Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 7 x 72 R with .284 | 160gr | Barnes X S bullet and 13 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Somchem S365, Hodgdon Hybrid 100V and Vihtavuori N150.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliant Reloder-17 | <<locked>> | 86% | 36,260 psi | 89% | 2359 fps | 97.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-23ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 35,375 psi | 87% | 2343 fps | 96.8% |
| Hodgdon Hybrid 100V | <<locked>> | 92% | 35,723 psi | 88% | 2290 fps | 97.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 35,404 psi | 87% | 1519 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 36,013 psi | 89% | 1558 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | <<locked>> | 84% | 36,347 psi | 90% | 2372 fps | 99.4% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 82% | 34,751 psi | 86% | 2251 fps | 97.3% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 11 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,418 psi | 87% | 2290 fps | 96.5% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,752 psi | 88% | 2257 fps | 97.3% |
| Somchem S365 | <<locked>> | 92% | 34,867 psi | 86% | 2336 fps | 98.4% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | <<locked>> | 88% | 36,260 psi | 89% | 2254 fps | 98.7% |
| Vihtavuori N555 | <<locked>> | 98% | 35,520 psi | 87% | 2365 fps | 96.1% |
| Winchester 6.5 StaBALL | <<locked>> | 88% | 36,158 psi | 89% | 2264 fps | 97.3% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliant Reloder-17 | <<locked>> | 82% | 32,198 psi | 79% | 2260 fps | 95.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-23 | <<locked>> | 96% | 31,676 psi | 78% | 2251 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon Hybrid 100V | 33.6 gr | 86% | 30,298 psi | 75% | 2162 fps | 95% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,571 psi | 65% | 1358 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,890 psi | 66% | 1391 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,213 psi | 79% | 2274 fps | 98.3% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,721 psi | 81% | 2208 fps | 96.7% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 11 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,431 psi | 82% | 2244 fps | 95.8% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,692 psi | 83% | 2211 fps | 96.7% |
| Somchem S365 | 33.7 gr | 84% | 27,833 psi | 69% | 2152 fps | 95.5% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | 30.5 gr | 80% | 29,008 psi | 71% | 2090 fps | 96.6% |
| Vihtavuori N555 | <<locked>> | 96% | 33,533 psi | 83% | 2320 fps | 95.4% |
| Winchester 6.5 StaBALL | <<locked>> | 82% | 30,313 psi | 75% | 2129 fps | 95% |
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 34 powders for 7 x 72 R loaded with the .284 | 160gr | Barnes X S. Alliant Reloder-26 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,405 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,519 fps to 2,405 fps. Accurate 3100 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 34 of the 34 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (280 MPa), the top charges use 79–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 160.0 gr projectile in 0.284" calls for a 1:10.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Accurate 3100, Alliant Reloder-23, Hodgdon TrailBoss 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. Somchem S365, Hodgdon Hybrid 100V, Vihtavuori N150 rank at the top here: for 7 x 72 R with the .284 | 160gr | Barnes X S they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate 3100, Alliant Reloder-16, Alliant Reloder-26 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.