Advise for loading 7mm Rem Mag

[Nevada Mike]

I have a 7mm Remington magnum with a 24" Hobaugh barrel - 1 in 10" twist. It shoots 140 and 160 grain bullets very well - sub MOA. But I have found that 175 grain Remington CoreLokt bullets are wildly inaccurate - even keyholing at times. This was with a fairly stout (but not maximum) load of H870.

I'd like to develop a 175 grain load (using a premium bullet) that is accurate enough for use on plains game in Tanzania next September. I do not want to spend time and go through the trouble and expense of buying premium bullets to develop a load if it's unlikely to pan out.

Any advice on how to get better accuracy with 175 grain spitzer bullets?

 

[JimP]

I doubt that you are going to get it with your barrel. You need a faster twist to stabilize the 175 grain bullet such as a 1:8 or 1:8.5

 

[sgt_zim]

@JimP is correct, though you might be able to load up some 175 gr RN, assuming anybody makes .284 in 175 gr RN

My 280 AI is a 9.5. I'll try a couple different 175s with it, see what's what, but will most likely end up shooting 160s

 

[bruce moulds]

1:9 will stablize 180 gn bergers out past 1000 yds in 284 win.
factory 7 mags often use 1:9.5 twist which is ok with shorter 175 gn hunting bullets.
my 7mm stw has 1:10, as does my 280, as that is all i could get when i bought those barrels.
150 gn barnes x and a number of 160 gn bullets work ok in those rifles.
a 160 gn swift aframe will do anything and possibly more than a 175 gn core lokt.
bruce.

 

[Tra3]

@bruce moulds do you hunt with Berger’s? I’ve hunted with the 7 rem mag 180 grain Berger VLD and found them to work well on elk and mule deer. There seems to be mixed opinions about them. They happen to be very accurate in my rifle.

 

[bruce moulds]

tra3,
no i don't.
i use nosler partitions for lighter framed smaller animals, and barnes, swift , or if desperate woodleigh for bigger /heavier things.
i have found speer and sierra bullets useful for certain applications.
i will not use any match bullets on game based on experience of their irregular terminal performance.
of course berger has their "hunting" line, which is their original target bullet with thinner jackets than the later "target" line.
they are cup and core in its most basic form, and will kill dynamically in certain circumstances.
however for reliability under all circumstances sierra bullets have proven superior, other than on big stuff.
it is easy to remember the dynamic kills and forget the not so good ones.
of course the stw needs different bullets than the 280.
bruce.

 

[bruce moulds]

add to the above,
my hunting rifles are used with point blank zeros, and the 180 berger has a shorter point blank zero than a harder 140 or 150 gn bullet for meduim game.
in fact the 120 gn sierra can really move out the mail for game like goats, shooting very flat.
and on big stuff a 160 like swift might have more to offer than berger as an all rounder.
i have shot many bergers in fclass.
bruce.

 

[Mwag]

My 700 won't shoot anything over 168 gr with the ragged hole groups I am accustomed to. 160 gr sierra have performed flawlessly on everything up to kudu. If going for anything larger go to a swift A frame and don't think twice about it.

 

[Nevada Mike]

Thanks all for your experienced comments. I think I'll use 160 grn. Swifts - if I can find any. I've mostly used 160 grn. Nosler Partitions and Bitteroots. The Bitteroots were excellent on elk, but are unobtainium now.

THANKS!

 

[Quaticman]

Reloder 22 and the 160 grain Swift A-Frame are your two best friends.

 

[Nevada Mike]

Well, I finally got some 7mm 160 grain A Frames and have a couple pounds of RL-22. Thanks for your help.

 

[Quaticman]

Well, I finally got some 7mm 160 grain A Frames and have a couple pounds of RL-22. Thanks for your help.

There is literally no big game in North America that cannot be hunted with that combo. Some people might say it's inadequate for the big bears and while there may be more suitable cartridges this one will get the job done.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Well, I finally got some 7mm 160 grain A Frames and have a couple pounds of RL-22. Thanks for your help.

@Nevada Mike
160 grain swift at 3,000 fps equals dead game If'n you do your part.
Bob

 

[Edster]

175gr Nosler Partition, over 60.4gr RL22. I reloaded for my hunting partner. Shooting it out of Ruger M77. About a 140yd neck shot. He also took a Waterbuck, Gemsbuck, Blesbok, and impala with it. The impala was a full on frontal shot. The bullet poked out thru the skin just in front of his testicles.

 

[gillettehunter]

Remember that RL-22 has a record of being temperature sensitive. Make sure your hunting temps are similar to the temps you work your load up in. The 160 gr AB's are a good bullet. I used them in africa a few years ago and had excellent results in my 7mm.
Last trip I used the 180 gr Bergers. They worked VERY well. I started a thread about them after my return. Several caveats to using them which I detailed in that thread. With your barrel twist that is a moot point. That combo will do a great job for you. Good luck.
Bruce

 

[Nevada Mike]

Remember that RL-22 has a record of being temperature sensitive. Make sure your hunting temps are similar to the temps you work your load up in. The 160 gr AB's are a good bullet. I used them in africa a few years ago and had excellent results in my 7mm.
Last trip I used the 180 gr Bergers. They worked VERY well. I started a thread about them after my return. Several caveats to using them which I detailed in that thread. With your barrel twist that is a moot point. That combo will do a great job for you. Good luck.
Bruce

I live at 5100' in SE Arizona. I think it will be hot enough to replicate temps in western Tanzania... ;-)

 

[Steen S. Blicher]

7 mm. Rem. Mag loves slow powder like RL-22, MRP or Rhino 23 together with 160 - 175 gr. bullets.
The springbock in my picture is shot with 67 gr. Norma MRP behind a 175 gr. Speer Deep Curle in a Sako 75 with 9,5" twist. Muzzel velocity is 870 m/s 2854 fps. the group size from this load is 18-20 mm at 100meter. I know the load seems hot, but it is okay in my rifle and gave no problems in hot Namibia.
The shot to the springbock was 306 meter from a wiperflex shooting stick in the Namib dessert.
I have used this load on animals from Steinbock to Oryx in Namibia and roe deer, wild boar, red stack and fallow deer in Denmark and Germany, it has performed very well.

BR
Steen

 

[Nevada Mike]

Back again with my old post...

Ran very low on RL 22 using it for my 140 grn deer loads in the 7mmRM and developing loads for my .25-'06. So I am trying to choose a powder to load for 160 Swift AFs - - I actually found some at Swift.

I have Norma MRP, H4831, IMR 7828ssc, Hybrid 100V, and H870. I tried some loads with IMR 7828 ssc, but not working as well as I hoped. Would like to get at least 2950 fps and maintain accuracy. Suggestions?

 

[Joker12]

Back again with my old post...

Ran very low on RL 22 using it for my 140 grn deer loads in the 7mmRM and developing loads for my .25-'06. So I am trying to choose a powder to load for 160 Swift AFs - - I actually found some at Swift.

I have Norma MRP, H4831, IMR 7828ssc, Hybrid 100V, and H870. I tried some loads with IMR 7828 ssc, but not working as well as I hoped. Would like to get at least 2950 fps and maintain accuracy. Suggestions?

If it were me I would try both the 4831 and the Norma MRP. One of them should give you what you are looking for. Good luck!

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

@Nevada Mike reading your OP, I assume you meant to say the 175 gr Core Lokt bullets are wildly accurate, not inaccurate.

I too stumbled upon a similar finding. I bought a box of Federal Premium Trophy Bonded Bear Claw in 175 grain and they are extremely accurate in my rifle (Ruger M77 Mk1). I then bought a case of the same ammo off of GB and have no intentions of reloading for my Ruger 7mm mag.