I’ve never worked up hand loads/reloaded, but want to get into it in the next 6 months or so. What I’m trying to understand is how bullets of the same diameter would work in different cartridges.
I.e If I bought a box of Hornady 175g ELD-X bullets for 7 PRC, but put that bullet in a 7 REM mag case, what would happen? Would it turn it into a belted 7 Rem Mag PRC that was able to have better bc?
Or
The 7 Rem Mag has a huge bullet selection. If I bought a box of .284 Nosler partitions or long range accubonds and put them in a 7 PRC case, would it be less effective than if I used them in a 7 Rem Mag? Would the 7 PRC lose its long distance advantages because it’s the bullet that makes it so great or would the case design come into play?
Hoping that makes sense. Think to summarize, I’m just digging into what can and can’t be done when multiple cartridges use the same diameter bullet and whether it’s the bullet or case design that sets these different calibers apart. Would really prefer to not blow myself up.
In general, ANY bullet of a given caliber can be loaded into ANY case of the same caliber. There are some exceptions such as some bullets simply being too long for some cartridges, though.
In the example you gave of wondering if you could take a 175 ELDX like in a 7PRC and put that in a 7 mag? That’d work fine as long as you load it to the correct length for the 7 mag.
The best way to start seeing what bullets work in what cartridges is to buy a load manual. There is also a lot of free load data online from some of the manufacturers like Barnes. You could get the load manual from Hornady (they have an app) and just see if they have a load recipe for that bullet in the 7 mag. If they do, you’re off to the races.
Just be sure to stick to manufacturer load data until you really know exactly what you’re doing and what dangers to watch out for.
Hornady does list a 175 eldx loading in their manual for 7 Rem Mag.
I probably really want to run that through a stability calculator however before actually consuming components on it. Berger has one on their website for free.
+1 on getting a reloading manual. In fact I’d purchase more than one. They are all chocked full of useful information.
So, when you are buying components to reload the only part that will be cartridge specific is the brass. If you were to buy a box of 175g Eld-x bullets you could load them in 7prc brass or 7 rem mag brass. Both cartridges use a 7mm (or .284 caliber) wide bullet. Similarly, if you’re loading 7mm rem mag, you can use a number of different powders. You could use H1000 or Retumbo. Look at some load data and see what you can get ahold of and decide on a powder. Similarly there are different primers you can use. One thing to know about your brass is what size of primer it is made for. With a 7mm rem mag, you’re brass will always need large rifle primers. But, If you reload 6.5 CM some brass is made for large rifle primers, and some brass is sized for small rifle primers. just be aware of that. Overall, like Jim already said, stick to published load data and you’ll be alright.