Max Heat
Well-Known Member
After inquiring about it, one of my local dealers had finally put some on the shelf, so I grabbed a lb. It was on the advise of numerous shooters, some of them being from THIS site. But it was a BR dude that I was shooting along side of at one of the local ranges (shooting a WC version of the 6.5x284AI, IIRC), who convinced me to actively start looking for some (I shoot the 7mm ultra magnum), after seeing his shot targets. He gave me the URL of a mail-order "dot-com" (but aren't they ALL, now) outfit that had some in stock (this was several weeks ago), but I did not want to pay the extra hazmat shipping premium.
Anyways, being that 33 is currently a very fresh release, there isn't much publicized information or reviews/data about it. Here is what I do know: They are claiming that 33 has higher lot-to-lot consistancy than 25 does. It HAS superceeded 25, in becoming the slowest burning of the series (aside from 50, which is designed for the .50BMG). It was designed specifically for the 338L, which has nearly the same case capacity as the 7RUM (or 284U, if you prefer), but It's larger caliber allows it to shoot a 50% heavier projectile.
I have used 19, 22 [which is a bit temperamental], and 25, with each requiring several additiional grains to achieve the same velocity. So obviously, efficiency WILL decrease. I haven't loaded or shot any 33 yet, but I will be soon, and I think it just might top out the 100gr capacity of the RUM case, vs around 95gr, for 25. I'd like to know what performance [and other charactoristics] I should be expecting out of it, before I start testing the loads. At this point in time I only have 26" of barrel to work with. But that # will be extended out to 32", when my new barrel arrives from McGowen in about 2 months. I'm thinking that the differences in 33, vs 25, may be even more substantial in THAT scenario.
Anyways, being that 33 is currently a very fresh release, there isn't much publicized information or reviews/data about it. Here is what I do know: They are claiming that 33 has higher lot-to-lot consistancy than 25 does. It HAS superceeded 25, in becoming the slowest burning of the series (aside from 50, which is designed for the .50BMG). It was designed specifically for the 338L, which has nearly the same case capacity as the 7RUM (or 284U, if you prefer), but It's larger caliber allows it to shoot a 50% heavier projectile.
I have used 19, 22 [which is a bit temperamental], and 25, with each requiring several additiional grains to achieve the same velocity. So obviously, efficiency WILL decrease. I haven't loaded or shot any 33 yet, but I will be soon, and I think it just might top out the 100gr capacity of the RUM case, vs around 95gr, for 25. I'd like to know what performance [and other charactoristics] I should be expecting out of it, before I start testing the loads. At this point in time I only have 26" of barrel to work with. But that # will be extended out to 32", when my new barrel arrives from McGowen in about 2 months. I'm thinking that the differences in 33, vs 25, may be even more substantial in THAT scenario.
