7mm soupcan & 7mm TCU loads???

[Junior1942]

I recently found my 7mm soupcan group buy mold (#22) from 2006. I've been in and out of various hospitals for the last few years, so the old thinker had other things to think about I suppose. Anyway, the 6-hole mold had been used which told me, Hey, Junior, you've probably got some 7mm soupcan bullets somewhere!

Lo and behold, I found a jug with 420 shiny silver 7mm soupcans in it. Some of them are soaking up LLA as I write this. I'll shoot them in my 10" bull T-C 7mm TCU barrel. So my question is: got any load data? I'm wanting 1650 to 1700 fps from the 10" barrel.

AV weight RTL = 137.0 grs.

[DanWalker]

I was shooting 8 grains of unique under them when I had my 14" TCU barrel. Not sure of velocity though.

[6.5 mike]

My loadbook shows 17.5 grs imr 4198 @ 1464 fps starting, 23.0 @ 1926 fps MAX for a 10 inch t/c bbl. It also has data for h-110, sr 4759, imr 4227, & rx7. I'm using the start load in my 14" with very good results, just got done loading 50 lee 130 pp'ed this afternoon. P/M me if you need the other info.

[Junior1942]

I put a round over the Chrony:

Bullet = Group buy 137 gr 7mm soupcan, acww alloy, Lyman gascheck, LLA two coats, bullet seated in the 3rd groove down, no crimp.

Powder = 1.9cc/~24.4 grs AA 2015.

Velocity = 1827 fps. No pressure signs & bore clean and shiny.

This looks like a winner! I'll soon give it a trashcan wet newspaper expansion test and add the results to my 7mm TCU expansion page article. Now, to group test it... The only possible problem I see is the 146,160 rpm figure. Might have to slow it down to 1600 fps and 128,000 rpm's.

[Junior1942]

Shot some velocity rounds yesterday with surplus WC820(n) and the 7mm 137 gr soupcan bullet as noted above.

12.3 grs WC820 = 1395 fps, low pressure

14.0 grs WC820 = 1595 fps, low pressure

14.6 grs WC820 = 1657 fps, low pressure, slick bore, believe I'll stop here and shoot for group. At ~ 2 1/2¢ for powder per shot.

[Iowa Fox]

Good to see you back Jr and thanks for the 7TCU info. I got in on a bunch of the Lee group buys back when they were going strong, wish now I would have done a bunch more.

[Junior1942]

Thanks for the kind words, Fox. I'm sure glad I bought the group buy 7mm Soupcan mold! My hat is tipped to the designer and to whoever honcho-ed the buy!

I shot 3 rounds, 14.6 grs WC820, 1657 fps, yesterday for group. Range = 40 yds off my front porch. Two = 1/2"; 3rd = pistol fell off rest = 3" off to the left. More coming.

A good thing was the POI. It was about 3/4" low and left of the zeroed POI for the 175 gr RN Hornady deer load. I used a 2" x 2" black duct tape strip for a bullseye, and the 2 rounds impacted/centered the lower left quadrant, i.e., no need to change the 2x scope's adjustments at all.

[Junior1942]

The 137 gr 7mm soupcan @ 1657 fps penetrated 14" in my wet newsprint and mushroomed well, IMHO. I added the results to the end of the expansion test article.

[koehn,jim]

I use the same bullet with 24.0 grains of I4895 in my Brazilian 1908 and it shoots very well.

[jhalcott]

I've used this "soup can" bullet in several 7MM rounds. 7tc/u, 7-30 waters in Contenders. 7-08 and 280 rem in rifles. It works good to excellent in all! My 7tc/u's were 10,14 (sold) and 21" barrels. I had to work to find a BAD load in this chambering. I used it for groundhogs and deer with great success. EACH barrel wanted a specific recipe for maximum accuracy though. They WOULD work with any load,but worked best with their pet load.

[TCLouis]

Jhalcott

Did you use the 7mm TCU for deer, the Soupcan boolit, or the Soupcan in the 7mm TCU for deer?

IF you used the Soupcan, what was the velocity?

Heart/Lung, or controlled head/neck shots?

[jhalcott]

I used the "soup can" as pictured above for deer in the listed calibers. In my Contenders, the velocity was about 1600 fps in the 10" and close to 2000 in the 14" . The 21" barrel could sling them out a bit over 2300 fps. Alloys were USUALLY straight ACWW, but Linotype was used for the rifle loads and were chronoed at 2500 fps. A few head/neck shots were taken, but most shots were on relaxed broadside deer. Some ran a bit some dropped at the hit (NOT many!) but all were recovered. Many had exit wounds about the size of a quarter. VERY FEW bullets were found in the deer

[sheehan93]

Have been looking for some 7mm TCU Soup can loads for a while now. Thanks guys for listing your loads. Will post some results too once I test fire some.

[Junior1942]

Have been looking for some 7mm TCU Soup can loads for a while now. Thanks guys for listing your loads. Will post some results too once I test fire some.

Well.....?

[Wayne S]

Does anyone have any concerns with this bullet being seated so deep in a TCU case??, My 14" Contender has the usual long throat but with the front driving band being .285 , well, at least the bottom two grease grooves and the GC are below the neck/shoulder junction.

[Junior1942]

I seat mine in the 3rd groove down. Nothing but the GC is below the case neck. It works fine in both of my 7mmTCU Contender barrels.

[x101airborne]

Can I give this thread a shot in the arm? I recently got a 7-30 waters barrel and a 7 TCU barrel and am in need of data especially for the TCU. Thanks to those who have contributed.

[Hamish]

x101, are you locked into any certain powders?

[Coffeecup]

Data for the 7x57 would be most welcome as well. I've been contemplating starting with about 12 grains Red dot but haven't gotten to it yet.

Thanks

[357maximum]

So far I am very very impressed with my stock 10inch TC Contender barrel in 7TCU so much so that I bought a 21incher off a feller on another shooting forum, cannot wait to play with that when it gets here.

My 10inch 7soupcan successful loads so far:

7mmSoupcan WD'ed 50ww/50pure alloy:

26.0 Gr H322 (1 to 1.2 inches@100) 1955 FPS

9 gr Herco (1to 1.5 inches @ 100) (My fireform load...not a low pressure load) 1505 FPS

22 to 24 grain Alliant reloader 10x (1.25 inch groups at 100 and it is a "stout" feeling load) Have not chronied yet


All my soupcan loads are sized .2855 and seated to engage/fill the throat as my soupcan mould will not allow me to go up into the rifling without pulling the boolit upon reopening the gun. O.A.L=2.207

I have also been playing with a blocked off and shortened Lyman 287377 spitzer mould that weighs 134 grains and it will shrink the above soupcan groups by about 1/4 inch. I call that boolit the BabyThor as it basically a trunacated cone tapered wadcutter. Proably the boolit that will go deer hunting this year.

I shot some 7MM soupcans at 200 yards today and they are staying stable and as accurate as my ability allows. They still smack my steel gongs hard enough for the neighbors across the section to count my misses. I carried about a 3 inch group on one particular round of 10 using 23grains of Rel10x and the wind was gusty and variable. The 2 times I missed shooting my steel gongs over 50 times today was my shortcoming holding the pistol in the bags ...not the pistol/calibers fault.

I LOVE THE 7TCU