168 Berger 7mm mag powders

[Bubb]

Okay my 7mm mag tikka T3 will be coming from short action customs this week. I got two boxes
of 168 berger hunting VDL and am putting a long range hunting rig together. So any body have a load for these I need some
powder choices. This is a hunting rig so I gotta load to magazine length. I just can't wait......

 

[Playerz1337]

Which cartridge. Is it a short action or long?

 

[KYpatriot]

H1000 or retumbo. Perhaps h4831c if it is a short mag. RL17 for short mags very fast but watch the temp variance.

 

[milo 2.0]

That can of MRP sitting on the back of your bench, and it's available now, to me would be the best choice hands sown.

http://www.norma.cc/en/Ammunition-Academy/Loading-Data/

 

[DIBBS]

... From the reloading depot, assuming a 7mm Remington Mag... in no particular order
RL 25
Retumbo
H4831
RL22
H1000
RL19
Acquiring some of these powders, however, may be another story altogether.

http://www.google.com/cse?cx=007096...sc.q=Reloading 7mm Remington Magnum&gsc.sort=

 

[Bubb]

Sorry guys 7mm mag long action

 

[Bubb]

... From the reloading depot, assuming a 7mm Remington Mag... in no particular order
RL 25
Retumbo
H4831
RL22
H1000
RL19
Acquiring some of these powders, however, may be another story altogether.

"Reloading 7mm Magnum" - Google Search

Thanks I'll pick Norma MRP, H1000, h4831, IMR 7828. Due to being fairly temp stable powders. All with Fed 215 primers, and the 168 Bergers.
I don't have all these manuals thou... If you guys have any fancy programs could I get a safe starting point for each listed? Oh I got the MPR starting point off the link! Thanks Milo

 

[Powermac]

VV N560 is my favorite powder for the 7 RM, although a bit temp sensitive.
If top velocity is not of high importance N165 would be my first choice, very clean burning and consistent powder.
N 160. N170 with the 180's.
H-1000 works excellent, Retumbo should be good to go.
MRP usually gives good velocity, but a bit temp sensitive, and lot to lot consistency is not as good as some others.
MRP is basically RL22, burn rate is almost identical, made at the same plant by the same people (Bofors, Sweden).
The old MRP 2 gave excellent results in 7 RM but suffering a bit from the same as MRP does.

H4831 is a excellent powder for the 284 fx, but in my experience it generates low velocities in the 7 RM, don't burn as clean as N 100 series and is less consistent.

RL 22 and 25 should work but never used them.

 

[Bubb]

Well for the first time I'm going to make a thread on the being of this rig. Step by step to help who ever is reading out there. We on this site have to understand this site is only as good as the info learned and shared. A solider would be noting without another to teach him how to be a solider!!! Not only info from us but abroad, is what makes this a awesome tool for all of us! So until I get my tikka I can't start cause I don't know the magazine length. Or I could prep prep brass and load ladders to factory length??? Shit yea!!! What's a factory round OAL with the 168 Berger??? That HSM ammo is loaded with them?!,, anybody.... Get this train moving!!!

 

[roggom]

The mag length is 3.373 on the Tikka T3 "L" magazine. Now Berger has their own reloading manual on the street.

Here is some older data I got from the Man himself. The loads are a little anemic, because they were not finished publishing the manual yet.


Email from Walt Berger:



Load data was generated using Quick Load a 26 inch barrel a COAL (cartridge over all length) of 3.290 inches and your COAL and velocity could be a little different.
AS WITH ALL RELOADING APPROACH THE MAXIMUM LOADS WITH CAUTION AS ALL RIFLES AND RELOADING TECHNIQUES WILL BE DIFFERENT. If YOU CHANGE ANY OF YOUR COMPONENTS; THIS INCLUDES DIFFERENT POWDER LOT NUMBERS; YOU MUST REFIGURE YOUR LOADS BY STARTING WITH THE MINIMUM LOAD.
If we can be of any additional help feel free to contact us.
Thanks for your interest and have a great day.

Walt Berger
Berger Bullets
Technical Advisor

7mm REMINGTON MAGNUM
Bullet Powder Start Load Approximate Start Velocity MAX LOAD Approximate Max Velocity Fill Ratio
168 Grain IMR 7828 SSC 59.0 2721 65.3 3002 95.1%
168 Grain H4831 SC 57.0 2618 63.4 2904 94.1%
168 Grain RE-22 58.5 2701 65.0 2984 96.2%
168 Grain H1000 62.5 2669 69.5 2987 100.1%
168 Grain NORMA MRP2 63.0 2726 68.5 2970 102.4%
168 Grain AA MAG PRO 61.0 2669 68.0 2984 95.9%
168 Grain Ramshot Magnum 63.5 2685 70.7 3019 98.7%
168 Grain VIHT N165 58.5 2617 65.3 2892 97.5%
168 Grain RETUMBO 65.5 2721 71.2 2975 106.3%
168 Grain RE-19 56.0 2673 62.4 2944 94.3%
168 Grain IMR 4350 52.5 2596 58.3 2920 88.1%
168 Grain IMR 4831 53.5 2648 59.4 2887 93.1%
168 Grain AA XMR 3100 58.0 2619 64.5 2888 96.5%
168 Grain VIHT N560 59.0 2718 65.6 3014 94.0%
168 Grain RE- 25 61.0 2731 67.8 3012 101.9%
168 Grain NORMA MRP 59.0 2716 65.7 3007 95.1%
168 Grain Hybrid 100V 52.5 2614 58.5 2846 93.6%




The cool thing about the Tikka is you only have to load for pressure, as almost everything shoots submoa. Yes really.

 

[Bubb]

Well there ya go... Buy those numbers for fill% to velocity looks like Norma MRP and IMR 7828 have most velocity and fill...
I'm going to get to work on brass prep.
****Roggom thanks*****

 

[eshorebwhntr]

71.5 gr Retumbo worked well for me. 28" barrel was north of 3150 and no pressure with really low spreads.

 

[7mmRM]

71.5 of Retumbo here as well. 3100 fps with 168 VLDs.

 

[Gray]

I was using 69 gr Retumbo with a Berger 168 VLD in Winchester Brass with a CCI Magnum Primer at a OAL of 3.420

 

[Bubb]

Well then maybe I'll have to find some retumbo... Thanks guys

 

[teamvit]

69.4 of H1000 is what worked the best for me at .002 of the lands

 

[mscott]

Must be something there ...... I'm running 71.5 of Retumbo with 168 Bergers as well.

 

[KYpatriot]

What kind of ES are y'all seeing from Retumbo? I'm having a hard time getting it below 30fps.

 

[Bubb]

Well it tested 4 powders h1000, MRP, 7828, retumbo got the speed but to the lands is 3.455 max mag length is 3.290 that's a jump of .165?!? Accuracy was 3+" at 100 and 200 yards across whole test... I'm afraid any deeper will spike pressure?

 

[eshorebwhntr]

Well it tested 4 powders h1000, MRP, 7828, retumbo got the speed but to the lands is 3.455 max mag length is 3.290 that's a jump of .165?!? Accuracy was 3+" at 100 and 200 yards across whole test... I'm afraid any deeper will spike pressure?

VLD in mine was seated out at the lands...settled on .007-.010 jump for final load. SD's are single digit, ES was around 22 for the 71.5 gr Retumbo load I mentioned earlier. Was the 3"+ grouping seated at 3.290 or 3.455?