7mmmountaineer
Member
Time to face it I am a workaholic............
Posts: 521 
|
Post by 7mmmountaineer on Dec 8, 2015 7:48:14 GMT -5
Ok fellas I have been working with this powder for about 9 months or 8lbs now and with the shortage of Retumbo and my lack of trigger control (hey I like to shoot) this powder has quite quickly replaced all my Retumbo loads. I do still have a couple pounds of Retumbo stashed away but this powder is out their and I have zero problems finding it. I know currently use it in my stepson's 7RM, my 7RM and my 25-06. The stepson runs 70.3gr under 150gr Nosler Partition with Hornady brass and Tula Mag primers. He is getting an average velocity for a 10 shot string of 3029fps with an SD of 10 and an ES of 15. I run 68.4gr under a 160gr Speer BTSP with Norma brass and CCI 250 primers. I am getting an average velocity for a 10 shot string of 2997fps with an SD of 11 and an ES of 17. Can both of these be made better sure we will tweak the seating and powder charges some more. What surprised me though was the accuracy out of both of the Win Mod 70's we shoot we are getting .5-,75 MOA out to 500YDS. This powder has been even better in my 25-06 than I could have hoped it would be. My current pet load is 57.6gr under a 117gr Sierra GK Norma brass and Winchester WLR primers. I have been getting an average 10 shot string velocity of 3100fps with an SD of 8 and an ES of 13 on average. Accuracy from my Win Mod 70 has been .5 MOA out to 500YDS consistently. Compare that to my old Retumbo load of 60gr under the same bullet with the same brass and CCI 200 primers. The stats were average 10 shot strings of 2966fps with an SD of 12 and an ES of 19. Accuracy from the same rifle was a ragged .8 MOA out to 300yds and barely MOA between their and 500YDS. So yes to be honest I really do LOVE the new IMR 7977.
|
|
gws
Member
Posts: 969
Location: NW New Mexico
|
Post by gws on Dec 9, 2015 0:38:00 GMT -5
Is it typical IMR powder, that is, extruded, Or have they learned some new tricks? What old powder compares shape-wise & kernal-size....out about measurability, etc., etc.
|
|
7mmmountaineer
Member
Time to face it I am a workaholic............
Posts: 521
|
Post by 7mmmountaineer on Dec 9, 2015 19:30:14 GMT -5
GWS it actually compares well with Retumbo.
|
|
gws
Member
Posts: 969
Location: NW New Mexico
|
Post by gws on Dec 9, 2015 23:57:31 GMT -5
Okay, then......tell me what Retumbo is like.....never seen it in my life!   For my rifles I've loaded things like IMR 4064, 4350, 3031, 4895, Varget, some H copies, and TAC....so evidently I'm missing something.  .....ah, feeling stupido..... |
|
SnapShot
Member
Jeep & Mocha "Remembering Patches, always"
Posts: 699
Location: Finally free from the Republic of Kalifornia!
|
Post by SnapShot on Dec 11, 2015 10:56:40 GMT -5
Hey there gws . . . don't feel alone.
I have been reloading since the late 60's and I could have written your last comment myself. I have and do load with everything you listed but I too have never heard of Retumbo ? ? ?
Is it new or have we just been under the loading bench too much over the years?
|
|
poohzilla
Member
Give me a place to stand and a long-enough lever, and I will invariably break the lever.
Posts: 1,050
Location: New Hamster
|
Post by poohzilla on Dec 11, 2015 18:03:09 GMT -5
It's ok guys...I'm in the same boat. Remember, I'm the guy who reaches for Unique first for everything !  |
|
bob
Member
I'm too old to be nice but never too old to learn!
Posts: 1,457
Location: Northern California
|
Post by bob on Dec 11, 2015 20:00:36 GMT -5
You guys musta been do'n sump'else as even I new 'bout 'tumbo! All kidding aside Retumbo has been around for sometime although if you don't load magnum or "overbore" cartridges you wouldn't have cause to look for it. I have actually thought of using it in my .300 WM but haven't as yet. I have no idea what it looks like other than it is a cylindrical powder like H4831 and is slower burning than H1000.
|
|
gws
Member
Posts: 969
Location: NW New Mexico
|
Post by gws on Dec 11, 2015 21:12:18 GMT -5
It's ok guys...I'm in the same boat. Remember, I'm the guy who reaches for Unique first for everything ! You can be proud of that in my book. There isn't a more versatile powder sold. After using Unique for 40 years I started playing around on these internet forum things and actually found out it was "dirty". Imagine that.......I thought black on the muzzle of your .45 was a sign that you actually "used" your gun, as opposed to looking at it and bragging on it.  I believe "Handloader" magazine had an article a couple of years ago on the two most important powders to reload with.....period.....especially if you had to choose only two.... The author must be old fashioned like us........he chose Unique, and IMR 4895. .....just happens they are my favorites too!  All that said (with pride mind you), I can still learn a few things........okay, 7mm.....educate us old farts! |
|
SnapShot
Member
Jeep & Mocha "Remembering Patches, always"
Posts: 699
Location: Finally free from the Republic of Kalifornia!
|
Post by SnapShot on Dec 13, 2015 10:51:53 GMT -5
WOW !
It seem that almost every day someone points out something about me or what I'm doing as making me look (or feel) old . . . .
now it seems that even my choice in reloading powders is doing the same thing.
Being old isn't for the faint of heart!
|
|
7mmmountaineer
Member
Time to face it I am a workaholic............
Posts: 521
|
Post by 7mmmountaineer on Dec 13, 2015 22:31:40 GMT -5
GWS visually speaking RETUMBO looks a lot like VARGET except it is not quite as finely extruded. 7977 is very a pretty close copy of RETUMBO even though ever one I have asked says it was modeled off of IMR7828 SSC.
As a side note I have an odd quirk when it comes to powders and reloading I seem to always want to try new powders. If I like them I keep them like RL 23&26 just in case. If not I shoot them up and forget about them. I also have multiple loads for each rifle I own as you can see in Bob's Powders U Have post. All the powders I have listed as USE I have loads for in some rifle I own. I do this as a back up just incase I run out of a certain powderlike Ram Shot HUNTER and can't find it. For example in my Hart Barreled 7-08 for the 150 Sie GK I use for hunting I have an IMR 4350, 4895, 4166, H100V and an H4895 load same powders for the 160 Speer and know the scope changes I have to make to switch. The same is true for the 7RM I shoot I have loads for the 160 Speer bullets I shoot with 7977, Retumbo, RL 22, 23, 25 and 26 as well as IMR & H4831. |
|
For my rifles I've loaded things like IMR 4064, 4350, 3031, 4895, Varget, some H copies, and TAC....so evidently I'm missing something. 
.....ah, feeling stupido.....
My daughter came from Missouri, my son and grand son, my wife and I had a nice dinner of grilled "porter house" pork chops, corn on the cobb, my son, G'son and I share 10/5. G'son is 4 minutes early though @ 10/4.
Pooh I hope you find to right house . 
