7LRM brass quality?

[Conrad]

Got to looking at some of the different 7 mag options, and I really like the LRM design and capacity but it sounds like the brass is pretty bad. I think at best Gunwerks is sorting by weight but that has driven cost up and you still get soft brass with thick inconsistent necks? Has this changed?

Otherwise looking at 7 SAUM or just the old Rem but kinda wanted to avoid belt this time. I know it's not a huge deal. I have a 300 WM. 7 WSM brass seems nonexistent. I'm not real interested in the ultra high capacity rounds like 28 Nosler, etc.

Feedback appreciated.

 

[JWG284]

I have a 7 LRM.
Shooting suppressed with load development starting at 68 gr of H1000 with Berger 180's and 215m, I hit pressure at 71.5. Magnetospeed showed decent SD at 70.6 but velocity is only around 3,000. Brass is definitely the weak link here and no other company even makes a parent cartridge that will work. Gunwerks is currently getting around $2/ case for Hornady brass. I would suggest you trying to find 7 Dakota brass (made by Lapua) and go that route or look at the 28 Nosler.

 

[orkan]

7LRM is my favorite 7mm magnum. The brass is just fine. I have one set which I turned and necked down to 6.5 for my 6.5LRM and I have 10 firings on that set. Still shooting fantastic. I have about 6 firings on a set of 7mm stock variety and it's still going strong.

However I run things at sane pressures. When I first got started in 7LRM I found people all over running 72gr+ in the 7LRM. That's a good way to get 2 firings out of your brass and throw them away. 70.5gr of H1000 behind a berget 180 hybrid in the 7LRM is a great load. I've tested that in no less than a dozen barrels and it just hammers in all of them. My 6.5LRM runs 66gr of H1000 and a 140 hybrid. Both 30" barrels with the 7mm doing 3050fps and the 6.5 doing 3040fps. They are truly some of the most stable cartridges I've worked with. There's plenty of room to step on the gas with the 6.5... but it just shoots so well here I have no interest in touching it.

Here's that 6.5 a couple weeks ago:
https://streamable.com/xzjnq

 

[Conrad]

Thanks gents.

 

[Conrad]

The first thing I do in load development is shoot incrementally higher charges and record speeds to look for nodes, and find my upper pressure limit. I then do not chase anything in that high pressure area. That being said 3050 seems a little slow for such a long barrel (30")? I'm looking to run a 26" barrel, do you have any experience with the 7mm LRM at this length? I'm looking for case efficiency and really don't want to step into the bigger capacity cases like the Nosler or Norma etc. Would prefer to cap it at 70gr of powder. Thanks.

 

[Mr_Happyface]

I shoot 7LRM exclusively, and before that I've never used anything but Lapua brass - it certainly doesn't compare to Lapua. Not by a longshot.

Buy a LOT of it and case sort. Their weights are all over the f'in map. Best part is there's not even a bell curve to the weight, it's just an even distribution from lightest to heaviest (with a HUGE difference between the two) I don't even know how that's possible.

I will say it has pretty respectable life though.

 

[Conrad]

I heard they increased the price on the brass because they are sorting it now. Any truth to that? Or is your experience with recent purchase? Thanks.

 

[Mr_Happyface]

I bought about 300 cases 2 years ago. If they're sorting now that's great.

 

[Conrad]

What velocity are you getting and with what bullets and barrel length?

 

[orkan]

The first thing I do in load development is shoot incrementally higher charges and record speeds to look for nodes, and find my upper pressure limit. I then do not chase anything in that high pressure area. That being said 3050 seems a little slow for such a long barrel (30")? I'm looking to run a 26" barrel, do you have any experience with the 7mm LRM at this length? I'm looking for case efficiency and really don't want to step into the bigger capacity cases like the Nosler or Norma etc. Would prefer to cap it at 70gr of powder. Thanks.

I have experience with 7LRM from 22" to 30" in 2" increments. Typical velocity for a 26" 7LRM with 180 hybrids is 2950fps +/-. As I said, if people want to torch their brass, that's their business. I'm in the first-round-hit business... and it just doesn't pay to push.

 

[Mr_Happyface]

I have experience with 7LRM from 22" to 30" in 2" increments. Typical velocity for a 26" 7LRM with 180 hybrids is 2950fps +/-. As I said, if people want to torch their brass, that's their business. I'm in the first-round-hit business... and it just doesn't pay to push.

I have the same; 26" 180 hybrids at 3050.

Anyone loading 195 EOLs? What powder/velocity?

 

[Conrad]

2950 is plenty good.

 

[mkollman74]

I have the same; 26" 180 hybrids at 3050.

Anyone loading 195 EOLs? What powder/velocity?

I am getting 2950-ish with 71.2 of H1000 with the 195s.

 

[Juggerxxx]

What’s the approximate barrel life on the 7LRM?

 

[BurnOut]

I'm waiting for some parts to finish my 7LRM assembly, but one of the powders that has caught my eye is IMR 8133. It's pretty new; does anyone have any experience with it in the 7LRM?

 

[Orion]

I'm waiting for some parts to finish my 7LRM assembly, but one of the powders that has caught my eye is IMR 8133. It's pretty new; does anyone have any experience with it in the 7LRM?

Bump...

 

[BurnOut]

Bump...

I finally did get a chance to play with 8133 in the 7LRM, and it just didn't give me the results I was hoping for. With the ultra-heavies (195+) I hit pressure before I got to 3k FPS, and with the lighter projectiles (162s) I got plenty of speed but shitty accuracy. More info is available here.