Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 7 x 72 R with .284 | 100gr | Sierra VarmintKing bullet and 17 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are IMR 3031, Vihtavuori N135 and SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000.
Important Notice: DO NOT go below Minimum Charge or above Maximum Charge. Since we have no control over the equipment and components used, any responsibility and liability for the results achieved is rejected.
Only powders/loads that match the current filter criteria are displayed: max pressure of a load ≤ 90% of max. standardized pressure, fill rate ≥ 80% and propellant combustion ≥ 95%. Use the sliders above the tables to adjust these thresholds.
Charge: Powder weight in grains. Start with the minimum load and work up carefully.
FR (Fill Rate): Case fill as a percentage. Values above 100% mean compressed loads.
MaxP / %: Maximum chamber pressure in bar and as a percentage of the standardized maximum for this caliber.
V(0): Muzzle velocity in feet per second (fps) at the standardized barrel length.
z (Powder Burn): Estimated propellant combustion percentage at bullet exit.
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Max Load - Barrel Length: 25.6"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,578 psi | 88% | 2841 fps | 98.7% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 86% | 35,984 psi | 89% | 2940 fps | 98.9% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 92% | 36,405 psi | 90% | 2943 fps | 97.2% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 84% | 35,070 psi | 86% | 2923 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 82% | 36,521 psi | 90% | 2910 fps | 97.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 33,112 psi | 82% | 1982 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 88% | 34,737 psi | 86% | 2927 fps | 98% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 86% | 36,376 psi | 90% | 2904 fps | 96.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 33,402 psi | 82% | 2031 fps | 100% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,636 psi | 88% | 2844 fps | 96% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 84% | 36,361 psi | 90% | 2812 fps | 96.4% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 90% | 35,447 psi | 87% | 2805 fps | 97.4% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 84% | 35,621 psi | 88% | 2812 fps | 97.2% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 86% | 35,911 psi | 88% | 2825 fps | 98.7% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 88% | 34,867 psi | 86% | 2881 fps | 98.8% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 88% | 36,100 psi | 89% | 2874 fps | 96.9% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 88% | 35,940 psi | 89% | 2894 fps | 96.3% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 25.6"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,402 psi | 82% | 2785 fps | 98.2% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,269 psi | 72% | 2759 fps | 97% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 88% | 32,111 psi | 79% | 2831 fps | 95.7% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,574 psi | 75% | 2805 fps | 99.5% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,287 psi | 84% | 2851 fps | 96.9% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,453 psi | 60% | 1772 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031 | 36.5 gr | 82% | 28,703 psi | 71% | 2749 fps | 95.6% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,953 psi | 84% | 2838 fps | 95.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,598 psi | 61% | 1818 fps | 100% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,562 psi | 83% | 2789 fps | 95.2% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 82% | 34,171 psi | 84% | 2756 fps | 95.7% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | 37.8 gr | 84% | 29,399 psi | 72% | 2644 fps | 95.1% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,575 psi | 78% | 2703 fps | 95.8% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,878 psi | 74% | 2664 fps | 97% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | 36 gr | 80% | 26,861 psi | 66% | 2651 fps | 96.1% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 84% | 31,720 psi | 78% | 2759 fps | 95.3% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 86% | 33,605 psi | 83% | 2831 fps | 95.5% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
ᴾ possible press load - work up slowly to this load while watching for signs of excessive pressure.
This overview compares 43 powders for 7 x 72 R loaded with the .284 | 100gr | Sierra VarmintKing. Accurate 4064 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,943 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,982 fps to 2,943 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 43 of the 43 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (280 MPa), the top charges use 82–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 100.0 gr projectile in 0.284" calls for a 1:15.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14 reach 100 % fill or more at maximum charge, so these are compressed loads: they need a long drop tube to seat cleanly and react sensitively to the case capacity of your own brass lot. IMR 3031, Vihtavuori N135, SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 rank at the top here: for 7 x 72 R with the .284 | 100gr | Sierra VarmintKing they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, ADI Benchmark 8208, Alliant Reloder- TS 15.5, Bofors RP3 burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.