[dak0ta]

Hey,

Want to reload 7.5 Swiss using .284 brass. Is that the same as buying normal 7mm brass? There's many version of it though like Rem-mag or 7mm-weatherby mag etc.

!?

[PotatoJudge]

No, 284 Winchester is a different cartridge than any of the 7mm cartridges. But yes, .284 is the same caliber as 7mm.

You can find 7.5 Swiss brass as or more easily than 284, so just buy what you need.

[dak0ta]

Anybody know what grain of bullet is best to start off with for the 7.5 swiss? I think the GP-11 is 170.

[PotatoJudge]

Anywhere from 150-180 should work well. GP11 uses 174 grain, so 165-180 is probably the best place to start.

http://www.swissrifles.com/sr/pierre/data.html

[dak0ta]

Oh and, I hear people say that the OAL in the Reloading manuals are meant for the older swiss rifles. Is there a definitive value that people agree on for the OAL after bullet seating? And do you have to have one of those OAL gauges, or could you just use a ruler?

[PotatoJudge]

The easiest way is to make up a dummy cartridge for your rifle. Take a sized, unprimed case, and seat the bullet as far out as it will go, then chamber the round. If the bullet doesn't stick in the barrel, the cartridge that comes out will be a few thousandths longer than your reloads should be. Take that dummy round, put it in your reloading press with the seater die adjusted all the way up. Remember, you don't need to crimp the rounds, so when you run the case into the die you should feel no resistance. Now adjust the seater until it is touching the bullet. Remove the dummy cartridge and turn the seater down just a little bit. Replace the dummy cartridge, run it into the die to seat the bullet that couple of thousandths deeper, and you've got a dummy with the correct OAL. Retest the dummy in the rifle, and test the loaded rounds to see if you're jamming the bullet into the lands. Also make sure the rounds will fit in the magazine, though with the short throat of the K31 and the long ogive of GP11 it will always fit fine.