Question for 7mm BR shooters

[Lefty Trigger]

I have a 7mmBR rifle with a 26 inch barrel in 9 twist. Have been only shooting light weight bullets with very limited success. Spoke with an older fellow tonight at the range that use to shoot silhouette and he told me I'm selling the rifle short not shooting the heavies, like 150gr and up. He gave me about 150 of the Hornady 162gr A-max bullet to try. They measure out almost perfectly in my chamber, the recommended 2.400 COAL is a .042 jump in my chamber. My question is,.. can I use the Hornady load data for the 7mmBR in the book even though it's for a 15 inch barrel and just ignore the posted velocities? Hodgdon and Hornady don't have the same powders listed.

 

[Fast14riot]

May have better success with a slightly slower powder. In my 6.8spc nearly all data is for 16" barrels and I shoot 24" barrels. I had to switch to a slower powder (H322 was listed, I shoot H335) with great success. I'd start with the slowest powder they have data for.

 

[Fuj]

I have a 7mmBR rifle with a 26 inch barrel in 9 twist. Have been only shooting light weight bullets with very limited success.

They are a rare commodity right now but keep on the look out for
the Berger 140 VLD Hunters.

 

[Lefty Trigger]

Hodgdon lists 8208XBR and I have plenty of that on hand and it's a little slower than H335.

 

[SSL]

Trim Length:1.515"
BULLET WEIGHT
150 GR. NOS BT

�

	Manufacturer	Powder		Bullet Diam.	C.O.L		Grs.	Vel. (ft/s)	Pressure		Grs.	Vel. (ft/s)	Pressure
	Starting Load		Maximum Loads
	IMR	IMR 8208 XBR	BUY NOW	0.284"	2.340"		28.5	2,289	39,600 CUP		31.0C	2,475	50,200 CUP

BULLET WEIGHT
162 GR. HDY A-MAX

	Starting Load		Maximum Loads
	Manufacturer	Powder		Bullet Diam.	C.O.L		Grs.	Vel. (ft/s)	Pressure		Grs.	Vel. (ft/s)	Pressure
	IMR	IMR 8208 XBR	BUY NOW	0.284"	2.400"		28.0	2,209	40,600 CUP		30.5C	2,387	48,600 CUP

From Hodgdon website...24" barrel.

 

[JEFFPPC]

You did not mention what your intended use for this build. I spotted for those 7TCU s and 7 BRs. At 500 meters you could watch the bullet go out of, then come back into your field of view in a spotting scope. Throw in a bit of wind and it was like watching a 66 mph curve ball. But, very light recoil and in the right hands, they would slay some rams.

 

[x462290]

Find yourself a Sierra Bullets reloading manual. It has all of the 7Br reloading data with a 25" barrel.

 

[SSL]

It's interesting that you are having difficulties with the lighter bullets. Just shows that each firearm is a different creature. When I got my XP100 in 7BR back in the the early '80s, I was strongly influenced by the late Bob Milek. He seemed to have the best luck with H322. I followed suit and have burned a lot of it in mine over the years. I have used Hornady 100-grain hollowpoints and Hornady 120-grain SSP (Single Shot Pistol), both of which are sadly no longer produced, over appropriate amounts of H322 to take quite a few groundhogs (100-grain at 2,500 fps) and several whitetail deer (120-grain at 2,400 fps). Both shoot brilliantly in my XP and thankfully I laid in a big supply of both at the time. I have never played with heavier bullets simply because I had no need, since I didn't compete in silhouette shooting. Let us know how you make out.

 

[ballisticxlr]

I used 168gr MK's with 32gr of N550 over a BR4 primer. Excellent load, 2250fps so it's a little lopey but makes it to 800yrds supersonic.

 

[Lefty Trigger]

You did not mention what your intended use for this build. I spotted for those 7TCU s and 7 BRs. At 500 meters you could watch the bullet go out of, then come back into your field of view in a spotting scope. Throw in a bit of wind and it was like watching a 66 mph curve ball. But, very light recoil and in the right hands, they would slay some rams.

My primary goal is 300 yard target work.

 

[Lefty Trigger]

It's interesting that you are having difficulties with the lighter bullets. Just shows that each firearm is a different creature. When I got my XP100 in 7BR back in the the early '80s, I was strongly influenced by the late Bob Milek. He seemed to have the best luck with H322. I followed suit and have burned a lot of it in mine over the years. I have used Hornady 100-grain hollowpoints and Hornady 120-grain SSP (Single Shot Pistol), both of which are sadly no longer produced, over appropriate amounts of H322 to take quite a few groundhogs (100-grain at 2,500 fps) and several whitetail deer (120-grain at 2,400 fps). Both shoot brilliantly in my XP and thankfully I laid in a big supply of both at the time. I have never played with heavier bullets simply because I had no need, since I didn't compete in silhouette shooting. Let us know how you make out.

Not so much struggling but finding good quality "light weight" 7mm bullets. I have a bunch of Speer 110gr TNT's and those are decent and some 100gr Sierra varminters, the Sierra's will not group for me. The TNT's do really well but only with H4198 powder and I'm out of it. I tried the 162gr A-max bullets and I'm not impressed, box says 1-8 twist required and I have a 9 twist so maybe thats it?

 

[SSL]

I tried the 162gr A-max bullets and I'm not impressed, box says 1-8 twist required and I have a 9 twist so maybe thats it?

I'm just guessing, but you are probably right. I would think the 1-8 would be right on the edge and velocity dependent, so your 1-9 is a tad slow, both in twist rate and probably velocity. It's weird how twist rates and bullets react. My .22-250 is 1-14 and shoots 52-grain AMax like a dream...53-grain VMax are all over the target! Too bad.

 

[Lefty Trigger]

Success! After the A-max disaster I loaded up some 162gr SST's with 8208XBR and went to the 300 yard line today. After a few sighters I ran an OCW test starting at 27.3gr to 28.5gr. Seems to be a sweet spot right at the 28.2 gr with just a tic under 2300fps. Hodgdon claims you can go to 30.5gr but I hear "crunching" at 28.5gr. Those SST's are deep in the case loaded at Hornady's COAL of 2.310 which gives me exactly .020 jump in my barrel. More testing in order around the 28.2 mark and maybe try some different primers.
Target and rifle...

 

[Cochran]

It's interesting that you are having difficulties with the lighter bullets. Just shows that each firearm is a different creature. When I got my XP100 in 7BR back in the the early '80s, I was strongly influenced by the late Bob Milek. He seemed to have the best luck with H322. I followed suit and have burned a lot of it in mine over the years. I have used Hornady 100-grain hollowpoints and Hornady 120-grain SSP (Single Shot Pistol), both of which are sadly no longer produced, over appropriate amounts of H322 to take quite a few groundhogs (100-grain at 2,500 fps) and several whitetail deer (120-grain at 2,400 fps). Both shoot brilliantly in my XP and thankfully I laid in a big supply of both at the time. I have never played with heavier bullets simply because I had no need, since I didn't compete in silhouette shooting. Let us know how you make out.

Bob Milek's stories were inspiring when it came to single shot pistols back in the day. I still have old shooting times magazines with his articles. Like you I followed his writings and used H322 in my 7BR XP with 120's.
Maybe it's time I pulled my XP's out of the safe.

 

[SSL]

Bob Milek's stories were inspiring when it came to single shot pistols back in the day. I still have old shooting times magazines with his articles. Like you I followed his writings and used H322 in my 7BR XP with 120's.
Maybe it's time I pulled my XP's out of the safe.

Funnily enough, I just dig mine out a few weeks ago to play with and put on a new scope mount to be more comfortable with my old EER scope. Can use it without having to stretch my arms out. In the process I remembered just how much fun they are! It's been lots of years that it set lonely in a drawer.

 

[Fuj]

You'll have fun with those Berger 140 VLD hunters if they ever
come back around. How long is your throat ??