1885 High Wall (Replica)

[M700P]

Good day all,

I'm Looking for any information on this SS Browning in 7mm RM. I'm not real familar with the rifle and was hoping someone here was. I'm doing a work-up for it using 140 gr Nosler spitzer BT and was wondering if there might be a bullet seating depth "off the lands" this rifle typically likes. Plan is to start at SAAMI specs, get a good load and work it from there. That's probably the smart way to approach this but if I know it typically likes it closer I could keep this in mind. If you would have any other information about the rifle I could use and you don't mind sharing I certianly would greatly apprieciate it. Thanks!

M700P

[versifier]

Honestly, if you had two with consecutive serial numbers they would like two different loads, different powders and bullet weights/brands, and very likely two different OAL's, too. Chambering reamers (and all tooling) wear over time and every chamber/throat cut is slightly different. I have done workups on matching rifles before and was quite surprised. Like you, I thought I could just work up one load for both, but got a rude awakening. Every component was different for each rifle, brass, powder, bullet, OAL. The only thing in common was primers, and they may have liked different ones, too, but by that point I was sick of it and wanted them out of my shop. One was much more accurate across the board than the other, too. Data from another Browning just like yours IME is unlikely to be very helpful and may well waste time and components. The way I see it, OAL is really just another "component" of a good load. Every rifle is a clean slate when you first pick it up. (To me, the whole idea of "Pet Loads" is just wishful thinking, too.)

Remember that it is counterproductive to test loads for any big game rifle with a hot barrel - the one or two shots at game are always fired cold. That means a lot of cooling off time between groups. I take only two shots at a time for the final adjustments, and it helps to bring a few more rifles or handguns to shoot while the barrel cools. In hot weather that can take quite a while.