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1.2 grains in all the wrong places

davidjoe

An experimental gun with experimental ammunition
Gold $$ Contributor
There’s a saying about fury, - and a woman scorned. Norma, please bring back your 7mm Saum brass. Me and the other 43 guys worldwide that shoot the cartridge will never complain, again :).

In LR rifle bull’s eye chasing, 1.2 grains of powder, going either way, may test your safety glasses or miss the black. 1.2 grains of bullet weight difference will put you out of the 10 ring. 1.2 grains difference in your case’s brass weight might throw you the tiny width of the “X”’s white stick lettering.

But 1.2 grains of what turns out to be elusive, migrating, squashed up anvil in your lug recess after sighter 2, in a 45 second shot pair fire match means game over.

It turns out that 1.2 grains is the magic amount that at once, a bolt won’t close on, a contorted pinky finger can push away without ever perceiving, and a grease film can suspend against gravity such that it can hide anywhere. I think the record for resolving such a problem is about two meals later.

I don’t want to run any cases until the pockets are loose or weak and primers fall out, there’s just no 7 saum brass to buy. This has been true for years now, before Covid. The availability outlook is even bleaker today because ADG seems to avoid the currently-open main supplier role, and Lapua and Perterson must know something negative about it that we don’t, passing, hard.

I’m even wondering if the 7 REM mag reamer could be run in a virgin .284 chamber to convert it without starting over. I know it’s longer but It seemed narrower than a .284, though, at the point of a .284’s shoulder.

If the saum brass picture is permanent, I won’t chamber more barrels for it, but I have a number of new .284’s - although I want more capacity than that to push the heavies, without wasting perfect tenons and barrel length, by starting over. I’d keep some and retrofit others if that was a possibility.
 

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How bout a 7mm Sherman? Or 7-300 WSM? Is there something magical about the saum case that can't be done with a more readily available form?
 
How bout a 7mm Sherman? Or 7-300 WSM? Is there something magical about the saum case that can't be done with a more readily available form?

I know those shoot well from how others have done with them. I’d sure love to turn a few of my stockpiled .284’s into magnums, if the SAUM brass market is too quaint for manufacturers to bother with. But if the magnum isn’t longer and at least as wide throughout as a .284, I think the stub would have to be cut off, right?

I don’t think I can bring myself to cut a perfect Surgeon XL tenon off a new 1.45” barrel, but re-reaming one would not hurt as bad.

I also wonder what 7 mag brass is likely to be commercially available in the future, both in terms of cartridges and match grade quality.

The 7 saum is suited for 1,000 yard windy matches so perfectly. It’s light for any further out, and probably a wash for Palma matches that include 800 and 900, but 1,000 is becoming the only LR we shoot. Yet that’s not enough reason for the manufacturers to catalog it and keep stock up.

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creedmoor sports allows back orders for the adg saum brass...it works and should be avialable before year end
 
creedmoor sports allows back orders for the adg saum brass...it works and should be avialable before year end

I do love Creedmoor. I saw that of all their ADG brass, only about three cartridges were actually in stock. But maybe saum is high on the list. Anyhow I ordered some and will just wait and see what happens.

When I saw 28 Nosler, for a brief second I knew I wouldn’t miss a .284 barrel, and was about to take that fork in the road, but it’s not in stock, either.
 
I always look at the primer of a spent cartridge to see that it's still in place before replacing it into the ammo box during a match. It may not help you find it if it popped out, but at least you'll know you should be looking for it before attempting another shot. ;)
 

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