Reloading question

[Gr8bawana]

Would it make any noticable difference since I am not a target shooter or long range shooter
if I had someone reload the empty brass for my 7mm mag using mixed brands of brass?
I have about 200 empties mostly Remington some Winchester and some Federal that I have saved over the years.
My bro says this guy is meticulous and he loads for a lot of his friends.
He will do it for free if I buy the materials.

 

[danr55]

It depends on how close he loads them to max for your rifle. Different thickness in brass changes the size of the combustion chamber and affects the chamber pressures accordingly. If he's using a mild or mid load, they will be safe to shoot but you will probably get different points of impact from different brass. Perhaps as much as 2MOA.

 

[ccc23454]

yes! RP and Federal typically have less capacity (higher weight) than winchester brass and that directly effects pressure. example: in 30-06 i load RP brass to 60 grains of h4831 but with winchester brass i load it 62 and have simular accuracy and velocity. if i load that RP brass with 62 grains, i loose accuracy, get a compressed load, show pressure signs and have wild velocity variations (load is not safe) in my rifle. all guns are different but if you going to do it i recommend at least using similar brass. to me the truest benefits of reloading are 2 things: reducing cost and minimizing variables in ammo, so pick what you have the most of and go with it...

C

 

[mtmander]

If he stays under the max they should be safe. But accuracy will be what you will need to live with since
every combination will have a different point of impact.
You won't know if the powder type or amount is 'optimal' for your rifle. Small powder differences can have
a big effect of accuracy, even for hunters.
Can you get him to work up some loads with 1/2 grain differences (3 to 5 of the same weight) to determine
what shoots best in your rifle , this will provide you with what powder weight to load with. This should be done for each type of brass. I would do this with the Remington brass (since you said you have more of
this type).

 

[noharleyyet]

I only thought I was picky til I started rollin' my own.

 

[mtmuley]

I only thought I was picky til I started rollin' my own.

Yep. If you have mostly Remington brass, go with that. I use a lot of it and it is good stuff. Then sell or trade the other brass. mtmuley

 

[VAspeedgoat]

I agree, I think I would pick one type and go with that

 

[Rooster52]

I have loaded my 30-06 with 59 grains of IMR4350 and 150 grain bullets for years and used several different brands of brass with no noticeable difference,but these are hunting bullets and not bench rest stuff.

 

[Gunner46]

If you want to see the real difference brass can make, visit the Nosler web site forum and ask someone for a Quick Load comparison. You'll be amazed at the differences.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Thanks for the input guys. On our one time reloading expedition about 20 years ago we loaded ammo for my 7mm mag using my brothers' RCBS Rockchucker one shell at a time, talk about time consuming. The load was 78 grains of H870 behind a 150 grain Sierra Gameking Boattail, it was extremely accurate. Since I just found out that powder is extinct, any suggestions for powder?
I will be sticking to only the Remington brass.

 

[Bambistew]

I've had excellent results with 160gr bullets with RL22 or IMR 4831.

 

[Rooster52]

I get good results with R22, IMR7828,and also IMR4350 shooting hornady 154 grain .All these give me acceptable accuracy.My left hand savage 7 mag is not a fussy eater.

 

[Gunner46]

H4831

 

[Dan O]

Reloader 22 is temperature sensitive compared to some other powders. Go to the hogden site and read up on their extreme powders. I read an article involving some testing of temperature extremes and it showed some powders responded more than others Re 22 was one of those. I use it in my 300 wby loads and it performs well. I load tested and chronographed my loads at around 70 degree's. I have not tested them in the extreme cold. As for brass even different lots of the same brand can vary some. I did a test with a 270 loading Winchester, Remington and Federal brass with the same primer, powder charge and bullet. I chronographed each group the same afternoon. All shot the same size groups but the velocity was different for each brand. This was attributed to the brass thickness. You could see the difference in the height of the powder column prior to seating the bullet. Each load was weighted before pouring it into the case so the charges were the same for each. The velocity spread was 100 fps between high and low with the other group in the middle. Hope this gives you some ideas to keep in mind.
Dan

 

[Blueniner9]

Brass definitely can make a difference in pressure of the load. My 7mm loves H4831 and 160 gr Barnes TSX seated .005 off the lands in Remington brass.

 

[ccc23454]

i have switched to all guns over to hodgen extreme powders. for what its worth in all my 7mm's H1000 gets me speed, H4831ssc gets me accuracy.

 

[Bambistew]

The temperature sensitive issue is between your ears. Ballistics are affected by temperature, regardless of the powder you shoot, the POI at 70deg is going to be different than it is at 0 even at the same muzzle velocity. Same with altitude, humidity, etc. Run the numbers in a ballistic program and you'll see the actual difference. However being insensitive isn't a bad thing. I run Extreme powder in quite a few rifles because it shoot best. I don't shoot long range, so don't worry about 100fps change due to my powder insensitivity, or the like.

 

[sbhooper]

I have loaded for two 7 mags for close to 40 years. If your gun has a 24-inch barrel, then Reloder 22 is great as is IMR 7828, IMR4831 and some others. If you have a 26-inch barrel, try 75 grains of Reloder 33 or a near max load of Reloder 25. They are slow powders and the 7 mag loves them.

I generally use Reloder 22 for 139-grain Hornady Interlocks. I only load them to 3100 fps and they are hammers for deer and antelope. My go-to load for elk is 160-grain Partitions over Reloder 25. The only reason that I have not gone to Reloder 33, is that the Reloder 25 loads are super accurate and right at 3000 fps, which is plenty. I can beat that by quite a bit with Reloder 33.

The 75 grains of Reloder 33 can by pushed quite a bit, too. That is under max for a 175-grain load. I used it with the 160s, because there was no data for 160-grain bullets with that powder. The velocity and accuracy was fantastic in my guns, without even being close to pressure. I got 3028 fps from 175-grain bullets from my gun and I could have gone up another half grain.

As far as mixed casings goes, I would pick whichever you have the most of and go with it. If you are not loading max, then you will have no problems, but your accuracy may suffer with assorted casings.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Thanks guys. I'm not a long range shooter either 400 yards would be a pretty long poke for me. My Remington rifle does have a 24 inch barrel. I'm thinking if I go with a 160 grain bullet I could probably use the the same one for antelope, deer and the occasional elk.
I'm wondering about the temperature thing, I've always used factory Remington core-lokt ammo and have hunted antelope in near 100 degree temps and elk at near 0 degrees and have not noticed a difference, but again at the ranges I shoot I'm sure it would not be noticable.
Thanks again for your recipes.

 

[sbhooper]

Thanks guys. I'm not a long range shooter either 400 yards would be a pretty long poke for me. My Remington rifle does have a 24 inch barrel. I'm thinking if I go with a 160 grain bullet I could probably use the the same one for antelope, deer and the occasional elk.
I'm wondering about the temperature thing, I've always used factory Remington core-lokt ammo and have hunted antelope in near 100 degree temps and elk at near 0 degrees and have not noticed a difference, but again at the ranges I shoot I'm sure it would not be noticable.
Thanks again for your recipes.

It should not be real bad, as long as you do not run hot loads. Test your load during the heat and you will not have any issues during the cold. Just make sure that you check your zero before hunting in those temp swings. All powders have some temp sensitivity, but some are worse than others. For hunting loads, it has never been an issue with me.