A few 7mm questions

[SKWERLZ]

I'm running an old, late 60s Rem 700BDL in 7mm RemMag. An outstanding elk killer with 150 gr Nosler Solid Base and IMR 4350, but the accuracy seemed to fall off to above 3/4" at 100 yds, ... so I developed a new load with IMR 7828 and 168 gr Berger VLDH. After fine tuning bullet seat, I (probably one-offed) shot a 0.192" 3-shot group at 100yds. Velocity of merely 2,740 fps. Tough to beat, ... in my book.

I played with 168 Berger classic hunters in my saum with H4831SC.

It was really impressive to 1000 yards with even milder recoil.

 

[std7mag]

Lets not forget, it's not just the cartridge.
Weight, stock design, shooter have a lot to do with regards to felt recoil.

I loved my NULA 24B in 280 Rem!!
But at bare rifle weight of 5.5lbs, scoped and slung at just under 7lbs, it wasn't something that you wanted to shoot a lot of groups with from the bench.
But it was a joy to carry around versus some of my other rifles.
It accounted for 5 deer with one shot each, which is to me what it was built to do.

 

[ebb]

7mm RUM, why wonder if you brought enough gun?

 

[David Milisock]

My last (actually, only) centerfire rifle was a 30-.06 my dad got me as a teen for deer hunting. Skip forward about 5 decades into retirement and my bucket list desire to hunt elk and pronghorn has me prowling this and other forums to come up to speed. Things have changed a bit. At this point, I’ve settled on a 7mm as a reasonable compromise for both of those game animals, but the current pace of change within that category is impressive. I have some questions that I’d be grateful to hear back on. I should add that reloading is a distinct possibility as load optimization sounds like a lot of fun. Also, I’m not particularly concerned about barrel life:

1. Regarding overbore cartridges such as the 28 Nosler, is it not true that one could use a smaller powder charge to replicate both the performance AND barrel erosion rate of one of the slightly less potent 7mm cartridges? I understand, why buy the additional capacity if you’re not going to use it, but I want to make sure I have a handle on the relevant performance aspects.
2. Regarding the 7mm Backcountry, I’ve read early claims of improved barrel life that I do not understand. Is it that with the higher chamber pressures the powder charge burns faster so one isn’t sending combusting powder down the barrel? I’d have thought that the higher pressure was detrimental to barrel life. Or are both of these true, and we really need to wait and see what the net reality will be?
3. Also re/ the 7mm BC, I’ve seen reports of excellent accuracy and reports of good but not best-in-class accuracy (I think it was a statement that extremely high chamber pressure is not optimal for accuracy). Again maybe it’s a wait and see thing, but I’m guessing that for hunting out to 500 yards or less, accuracy is likely a non-issue for this cartridge. Does that sound right?
4. Having read the fly-in-the-ointment about Hornady’s advertised performance vs. what is practically attainable with the 7mm PRC, have their been permanent/indefinite changes in gun powder availability in recent years such that it’s best to assume that Hornady’s initially published numbers are mostly out of reach for the reloader?

Thanks in advance.

I have no idea how far you're going to be shooting but the 280 Remington is a great 7MM. Even better if handloaded.

I'm a big believer in 2 7MM cartridges, the 7 x 57 and the 280 Remington.

 

[gmr4]

280AI Is so easy to load for or any factory load seems to shoot good.