I don't know anything about Double Tap. Are they not someone you'd do business with?

Thanks,

friar

quote:

..... of using the originating manufacturer of a cartridge matched with the brass head-stamp .....

Actually, I resemble this remark and I haven't been let down yet.

O.K., after an initial batch (usually at least 50) I may during the lifetime of a rifle for whatever reasons wandered off the path to Hornady (Frontier), RWS, Lapua, Geco or other brass but I've always purchsed either factory ammo or brass made by the company with the name on the headstamp as an initial try - why not? After all they did the R&D for their proprietary cartidge?

'cept of course .30/06 Springfield, but my 222 Remington, 223 Remington, 243 Winchester, 25-06 Remington, 270 Winchester .....

As said, you want to largely stick to one brand of brass. My gunsmith, now retired, always said that Winchester was slightly thinner and held more powder and plenty strong. I was amused because his father had left him hundreds of mil surplus cases of all brands... Back then surplus '06 ammo was $0.01 per round with a springfield so cases got left lay...

7mm Remmy Mag is a short, belted mag (from the .300 H&H case) and you want to remember all the others (designed to go into those $18.00 Springfields that Uncle Sam used to sell...) .308 Norma probably most well known (Norma would loan a reamer). .338 WCF is a bit big but doable. 7x64 Sharp and Hart. .264 WCF is ideal. You push it over the expander ball and you have a 7mm case... with wrong head markings... If you find some on a shelf all dusty and cheap, especially in this day, GRAB THEM... Gun won't know the difference.

Beyond that, you have to ask the gun. Some loads are shotgun patterns out of one brand of case and you switch cases (and work back up) and they all go into one hole... LUCK. Happy Trails.