New reloader, first load: questions

Look in the articles section on this site. There is an article called Load Tuning by Jerry Teo. Read it. It will help you understand how to work up a load properly and find a very accurate load.
Understanding pressure signs and what to look for is all explained in the Nosler reloading manual. Read it when you get it. You'll know when you are pushing the envelope because it will get hard to lift the bolt and extract the brass. When the bolt or brass gets stuck, you are way over pressure and in the danger zone. Stop, don't shoot any more of those rounds. You need to back down the powder charge.

Will be sure to read both in depth. Thank you very much for your continued help.

One more question I had. So, for the length from the bass of the bass to the tip of the bullet, is this referred to as the overall case length or is this called something else? I see that Nosler says for a 168 gr., the length is 3.290 from base of shell to tip of bullet. Is this the MAXIMUM length allowed? I'm assuming when you are determining correct seating depth for your rifle, it will be under this number... it can't go over that length or it is dangerous, correct?
 
Look in the articles section on this site. There is an article called Load Tuning by Jerry Teo. Read it. It will help you understand how to work up a load properly and find a very accurate load.
Understanding pressure signs and what to look for is all explained in the Nosler reloading manual. Read it when you get it. You'll know when you are pushing the envelope because it will get hard to lift the bolt and extract the brass. When the bolt or brass gets stuck, you are way over pressure and in the danger zone. Stop, don't shoot any more of those rounds. You need to back down the powder charge.

Also looks like that article is no longer around...
 
I would also suggest looking at the reduced loads that your book will show. While the 7mags aren't known as hard kickers they can be to someone that hasn't shot a lot. The reduced loads are a great benefit to reloaders. The less a rifle kicks the easier it is to get more proficient with and you are less likely to develop bad habits.
 
That is how you measure overall length. No-that is not necessarily the longest you can load for your rifle. All standard rounds have overall length and pressures that are standard so they will work with all standard manufacturers rifles.
 
That is how you measure overall length. No-that is not necessarily the longest you can load for your rifle. All standard rounds have overall length and pressures that are standard so they will work with all standard manufacturers rifles.
Ok, so the overall case length can be tailored to your specific rifle.
 
Not the overall case length. That is just the case with no bullet. The overall loaded round length --- case and bullet---is what varies depending on your gun.
 
Not the overall case length. That is just the case with no bullet. The overall loaded round length --- case and bullet---is what varies depending on your gun.

Ah, ok that makes sense. Is it a big deal is OACL is listed as 2.5 and my case measure 2.4? Should I discard that case?
 
IMHO you cannot go wrong by starting witht he bullet manufacturers reloading data. You will get a selection of powder with corresponding velocity, etc. type info. Study the bullet suitable for YOUR intended use and go from there. You can look on forums for comments on what powders case etc like which primers, or experiment yourself. As you gain experience with YOUR reloading and YOUR rifle and try different SAFE loads, your rifle will "tell" you what it likes best. Recipes off the internet should be verified before suing to ensure they are safe for YOUR application. PLEASE be sure you research and learn how to identify overpressure indications!
 
I appreciate the offer. I do not yet have a manual, however after much consideration I think I will be pulling the trigger on the RCBS kit that comes with the Nosler manual. You say it has step-by-step reloading instructions in it?

Brydog, you cannot go wrong with RCBS equipment starting out. If you haven't made the purchase yet, I STRONGLY recommend/suggest the RCBS Rockchucker press, especially when reloading for the 7mm RemMag. With the RCBS Rochucker press you will be capable of accurately reloading mostly any rifle cartridge out there. When you get your Nosler reloading manual, read the front section of the manual from page to page "BEFORE" you buy any components--bullets, primers, powder--so that you are not spending money needlessly; and buy more than one manual and read them; don't just look at the pictures:);):rolleyes::rolleyes:!! I have written and suggested to people who are just starting out that it would be good if you could find an experienced reloader who can show you how to reload. I can tell you that finding someone who can be right there with you and walk you through the steps will be a whole lot easier and a whole lot "safer" for you. I cannot stress enough that you really do need/have to have a good working knowlege about the relationship between "bullet weight & powder selection & charge-primer" (more bullet weigh-powder charge) before you even start to reload. If you do not know this relationship, you start reloading and over-charge a fast burning rifle powder you can/will raise the pressures of your load to an unsafe level where you can/will destroy your rifle and injure yourself or someone standing next to you quite easily. Although it is important to know about twist and bullet selection, more than likely the rifle that you are reloading for (and I'm guessing here) is a factory rifle with a twist that will accommodate most mid-range bullets; by mid-range bullets I mean not extremely light or extremely heavy. Unless you are reloading for a custom built rifle, I think that worrying about twist rate of your barrel at the stage of reloading that you are at is getting way ahead of yourself. Again if you like to shoot and there is a local shooting range, I strongly suggest that you join the club and ask/look for an "experienced" (5-10 years) reloader who can show you the reloading process either on your equipment or theirs. I belong to a small club and know that if you went looking/asking for someone to help you get started you would have many many guys who would be more than willing to help you out and get started. Manuals are a good place to start, but manuals do not provide you with the hands-on experience and knowledge that will get you reloading safely and efficiently.
 
Ok, great. Now, how do you recommend going about choosing which powders to test? Is it just a trial and error game, smart to start with their best load info, etc.?
Yeah that is pretty much spot on! Again - Get the bullet manufacturers load data for your bullet. It will give you starting point points based on velocity, etc.
 
Let's talk a little about primers. For what you're doing, just about any magnum large rifle primer will work. Why magnum? They're a little "hotter" in their flash, so they ignite the slower-burning powders you will be burning better than large rifle primers. Also, they are generally a little heavier in construction, so they can take higher internal pressure without problem. They are, in fact, constructed with magnum loads in mind!

What else do you need to know about primers? They can signal high case pressure, so you should "read" them after firing a load. Someone above has pointed out that if you have a hard time opening the bolt after firing one particular load, that is probably a "hot" load, meaning the pressure is getting right up there. In fact, high pressure can be caused by other things than too much powder, like case neck thickness or stretched cases. For what you're doing these are probably not things you need to worry about -- just keep in mind that signs of high pressure can be a symptom of a problem you need to check on.

You can also "read" your primer after a shot. What does the crater (caused by the firing pin) look like? Is it just a dimple in the middle of the primer, or does it have sharp edges where the metal has clearly been pushed back around the firing pin, giving it a "cratered" effect. Cratered primers are generally a sign that your pressure is high -- perhaps too high. Also primers that have clearly been blown back against the bolt face so hard that any tool marks on the bolt face are engraved into the primer. I once had a rifle with tool marks on the bolt face, and one load I tried clearly showed those marks on the primer after firing, and some of the primer pockets had enlarged so the next time I tried to seat a new primer in it, the primer fell back out. That's either too much pressure or brass that has become soft (through annealing).

You don't need to think about annealing at this point, but some day you will probably want to read up on annealing case necks if you want to get the most life out of your brass. Don't anneal the whole case (I did by accident) because they loose strength and you need strength around the base and web of the case.

You don't need to think about crimprd-in primers with the 7 mm Rem Mag, but if you start reloading military brass you should be aware that military primers are somethings locked in place by crimping a little of the surrounding brass against the primer. You need to remove this crimping before seating a new primer, or else it might deform as it goes in. This is another subject -- I just wanted to mention it as I was talking about primers.

Finally (bet you thought you'd never reach the end of this long post), which brand of primer to use? When you read a manual, it will suggest which powder to use with a given weight of bullet, and how much powder to start with and how much is a maximum load. It will also recommend a brand and designation of primer. In my experience, after you have reloaded for a while, you will find there is little difference between brands of primers, but you want to use magnum type primers. I use Winchester WLRM primers (as in "Winchester Large Rifle Magnum", huh?) in my 7 mm Rem Mag, but I have also used CCI and other brands of magnum primers. If you use what the manual recommends, you're off to a good start. Later on you might try other brands, but follow the manual closely at first.
 
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