Yeah, if it's a legal handgun cartridge you can now hunt in Indiana with a rifle chambered in that cartridge. Those you mentioned are on the list (or at least the first three for sure). Maybe I need to investigate another purchase...

My loads are for a 270, a 7 Mag, and a 243. That's why I was thinking about 300 vs. 200. I'll start another thread so I'm not hijacking Omid's because I'd like to explore this further. My trip to the range today looks like a no-go.

Thanks again.

Hello again!

I have some new results on my 7mm Magnum reloading experiments. I did two sets of loads, one for accuracy around a previously found sweet spot and one to achieve high velocity. The results are ploted as the green curves in the plot below:





Some interesting observations:

1- Everytime I reload, I get a slightly higher velocity than the previous time! (the blue and red plots show previous results). I wonder why is that? Could it be that the rifle's bore is getting more smooth as it breaks in? Or is it the cases getting a bit bigger (internal volume expanding) as I reload them? Or is it just measurement error (say the chronograph is slightly tilted, temprature change, etc)?


2- I have loaded the same brass 4 times so far. They have onlt been neck-sized in my Redding bushing-style die. What's the typical number of times I can relaod the same brass in 7mm Magnum? Should I be worried about case head separation? What's the best way to check brass-wall thibkness ahead of the case belt to make sure that the it's not too thin?

Thank you again for your help!

With regard to increasing velocity, it could be many factors. Perhaps you're throwing charges a bit heavier this time; perhaps there has been some inconsistencies in setting up the chronograph; perhaps some crud has built up in the throat of your chamber; perhaps your case necks are a bit longer and jamming into the throat (this would make the neck bite into the bullet some and can lead to raised pressures). There are many possible culprits.

As for 7 RM brass, I have no reloading experience with it. As brass thins, it tends to become a bit "brighter" in the area stretched. One common way to test for the thinning is to make a short, 90 degree bend at the end of a straightened paper clip and scratch this along the inside of the case, starting at the web. You can feel it dip into a groove being formed where the stretching is occurring.

On 7 MM mags look for separation just above the belt ( Shinny areas ) also note the length of the cartridge case before and after firing They Grow .
Trim cases .005" -.008" under max case length .

I've seen 20 reloads out of some of my brass , best to check around the belt and base after every firing or prior to reloading them . Some hotter loads may not go # 5 one never knows ?.

asdf ; Covered the other areas well .

Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...

Omid:

Your Mauser was built in Europe, which means it was built and proved to CIP specifications, which are law there, not just industry standards. The 7mm Remington Magnum has a CIP maximum average permissable pressure of 62,366 PSI. The significance of that is that the proof load used to prove your gun is a legal function of MAP. The CIP proof cartridges must produce a mean pressure of 125% of MAP - 77958 PSI for the 7mm Magnum. The difference between MAP and Proof is the "safety zone".

Max loads in reloading manuals are usually at, or very close to, established MAP for the cartridge - with that particular set of components in that particular pressure gun. The above is why they stop there. They have a pressure gun, and you don't. Everything else is tarot cards and ouija boards.

Keep in mind that the density of "canister" grade propellants (what you can buy off the shelf) can vary a lot - 10% isn't unusual (a max load of 51 grains of one lot of a given powder may be 56 grains with the next lot of the same powder), and a chronograph will give you a window into this that you otherwise won't have. Reduce and work back up when you run out of powder and have to change lots.
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"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

Thank you very much Dr. K and 400 NE for your comments. I'll consider what you mentioned in my next round of loads.

I am ordering some quality measrement tools from Mytutoyo to help me make accurate case expansion and other measuremnts.

There is a bright shiny band on almost all my brass just after the belt but it appeared after the very first shooting (factory loads). My assumption is this is the "only" time that the case expands there since I am NOT full-length resizing. I only neck-size so the next time I fire the loads, they should head-space on the shoulder thefore limmiting the case expansion.

Am I right?

What your seeing ( IMO )is the brass expanding as well as stretching just slightly . It happens on every firing . What one needs to be aware of is how large does the shinny band grow .Keep track of your cases , the number of reloads and how hot your loading . You should be fine .

Neck sizing is just fine , you will notice the neck grow after awhile and it will require trimming .

Every body has an opinion about which brass is better for loading , I'm no different . I prefer Lapua RWS Remington Federal in that order .

I've never used Nosler or Hornady brass but assume they're real good to .

I have older Winchester brass that works great. I don't buy the newer stuff any more .
I've had a few lots that looked like they were made in a Chinese garage .

The weakest portion of a belted magnum is just above the belt. There fore it stretches just after the belt hence the shinny ring !.

Heres something to look at . http://www.larrywillis.com/windex.html

Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...