7mm WSM ???

[bobinpa]

I am preparing to have a rifle built. I have chosen a 7mm WSM.
Trued Rem action, Shilen 1-8 twist #7 barrel. Now thanks to a buddy of mine, I am starting to second guess myself. He explained that I would get very poor barrel life. I am starting to see that he may be correct, but I don't shoot a whole lot so even if I get poor barrel life, it may still last long enough,couple of years) to keep me happy. I already own the parts so I don't want to sell the barrel in order to build a different caliber. However, does anyone have an opinion of a better 7mm cartridge to shoot. I don't shoot competitively yet, but maybe someday so I want to be able to shoot 1000 yds plus. I didn't say I was any good at it yet but I want to be able to. Second question, what kind of brass are you guys using in the 7mm WSM and also the 300 WSM.
Thanks, Bob

 

[grundy]

I've been shooting a 6.5 wsm in f class for about a year now, you can expect about a 1000 rounds of barrel life before the throat goes away. my rifle has shot very well to that point. Grundy

 

[Spotcheck_Billy]

I think that a 7WSM would be a fine cartridge for 1000yd. shooting. Push a 180 Berger VLD around 2900/2950 MV and you'll have a great combination. Some shooters are necking up the 270WSM case to 7mm because they like the slightly longer neck. Just something more to investigate

In reality, you're not going to have really good barrel life with these kind of cartridges. I'd say that an accuracy life of about 1000-1200 rounds would be about all you could expect before groups start opening up and/or you start experiencing unexplained flyers. That's just part of the game, where barrels are considered expendable by many competitors. You could always have it set back and rechambered after the throat erodes, that way you'll probably get a few hundred more rounds through it.

Boots Obermeyer said that two things to remember when setting back and rechambering a barrel due to an eroded throat are 1) don't wait too long to have it done. If you do it's possible that it can be too late, and 2) have about 1",+/-) taken off the muzzle end before you recrown. Sometimes the first inch or so of the barrel opens up due to cleaning practices, etc. It's possible that you could lose any accuracy gain that you'd get from the setback if you don't take that into consideration. So get a long barrel

I'm on my second complete rifle,and several barrels) in 6.5-284 and I'm seriously considering going to a 7mm cartridge when the present barrel goes away for the final time. The BC potential of the 7mm 180 VLD bullets when driven to high enough velocity is a great advantage over many other calibers. Two of the disadvantages that I'm thinking about are brass quality,and availability) along with my ability to endure the increased recoil over a whole days shooting.

Decisions, decisions!

 

[mattdienes]

280 ACKLEY IMPROVED!It will do everything the 7wsm,7saum,& 7mag will, but with excellent barrel life.You can get good brass and dies are availible from Redding and Hornady.

 

[Jeffvn]

I'm shooting the 7WSM now, and have 670 rounds thought it to date. I'm running mine at 2,825+fps with the Sierra 175smks, not 2,900+ fps with the Berger 180s, and have only just started to see any throat errosion. I hope to get another season from the barrel, but will not set back this particular barrel, as I have two more finished barrels sitting on the shelf waiting to be put on.

I know of several tactical shooters who have 2,000+ rounds through their 7WSMs and are still shooting strong - then again they don't shoot threee relays of 20+ rounds in 25 minutes on the weekend either.

Were I to do it again, I'd still pick the 7WSM, but might look much harder at the 270 necked up to get the additional neck for a full caliber of neck to support the bullet shank.

JeffVN

 

[bobinpa]

Thanks for the info Jeffvn........ Do you think the the neck length would make a big difference?? What kind of brass are you using? Turn or no turn neck?

 

[olympian]

I've been shooting a 6.5 wsm in f class for about a year now, you can expect about a 1000 rounds of barrel life before the throat goes away. my rifle has shot very well to that point. Grundy

This may sound like an odd question, but what kind of groups at 100 yds. should one expect when the throat is gone? Does a 1/2 inch gun become a 2 inch grouper?

 

[Jeffvn]

The neck of 7WSM brass has less than one caliber in length from the junction of the shoulder to the top edge of the brass,about .277"; one caliber would be .284"). I have always heard that seating the bullet one caliber into the neck of the brass was considered the standard for optimum performance and consistent release. Whether its true or not isn't clear to me, but it has a certain visceral feel for being important. One thing that is clear is that getting as much of the shank of the long high-BC bullets out of the case is important to optimizing performance on this chambering. That being said, 0.007" is not likely to be fatal to total performance - so far it has not hurt mine too much,the guy behind the rifle is clearly the weak part in my shooting system).

Jeffvn

 

[Jeffvn]

I can't really give a solid opinion on what those groups will be, as it has not yet happened on this rifle. But I have known several F-Class shooters who pull barrels when they start getting unexplained fliers and their groups open up to a point where they are no longer happy with them. In virtually every case, the rifle was still shooting 1.0 minute or better, but the X count dropped pretty dramatically. Then again, some will abandon a perfectly good shooting barrel at the end of a season when they know they will not get another full season from teh barrel and do not want to have to swap barrels in mid-season. If I were just going to shoot steel with it at my local range - say out to 600 yards - and cash were tight, I would likely shoot it until it no longer held 1.25 to 1.5 minute. But I bought these barrels to burn them up in competition and will probably yank them when I know they are not holding a tight group. To me barrels are viewed as consumables, just like gun powder, primers, and even brass; you burn them up and get new ones. This is, or can be, an expensive little hobby.

Jeffvn

 

[Spotcheck_Billy]

280 ACKLEY IMPROVED!It will do everything the 7wsm,7saum,& 7mag will, but with excellent barrel life.You can get good brass and dies are availible from Redding and Hornady.

Matt,
That's a great suggestion. I understand that Nosler is now making brass for the 280AI but I have no idea of the quality.

 

[mattdienes]

I'm sorry to say, but I can't shoot Nosler brass from my rifle,the chamber is a match chamber and the Nosler brass is a bit to big at the web,I could squeeze it with a custom die I had made but I might run into trouble down he road,any way the quality seems to be fine,My friend fired a 6"r shooting a LT gun in the HG class in Virginia using new Nosler 280AI brass.I use Norma or RWS both are good quality.
As far as the barrel life on the 7WSM,when does it go?That would depend on the demands of that particular shooter,I don't know when a barrels dies,I replace them well before they do give it up,but thats me.If you loose your confidence in the rifle/barrel that may be a sign.
There are a lot of opinions on this subject but I think if you are to compete,seriously compete,then barrel life should not concern you,if your gun is drillin,shoot it when it stops,put a new barrel on it and don't look back.I like to have a barrel ready to screw on if this occurs.If you just like to go shoot, I think you would be happy with most calibers out there.
For what it is worth,I have a 280AI with 1705 rounds thru it, the last time I shot it was 2005 it shot 4.35".
And neck lenght ,I believe would be an issue if your rifles chamber wasn't done correctly,If you throat it for a particular bullet so the beginning of the boat tail is at the bottom of the neck you won't have any problems.The 300 win mag has a short neck too and I've seen many of small groups fired from it.

If anyone would be interested in I have a 7wsm,hart,1-9" 29" with brake 275 rds, threaded for Bat 8.5" m - model for sale.I'm cleaning house- 300.00