I am currently shooting 175 grain Hornadys in my 7 mag with good results. They have not failed to kill anything that I shot with them. I am currently using H4831 powder and getting 2800 fps. I would like some opinions about whether it is worth the additional expense and time to build a load that is somewhat faster with another powder. I cannot convince myself that I will gain enough (only about 100fps)to bother. I will probably replace the Hornadys with Noslers for my next elk hunt, but I'm not sure the extra 100 fps is worth it. I was considering Reloder 22, but have read that there is consistency problems with it. Any input will be appreciated.

I like to shoot & experiment w/ different loads, so I would invest the time. I have had good luck w/ RL22 & IMR7828 in various 7mags. Give it a try, the worst thing that happens is you spend a bit of money & shoot a bit more.

I have so much confidence in 4831 that I would not change that load. The burning rate is close enough for your bullet and cartridge to be a right answer.

If I were to change there only one powder that I would trust and it's the one that E.I. Dupont developed for the 7MM Rem Mag. That's IMR 7828

www.imrpowder.com/rifle/7mmrm_2_data.html

Gentlemen,

I have had the best luck with IMR 7828, in my mind, it is THE powder for the 7 Mag...best velocities and accuracy for me.

We have lots of loading data at our website.

Joel Slate
Slate & Associates, LLC
www.slatesafaris.com

7mm Rem Mag Page www.slatesafaris.com/7mm.htm

SB Hooper, I have had excellent results with H1000 and the 175 grain bullets in my 7mmRM.

I am one who did not have good luck with RE22. In fact, I gave the rest of the powder (about half of the canister) to a friend to use in his 300 WM. I have also had good results with the H4831 you mentioned.

One thing about H1000 is the weird descrepencies in load data. When I first bought it, Hogdon listed 72 grains as a Max load with the 175 SP but now I see the max charge is closer to 66-68 grains depending on bullet manufacturer.

I load the data the I originally had and I am in good shape with my rifle. No pressure problems that I can detect.

FWIW Fire Hawk.

Hey, experiment all you want, that's part of the fun. You always have Old Reliable to fall back on, right? I sure wouldn't go for 100 FPS at the expense of good accuracy.

With my 7 RMags, H1000, I7828 and H4831, either standard or Short Cut, have worked pretty well.

You mention replacing the 175 Hornady with a Partition for your next hunt. I was reading somewhere about penetration tests, and the 175 Hornady was consistently in the top group, including the "premiums".

R-WEST

Gentlemen,

We ran some penetration tests, and the hornady did good, but not as good as the partition. I would not feel underequipped with a Hornady Interlock in my gun. I've used them extensively in load development, and taken a few animals with them. They have never let me down, and they are inexpensive enough to let a guy do a lot of practice shooting.

I just have developed a preference for the 175 gr. Partitions. It might all be in my head, but I like them and have total confidence in them.

If I remember correctly, Weatherby loaded the Hornady spire point bullets in their factory loads for years, and nobody I knew that used them disliked them. That must count for something.

Joel Slate
Slate & Associates, LLC
www.slatesafaris.com

7mm Rem Mag Page www.slatesafaris.com/7mm.htm

I prefer the 160gr grand slams or partitions for my 7 rem mag. But be that be as it may, experiment all you want to (thats one of the fun parts of shooting) but I would be reluctant to fix what ain't broke. The extra 100fps or so you would gain is going to tranlate into a little dab of energy that is gong to be dumped into the scenery on the far side of the elk.
And you may gain it at the expense of having to motor you rifle quite a bit harder. While I like to know what the top end of a particular rifle is, I am not one to run top end as a given thing. Its hard on the equipment and murphy's law tell us that if something breaks, it will do it at a time that will cause maximum embarassment.

I've learned to really respect the 7mm Rem mag loaded with a good 175 grain bullet. I've produced excellent groups at slightly over 2900 fps with H870 (getting scarce), H4831, and Reloader 22. I haven't had any problems w/Re-22 and it has proven superbly accurate.

On the other hand there's nothing wrong with a good 2800 fps 7mm/175 load...

Biggest game I've ever taken was a large 6x6 bull elk. The Nosler 175 partition at 180 yards took him down in one shot at 180 yards. Somewhere between three and four feet of penetration, exit wound about diameter of a .45 slug.

Have had the best accuracy with Sierra's 175 grain SPBT gameking. Great long-range bullet.

Sounds like you've already got a fine hunting load, but it's always fun messing around with something new - I just wouldn't toss what already works! Regards, and good luck on your hunt! Guy

Thanks for the input. If I try anything else, I will probably go with the 7828.

You can pick up a fair bit of velocity without shedding too much weight if you try out the Hornady 162gr.SST.
Both 7mmrem mags I load for like RL22.
How about a Barnes XLC in 160gr?

A friend of mine shot a bull elk 5 times with Hornady 162s and eventually killed him. He said that every bullet blew up on impact. Needless to say, he doesn't like them anymore.

Hey S.B., When you get the IMR-7828, I'd recommend you only get one-1# jug to start with.

I've had a few 7mmRemMags and some just don't like it. The last two I've had just don't produce the best accuracy with it.

I've come to the same conclusion as you did about the RL series of powders. I know a lot of folks like them, but the ones I tried RL-15, 19 and 22 all seemed a bit erratic as I approached a MAX SAFE Load. So, I gave them away to people that like them.

I've used lots of H870, but it is very dirty. You need to make a paste with "Bon Ami" and your favorite Bore Cleaner to get that mess out. Particularly bad with lighter bullets(140, 145 & 150gr), but it can be VERY accurate.

I think I'm on my 3rd 8# jug of H1000 and it is the best "balanced" powder I've used in "my" 7mmRemMags. Smooth pressure increases, excellent accuracy and works well with all the bullets between 140gr-160gr. I'm not sure I tried it with the 175gr bullets, so I'll not guess on it.

Great cartridge!

If you want something faster, that will penetrate as much, go to the 140 gr. Barnes X. Since they retain nearly 100% of their weight, they will out penetrate even the NP in the 175 gr. weight. Do the math. E

[ 01-30-2003, 19:52: Message edited by: Eremicus ]

I used the 160 Barnes X in my old 7mag. They shot under 2 inches at 200 yards. I tried the same load in my newer rifle and damn near blew it up. I had to back it off 5 grains of powder to lower the pressure signs. They wouldn't group good either. The newer rifle feels like it has a tighter tolerance barrel to me even during cleaning. They both love the 175 Hornadys but the older gun clocks the load at 2700 and the new one does the same load at 2800. I shot several cow elk and three New Mexico Oryx with the Barnes and they never came close to failing. However, I have never found a gun yet that wouldn't shoot Hornady bullets. I have never shot any Nosler partitions, but I suspect they should shoot pretty close to the Hornadys. If they do, I can save them for the elk and do the practice and deer with the Hornadys.

There is not enough difference in trajectory out to 300 yards to make it worth shooting anything but 175s as far as I can see. I may reload 139s again if I decide to go antelope hunting or something, but I really like the 175s and they really whack anything from deer on up.

I really appreciate the different points of view though. Keep them coming. I love this forum for a source of information.

Don't be afraid of RL22, and it'll go 2925 or so. H870 is some dirty stuff, shoots OK. I've got some RL25, but haven't worked up a load yet, I think it may get a little extra velocity. the best shooting load in mine is RL22 with a 175 Nosler.

Hooper, I'd stick with the 160s or 175s. That is to say, your mule deer/elk load. Friend of mine shot 150s in his 30/338 so he could brag about his hyper velocity. The antelope he shot with it were pretty disgusting to look at. We talked him into using 180s and the damage was little more than say a .270. As a rule, I work up what I consider an optimum load for a rifle and use it for everything. Thus, I have shot antelope with 160gr 7mm slugs and 200gr .308 slugs. It may kill them a bit more than they need but the meat damage is surprisingly slight.

I loaded a few Noslers the same as my Hornadys and they shot to the exact point of impact at 100 yards. I loaded them with 60.5 grains of H4831. Both will stay 1" or less depending on my shooting for the day. I may go ahead and experiment a little with the RL22 just for the heck of it to see what happens, but I really don't think the extra 100 fps will matter.