IMR 7828 300 Win mag?

[gohring3006]

I was having a conversation about buying several pounds of powder on a whim in a thread here a few weeks ago.
So I started messing with a 300 I had in the safe, and I have 8 pounds of 7828 and was wondering if anyone has tried it with heavy bullets, particularly 208 ELD up to 225 grains bullets?

 

[reelhardmt]

I've used 7828 ssc with great success in the 210 berger VLD...

 

[gohring3006]

I've used 7828 ssc with great success in the 210 berger VLD...

I was thinking it would work. It certainly falls in the right burn rate.

 

[reelhardmt]

I was thinking it would work. I certainly falls in the right burn rate.

73 grains worked well with mine.

 

[MagnumManiac]

I used it years ago, was impressive in velocity, but a nightmare trying to get consistent charges from my measure.
Here in Australia, we had a powder that was only available here, known as AR2214, it had a burn rate slower than 7828, but had the same short cut kernels as AR2213sc (H4831sc in the US) it ran 80-100fps faster than 7828 and was the fastest velocity obtainable until Retumbo (AR2225 here)and RE33 showed up. The velocity with AR2214 mimmicks RE25, around 3160-3180fps with a 180gr BT or Accubond in a 26" tube.
Unfortunately, in the early 90's 2214 was discontinued and replaced with AR2217 (H1000 in the US) which was significantly faster in burn rate.

I have seen that the IMR range are available in the short cut version and this is what I would recommend.

Cheers.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I was having a conversation about buying several pounds of powder on a whim in a thread here a few weeks ago.
So I started messing with a 300 I had in the safe, and I have 8 pounds of 7828 and was wondering if anyone has tried it with heavy bullets, particularly 208 ELD up to 225 grains bullets?

I have some loads worked up (un-tested) for my 5R .300WM using new Norma brass, 7828 SSC, and Berger 210 VLD's.

I would use it if you got it. I use it in my 7mmRM, and it works great. I've used it up to .300 Ackley with heavies, and so far, great results. I do think the capacity of the Ackley deserves a slower powder, which is why I have a bunch of IMR 7977 as well.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Not a heavy but we run it with our 181g Hammer Hunter very nicely at 79g and 3160fps. 7828ssc has become one of our favorite powders.

Steve

 

[MudRunner2005]

Just spent the morning loading up some fire-formed Nosler .300 Ackley cases with IMR 7977, Federal 215's, and Berger 210 VLD's... Going to go test them out this afternoon see if I can find a good node.

 

[gohring3006]

Just spent the morning loading up some fire-formed Nosler .300 Ackley cases with IMR 7977, Federal 215's, and Berger 210 VLD's... Going to go test them out this afternoon see if I can find a good node.

Looking forward to the results. That's one powder I was considerin, but I have a crap ton of 7828. I hope I can use it, but if I can't find accuracy with it, then I'm moving on..

 

[MudRunner2005]

Looking forward to the results. That's one powder I was considerin, but I have a crap ton of 7828. I hope I can use it, but if I can't find accuracy with it, then I'm moving on..

I have a metric ****-tonne of both, as 7828 SSC has been my go-to in everything from my .25-06 AI up to the .300 Ackley. But, when 7977 came out, I was impressed how similar it was to H1000, but was hoping it would be more stable (in my experiences). So I bought about 10 pounds of it, and then life got in the way, and I never got around to trying any of it. What I found today, is the 7977 is giving a VERY nice fill ratio for the .300 Ackley (low-to-mid 80's w/ the 210's). Not compressed, but ****-near it. Very little room for air. Exactly how you want your loads to be.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Alright, got to do some shooting today, but not as much as I'd like...BUT, it's always good to get in a little "group therapy". Sun was beating down and it was keeping the rifle hot. I had to rig up a small umbrella on a piece of pipe, strapped down to my Bull Bag on top of my Legacy bench... It was some serious redneck engineering, but it worked ok, and was definitely MUCH cooler than without it.

As for the 7977, I used .300 Weatherby load data for my .300 Ackley, since it is just basically a .300 Wby with a 40º squared shoulder instead of the rounded shoulder.

I did not realize that the specs for my case were cut to match specs (forgot my smith used his match chamber reamer with a SAAMI neck), and so the case body stays very tight with very little expansion (the same as I have talked about my 7mmRM's chamber). Anyway, so I over calculated for the Ackley, and my very first load was what Hodgdon said was Weatherby max load (usually with an Ackley, that's where I start). Well, this time I was WRONG! My starting load was 83.0 grains of 7977, and that was all well and good, but that is apparently my MAX safe pressure. At 83.5 I was getting ejector swipes... I tried 84.0, and the primer didn't look very cratered at all, but it did have an ejector swipe. However, I noticed when I shot that very first load at 84.0, my MSv2 went from 2917 to 2974... Needless to say, this is why using your chrono during load development is so vital. You can instantly spot the pressure spikes, and know you need to stop right there and back off.

So, here's my findings on 7977...

At 83.0 grains (first load tested and I hit the wall)... Even at the wall, I was pushing a 210 VLD at 2,942 MV average with an ES of 14, and an SD of 7. Which is 100 FPS faster than a .300 Wby with the same bullet and the same powder charge. This powder is CONSISTENT! It was stacking them in the same hole... Even in Alabama summertime...It's been raining for 2 weeks now, and today was the first dry day...And it was HUMID! And the sun was directly overhead heating up the guns and ammo. It was 85º with about 90% humidity at 581' elevation. It was like shooting in a swamp in the middle of July...

 

[gohring3006]

I never messed with the 210s.
I was pushing a 215 to 3000 fps with 7828 in 300 Weatherby. I do believe the 215 has a shorter bearing surface than the 210. I would have to check my notes, but I think I ran a hex coated 215 all the way to 3100fps without pressure.
What brass are you using?
I had ejector swipes with Norma brass, even at start loads. That particular lot was soft. I got over ten firings, but always had a ejector mark.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Nosler .300 Wby brass formed to .300 Ackley. Oddly enough, the 83.0 load had some REALLY flattened primers. The 83.5 and 84.0 were flattened, but not quite as badly, but they showed ejector swipes, whereas the 83.0 load did not...

Maybe I should try pushing it a little bit harder, since I already have loads up to 85.0 loaded up... It was just so damm humid today, and nothing was going right today with the sun beating down from high-noon to about 4pm, the rifle wouldn't cool back down, the chamber was hot, the ammo was hot (I tried to keep it in the shade, but that was not working out in the open), and I was sweating so bad in the direct sunlight I looked like i had jumped into a swimming pool...Fully clothed. I finally gave in and packed everything up around 4 and headed back on my arduous 10 minute journey back to my house...And the A/C...

Saturday is supposed to be dry as well... Maybe I'll get some more work done on Sat evening after the sun has passed from being directly on top of me.

I didn't even get to shoot my 6.5 Grendel or test my 6.5G handloads...

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

72 or so 7828 with a 220 smk worked well in my 300win when the barrel was newer... lately the rifle only eats 1654 hdy fb and rl22; I think it's time for a new barrel one of these days but it still shoots a load and I have my 300rum rifles for heavy pills.