Thread: Loading Sako A7 mm REM Mag using AR2217 powder

I'm loading some rem mag ammo for my Sako A7 using AR2217 powder and 162 ELD-X projectiles, once fired Federal brass and Federal 215M primers.

I was wondering if anyone has used this powder before or has a recipe for this kind of load?

First time out testing different weights of powder I shot 68, 68.5 and then 69 and got good groups from each. Best (0.5MOA group) was 69 so I made up a full set of loads, went out to test them and the grouping went out to 2MOA. I'm firing from a bipod and usingsandbags so not sure what could be throwing the shots off from my end.

My speeds from the 5 shots using 69 grains were 2969, 2962, 2930, 3030, 2969 so on average ~ 2972fps.

Any suggestions out there?

I would look at your reloading practices, es of 100fps in those loads would have me wondering where I went wrong

yes, the 3030fps looks like a real outlier, maybe a bit more powder in that one. But going from 0.5moa to 2moa seems like something else is up.
Have you checked your action screws and bases/rings for torque? could be that bewtween your 2 visits to range that one has worked loose.
Is the brass in the 2nd set of 5 now 2x fired ? or still once fired ?

Yeah I thought the same re the speeds... massive variance. They're old scales, might be worth trying out electronic ones.

Checked the screws last night and they are just as tight as ever. The brass was still from the once fired batch.

That's exactly the set up I'm using at the moment. A7, 7mmRM, 162 ELD-X, 2217, federal brass, but CCI 250 primers.

Its interesting you have a similar situation to me with speed variance as well. I'm about to narrow it down and I'm pretty sure it's the internal volume of the federal brass. The reason I say this is that with equal charge weights in the federal cases, when seating projectiles, some are compressed and others aren't and I'm getting a significant speed boost in the roinds that are slightly compressed.