info. on 7mm-08 AI

[jotrot]

info. on 7mm-08 AI what kind of gains would you get with 140's and 150's out of 24in. barrel. I was thinking of a mt. rifle in this caliber.
thanks for time.

joel

 

[hogan]

Think again...

.284win has more to offer you for hunting and less expensive die set.
No case forming expense and hassle.
More power which a hunter can use.

Even better, the 6.5/284... 140gr bullets will do all you could ask for up to Elk or Moose. Norma and Lapua brass. Greater bullet selection these days in the lighter weights.

Seems like Kimber offers a ready-made mtn rifle in 6.5/284.
Also have the choice of 6.5x55 which some prefer. Winchester Classic featherweight in the Swedish Mauser iirc.

May as well get all you can if you're going to go wildcat. Maybe a 7mm WSM or SAUM if going to Alaska!

 

[nastynatesfish]

I shoot a 24" 7-08. It's a great cartridge. I run 140 noslers and 140vlds. I run them about 2800 since that's where they were the most accurate. Mine is a rugged tang safety with a heavy barrel. Great fun. You don't need a bigger cartridge

 

[bheadboy]

those who don't have one don't know.

I have a 7 1/4 lb 700, hart bbl, high tech stock,trued by Bobby Hart, 24"bbl #3 fluted

the case increase is just under 8% water capacity, and using h414 or a couple of other powders the 140 Sierra sbt and Nosler 140 bt will clock 3024-3030fps and shoot in the .300's -- case life is long I could go faster but this is the accuracy spot for this bbl.

less powder than the 284 case and much more efficient. click below to open the target -this will give an idea, I have others as good or better but too big to download here

Bob

 

[hogan]

So, I did own a 7mm-08 and a 6.5x55, and still own a .260rem and had a few 7mm rem mags...

For a hunting rifle? A lightweight mountain type rig, that will likely try to stay around 7lbs w/scope? What is the gain of the 7mm-08 Ackley over a .284 Winchester?

Is it worth the cost of a custom barrel or at least a gunsmith fee for improving the chamber? Figure $300 if you buy the reamer or $600 for barrel job. For a light barrel contour Hunting Rifle... Then you got the die set. About $100 versus $35 for the dies. Then you got a minimal tapered case in a hunting rifle that is expected to be used in The Mountains. Probably prefer the tapered case over the AI'd case. But doesn't every hunter keep a chamber brushing rod right next to their spotting scope?


Then, Bobby is talking about his 140gr bullets. What benefit is a 7mm 140 gr over a 6.5 140gr? So I'm jumping away from 7mm already.... Lots of super-fine 140gr specialty and longrange bullets in 6.5mm; not so many in 7mm at least not with same BC and SD.

That is the only drawback to a 6.5 versus 7mm; lack of heavier bullets. Yet, in a short-action receiver they aren't really practical, are they?

This is not a target gun, not at 7lbs or less w/scope! 6.5 has the better bullet selection and better ballistics at same velocities.

Don't have any experience with the 6.5/284, but for accuracy at longrange, it IS The Choice. Why not for hunting? Load the Sierra accuracy load and you're at 2800fps with a 140gr bullet.

In a specialty rifle owned by an Idahoan for use on mountain hunts, maybe backpacking; you go for versatility and choose best option if going for a factory build. 6.5/284 is more widely chambered now than ever before. Might as well choose a .280rem AI and get the advantages of the long action to use heavy bullets.

I had a rem 700 Mtn Rifle in .280rem once. Nice gun. If want to shoot bullets of 160gr or more, the AI is worth going for. Die sets are fairly cheap as it is popular.

To come right down to it, would be hard to do better than a Featherweight model 70 stainless in .30-06 for hunting The Rockies. Might be a tad bit heavier than "mountain rifles" but it has the 70 trigger and safety going for it. Get that AI'd and shoot 180gr premium bullets and you'd never be under-gunned.

ETA: Just weighed the .30-06 FWT Classic and was surprised that it is 6.75lbs w/o scope or ammo. Actually pretty surprising. Very fine trigger on this rifle w/minimal work. Not a .3" five round grouper from the bench, but I don't shoot from bench anymore. Low .6s for 5rd 100yd groups off a backpack rest while laying prone. Enough to inspire confidence and anything hit close with a 200gr bullet is going to know it was shot!

 

[AckleymanII]

284's on small actions really limit your ability to seat the bullets near the lands as the lands grow, expecially if you shoot any VLD type of bullet. I built a custom 25/284, hated that SOB due to OAL that could not touch the lands and use the magazine. In this brand new 25/284, the loads seated to Max Mag box length were NOT accurate !!! Total custom job shot to heck because the Action was too short, never again will I get sucked in. The difference between a short and long action is 6 oz, and with the long action I will be able to chase the lands as the barrel is shot, not to mention that the loaded rounds will be able to touch the lands and still use the magaizne when the rifle is Brand new!

7/08AI is a tad bit shorter giving it the advantage over the 284 in the magazine box without expensive modifications and mag boxes.

For hunting, taking into consideration the mag box length with the use of VLD type bullets, a case off the 6.5x47 Lapua makes a LOT of sense. People build rifles never thinking about the leade growing within XXX rounds of load development, and then they can't use their magazine box by the time the loads are developed. This will REALLY upset you the first time it happens, especially when you consider the amount of money and time it takes to wait on a gunsmith, work up and verify a good load just to realize that you cannot use your mag box at the OAL of the accuracy Node...then you realize the real cost.

I would urge you to do your due diligence in investigating the cost of the over size mag boxes and possible alterations to your action for the use of longer bullets prior to making the plunge on XYZ cartridge for hunting. Also, many of the VLD bullets are VERY picky on their seating depth, and shoot factory load type groups if you do not maintain that "sweet spot" oal that they demand.

 

[bheadboy]

Joel is thinking about a mountain rifle, his question -what do you know , what would you get? it indicates a question to someone who has experience with the caliber!!

that indicates a hunting carry light weight choice, his consideration of a 7-08 AI clearly indicates no problem with a re-chamber factory or custom bbl, dies fire forming,etc.

Ackleyman II good points about the mag and feeding, bullet seating problems with other suggestion

Hogan, 140s out of a 7-08AI 24" bbl at 3025 with no feeding problems or seating problems and no mag problems beats the hang out of a 284, which takes 50+ gr to get 2900 less power, not more from a 24" tube and needs a longer mag or action to seat some of the pills you mention.

bob

 

[normmatzen]

After many years of hunting deer using 25-35, 35 Rem AUTO, SKS, .54 muzzle loader and 30-06, I built "MY" hunting rifle, a sporterized Mauser VZ-24 with a 7X57 barrel. This round will kill any North American game and at pretty long range. My gun likes 2650 for 162 A-MAX and 2850 for 140 TTSX with excellent accuracy for each. I would use the A-MAX for large game as it has too much destruction for smaller, thin skinned game like Black tail. I use 47.6 gr of RL-17 for both bullets. Both have excellent ballistics with, of course, the A-MAX the best. My gun is normally sighted at 300 yds so I can aim dead on anywhere from 50 yd to 350 and be within a 5" radius ring. Cheap brass little powder and long barrel life.
Matter of fact, I am talking myself into chambering my new F class 7mm barrel to 7X57!