Anyone have any experience reloading the Savage Striker in 7mmWSM? I still wonder if the loads suggested for long rifles are optimum in the shorter barrels? I ran my LoadTech program using the shorter barrel & it gave me a lot faster burning rate powder than is usual for the long rifle barrel guns in the same cartridge. If this is true, then the gas pressure envelope firing the bullet makes a difference in short barrels.
Any input on this?
Thanks,
Tom

Generally speaking, the powder that produces the highest velocity in the long barrel will do the same in a short barrel. Since even the slowest burning powder is mostly burned within some 3" of the chamber there may be some flash form the gas igniting when it hits oxygen but little if no unburned powder from a handgun barrel. Pick the powder that works best with the specific bullet.

If that were true, a 4" .300 weatherby would be as fast as a 26" barrel. A 4" 45-70 would be as fast as a 30" barrel and how about a 4" .458?
I am afraid the short barreled pistol is going to take faster powder.

bfrshooter wrote: "I am afraid the short barreled pistol is going to take faster powder."

You couldn't be more wrong.

Take it from someone who has actually shot a round or two through Contenders, Encores, XPs, etc.: The powder that produces the highest velocities and works best in a rifle barrel will generally also produce the best results in a 14-15" specialty pistol barrel. For instance, in a .260 rifle with a 26" barrel, I used 46 grains H4350 under a 120 grain Nosler BT. The MV: around 2975 fps. From a 14" 6.5x.308, that same load registered right at 2700 fps and represented the highest velocity I could get from that pistol with 120 grain bullets.

Those are comparing apples and oranges. The .260 is not a large case and works fine in a 14 or 15" barrel with a low velocity loss. Take that barrel to 10" and the .260 is too large! He was asking about a 7mm WSM with the huge powder space.
For example, the .44 works fine in a 5" barrel but a lot of guys want the .460 in a 4 or 5" barrel thinking it will do a LOT more then a hot .45 Colt.
I have had a lot of silhouette guns in everything from the 7BR, 30-30, 7mm-08 and .308. The 7mm-08 was borderline in the Lone Eagle, the .308 was a pain in the XP 100 and the very worst was the 30-30 in a 10" contender. It would only work with one powder and my 45-70 10" BFR is the same way, only one powder works best. Put in a good load of 3031, 4895, etc and I pour a pile of unburned powder out of the barrel and case. Velocity is very low and the SD and ES is all over the place.
Why anyone would chamber any WSM in a short barrel when the 7mm-08 would do as good is beyond me. Even then, lighter bullets have to be used for hunting because anything from 140 gr's and up will not open on deer reliably.

Hi All: Thanks for replies..well, I had a friend who has a sophisticated ballistics program run up different powder loads for the 7mmWSM in the Savage Striker (12" barrel). Yes, indeed the powder that showed the highest velocity in a long rifle barrel was also the highest in the short barrel. So that agrees with one poster's opinion. I bought the Striker in the 7mm WSM as that was the only one available at the time for my purposes. I disagree with the poster that the 7mm-08 would do as good...not! I want the highest velocity possible from a short barrel for Antelope...and the 7mm WSM will have higher velocity than the 7mm-08...and the reason for higher velocity is to afford me a flatter trajectory & more energy at longish ranges for distant game such as the Antelope we have over here. Agreed, if used for deer at shorter ranges, the 7mm-08 would be OK...but you just can't say it would do as good when you don't know what purpose its used for, in this instance...Antelope.
Thanks for input, always good to get experienced opinions.
Tom

OK, you had it run up on a program. Now what we need is for you to chronograph the loads and let us know what you actually get.
You also did not mention what powder was entered into the program. I would say 4895, 4064, 3031, Varget and a few others would be best and if you go to something like 4350 or 4831 you are going to find it is too slow.

One of the Hodgdon technical assistants years ago told me that the powders that work well in rifle-length barrels were also the best choice for shorter SSP barrels as well.

My handgun hunting partner and i have been using the 4831/4350 powder burn rates for years out of 284 Win. and greater case capacities with good velocities/pressure.

Hi: I'll let everyone know what velocity I get...
the powder selected & loaded for the 7mm WSM in the Savage Striker short barrel gun is R19.
Best Regards,
Tom

Hi All: Finally got to chronograph my Savage Striker in 7mm WSM. Using a 150 gr. Nosler solid base bullet & 70 gr. R19, my average velocity was 2688 fps with some going over 2700 fps. And a 3/4 inch group with 4 shots, I had 3 shots at 1/2 inch.
Now, taking Lyman's #48 reloading data, 70 gr should be 3155 fps in a 24 inch barrel...so 2688 fps in a 12 inch barrel shows approx. 39 fps loss for every inch of barrel length. I'll take 2688 fps from this short barrel, will suit my hunting purposes. R19 was the powder given the highest velocity in the manual for a 24 inch barrel, as as has been posted, the highest velocity in a long barrel will be the highest velocity in the shortest barrel. I agree, although have not done exhaustive testing, I'm just fine with 2688 fps in a 12 inch barrel!
Aloha,
Tom

I can't find Reloader 19 on my speed list but it looks like a medium burn rate which is about what I said would be best for the shorter barrel. Why don't you try some Varget in the gun? I have found more use for this powder in more calibers then even Hodgden says it will work in.
I would sure not go to a slower powder then what you are using.
Your velocity sounds very good.

Hi: R19 is relatively slow burning..my reloading chart shows right next to IMR 4831 burning rate.
I called Hodgdon Powder Company & they advised whatever was the fastest in a long rifle, would be the fastest in a short barrel. I figured it amounted to 39 fps loss for every inch of barrel.
The barrel is only 12 inches long...and near 2700 fps is pretty good! 150 gr. 7mm bullet.
Thanks for advice, it was interesting to me what I found out...I think big bores would be a lot different, then you need a fast powder. I used to use 4227 in my .50 Alaskan for best results in a 25 inch barrel...all other powders were too slow. I shot a 700 gr. hard cast bullet at about 1800 fps. Destroyed the earth background!
Best Regards,
Tom