7mm if I was starting from scratch

[gordyd4]

I'm gonna put aside my model 70, (actually, I'm giving it to my son) and buy another rifle.

Which 7mm to pick from for long range precision target shooting to 1000 yards.

I have no idea the advantages of one over the other. Can someone help?

7mm SAUM
7mm WSM
7mm-08
7mm Rem Mag

 

[AusFclass]

7SAUM.

all the capacity you need in the 7mm bore and they shoot very well. 180gr bergers 3050fps cant be a bad thing! ;D

 

[Jeffvn]

I shoot 7WSM and my brother shoots .284 and .284AI. I like the 7WSM, but the 7 SAUM can generally get you the same velocities with a smaller powder charge. I'd look hard at the 7SAUM. There is a nice article under 7mm on the main page.

JeffVN

 

[Larryh128]

My main concern (in a long term rifle) would be availability of quality brass. Any of the 4 listed will work fine but I'm not sure how available SAUM brass will be down the road. The short ultra mags got killed by the wsm's & we know what happens after 10-20 years of marginal sales. I do think that the WSM's are here to stay and are great rounds.

 

[Jeffvn]

If brass is the concern, then consider the 7x270WSM, it has the smallest case capacity of the various WSM cases, and the longest neck of them all. granted it got more capacity then the 7SAUM, but you can get decent brass for it.

I admit that when I built my first 7WSM I bought 1,500 cases, and should have brass for at least another 2 barrels.

If I were to build a 7x270 WSM or 7SAUM, I would get at least 750 to 1,000 cases all at one time, so its all the same lot. Then prep 250-300 and sort after prepping; its what I did iwth mine, and its been no problem for meon brass.

JeffVN

 

[gordyd4]

There is a gun in the classifieds that is a 7mm saum, but the guy won't ship to California. I'd be very interested in it.
I don't know why, personal sale does not need to fill out the cali forms, only has to go to a ffl.

 

[RDavies]

After reading about the barrel life of the bigger 7mms, do you want to use your 7mm for a fair bit of practice? if so, how about a straight 284, or even a 284 Shehane? These rounds fit standard actions/bolt faces, dont kick as bad as the big magnums, and the barrel wil last 2000 rounds.

 

[Baron B58]

I agree with cr500; if you look at the whole picture I cannot see how you can beat the straight 284 Winchester or the Shehane (if you just want to be different).

 

[AusFclass]

the shehane is a fair bit if messing around and expense for not a whole lot of gain.

its ok if you want to stick with a .308 boltface but i decided to spend the money on a new magnum bolt insted of expensive custom dies, and powder/bullets fireforming.

yep the shehane might last longer than the 7saum but you have to consider that you will have to fireform all your brass aswell.

you can allways load a 7saum back for practice and club shooting and crank it up for prize shoots ;D

remington, nosler and norma make brass for the 7saum. sum are .30 saum that can be necked down.

 

[Raptor]

True, but the straight old 284 Winchester is no slouch and is deadly accurate to as far as most people want to shoot. Its also very easy to load for and nearly twice the barrel life of the magnums.

Another good choice is a 280 Remington. My soninlaw shoots one with a hunting weight Kreiger barrel and it will put 3 shots into a 6" paper plate at 900yds and will keep 3 shot groups at .5 MOA out to 800yds all day long.

 

[oldroper]

I'm gonna put aside my model 70, (actually, I'm giving it to my son) and buy another rifle.

Which 7mm to pick from for long range precision target shooting to 1000 yards.

I have no idea the advantages of one over the other. Can someone help?

7mm SAUM
7mm WSM
7mm-08
7mm Rem Mag

Can we assume that your looking at buying a factgory rifle vs having one build with this comment "and buy another rifle"?

 

[bwaites]

True, but the straight old 284 Winchester is no slouch and is deadly accurate to as far as most people want to shoot. Its also very easy to load for and nearly twice the barrel life of the magnums.

Another good choice is a 280 Remington. My soninlaw shoots one with a hunting weight Kreiger barrel and it will put 3 shots into a 6" paper plate at 900yds and will keep 3 shot groups at .5 MOA out to 800yds all day long.

I shoot a 7mm WSM. Doing it again, I would shoot the .284. Shooting side by side with one at my last F class match, we both were shooting 180 Bergers at almost identical velocities.


Yes, I can pump it up a little, but MY rifle is most accurate at 2950 FPS. His was too.

For the extra barrel life, .284 wins in my book!

Bill

 

[Raptor]

Bill,
Your not the first one to find this out. I have talked to several guys who shoot the short mags and they say the same thing. The accuracy node seems to be right at the 2850 to 2950 range. This is the reason I am having a 284 built as we speak.

You can push them faster with the magnums but I believe you will pay for it in accuracy an barrel life.

 

[jonbearman]

What is wrong with the 7mm-08,.284,.7mm wsm all good choices.If you are recoil sensitive then the 7-08 is the way to go.Just make sure you get a 9.25 twist versus the 11.5 which are common in most sporters up until lately. The .284 is gaining wide acceptance with the right twist rate and modern bullets which you have a great selection from many bullet companys.Give it a shot and read the section on 7mm on this site.

 

[Heavies]

Can I butt in with a question? Sorry.
How fast can a 7-08 push the high bc heavier bullets, and would the ballistic advantage be present?

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

I'd give the Win. .284 a close look.

 

[bwaites]

Bill,
Your not the first one to find this out. I have talked to several guys who shoot the short mags and they say the same thing. The accuracy node seems to be right at the 2850 to 2950 range. This is the reason I am having a 284 built as we speak.

You can push them faster with the magnums but I believe you will pay for it in accuracy an barrel life.

I'm over 1500 rounds with my 7WSM. Thought I had shot the barrel out, but after cleaning a friends .308 that had gone south after 2000 rounds or so and was absolutely filthy, I decided to do the same to my 7 WSM.

His took me two days, but shoots as good as it did new. Mine took me most of a night, but using some new cleaners I had never tried it finally came clean and shoots pretty well. As well as ever at 600. I'll see about 1000 this spring. I haven't wanted to go faster because that is where its most accurate, maybe thats why its still shoots.

 

[bwaites]

I know the SAUM guys have noted that they see their barrels foul closer to the muzzle than expected, and I think that is what also happened with mine.

I've tended to use gentle solvents, but I really scrubbed it with brushes and some harsher stuff and was amazed at what I had been leaving behind.

I'll clean more aggressively from now on!

I know, off topic, but maybe helpful depending on what rifle you pick!