Remington 7400 in 30-06

[rickt300]

I picked this rifle up a week ago. Just got around to fooling with it. I tokk the forearm off, cleaned the gas port, the port and free floated the forearm using an O-ring. The gun had obviously been cleaned before i got it as the chamber and locking area were immaculate and the bolt lugs had been lubricated with what looked like a product called "Rig" but I can't say for sure. It is a moly type lube. I cleaned this off and used a combination of Lucas Oil Treatment and transmission fluid to lube the bolt raceway in the top of the reciever. The action moves very smoothly now.  I shot four 150 grain Remington factory loads thru it to test functioning, fed, fired and ejected flawlessly. As I plan on loading for it I started working on a load. Thinking a powder suited for the M1 Garand would be best I tried AA2520, 45.3 grains and 47.0 grains. Neither had enough gas volume to fully work the action but the latter load came close. I tried 53.0 grains of H380, another almost. Next up was 56.0 grains of AA4350, this functioned perfectly but as I wanted to be a bit off max I backed down to 55.0 grains and this also functioned perfectly leaving the bore and action free of powder residue. The bullet used is the 165 rain Ballistic Tip. After I have my coffee I'm going to the gun range to sight the rifle in along with a couple other rifles. I used the same three cases for all this testing and they looked good enough to shoot again so I loaded them up with the 55.0 grain load and will shoot them into a group to see if they shoot better than the factory 150 grain ammo I bought to thest the rifle with.

[NYHunter]

You might try IMR 4350. I always had good luck with it in my 742 and Model Four semi-autos.  Very good accurracy using Horn. 165grn SP and 180 grn. RN with max. loads of powder.

[targshooter]

I have had good luck in my Remington 742 and 7400 rifles using max loads for both IMR 3031 and IMR 4350 with Hornady 165, 180 and 220 grain bullets as listed in the Hornady Manual. Both seemed to burn clean and the loads presented no functioning problems. Accuracy was quite sufficient for deer hunting. Please note, functionality was optimum with the maxumum loads.

[charles p]

I've had a 742 since 1967.  Served me well.  Doesn't much get out of the closet but it works perfectly.  I shoot moderate loads, I use small base dies, and I trim often.  I use 150 grain bullets almost exclussively.  Get's her done.  Treat is like a child.

[rickt300]

Well on the day after Christmas therange was too crowded and I didn't get to do any shooting. Have to play another day I guess. Today is way too windy and looks like rain. Guess I'll got to a gun show.

[rickt300]

I found a good load using the 165 grain Ballistic Tip and 55.0 grains of AA 4350. However I didn't have time to load enough to sight the rifle in before I left to the lease Friday. So I sighted in with Remington 150 grain PSPCL factory loads. Had to do this on my 50 yard range behind my house but in 15 rounds I had it hitting bullet holes at that range. I sighted it in 1/2 inch high and went to the lease. I drove 220 miles, parked 300 yards from my stand and walked to it, got there at 5:20 PM. 20 minutes later a doe and a 9 point buck walk out, one I passed several times earlier in the season. He is moving at a slow walk, slightly away and to my right about 60 yards away. I put the crosshairs on his chest far enough back that I think the bullet will come out in front of his shoulder on the far side. Pull the trigger and the deer drops. The rifle has been fired 34 times since it was cleaned and functioned perfectly. The factory load also performed well, the bullet angled thru the deers  chest and smashed the shoulder blade just in front of the ball ending up under the hide weighing 94.0 grains and expanded to .630. Now that the season is over I'll clean all four rifles I used this year "in my spare time".

[BBF]

As they say, " You can't argue with a dead Deer"
I got a 742 myself that shoots well.

[Slufoot]

Wat to go rickt300, those core-lokt bullets are real deer slayers. I load the 150 CL's for two 30-06 semi-autos with IMR-4895 and they shoot great and hammer deer.

Congrats on the buck and good shooting!

Slufoot

[rickt300]

That "cheap cup and core" corelokt traveled thru 22 inches of deer. Not bad for the least expensive bullet out there.  I am having less and less use for the so called "Premium" bullits other than the Partition.

[BBF]

Those premiums have a place but seldom from a 30-06.

[charles p]

There is no ball in the shoulder of a deer.

[rickt300]

Well then the rounded end of the upper leg bone that fits into the shoulder blade.  Turns out the bullet went just under the shoulder blade, out to the hide and slid up under the hide to rest on the outside of the shoulder blade just about where the rounded bone end is connected to it. I just butchered the deer. Previously I had field dressed it and cut the bullet out from the hide side as the lump was obvious.

[Mikey]

rickt300:  you asked about powders suited for the Garand.  The most accurate loading we ever shot from our garands was the 180 gn jacketed bullet over 47.5 gns of IMR4895.  This duplicated the ballistics of the 173 gn - 2650'/sec sniper/match load for the Garand. 

This load functioned a buddy's 7400 perfectly and gave excellent accuracy.  HTH.  Mikey.

[crashman]

My best load for my 7400 in 30-06 was 54.5 gr of IMR 4350 loaded with a 180 gr Nosler C/T (Accubond). I got an average velocity of 2594 and found the factory load was 2578. 180 is a little big for deer but I also use it on moose.

[BBF]

Sideline:
As much as I like the Rem. Pump and Autobanger I cringe every time I get to a stand(tree) and then have to slam a round into the chamber. The noise in the woods seems to my old ears audible for miles.

[rickt300]

I haven't got any 4895 or would try it. Both 55 and 56 grains of AA4350 function the rifle perfectly using the 165 grain bullets. I may work up a bit hotter with the AA2520 to get it to function as I like this powder.

[rickt300]

Went to the range and shot some more factory 150 grain bullets and 20 more reloads using 57.0 grains of AA4350 and the 165 grain ballistic Tips. 68 rounds fired since the rifle was cleaned and the factory ammo averaged 1 1/2 inches at 100 yards but the reloads edged into 1 1/4 inches. I am starting to trust and like this rifle. I will clean it soon.

[rickt300]

Loaded some more rounds, this time 56.5 grains of AA 4350 under 165 grain Ballistic Tips and Remington PSPCL's.  I shot 45 rounds getting the same accuracy I got before and no malfunctions. However the gas port area around the spring must be getting dusty so I will pull the forearm off and clean this area again after possibly 145 shots. It just feels a bit less than smooth when you pull the bolt back.  I am also going to see what I can do to improve the trigger pull as I would like to have a bit less of the concentration it takes to steer this rifle.

[rickt300]

Well as to the clean up. There was no serious buildup of powder residue in the action or in the locking lug area. Way cleaner than I would have expected. The area around the gas system under the forearm was not so clean but it wasn't much of a problem to clean up either. I hadn't previously pulled the trigger group out but I needed to see about improving the trigger some. The trigger group had some rust on the hammer and sear pieces which I cleaned up easily. I carefully smoothed the sear engagement surface on the hammer with a small smooth sharpening stone and  I cut the trigger return spring off 1/2 coil at a time until I got a very reasonable trigger pull. The pin the trigger pivots on is enough smaller than the hole it rides in that the initial trigger movement is a bit mushy but after that it breaks cleanly. But the improvement is awesome and I should have done this in the beginning. Way too easy, anyone sniveling about the Remingtons trigger would be well advised to get a trigger job or if they are even just a bit handy do it themselves.