Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 7 x 72 R with .284 | 160gr | Speer Grand Slam bullet and 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 4350 | <<locked>> | 90% | 35,650 psi | 88% | 2375 fps | 96.2% |
| Alliant Reloder- TS 15.5 | <<locked>> | 82% | 36,448 psi | 90% | 2333 fps | 98.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-16 | <<locked>> | 90% | 36,230 psi | 89% | 2385 fps | 96.2% |
| Alliant Reloder-17 | <<locked>> | 86% | 35,752 psi | 88% | 2405 fps | 97.9% |
| Alliant Reloder-23ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 34,954 psi | 86% | 2388 fps | 97.5% |
| Bofors RP3 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,984 psi | 89% | 2339 fps | 98.4% |
| Hodgdon Hybrid 100V | <<locked>> | 92% | 35,244 psi | 87% | 2336 fps | 97.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 35,012 psi | 86% | 1552 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4064 | <<locked>> | 82% | 36,376 psi | 90% | 2290 fps | 97.1% |
| IMR 4831 | <<locked>> | 94% | 35,302 psi | 87% | 2349 fps | 96.1% |
| Norma URP | <<locked>> | 90% | 36,042 psi | 89% | 2372 fps | 96% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 35,462 psi | 87% | 1591 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | <<locked>> | 84% | 35,708 psi | 88% | 2415 fps | 99.6% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 84% | 36,158 psi | 89% | 2336 fps | 98.2% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 11 | <<locked>> | 82% | 34,737 psi | 86% | 2326 fps | 97% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 82% | 34,751 psi | 86% | 2290 fps | 97.6% |
| Somchem S365 | <<locked>> | 94% | 36,651 psi | 90% | 2428 fps | 99.3% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | <<locked>> | 88% | 35,607 psi | 88% | 2290 fps | 98.9% |
| Vihtavuori N555 | <<locked>> | 98% | 34,940 psi | 86% | 2408 fps | 96.7% |
| Winchester 6.5 StaBALL | <<locked>> | 88% | 35,810 psi | 88% | 2310 fps | 97.9% |
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 4350 | <<locked>> | 88% | 33,199 psi | 82% | 2323 fps | 95.3% |
| Alliant Reloder- TS 15.5 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,330 psi | 85% | 2290 fps | 97.9% |
| Alliant Reloder-16 | <<locked>> | 88% | 34,200 psi | 84% | 2336 fps | 95.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-17 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,472 psi | 73% | 2244 fps | 95.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-23 | <<locked>> | 96% | 31,009 psi | 76% | 2293 fps | 95.8% |
| Bofors RP3 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,591 psi | 83% | 2287 fps | 97.8% |
| Hodgdon Hybrid 100V | 36.1 gr | 86% | 29,341 psi | 72% | 2192 fps | 95.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,107 psi | 64% | 1388 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4064 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,258 psi | 84% | 2244 fps | 96.4% |
| IMR 4831 | <<locked>> | 92% | 32,996 psi | 81% | 2300 fps | 95.2% |
| Norma URP | <<locked>> | 88% | 33,997 psi | 84% | 2329 fps | 95.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,310 psi | 65% | 1421 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,386 psi | 77% | 2306 fps | 98.6% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,517 psi | 78% | 2234 fps | 96.9% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 11 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,532 psi | 80% | 2277 fps | 96.2% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,735 psi | 81% | 2244 fps | 97% |
| Somchem S365 | 36.3 gr | 84% | 26,803 psi | 66% | 2182 fps | 95.8% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | 32.8 gr | 80% | 27,934 psi | 69% | 2116 fps | 96.7% |
| Vihtavuori N555 | <<locked>> | 94% | 30,806 psi | 76% | 2310 fps | 95% |
| Winchester 6.5 StaBALL | <<locked>> | 82% | 29,544 psi | 73% | 2165 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 20 powders for 7 x 72 R loaded with the .284 | 160gr | Speer Grand Slam. Somchem S365 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,428 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,552 fps to 2,428 fps. Alliant Reloder-23 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 20 of the 20 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (280 MPa), the top charges use 86–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 160.0 gr projectile in 0.284" calls for a 1:13.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Alliant Reloder-23, 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. Somchem S365, Hodgdon Hybrid 100V, Vihtavuori N150 rank at the top here: for 7 x 72 R with the .284 | 160gr | Speer Grand Slam they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.