Opinions Needed - 7WSM with 150gn bullets and IMR4350

[Orange Dust]

I have both a 7MM Wby and a 7MM WSM. They both have 24" barrels and they both shoot pretty much the exact same velocity. Within 15fps of each other. Like others have said, use a slower powder. I have always used Re22, but will try Re23 and Re26 when I run out. I will always believe the 7MM was the best of the WSMs. Shame lawsuits ruined it. It is a great cartridge. BTW Hornady 162gr ELDX Precision Hunter equals my best handloads in my rifle, just in case you get in a bind and need to shoot some factory loads for some reason. They shoot about 1/2" in my rifle, a factory Model 70.

 

[Orange Dust]

I should add, tried all the big names in primers in the 7WSM. I got the best accuracy with Winchester primers, and don't use them in any other gun which is kind of a pain.

 

[tbrice23]

I guess it's time to try some Reliant powder. I haven't yet because I see overlap in many of their offerings. The RL23 and 26 stands out here but I also see RL22 and 19 for this caliber and the performance seems comparable. ??

I talked to Berger about load data for 7wsm and they didn't even recommend RL23 because they're data was for saami oal and they reached 105% case capacity before pressuring out.
Since I seat my bullets out a lot further I have more boiler room. I'm still at about 100% ,probably why my ES is so low.
Rl 22 would be a good alternative just be sure DO NOT SHOOT YOUR WINTER LOAD IN SUMMER.

 

[tbrice23]

I should add, tried all the big names in primers in the 7WSM. I got the best accuracy with Winchester primers, and don't use them in any other gun which is kind of a pain.

I use either BR2 or GM210M in all of my 6.5wsm, 270wsm, 7wsm, and 300wsm.
I just will not even develop a load with WLR or WLRM primers...they just don't seal well. Way too soft!

 

[EricParthenay]

Hey All,
As many know, reloading data for this oddball can be hard to find.


I use loaddata.com. It's a great site. A 30 a year subscribtion but worth it. I just checked it had over 100 loads for your 7mm wsm with 150s. Just make sure you write the caliber just right. Yours would be 7mm Winchester short magnum. If it's not wrote exactly the way the site wants it will say sorry. It's my favourite reloading site. It's worth the 30 bucks or so just to check it out. It has all the loading manuals in it. ( nosler,Hornady,Barnes etc.)I hope this helps. By the looks of the way you're shooting your reloads,I think you'v got a match your rifle likes already. Happy shooting

 

[Deleted member 107796]

OK. So I use CCI primers all the way around. I don't like the idea of a temp sensitive powder. For a long time, I stuck with IMR4350 as a good balance of velocity specs and efficiency (rarely are my loads compressed) and saw very little sensitivity thru our hot Summers and very cold late Falls. I guess I'll further research the Alliant data.

I am still looking at the Hodgdon charge range of 61.0 - 65.0gn for IMR4350 and 150gn Win SP bullet at 3120fps muzzle velocity, vs the other several published specs. I think it is clear that data for this cartridge is less published and more of what reloaders are finding. I don't mean to belittle anyone's love of Nosler, but again, I find their reload data somewhat anemic. I wouldn't characterize my loading as hot but it should be easy for the 7wsm to flop a 150gn bullet at 3200fps, IMO.

 

[MarkA]

I'm using RL26 at 68 grains with the 140 grain bullets with speeds at 3,285 if that helps base line at all. Fed 215 primers and hornady brass 24" barrel.

Cartridge : 7 mm WSM
Bullet : .284, 140, Nosler AccuBond 59992
Useable Case Capaci: 72.511 grain H2O = 4.708 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.830 inch = 71.88 mm
Barrel Length : 24.0 inch = 609.6 mm
Powder : Alliant Reloder-26 ?

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 0.435% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-04.3 92 65.98 3108 3003 51630 12594 100.0 1.237
-03.9 92 66.28 3122 3031 52446 12617 100.0 1.228
-03.5 93 66.58 3136 3058 53275 12640 100.0 1.219
-03.0 93 66.88 3150 3085 54116 12662 100.0 1.210
-02.6 93 67.18 3164 3113 54971 12685 100.0 1.202 ! Near Maximum !
-02.2 94 67.48 3178 3140 55839 12707 100.0 1.194 ! Near Maximum !
-01.7 94 67.78 3192 3168 56721 12729 100.0 1.185 ! Near Maximum !
-01.3 95 68.08 3206 3196 57617 12751 100.0 1.177 ! Near Maximum !
-00.9 95 68.38 3220 3224 58527 12772 100.0 1.168 ! Near Maximum !
-00.4 96 68.68 3234 3251 59451 12794 100.0 1.160 ! Near Maximum !
+00.0 96 68.98 3248 3279 60390 12815 100.0 1.152 ! Near Maximum !
+00.4 96 69.28 3262 3307 61344 12836 100.0 1.144 ! Near Maximum !
+00.9 97 69.58 3275 3335 62314 12857 100.0 1.136 ! Near Maximum !
+01.3 97 69.88 3289 3363 63299 12877 100.0 1.128 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+01.7 98 70.18 3303 3391 64299 12898 100.0 1.121 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+02.2 98 70.48 3317 3419 65316 12918 100.0 1.113 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 3% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 3% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 96 68.98 3294 3372 64824 12646 100.0 1.120 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 3% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 96 68.98 3195 3174 55995 13005 100.0 1.188 ! Near Maximum !

 

[floyd kittrell]

I shoot 155 gr. Hammer pushed by 70.2 gr RL 26 for single 5 shot ragged hole at 3550 FPS from a 24" tube without detectable pressure signs. It shouldn't matter but they are HBN coated. Prior loads had been hangin' around .5 MOA. ES less than 10 as I recall. I've been waiting for this barrel to come into it's own! If everything is repeatable I will be most satisfied.

Hopefully 3550 FPS is a TYPO !! This could be bad medicine !!

 

[tbrice23]

Hopefully 3550 FPS is a TYPO !! This could be bad medicine !!

If not it's going to be a 350 round barrel!

 

[Orange Dust]

Hopefully 3550 FPS is a TYPO !! This could be bad medicine !!

I got 3410 with Re22 and hbn coated 139gr SST's. It was WAY too hot and could not be shot above about 40deg. Backed it down a little more than 100fps. This was many years ago. 3250 is a stout load for a 150, with poor case life in my rifle.