For those of you who haven’t been playing the home game and following along, I recently bought a Remington 700 Stainless Steel in 7mm RM with a factory 24†barrel and this my third thread discussing my amazement in the LOW velocity that this rifle is producing with my handloads. In my last thread the question was raised if my chronograph was working correctly so today I borrowed one from a friend at work and set it up in a series with mine. Based on this mine is working fine. The following is the data I’ve collected to date:

9/23/06
Load A: 140gr Accubond, 66.5gr of Reloader 22 with a Federal 215 primer at 2925fps.
(Nosler Manual 5th edition, max. load is 67.5gr)

10/1/06
Load B: 140gr Accubond, 69.0gr of Reloader 22 with a Federal 215 primer at 3015fps.
(Nosler Manual 5th edition, max. load is 67.5gr)

Load C: 140gr Accubond, 66.5gr of Reloader 19 with a Federal 215 primer at 2930fps.
(Nosler Manual 5th edition, max. load is 65.5gr)

10/6/06
Load D: 140gr Accubond, 69.5gr of Reloader 22 with a CCI 250 primer at 3050fps.
(Nosler Manual 5th edition, max. load is 67.5gr)

Load E: 140gr Accubond, 64.5gr of IMR 4350 with a Federal 215 primer at 2940fps.
(Nosler Manual 5th edition, max. load is 65.0gr)

Load F: 139gr Interlock, 67.5gr of Reloader 22 with a CCI 250 primer at 2840fps.
(Hornady Manual 5th edition, max. load is 68.0gr)

Load F: 154gr Interbond, 63.0gr of Reloader 22 with a CCI 250 primer at 2710fps.
(Hornady Manual 5th edition, max. load is 63.4gr)

As stated in a previous post I bought this rifle planning to use 140gr bullets to hunt deer and 160gr bullets to hunt caribou and maybe even a moose. I had based those plans and bullet weights on the load data and velocities I was seeing in several reloading manuals (3200+ fps with a 140gr and 3000fps with a 160gr) and data on the net. But as you can see I’m not getting anywhere near those velocities out of this rifle and most of these loads are near book max or even well OVER book max. As stated I’ve got a 270win that will shoot 2975fps with a 140gr Accubond over 59.5gr of Reloader 22. I’m just not sure what to do next, with Load D I’m 2grs over book max and no where near the book velocity. Plus I’m burning 10gr more powder than the 270win load and I’m only getting 75fps more. I don’t know what to do next but I’m beginning to see a 300win in my future.

You would probably get closer to the reloading manual velocity with a 26" tube, although I have a 338RUM and the manual says I should get 3250 ft/sec with a 200 grain slug behind 91 grains of H4831SC and I am loading 93 grains and am chronographing about 3075 at muzzle plus 10' with a 26" barrel. I have never been able to get the velocity that the manuals say I will. Sometimes a little faster powder will increase velocity and I see you have used some Reloder19 but maybe you should try some H4064 or IMR 4350 and see if you get better results. I am kind of prejudiced as I have never been able to get positive results with Alliant rifle powders but love their pistol powders.

Well... I have tried IMR 4350...

quote:

Load E: 140gr Accubond, 64.5gr of IMR 4350 with a Federal 215 primer at 2940fps.
(Nosler Manual 5th edition, max. load is 65.0gr)

Plus the data from both manuals is based on a 24" barrel, also the data on realguns.

Well Mark it looks like you've gone over and above the norm to prove to yourself that the readings you get are factual. If the velocity is very important to you I would dump that 7 mag and just use the 270. I must admit though for reasons beyond my control I've never been a 7 mag fan. If it was me and the velocity is un-acceptable ( and it sounds like it is) sell it, there is no quick fix with this rifle to pick up the velocity.
Even though I have no love for 7 mags if this gun shoots extremely accurate I put much more weight on that than an arbitrary number on the velocity scale that you have in mind. Most of the time when I work up loads for my rifles I do not even chrony those loads until I've picked a favorite load based strictly on accuracy, then I chrony it and deal with it.
These are only my opinions yours may vary.

Mark,

7MM Mag and a long throat. Normally you get way slower velocities. When I was messing with the first one I had we tried the same loads in a short throated rifle as a long throated one. 200 FPS difference. The loading manuals are only a guideline and show you only the results they got under lab conditions useually from custom barrels etc.. As long as your accuracy stays acceptable go up .5 grains until you get bolt lift and then back of a grain. You 'll probably get a significant velocity jump in there somewhere so watch your chronograph.

Snellstrom perhaps gave you some of the best advise. If the rifle shoots the bullet you like with good accuracy does the slower velovity really matter? Also following along your train of thought I agree the 300 Win Mag is a significant step up in horepower over your 270 so perhaps a trade is the best solution and just by pass the 7MM.

Mark

You probably just have a slow barrel it happens. Yes you will see a big differnce between a 270 and a 7mm when you get the velocity a 7mm mag should get. People seem to forget it has more power then a 30/06 also but it gets a bad rap because it is a 7mm. I would look at getting a 7mm mag with a 26inch tube or if you want more speed a 7mm STW with a 26inch tube. If you are not getting speed with R-22 then you can pretty much forget ever getting speed with it. Another thing it could be if the rifle was used when you bought it you might have a rough throat meaning it is starting to get shot out and that will cause velocity loss also. The best I could ever get with a 7mm mag with a 140gr was about 3175FPS. That is why I went to an 7mm STW.

Thanks guys! I'm pretty much done with it and most likely will sale it. Load D is 2grs above book max and thats about as far as I care to go.

So I guess I'm now looking for a 300win or a 30-06.....no 300win