Remington 7mm Magnum OAL

[ForneyRider]

What lengths are ya'll running?

I have some 120gr Nosler Ballistic Tips and some 139gr Hornady SST.
Also looking at some Hornady or Sierra 160gr match bullets.

Please give me a reality check on this.
I put a bullet in a case with no powder and pressed the cartridge in my rifle magazine, then chambered it, then extracted it. I measured it at 3.427in. Can I load the cases at this length?

 

[emb]

It depends on a lot of different factors. It sounds like you are seating that particular bullet right at the lands. As long as it chambers, it will fire. But you will need to be especially careful with your presures if you shoot on the lands. Each bullet weight will be different too. The lighter bullets are shorter and may not be seated into the case far enough. Also, seating on the lands may not give you the most accurate load for your rifle.

Use the OAL specs in the reloading books for each bullet and work your load up from there. If you are using the load for hunting, be sure that it fits into the magazine.

 

[627PCFan]

Get an overall length gauge, I have one by HORNADY/PACIFIC RELOADING TOOLS LOCK-N-LOAD C-1000 STRAIGHT OAL GAUGE with my 2 rifles matching cases to afix to it. Then I use calipers and PTG bullet comparator to give you a max overall length.

If your loads are long enough they wont fix in your magazine box (if its detachable) i used a dremel tool to cut a channel where it wound interfere with bullet tips.

 

[ForneyRider]

Yep, the magazine seems to be quite a bit shorter than what I need to set the bullet just off the lands.

I set the bullets out far enough to work in the magazine.

Seems like there is quite a bit of difference, maybe a 1/4 inch, between OAL with cannelure and OAL with .020 off the lands.

So I can have the barrel machined, and/or cut the magazine.

I don't want to give up factory ammo choices.

I wonder if such a gap is typical.

Much Thanks!