Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 7 x 72 R with .284 | 170gr | Geco SOFTPOINT bullet and 23 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Vihtavuori N555, Alliant Reloder-16 and Somchem S365.
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>> | 88% | 35,476 psi | 87% | 2303 fps | 96.9% |
| Alliant Reloder-16 | <<locked>> | 88% | 35,940 psi | 89% | 2313 fps | 97.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-17 | <<locked>> | 84% | 35,331 psi | 87% | 2329 fps | 98.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-23 | <<locked>> | 98% | 34,650 psi | 85% | 2320 fps | 98.2% |
| Alliant Reloder-26 | <<locked>> | 96% | 35,505 psi | 87% | 2392 fps | 96.1% |
| Hodgdon Hybrid 100V | <<locked>> | 90% | 35,085 psi | 86% | 2267 fps | 98.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 35,273 psi | 87% | 1509 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4831 | <<locked>> | 92% | 35,041 psi | 86% | 2277 fps | 96.8% |
| Norma URP | <<locked>> | 88% | 35,955 psi | 89% | 2306 fps | 96.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 35,781 psi | 88% | 1549 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,259 psi | 87% | 2339 fps | 99.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 62 | <<locked>> | 88% | 35,186 psi | 87% | 2320 fps | 96.4% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,752 psi | 88% | 2257 fps | 98.7% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 11 | <<locked>> | 82% | 36,637 psi | 90% | 2300 fps | 98.2% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 82% | 36,637 psi | 90% | 2260 fps | 98.7% |
| Somchem S365 | <<locked>> | 92% | 36,390 psi | 90% | 2356 fps | 99.6% |
| Unknown powder | <<locked>> | 86% | 36,637 psi | 90% | 2303 fps | 96.3% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | <<locked>> | 86% | 35,389 psi | 87% | 2218 fps | 99.3% |
| Vihtavuori N160 | <<locked>> | 84% | 34,374 psi | 85% | 2234 fps | 96.2% |
| Vihtavuori N550 | <<locked>> | 84% | 34,635 psi | 85% | 2274 fps | 96.2% |
| Vihtavuori N555 | <<locked>> | 96% | 34,867 psi | 86% | 2339 fps | 97.4% |
| Winchester 6.5 StaBALL | <<locked>> | 86% | 35,331 psi | 87% | 2241 fps | 98.4% |
| Winchester StaBALL HDᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,851 psi | 81% | 2365 fps | 98.5% |
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>> | 84% | 31,009 psi | 76% | 2205 fps | 95.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-16 | 35.5 gr | 84% | 31,821 psi | 78% | 2218 fps | 95.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-17 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,038 psi | 76% | 2228 fps | 97% |
| Alliant Reloder-23 | <<locked>> | 92% | 29,080 psi | 72% | 2182 fps | 95.9% |
| Alliant Reloder-26 | <<locked>> | 94% | 33,257 psi | 82% | 2339 fps | 95% |
| Hodgdon Hybrid 100V | <<locked>> | 82% | 27,282 psi | 67% | 2080 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,339 psi | 65% | 1348 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4831 | <<locked>> | 88% | 31,082 psi | 77% | 2192 fps | 95.3% |
| Norma URP | <<locked>> | 84% | 31,705 psi | 78% | 2211 fps | 95.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,585 psi | 65% | 1378 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,040 psi | 81% | 2287 fps | 99.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 62 | <<locked>> | 86% | 32,967 psi | 81% | 2267 fps | 95.5% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,388 psi | 82% | 2208 fps | 98.1% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 11 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,287 psi | 84% | 2251 fps | 97.6% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,519 psi | 85% | 2218 fps | 98.2% |
| Somchem S365 | 34.5 gr | 80% | 24,889 psi | 61% | 2067 fps | 95.7% |
| Unknown powder | <<locked>> | 84% | 34,563 psi | 85% | 2260 fps | 95.6% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,501 psi | 73% | 2093 fps | 98% |
| Vihtavuori N160 | <<locked>> | 82% | 32,184 psi | 79% | 2185 fps | 95.3% |
| Vihtavuori N550 | <<locked>> | 82% | 32,648 psi | 80% | 2231 fps | 95.5% |
| Vihtavuori N555 | 38.3 gr | 90% | 28,979 psi | 71% | 2198 fps | 95.1% |
| Winchester 6.5 StaBALL | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,124 psi | 72% | 2096 fps | 96.3% |
| Winchester StaBALL HD | <<locked>> | 94% | 27,195 psi | 67% | 2192 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 45 powders for 7 x 72 R loaded with the .284 | 170gr | Geco SOFTPOINT. Alliant Reloder-26 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,392 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,509 fps to 2,392 fps. Alliant Reloder-25 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 45 of the 45 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (280 MPa), the top charges use 77–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 170.0 gr projectile in 0.284" calls for a 1:13.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Alliant Reloder-25, Hodgdon TrailBoss, Lovex S071 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. Vihtavuori N555, Alliant Reloder-16, Somchem S365 rank at the top here: for 7 x 72 R with the .284 | 170gr | Geco SOFTPOINT they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate 3100, Alliant Reloder-25, Bofors RP7 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.