Hunting with cast in a 7mm

[Shooternz]

Hi Guy's, I've had the urge for a 7mm of some sort for a number of years, the question is does anybody on the forum hunt with a 7mm using cast boolits only, I have my eye on a Remington 700 Mountain Rifle in 7mm08 the area I hunt is heavy bush with small clearings shots are under 100 metres, with the price of bullets what they are a mould will
give me a life time of boolits for the cost of 3 or 4 packs of J-words my only concern is will the 7mm boolits be a good killer of deer? Robert.

[richhodg66]

I've been pondering this myself. The last three deer seasons have been cast only for me and I now know that (under the conditions I hunt) not that hard to kill deer cleanly with cast in .30 calibers.

I would think you could do it using the same methodology as I did; heavy for caliber bullet, flat nose, cast soft, pushed to 1800 or better FPS and it should do fine with good shot placement. You might want to consider either hollow pointing or perhaps the soft pointing method where you cast the nose of a soft alloy.

[quilbilly]

If I were not muzzleloading for black tail deer, my go-to would be my 7mm TCU carbine with the Lee 130 gr RNGC. Superbly accurate and my terminal ballistics test in to soaked phone books at 40 yards showed 17" of penetration, good expansion, and a large wound channel. All this at a leisurely MV of 1950 fps. which means it is easily good to 150 yards or a whole lot farther than you can see where I hunt.

[Von Gruff]

I have hunted for a few years now with cast only in my 7x57 and have a number of goats in the freezer each year from 30 to 185 yds all with the 162gn soft nosed 7mm bullet at 2400 fps. 39gn H4350 gets me there with moa accuracy, but even AC 50/50 at 1800-1900fps would be more than good at bush ranges for deer.

[chutesnreloads]

One concern I'd suggest about the 7mm-08 is the depth of your chamber.My Savage has a very shallow throat making all but lightest bullets seat deep into the case.It would expose your boolit shank to the powder.

[Camba]

I am also fan of the 7mm rifles. My favorites are in 7mm-08 and they are great shooters with j-bullets. I Had been playing with cast boolits and doing some target testing. I had been all over with them as far as accuracy. One load I did printed 1" or so group at 50 yards and I decided to call that my go to load. Problem was that after I loaded a number of them, I decided to try them again. That time, my 1" group was more like 2 to 4" group. So, I am not giving up I will continue to try them. I ended up adding another boolit mold to my cast boolits, the Lee 7mm Soup Can. I also have the RCBS 145 SIL (my bullet comes out to be 162 gr with the GC and lube. Then, I also have the one cavity Lee 130 gr mold. So far this had been the most accurate and consistent relatively. I am sure I will be at the range doing some load test when the weather gets better.
Camba

[Shooternz]

I have hunted for a few years now with cast only in my 7x57 and have a number of goats in the freezer each year from 30 to 185 yds all with the 162gn soft nosed 7mm bullet at 2400 fps. 439gn H4350 gets me there with moa accuracy, but even AC 50/50 at 1800-1900fps would be more than good at bush ranges for deer.
A 7x57 would be nice, the long neck is a favorite of mine the 6mm Rem is top of my list to reload,
pity Sako don't chamber 7x57 that would tick all the boxes,
what boolit mould do you use? I have been tiring to find an RCBS silhouette mould without any luck< Robert

[357maximum]

The 7TCU and the 135 grain "prototype" mold for the 7MMTHOR doing 2512FPS propelled by 26grains of H322 out of my 21 inch contender carbine has been a deathray on the few deer that have had the misfortune to stumble by my blind when I was hungry......sure there are more glamorous seven's out there, but my 7TCU just plain gets R did in a very efficient manner. If I had to pick only 5 of my toys to keep...it would be at or very near the top of the list.

[Camba]

I had been looking for a 7 TCU 21 inch barrel but I had no luck finding one. I have a 14" 7-30 waters which is plenty accurate but my eye sight deterioration (getting old) is bringing me back to rifles for my shootings and hunting. One thing that I do not comprehend is the amount of powder used for a 135 gr boolit that is near max to load 55 gr J-bullets. Will this be related to pressure drop when the bore size increases?
Camba

[nekshot]

this past year I started messing around with a 7mm rem mag I have no use for and found the soup can 135 lee to be "one" of the most accurate cast shooters in the stable. The 168 boolits were not as accurate, still would give 5 shots in 1 inch at 80 yards which is not bad. I was running between 1800 and 1950 fps with the loads. I passed up a couple of deer and ended up with none so I can't give a kill report. I did find at that speed and 50 ww/50 lead the boolits did a beutiful mushroom in the wet paper chamber, though I believe they would lead if shot too many in a row and Larry Gibson attests to that if I remember correctly. I have no problem with the killing ability of a 7mm!

[jhalcott]

7MM's from 7TC/U thru the .280 Rem have helped ME take deer and smaller critters in several states. I've found the 135 grain "soup can" to be very efficient in the 7BR and TC/U. It also works well in the larger cases. Short necks CAN be a problem, you HAVE to test the loads in the gun to be sure the accuracy is there.
It is surprising that the BR and TC/U can get over 2000 FPS with accuracy in a 14" barrel. The rifle barrels of the 7-08, .280 and 7-30 do not get much better speed with accuracy.!

[jhalcott]

I'm STILL looking for a consistent "soft nose" bullet/powder combo in the 7MM's. It seems if I leave them loaded for a few months, SOME thing changes. A few weeks is OK and accuracy is the same. Left in the ammo locker for several months accuracy gets worse. They go from 1 1/2 MOA to 4 or more MOA! Bullet up, down or laying on their sides doesn't seem to help!

[Blammer]

I like my 7mm Hunter from NOE in my 7-30 waters TC. Only problem is, I never see any deer when I carry it. :(

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=29&products_id=176

[gtgeorge]

I'm STILL looking for a consistent "soft nose" bullet/powder combo in the 7MM's. It seems if I leave them loaded for a few months, SOME thing changes. A few weeks is OK and accuracy is the same. Left in the ammo locker for several months accuracy gets worse. They go from 1 1/2 MOA to 4 or more MOA! Bullet up, down or laying on their sides doesn't seem to help!

Maybe age the bullets for a couple months before developing the load? I too will be looking for a 7mm mag load for next season if I can work something out. It shoots jacketed in .5 MOA so unless I can come up with something around MOA I may change my mind.

[Von Gruff]

A 7x57 would be nice, the long neck is a favorite of mine the 6mm Rem is top of my list to reload,
pity Sako don't chamber 7x57 that would tick all the boxes,
what boolit mould do you use? I have been tiring to find an RCBS silhouette mould without any luck< Robert
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/Cast%20bullets/001-7.jpg (http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/Cast%20bullets/001-7.jpg.html)

[Shooternz]

Thanks Von Gruff I like it, just what I want will have to keep looking one will turn up they always do!

[white eagle]

I'm STILL looking for a consistent "soft nose" bullet/powder combo in the 7MM's. It seems if I leave them loaded for a few months, SOME thing changes. A few weeks is OK and accuracy is the same. Left in the ammo locker for several months accuracy gets worse. They go from 1 1/2 MOA to 4 or more MOA! Bullet up, down or laying on their sides doesn't seem to help!






that is the same trouble I had in my 280

[Von Gruff]

This one has been consistent enough for me to take goats out the 185 yds so far and some have been loaded for quite a while. ADI 2209 is H4350 and the 39gn gets 2415fps.Have to admit I was getting a qd scope sorted but usually hunt with aperture sight and carry the scope.
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/Cast%20bullets/005-1.jpg (http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/Cast%20bullets/005-1.jpg.html)

[Blammer]

very nice.

[richhodg66]

What sort of an arrangement are you using for a quick detachable scope? The idea has always intrigued me, just wonder how hard it is to not change POI with a scope that comes on and off.

[marshall623]

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/Cast%20bullets/001-7.jpg (http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/Cast%20bullets/001-7.jpg.html)
A accurate boolit indeed I can't atest to hunting with it but it mowes down 200M rams like a freight train. I put these thru the pistol last spring
http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv151/marshall623/DSCN0207_zpsa9c891c7.jpg (http://s679.photobucket.com/user/marshall623/media/DSCN0207_zpsa9c891c7.jpg.html)

[Von Gruff]

It is a home brewed arrangement where I had a set of bases made (for my 1908 DWM) to suit the mixed height Ruger rings ( I had a couple of sets on hand) so they were as low as possible, and I ground off the locating lug and replaced it with a short length of drill rod. Replaced the knob with a lever and they replace very accurately time after time. I did have to have a new sight stem made for the aperture sight so it had more than the 1/2mm clearance under the scope.
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/7x57StalkingRifle02-02-09021.jpg (http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/7x57StalkingRifle02-02-09021.jpg.html)
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/7x57StalkingRifle013.jpg (http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/7x57StalkingRifle013.jpg.html)

[Shooternz]

That's a very neat setup you are a very talented dude

[jhalcott]

I used to take an extra scope, all ready sighted in for the rifle, when on out of state hunts. It wasn't always exactly sighted when used but was close enough to save a hunt! It would usually be LESS than an inch off at 100 yards, when checked. It had its own rings attached and stayed in camp UNLESS it was needed. Standard Weaver rings and bases were my most used ones. Ruger rings were good in MY experience also.

[Greg]

Von Gruff

I do enjoy looking at the pictures of your Mauser

simplicity and beauty as a tool

[Von Gruff]

This is the scope bag I made to carry the 2-7 Leupold (LR reticle) that is the designated scope for this rifle. Have made loops in the bag to carry 6 rounds of my longer range ammo which is the 120gn GS Custom bullet at 3200fps and very accurate. It zero's at 250yds , while the 160gn Woodleigh at 2700fps zeros at 200 and the 160gn cast at 2400 zeros at 150 with the same scope setting. With the aperture set for the Cast at 150yds and the Woodleigh at 200 I have a fairly wide use spectrum
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/My%20rifles%20stocks%20etc/Photo0937_zps9ed5d4ba.jpg (http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/My%20rifles%20stocks%20etc/Photo0937_zps9ed5d4ba.jpg.html)
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/My%20rifles%20stocks%20etc/Photo0938_zps61b2b350.jpg (http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/My%20rifles%20stocks%20etc/Photo0938_zps61b2b350.jpg.html)

[brasshog]

Camba... I have a new 21" T/C 7mm TCU carbine. The barrel is from MGM and I love it. I can't wait to try some cb's through it. Shoot them an order and they'll have a barrel to you shortly.

[Camba]

How much do they ask for one like that?
Camba

[Whiterabbit]

This one has been consistent enough for me to take goats out the 185 yds so far and some have been loaded for quite a while. ADI 2209 is H4350 and the 39gn gets 2415fps.Have to admit I was getting a qd scope sorted but usually hunt with aperture sight and carry the scope.
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/Cast%20bullets/005-1.jpg (http://s667.photobucket.com/user/VonGruff/media/Cast%20bullets/005-1.jpg.html)

You are shooting cast in a 7x57 with H4350?? with good results??? wow!

This is excellent news for me. I just got the rcbs 168. If I can shoot that with H4350 I will be a happy camper indeed. happy happy.

[Camba]

My first batch of 7mm-08 Rem with Lee Soup Can. Next batch I will take my time to make sure everything comes out fine (i.e. separate the bullet by weight, cases, and other stuff).
Camba

99181

[bruce drake]

I'm going to have to follow this thread. I have a Garand being rebarreled by a gunsmith with a custom Barnett barrel in 7mm Mauser that was a birthday gift from Kywoodwrkr on this forum. I promised him it would be put to good use within the year and my golly it looks like the LEE 130gr and the RCBS 168gr molds are leading the discussion so far but I was wondering if anyone had experience with the RCBS 150gr mold?

[fatnhappy]

I'm going to have to follow this thread. I have a Garand being rebarreled by a gunsmith with a custom Barnett barrel in 7mm Mauser that was a birthday gift from Kywoodwrkr on this forum. I promised him it would be put to good use within the year and my golly it looks like the LEE 130gr and the RCBS 168gr molds are leading the discussion so far but I was wondering if anyone had experience with the RCBS 150gr mold?

PM me Bruce. I can loan you a number of 7mm moulds with which to experiment, to include but not limited to the Lee soup can, 145 and 168 grain RCBS, Saeco 071, 287308 and NOE 150 grain hunter. This is a vet only offer.

[pls1911]

The RCBS 145 gr silhouette mold has been pretty good to me in a 7TCU... BUT I WOULD SELL OR TRADE FOR A 150 grain NOE HUNTER , as I no longer shoot silhouette :(.....
My experience with the NOE 4and 5 cavity molds has been excellent.

[Camba]

OK. I had just bought a used 10" 7mm TCU barrel for my contender. I can't wait to load it with the Lee Soup Can boolit. Anyone have a good load for the 7 tcu in 10" barrel?
Camba

[HABCAN]

Anyone have a LEE 7mm soupcan mold for sale?? 6-cav maybe?? eMail me!!
Mods, if this post inappropriate here, please move it.

[fatnhappy]

Anyone have a LEE 7mm soupcan mold for sale?? 6-cav maybe?? eMail me!!
Mods, if this post inappropriate here, please move it.

Midsouth sells them. They're usually backordered until Lee runs a job lot, then they're shipped against the back orders.

[HABCAN]

Thank you, but last time I checked, Midsouth, like Midway, won't ship to Canada cuz your DHS has stuck costly 'restrictions' on 'exports'. If a member here has one, I'm interested.

[Nrut]

Hello HABCAN,
re: Midsouth..
Molds and "reloading equipment" are not subject to the the export papers/fees..
Reloading components and scopes are regulated and subject to export papers/fees..
I have ordered quite a bit of reloading equipment along with the 7mm Soupcan from Midsouth in the past..
I would offer you the use of mine but the gas shank is to small and won't hold a gas check..
I have been slowly enlarging the shank but not there yet..
You aren't going to like the shipping fee's so I suggest that you make a list of any other reloading equipment that you might need to spread the cost..
Their prices on reloading equipment is very good compared to up here..

Midway is a different story and for a good reason as per a phone conversation with their export guy back in 93 or so..
Believe me they would love to ship to Canada but that isn't in the cards..

From Midsouth's website:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Description
7mm Soup Can 130 Grain Six Cavity Special Order Mold

Does not include handles, part number 006-90005 will need to be purchased separately.


This is a Special Order Reproduction Mould! Please Click Here to read more information and see the designers detailed drawings.

This item is regulated by the US DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE and >>>MAY***<<< require an EXPORT LICENSE for international orders.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

*** Unless things have changed since my last order this item is not regulated

[TCLouis]

I followed a guys lead from Louisiana and found 14.6 - 15.1 grains of WC820 (new AA#9 speed) pushing the 135 GB Soupcan out of a 10" Contender barrel was pretty dang accurate and will really open up a gallon milk jug filled with water shot from 50 yards. Milk jug is my way to judge boolit impact

Check junior1942's posts on this loading.

[Camba]

99838
99839
50 Yards test
I tried some loads with my 7mm-08 Rem, Browning BLR rifle and I was able to get the following groups with the Lee Soup Can over 16.0gr and 16.5gr of Blue Dot, respectively.
Hopefully the pictures will show. The 16.5gr Blue Dot put 3 boolits in the same hole before it opened up larger.
Camba

[HABCAN]

Thanks, Nrut. PM's sent.
Edited to add: took your advice and ordered from Midsouth.
Thanks for that.

[Camba]

100181
This is my 7mmTCU loads. I don't have yet my 7mm TCU dies so I tried loading them using my 7-30 Waters neck sizer die and the 7-30W regular seating die. I can't expect great accuracy as the concentricity may not be the best using the 7-30W seater die. Making the 7mm TCU cartridge from 223 Rem was easy with the 7-30W neck sizer though. I lost about 3 to 4 cases out of 100 cases. Mainly because I started to speed up. Tomorrow I will shoot these loads. I will let you know how it works out.
Camba

[Camba]

I put a scope to my new (to me) 7mm TCU barrel, 10", and went to the range. I placed the target at 25 yards and I bore sighted the pistol by looking through the barrel and see were the cross hair of the scope was on. I shot the first group at 25 yards and it was pretty much on. I made some additional adjustments and I set the target to 50 yards. I only had 4 loads to test so the test was short but the excitement still with me. I was amazed on how easy I could hit the target and create tight groups with the loads I tried. Load #1 I had 4 shots and one did not fire. Load #2 I was able to get two rounds in the same hole and three other rounds did not fire (hum...); load #3, all five rounds fired great, and load #4 I've got 3 shots and the other two did not. Loads #2, #3, & #4 were fired at 50 yards after the load #1 was tested at 25 yards. I did not expect any good groups because I used the 7-30W dies to make the loads, as I don't have yet my RCBS dies I ordered. See the pictures below. I like to thank the members from this forum that gave me some of their proven recipes. Thank you.
Camba
100256
100257
100259

[Camba]

I forgot to mention: There seem to be a visible (small) gap between the back end of the barrel and the receiver. Do you think that is causing the primer not to ignite? I pulled down all the round that did not fire and I place some of those stricken primers to a 223 Rem empty shell and fired it with my Rossi break open rifle and they went off just fine. Do you think that gap is causing the misfires? If so, how can that get fixed? Thank you.
Camba

[HangFireW8]

I forgot to mention: There seem to be a visible (small) gap between the back end of the barrel and the receiver. Do you think that is causing the primer not to ignite? I pulled down all the round that did not fire and I place some of those stricken primers to a 223 Rem empty shell and fired it with my Rossi break open rifle and they went off just fine. Do you think that gap is causing the misfires? If so, how can that get fixed? Thank you.
Camba

Yes. Firing pin extension is only .060 typically.

[Camba]

Where do you buy pin extension for the Contender G2? Will that have a bad effect in the barrels that close tight?

[marshall623]

Sounds like it is not locking up , on TC's if the shoulder is not bumped back enough it wont let the locking lugs fully engage , and transfer bar won't let the firing pin have full power . My 7-30 waters likes to show itself like that . When I size for that one I have the barrel off make sure the case head is flush with the end of the chamber. In my tenders neck sizing just didn't work well I full length with dies set at proper head space

[Camba]

Marshall,
I seem to have the problem with the jacketed bullets only. The cast boolits are practically touching the lands while the jacketed have some extra room before touching. My 7-30W 14" barrel has some small but visible gap. The 7TCU gap is slightly larger that if you put it against the light, you can see the gap like you would see in a revolver gap.
The other thing in the equation here is that the loads I am putting together for the 7TCU are made using the 7-30waters dies. I am still waiting in my 7TCU dies order from RCBS.
Camba

[marshall623]

You should see what it needs when you get TCU dies . Every barrel - frame combo is its own animal

[Camba]

The new batch of reloads I used, I made the boolit touch the lands but able to close the gun just fine. I did 10 rounds of the Lee soup can and 10 rounds of Speer 130 gr SP. No miss fire. Also, I change primers from CCI-450 to WSR primers. Maybe I had a batch of primers that did not work well... I think. Otherwise, what other thing can it be?
Camba

[quilbilly]

Just for fun this morning I took out my 7mm TCU 18" Contender with one of those large Kirkland plastic vitamin pill bottles (8" tall apprx) to a local clear cut. I set up the pill bottle at 184 yards (the farthest I could see it in the 4x scope) using a log for a rest. The bottle didn't bounce so I figured I missed it after 8 shots. Went over to look. 5 holes. Some coyotes are in serious jeopardy. The boolit was the 130 gr Lee GC and the load is 19.5 gr of 4198.

[Camba]

101722
Wow! This is my second group using the same load with my 7mmTCU 10" bbl pistol at 50 yards. Do anyone have any idea what approximate velocity I am getting with this load? My "Chrony" was shot while testing some low velocity loads in my 5.7x28 TC rifle. :) The other two shots that appear on the right side are unrelated (22 Bator loads).
Camba

[357maximum]

101722
Wow! This is my second group using the same load with my 7mmTCU 10" bbl pistol at 50 yards. Do anyone have any idea what approximate velocity I am getting with this load? My "Chrony" was shot while testing some low velocity loads in my 5.7x28 TC rifle. :) The other two shots that appear on the right side are unrelated (22 Bator loads).
Camba


I have had two 10inch 7TCU, from old notes.......both of them did about 1625-1650 with that load.

[Camba]

Thank you 357 max!
I can't wait to get another chrono for my velocity tests. I will be getting one from RCBS.
1600+ fps should be plenty to bring down a deer.

[357maximum]

Camba you are very much welcome.

Just remember that throat length/diameter variance in these barrels makes up about 95% of the velocity variance from one barrel to the next....and TC barrels DO vary.