Running on circles - 7 mm Rem Mag Reloading

[M Jager]

Need some help here as I am new to the 7 Rem Mag and having some trouble getting started.

Brass- as Norma brass doesn't seem to be available and Nosler brass seems hit or miss in terms of quality, I was thinking of going with Winchester and sorting. Am I wrong here?

Bullet - I was debating between the 162 Amax and the 180 Berger Hybrid but after running the numbers I can't really find an advantage to the Berger for under 1000 yard shooting. Obviously thats assuming the Amax shoots well in my rifle. Am I missing something?

Dies- Here I am just lost. I was thinking of just buying a Redding competition die set but I have read you need a collet style die for belted magnums. The more I read the more confused I get. Can somone in the know simplify this in terms of "buy this die and be happy".

Thanks in avdance. This is my first attempt a true long range rifle and while I am not looking to set the world a fire, I would like to do it right the first time.

 

[streetglideok]

Im using full length size RCBS dies, adjusted to necksize only, using retumbo powder, and accubonds and partition bullets in the 160gr. Was using federal brass, but switched to winchester brass. Ive had decent luck with it so far.

 

[youngbuck]

My dad's rig is all factory Rem brass, He uses FL RCBS dies. They have always worked for us, no problems. The Redding FL bushing dies are nice. I only have one, it is my most recent die I have bought. My dad is shooting 162 Amax @ 2940ish with H1000, ES in the teens. Less than 1/2 MOA out to 1k. It is one of the best shooting rigs we have, and it was "accurized" by a family friend 20 years ago. First round hits on baseball size targets out to 945 so far. Everytime I shoot it I'm more impressed.

 

[Nimrodmar10]

The weight of bullet you choose to load may depend on the twist of your barrel. Berger 180 gr VLDs state on the box that they are for a 1 in 9 twist barrel or faster. I found that to be true. They did not shoot well in my 1 in 9.5 twist Rem. 7 RUM. Check your twist rate, you may have to stay in the 160 grain neighborhood. The RCBS full length sizing dies work fine for me in a 7RM as well as a 300 WM.

 

[roninflag]

Jager- my experience is the rifle is more important than the bullet , dies , brass. what rifle? with my remington with a krieger barrel in use standard rcbs dies. i use nosler brass but have not found a big difference. load the bullet i want , crunch it down on some powder and shoot.

 

[Bart B]

Back in 1970 when a good and close friend of mine used a 7mm Rem. Mag. to win the 1000 yard Wimbledon Cup Match at the Nationals and setting a record, here's the scoop on the load. The rifle belonging to Sierra Bullets' ballistic tech, he used either new cases or fired ones full length resized with first a standard die then a body die to size the case body all the way down to the belt.....something standard full length sizing dies don't do. Back then, that's how belted cases shot the most accurate; they still do. Get a collet die from Innovative Technologies - Reloading Equipment. It does the same thing as cutting off the bottom and top of a standard belted case full length sizing die. Use it after you use a full length bushing die; either RCBS or Redding. Sierra Bullets uses these dies to test their bullets for accuracy.

IMR 4350 is a good powder for heavier bullets in the 7 Rem Mag and there are others at that speed or a bit lower. Russian primers (from Wolf) may well be the best on the market these days.

I've used brand new Winchester belted cases to shoot 1000 yard 15-shot groups equalling or bettering current bench rest records. There's nothing wrong with Winchester brass. You won't need to prep the brass except for maybe turning the case necks to make 'em more uniform in thickness if they vary more than .001 inch.

 

[moombaskier]

Winchester brass is just fine for the 7mag. Ive had excellent results with the Forster full length die set to bump the shoulder .001" and their regular seater die. Use H1000 with 215 primer. For hunting I would shoot 160gr. Nosler Accubonds or the 168 Berger. I also use the long cut version of IMR7828, but it is more temp sensitive than the H1000. I chuck my brass after 3-4 firings at the most, so I don't worry about the "belt thing". Why the Amax and not the Berger 168?

 

[retiredcpo]

I use win brass and primers with 160 gr accubonds pushed by rl22
have had great results with this combo
retiredcpo

 

[pyroducksx3]

The redding competition die set is the way to go, I have them for the rem mag and love them. They allow you to resize the neck using bushings to get perfect neck tension. Get the redding competition shell holder set with this and case sizing will be very easy as well, you wont have to change your die between once fired brass and fired brass just use the shell holders. This die set also comes with a micrometer seating die which I feel is also extremely important to making consistand ammo. I prefer the 168 bergers over the amax simply because the bergers have lot numbers on them so you can buy a few or more boxes of bullets and insure that they are from the same lot which means all the bullets will be consistant.