Lyman 7mm silhouette bullet in a Remington Rolling Block

[brstevns]

I have been trying the Lyman 7mm 160gr Silhouette bullet in my little rolling block carbine and everyshot key holed?

[runfiverun]

the 145 won't do any better.
you need diameter, I'd bet that throat will accept .290 without issue.
probably a 284ish nose wouldn't be a bad idea.

[44man]

Not enough drive length on the boolit for the gun would be my guess.

[brstevns]

How about the standard LEE 130GR BULLET MOLD

[brstevns]

Alright I traded the 7mm sil bullet mold for a 150gr Lyman Loverin design. Hope that works out better.

[Harter66]

Funny that I'll follow this if you'll post it up. I load for 3 7mm and all 3 tumbled the Loveren types from gallery to game loads. 1 of them will take a 300 dia back in a fired case so that probably doesn't help.

[Larry Gibson]

Have you slugged the bore? The throat?

Larry Gibson

[MtGun44]

Never even tried cast in my Rem RB 7x57 because I know the bore is very worn
and very oversized. I just shoot 175 RN Hornady for hunting in that one and leave
it alone otherwise.
HOWEVER - you may be able to get a .288 or so cast to work, depending on your
individual rifle's bore condition.

Bill

[brstevns]

My RB has a 287 bore so going to give the Loverin design a try. The 7mm Lyman SIL mold I had was making a 284 at the lands and around 279 at the nose . Will know more after the weekend. If the weather holds I plan on heading to the range.

[brstevns]

Bad day at the range. The 150gr Loverin bullet key holed. I am not giving up for one reason. The bullet was sized to .285 and my bore is .287 on the old rolling block. I opened up the Lee sizer die to .288 and will try some at that size. The load was 20gr of IMR 4227.

[MtGun44]

Should work if you can get the boolit to touch the bottom of the grooves, plus .001-.0015 on each side.

Bill

[brstevns]

Should work if you can get the boolit to touch the bottom of the grooves, plus .001-.0015 on each side.

Bill

Maybe I should size to .290? The next step I would think, would be to open up the seating die?

[brstevns]

Alright tried the 150 again, sized to .288, still key holes. The good thing is at least it was hitting the paper at 25 yards. Going to try sizing to .290. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[MtGun44]

Good luck, please report back. I have one and may try boolits if you have success.
I always assumed it was near futile and left it alone in that particular rifle - which is
very accurate with the Hornady 175 RN. My bore is very worn and very large, just
seemed unlikely to work at anything remotely like normal 7mm mold sizes, when you
look at a .308 groove diam rifle needing .310 to .311 in most cases for best accy.
Then take a .287 groove diam (not bore) and add that same .002 to .003, you get
.289 to .290, and then add in my worn rifling. . . . .

Bill

[brstevns]

Good luck, please report back. I have one and may try boolits if you have success.
I always assumed it was near futile and left it alone in that particular rifle - which is
very accurate with the Hornady 175 RN. My bore is very worn and very large, just
seemed unlikely to work at anything remotely like normal 7mm mold sizes, when you
look at a .308 groove diam rifle needing .310 to .311 in most cases for best accy.
Then take a .287 groove diam (not bore) and add that same .002 to .003, you get
.289 to .290, and then add in my worn rifling. . . . .

Bill Sounds as if we have the same rfle. Have yet to try the J-words in mine. What type of acuracy are you getting?

[brstevns]

I went back to the range today and tried a bullet sized to .2885. Going slow with the sizing. Tried 10gr Unique this time. Only fired 4 rounds 1 full keyhole, 1 half keyhole and the other 2 were almost pefect round holes. This is with the bullet PC coated and a gc added. Range was 25 yards, plan to try .290-291 dia. next

[MtGun44]

1" or 1.5" for 5 at 100 with 35 ish (from memory) grains of 4064 under a Hornady
175 Rn. Mild, accurate, done fiddling. If you have other 7x57s do NOT use brass
shot in the RB in them, just neck size and go again. WAY oversized chamber, so
full length sizing is counterproductive to brass survival. Lee collet neck sizer is ideal.

Bill

[JeffinNZ]

There have been articles in the CBE journal about 7X57's with MASSIVE throats. You could paper patch your 7mm bullet.

[brstevns]

There have been articles in the CBE journal about 7X57's with MASSIVE throats. You could paper patch your 7mm bullet.

That will be my next step, if I cannot get .290-.291 bullets to work. So far pressure signs are fine.

[brstevns]

Update! Tried the Loverine bullet size at .2905. Not getting key holes anymore but not perfect round holes either. Going to try .292 next. Tried some PP .277 bullets wrapped and size to .2905 these all keyholed. Load was the 10.5 Unque load for both.

[MtGun44]

Sounds like you are getting there. Keep on plugging, and I appreciate the
reports.

Bill

[brstevns]

Sounds like you are getting there. Keep on plugging, and I appreciate the
reports.

Bill Might be a couple of weeks before I get to try the next bullet size.

[runfiverun]

sounds like the 290 is close.
you might want to try trapping a couple of boolits and see how the rifling marks look.
the 150 might not quite be able to hold the rifling as is, another [alloy] change may be in order, a reduction in velocity, or maybe a slower/faster powder could help.

[paul edward]

In one of my dreams, somebody finds a few crates of replacement 7mm RRB barrels with SAAMI spec chambers, bores and grooves and is willing to sell them for cheap.

I like my RRB rifle as is, a new barrel, however, would be nice. Has anybody tried reboring and re-chambering to another caliber?

[brstevns]

Tried .291 no better but still no pressure signs, going to up it to .292 Still using the 10.5 Unique load.

[leadhead]

How are you getting .290 dia. out of that Loverin boolit?
Are you beagling it or what?
Denny

[Golfswithwolves]

Is it a possibility that the rifling twist is wrong for these bullets? If so a bullet of a different length might work better.

[RayinNH]

Might be easier to squeeze down .30's at this point.

[MtGun44]

Making a new bbl from a blank is a real possibility. Shouldn't be very hard to fit one.

Bill

[brstevns]

How are you getting .290 dia. out of that Loverin boolit?
Are you beagling it or what?
Denny
have a old single cavity and it s making .289 with WW. Been able to add a few more thousands by Powder Coating. Still I might have to Beagle it for the .292 bullets.

[brstevns]

Is it a possibility that the rifling twist is wrong for these bullets? If so a bullet of a different length might work better.
The only other bullet mold I have is the Standard Lee 130gr. but it makes a .285 bullet. Would have to Beagle it for sure.

[brstevns]

Making a new bbl from a blank is a real possibility. Shouldn't be very hard to fit one.

Bill
I am a poor man and cannot afford to do this.

[brstevns]

Might be easier to squeeze down .30's at this point.
The 30cal molds I have make a .310 or larger size bullet. That's a lot of lead to squeeze down! If it comes down to it will try to Paper Patch some .284 bullets.

[10x]

Bad day at the range. The 150gr Loverin bullet key holed. I am not giving up for one reason. The bullet was sized to .285 and my bore is .287 on the old rolling block. I opened up the Lee sizer die to .288 and will try some at that size. The load was 20gr of IMR 4227.

Try shooting them as cast diameter.

[leadman]

Try some more powder. You should be able to use 13gr of Unique with no problem. The added pressure might help the boolit seal the bore.

[brstevns]

Got to the range this weekend. Tried a .293 sized this time. Still getting key holes. Still using the 10.5 gr Unique load. Going to try a different powder and a little heavier load. Me thinks or I should say beginning to think this bullet is just not going to work. Still I am Bull Headed and will not give up for awhile. What bullet in the Lyman or RCBS would you guys try or have found to work?

[brstevns]

Try some more powder. You should be able to use 13gr of Unique with no problem. The added pressure might help the boolit seal the bore.
Was thinking the same thing. A .293 bullet should be making a good seal?

[Harter66]

I have an old custom 7mm that will chamber a 298 ,fired necks are 300.

[brstevns]

I have an old custom 7mm that will chamber a 298 ,fired necks are 300.Have you ever shot it with a .298 bullet?

[Harter66]

I have a 301 but haven't gotten back to try it yet. I have run a 323 down a 3165.
I have some 286 papered up 294 but haven't shot them yet.

[brstevns]

Looks like these little RB's can been a pain . Might give the Lyman 287308 a try if I can find one cheap enough. Well it is good to know I can increase the bullet dia. a little bit more, if the round will chamber by doing so.

[brstevns]

Well I did not give up but then I did. I took the carbine barrel off and put on a rifle barrel. Loaded up a few rounds over the weekend and went to the range. Load was 10.5 Unique and a Lyman 287308 bullet sized .290 Was well surprised when it did not key hole , fired off the few rounds that I loaded and they all made a perfect round hole. Distance only 25 yards but it is a start.

[runfiverun]

chuckling to myself.
I kinda knew this was coming, I handled a few of these years ago and could look down the barrel of them and see they were trashed.

I think they musta packed them full of mud or something and then took a rod and worked it up and down from both ends trying to pound the mud back out of the barrel.

[michiganmike]

Alright I traded the 7mm sil bullet mold for a 150gr Lyman Loverin design. Hope that works out better.

I have that mould. It is remarkably accurate in my Ruger 7mm-08. So accurate it is boring at times. H4895, but it performs well with several powders, including AA1680. Let us know how it performs for you.

MichiganMike

[brstevns]

I have that mould. It is remarkably accurate in my Ruger 7mm-08. So accurate it is boring at times. H4895, but it performs well with several powders, including AA1680. Let us know how it performs for you.

MichiganMikeSad to say I no longer have this mold. Traded it off when the RB still wore the carbine barrel. It key holed every shot. No daubt it would work well with the rifle length barrel the RB now wears. Traded it for a 287308 Lyman, so far in the one test tried with this bullet, I have good feelings that the rifle barrel likes the 287308.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

chuckling to myself.
I kinda knew this was coming, I handled a few of these years ago and could look down the barrel of them and see they were trashed.

I think they musta packed them full of mud or something and then took a rod and worked it up and down from both ends trying to pound the mud back out of the barrel. This describes my 7MM Rolling Block exactly. On top of that it has a jugged chamber. My rifle is original and even has the cleaning rod. After one trip to the range with cast bullets I gave up on it. I never tried jacketed bullets. That is a very expensive neighborhood and I just don't go there. I do have a beautiful half octagon barrel in 45-90 that will screw into the action but every time I say, I'm going to do it, I tell myself it's all original and loose heart and then I put it back in the safe. .

[Blammer]

IMO, if it's "all original" and don't shoot, it's pretty much worthless. The ones that are "all original" and shoot, those are the really desirable pieces.

[MtGun44]

Try the 175 Hornady RN in that one that won't shoot cast. Over about 35 gr of
4064 mine will shoot into 1" at 100 yds.

Bill

[runfiverun]

^^^^^that bullet and load of either 30-31 or 4064 has been the ticket in a bunch of these rifles.^^^^^
if it won't shoot that combination re-barrel it and save yourself the aggravation of having a cool rifle that's nice to look at every now and then.