Need more horsepower

[halfmoanut]

I have a Model 7 308, I want to rechamber it to something with more energy for longer shots on mule deer and elk. What do you guys recommend? Has to be accurate also.

 

[dedogs]

How far?

 

[tuttlefarm]

I have a Model 7 308, I want to rechamber it to something with more energy for longer shots on mule deer and elk. What do you guys recommend? Has to be accurate also.

300WSM if you want to change the bolt. Anything else for a short action, maybe a 338 Federal.

 

[Erik Cortina]

.284 Winchester

 

[Chappy]

.300 SAUM or WSM.

 

[Carolina Man]

Bye the time you load a 284 with a large enough bullet for Elk you've ate up all the powder space and no better then a 7-08. Leave it in 308 and shoot 180 gr bullets. Not much can go in that short action. Everyone says the 308 is equal or better then the 30-06 and lots of Elk killed with 180's in it. I prefer 200 but 308's won't like them. You could try 7-08 with 160 gr bullets if you get them. Good bullet for Elk in 280's or 7Mag.

George

 

[bheadboy]

halfmoanut

with a decent bullet, good shot placement you have a 400+ mule deer and 300+ Elk gun

a 150 at 2900 has about 1550fp at 350yds and 1300fp+ at 450yd

most folks will agree that 1500fp is enough for elk and 1100 enough for mulie

if you want more than that sell it and start over

Bob

 

[Jaybo]

I have had really good luck on whitetail elk and mule deer with my 7mm WSM with a 180 Berger . My furthest shot was on a bull elk at 875 yards he took about five steps and he was done

 

[Cold Bore]

I have a Model 7 308, I want to rechamber it to something with more energy for longer shots on mule deer and elk. What do you guys recommend? Has to be accurate also.

When you say rechamber, do you mean keeping the existing barrel and cutting a new chamber, or are you actually talking rebarrelling?

If rechambering, and you want more oomph from a 30 cal bore in a short action, you'll need a new bolt (or modify yours) to go Short Mag of some sort.

Not worth the investment.

If you are talking rebarrelling, that opens a lot more doors.

If it were me, and I was bound and determined to get a bit more juice for deer/elk, I'd likely go 7mm-08 (one of my favorites), or even 308 again, but would opt for a longer tube than the factory Model Seven offers. It's a cheap way to pick up some speed, which will obviously provide higher energy with everything else being the same. It won't be a huge gain in speed, but your options are otherwise slim, so take what you can easily get.

Realistically though, and I know this wasn't the question, I'd keep that rifle as-is, then grab another rifle, in a long action, and build from there.

To gain any real-world advantage over what you have, and stay on the same platform, is going to be tough, and lots of money for minimal gains.

To get any worthwhile advantage over the 308 (a mighty fine round), you need to go bigger.

Just like in the old hot rod days, these is no substitute for cubic inches.

 

[halfmoanut]

Yea Cold Bore I have to agree with you. I guess I will rebarrel my 06 it doesn't shoot real well anyhow. Probably put a 26" tube on it and print the action. Should be able to push a 165 accubond out of that good enough to kill both reasonably far. My 308 shoots extremely good with a 20" Kreiger on it. Didn't think I was going to get west again but just might. Your ideas turned on the light I was looking for,Thanks!

 

[joshb]

It sounds like a nice excuse to buy a new gun. How's about an older 300 Weatherby Mag Mark V. The German made guns are nice shooters and not that hard to find.. Just a thought. I've had one for 35 years and would never sell it. It's too accurate...... Just looked on Guns America and there's one for $785.00, German made with a Leopold .3-9 power. Lots more on Gunbroker.

 

[bheadboy]

Cold Bore,

you are on my + thought when you mention the 7-08, I have had a number for me and my sons, now using a 7-08 AI and just went to gun heaven with it, 3025fps with 140's from a 24" hart and shoots into the .300's.

I know of elk taken out to 400 with Rem factory ammo from std chamber lots of mule etc., what else do you reasonably need.

more than enough for the posters needs. sure is for me.

Bob

 

[FeMan]

If you are considering rebarelling an 06 I would go with Eric's suggestion of a 284. A 180 VLD at 2800 fps will carry energy a long way. I use the 3 ft-lbs per pound of live body weight for thin skinned big game. I'm not at home to run the numbers but that combo can get it done farther than most hunters should be shooting game.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Or 338fed since its a short action like has already been mentioned

 

[bobinpa]

I am assuming since your model 7 is a 308, it probably has the 20" "thin" barrel. If that's the case I would re-barrel it because in my opinion, that barrel may not perform well with a magnum chamber. Model 7's come in RSAUM chamberings. You may be able to find a take off barrel in 300 RSAUM or 7 RSAUM and have the bolt face opened up to a mag. My model 7 started life as 300 RSAUM. The factory barrel was fire cracked pretty bad, so I had my gunsmith fit a 700 take off 300 WSM barrel to it. He re-chambered it and cut it down to 22" long just like the factory model 7 mag barrels. I also glass bedded it in a McMillan stock. With a 4.5 - 14 Leupold on it, the gun weights in at 7.5 pounds and shoots well. Just some food for thought.......

 

[Savage99]

That M 7 is not the best design. Sell or trade it for a new rifle chambered for a round with more range.

Many have found that the 7mm Magnums are the best balance of flat trajectory, power and all the recoil we handle well.

I prefer bolt rifles with control round feed and good three position safeties.

There are other good makes but I am shooting my Kimber 8400 Montana 7mm WSM and 270 WSM well.

The third rifle from the top is my Kimber 270 WSM with a Leupold 4.5-14. The second with the fine stock is my favorite custom with a 3-9 Swaro in 30-06.

 

[Sniper338]

Get a new gun... not worth throwing money into a model 7 short action.. a 300 win mag would be what id do in your shoes..

 

[Cold Bore]

The third rifle from the top is my Kimber 270 WSM with a Leupold 4.5-14. The second with the fine stock is my favorite custom with a 3-9 Swaro in 30-06.

And this has exactly what to do with the original question?

Some things never change with you Don.... :

 

[AckleymanII]

I have a Model 7 308, I want to rechamber it to something with more energy for longer shots on mule deer and elk. What do you guys recommend? Has to be accurate also.

A Remington 700 LSS in 7 Mag, bedded, freefloated, tuned trigger with a muzzle break will shoot like a custom rifle shooting very small groups. The 162g SST at 3100 fps is a great elk load, at least it was great on Kudu and Eland. Remington also made a 300 Winchester with this laminated stock, these are extremely accurate rifles.

I saw a guy work up a load for a 300 Ultra mag with 180g Noslers going 3300 shooting 3/4" groups at 100 yds and the only thing done to that rifle was that a muzzle break had been added.

You can spend a whole lot more money and not have anything that shoots anything better, you pick.

You wanted Control feed and a three position safety.......Hummm..........

 

[L.Sherm]

If you were gonna rebarrel your 06 take a look at the 280AI with 168's