RockyMtnMT
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We have had some reports from customers running the 143g Hammer Hunters in their 7 Rem Mags at some very high velocities with rl26. We have loaded a few and with rl23 we would get about 3400 fps on the top end. I have always felt like that was pretty dang fast! The reports that we have gotten were saying that they were getting north of 3500 fps! Well, we had a good customer contact us wanting to purchase a new rifle in 7 mag and have us do the load development for him. So we got him a new Wby Mark V Hunter and figured this would be a good time to test the rl26 and see just how crazy these reports are. We picked up some virgin ADG brass and headed to the range to work it up. I also brought a new in the box Tikka T3 for vel verification if needed. Got the Labradar and everything set up and we syphered out a start load to work up from. First shot on the cleaned new barrel registered 3480 fps! Not a single hint of pressure. Bolt cycled like butter. Brian says "That's it, we are there.". Well, let's keep feeding it and see where it show too much pressure. So we continued up a grain at a time until we got the faintest of ejector mark on the brass. Still cycles like butter. The came at 3639 fps! At this point I feel like we are robbing a bank or something! If it was my rifle I would have run it there. We were basically at 100% case fill and couldn't go any higher anyway. We decided to back it down a grain and load it at 3570 fps. By the way my ladder work was a bit over moa at 100y and the final load shot a 3 shot group a bit over an inch at 300y. When shot at 870y in a scketchy wind across the canyon holding 5moa of wind it still shot nicely at moa or better. So, I had the Tikka there, and decided to shoot the same load in it to see if we just had a freaky fast barrel or what. Pulled it out of the packing and just shot it with no scope or anything to see the vel. Didn't even clean it. Shot one shot and it was 80fps slower with the 2" shorter barrel and cycled like butter. Hmmm...So it doesn't look like a fluke now. We are seeing vel as fast as we ever get from a 28 Nosler, out of the old lowly 7mag!
Here is my assessment of this session. When we went from "other" brass to the ADG brass in the 300wm we gained about 150fps before we encountered the same pressure signs. Obviously there is more pressure there but the brass handles it. So, I think we have gained roughly the same going to the ADG brass here. Then I have to say we are getting an extra 100fps out of the rl26 compared to other powders. This powder just does things that on paper it shouldn't be able to do.
I was a bit shy about posting this but @elkaholic Rich Sherman encouraged me to post it up. Wanted me to let him know so he could watch the fireworks! Here you go Rich, pop some corn!
Here is my assessment of this session. When we went from "other" brass to the ADG brass in the 300wm we gained about 150fps before we encountered the same pressure signs. Obviously there is more pressure there but the brass handles it. So, I think we have gained roughly the same going to the ADG brass here. Then I have to say we are getting an extra 100fps out of the rl26 compared to other powders. This powder just does things that on paper it shouldn't be able to do.
I was a bit shy about posting this but @elkaholic Rich Sherman encouraged me to post it up. Wanted me to let him know so he could watch the fireworks! Here you go Rich, pop some corn!
