16 August 2005, 20:17
GatorT/C7mm Rem Mag in pistol?
Does anyone use this in a pistol? I just got a 15" Encore barrel and am curious about loads. I have a lot of 120g Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets that I wanted to try first. This does NOT have a brake so I am basicly just trying to get 7-30 Waters or better results without killing my wrist. I have IMR4350 and IMR4064 as well as Blue Dot on hand.

16 August 2005, 23:45
fredj338Wow, talk about overbore. I would stay w/ the faster powders. Expect only a bit more perf. than a 7-08, just not enough bbl. length there.
17 August 2005, 04:32
DoublessYou're kidding, aren't you? Why would you want to take a 7RM and download it? That is like taking a Maserati and pulling half the plug wires off it...
I DID find a website on the Big 7 a long time ago, where a guy listed a lot of reduced load info. He was using IMR-4895. I don't have the address, but you should be able to use Google or Dogpile to find it.
Lotsa luck. I just don't know what the reduced barrel length is going to do for you; like Fred said...
17 August 2005, 04:41
djpaintlesI had a 7mm Rem Mag that the previous owner had cut to 19 1/2 inches and installed a muzzle brake. It basically was the worlds loudest 7-08. I tried numerous powder/bullet combinations and barely exceeded 7-08 ballistics. I never got 140gr bullets past 3000fps. IMHO in a 15" barrel you would be way ahead using a more efficient round like a 7-08.
I ended up trading off the short 7mag to a guy who promptly went and shot a near record 14pt buck. He thinks it's Thor's Hammer...So did the 14 pointer......I'm not about to tell them any different!.......

.......DJ
17 August 2005, 18:05
hunt1415Okay, now that you have been told how dumb it is to download a 7mag, let me tell you what has worked.
I used Seafire's suggestions to load Blue Dot in my 7mag. I found that 30grs of BD with a 120gr BT made the 7mag very pleasant to shoot and I got .25moa with this load. That means at 100yds ALL shots were overlaping. This was from a single shot rifle on a very calm day. The recoil was like a .223. I have not tried it out of a pistol. But, I am sure you will find it easier on your wrist.
17 August 2005, 18:16
DoublessI would really like to know what kind of velocities you were getting out of the 120s using Blue Dot. It might make a fine round for head shooting pigs (even if I am not really crazy about the BTs). Maybe the SBs would work the same way...
And I never said it was DUMB, I just don't understand why Encore would even offer a barrel that would emasculate a cartridge like the Big 7.
17 August 2005, 18:23
butchloci used to do a bit of handgun silhouette shooting with a xp-100 that was chambered in 7x57 with a 15" barrel. I believe that would be about the max for the 15" barrel. The 7 mag needs a longer barrel for the powder to burn in, and to use faster powder defeats the purpose in using the mag. If you do this, see if you can find 2 pair of earmuffs, one to fit over the other
18 August 2005, 00:08
GatorT/CThanks for all of the feedback. I was hoping to get some usefull advise and not be told what a silly combination I have. Fact: I have a 7mm Rem Mag in a 15" Encore barrel. I am just trying to utilize it to shoot targets and an occasioanly whitetail. I have used Blue Dot in a .338 so i will try this first after I get a set of dies. I understand that this is not an "ideal" combo, but I am having fun regardless. Thanks to all of you that are actually trying to help me.
