>2.) Recommend a better way to cipher through 7 million records and get only the 1 or 2 million that i want....

Jeffrey,

Check this code:

lcListOfValues = '23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,39,40,;
41,42,49,51,52,53,58,59,60,61,62,63,67,68,69,70,71,72,73'

Select * from fed_temp ;
where left(NSN,2) $ lcListOfValues ;
into table prod_table