I'm new to reloading. I'd like some info on loading for the 7mm Mag. What primer, powder, bullet combinations work best for you? I need some place to start. I have a manual and plan on aquiring one or two more at some point. I'm shooting a Remington 700 with a 24" barrel.
I will also be loading for the .308 Win. (model 70, 22" barrel)I just finished reading the post about that but could use some info on that as well. The 7 mm will be primarily for deer and elk sized game. The .308 will be for coyotes and a backup for deer and elk.
It seems like the folks on this site are quite knowledgable on the subject. I would really appreciate any of you that would part with those tidbits of wisdom that have been gained from your experience.

Thanks

Look in the Reloading Pages on this forum,and you might look at Pet loads at Centerfirecentral.com. You might also just do a web search....loads for 7mm mag..Hope this helps.BA

Magnum primers in the 7mm Mag, Large Rifles in the 308.

IMR4831, IMR7828, H4831, H1000, RL22, RL25, AA3100 in the 7mm Mag.

RL15, Varget, IMR & H4895 in the 308 Win.

This group, which measured somewhere around 0.303-inches for 5-shots at 200-yards.
It was fired using a Ruger 77R in 7mm Remington Magnum with Leupold 12x optics
Case: Remington
Primer: CCI-200
Powder: 64.6 grains of RL-22
Bullet: Sierra 168 grain Hollow Point Boat Tail
Velocity: 2943 FPS @ 15' from muzzle

My second choice is:
Bullet: Nosler 175 Grain Partition
Powder: 63.2 grains of RL-22
Primer: Remington 9-1/2 M
Case: Remington
Firearm: Ruger 77R
Velocity: 2903 FPS @ 15' from muzzle

As for .308...I have no suggestion, since I shoot .30-06 and .300 Winchester in that caliber.

In the 308 Win, Rel 15 has no equal.
My favorite load is 45 gr of Rel 15, CCI 200 in Win cases and 165 gr Hornady bullets.

Or try 44 gr Rel 15 and 180 gr Hornady RN bullet for Deer.

Thanks for the info!! I really appreciate the help.
I have a general question now, (this one will definitely show how new I am). Is there any way to properly resize just the neck with a full-length resizing die? My wallet is a little light right now and i moght have to wait a while to get a neck sizing die. I don't want to keep resizing all the way but might be stuck with that option until I can get a neck sizing die.

SHOOT TO KILL,
Welcome aboard. It's difficult to give load information that will be the best load for your rifle. Each one of the things is an individualist. The only way I know of to find the best load for your rifle is to experiment with different powder/primer/bullet combinations. With that said, her are some combinations that have worked for me. ALWAYS start low and work up in half grain steps.

With the 7mm Rem Mag I've found the bullet weight had a large influence on powder selection. Some cartridges seem to work well using the same powder for all bullet weights. Not the 7mm RMs I've worked with. With the 140 grain bullet H-4350 worked well. The 150 grain bullet was a betwix and between weight. The rifles I used were a toss up between H-4350 and H-4831SC. The CCI #200 primer was fine with H-4350. H-4831SC performed better with the CCI #250 primers. The 160 grain weight bullet worked well with H-4831SC, also with the CCI #250. I had the best results with the 175 grain bullets using H-1000 and Federal #215 Match primers. I don't like to give charge weights because some were over book.

With the .308 Win., your Winchester rifle has a 1-12" twist. This twist usually stabilize the 125/130 grain bullet weights better than the 1-10" twist used by Remington. Strickly for varmint, I've good results with the Nosler 125 grain Ballistic Tip. However, I wouldn't suggest using this bullet on a deer sized animal. On deer either the Nosler 150 grain Ballistic Tip or Partition bullet is fine. For elk backup the 165 grain Nosler Partition is the lightest bullet I consider adequate. The 180 grain Nosler Partition would be better. The powder that give me the best accuracy and velocities is H-Varget. I use the CCI #BR2 primers with all bullet weights. I think you'll find there are some very knowledgeable people on this site who will be very helpful to you. I hope that this is of some help. Good luck.

[ 01-04-2003, 11:18: Message edited by: BigBob ]

Shoot to kill,

A couple of thoughts. I agree with BigBob that powder can vary by bullet. If you choose to use one powder as I do, I would suggest that you choose the one that has the highest velocity overall for the type bullet you will primarily shoot (independent of weight).

I would also suggest you purchase a chronograph if you are really serious about understanding the performance of your hand loads. The need to purchase a better die is dependent on the chamber of their rifle.

Shoot straight