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Noticing that interest in 7MM's seems on the decline

Seems like the 6.5 stuff killed the smaller 7mm stuff. 120-150 grain in 7mm-08 type cases. Guess there wasnt a lot of options in that range. 6.5 prc might put a hurt on 7 saum and wsm? Maybe even the rem mag? I can see it being better than 280 ai too. Only the big 7’s seem popular to push those big 175-195 grain pills. 28 nosler, 7/300 prc and 7 practical. Do lesser 7mm cases using 150-168give any advantage over a 6.5 140-150 gr bullets now?
Then theres the 6.8 western 270 win and wsm.
Depends.
Are you talking strictly target/match shooting?
Or hunting?

Berger, Hornady, Nosler, Sierra, Speer, Swift all make good lower (less than 180gr) hunting bullets.

For Out to 1,000 yards, the 7mm-08 shoots a little flatter than the 308 with higher BCs.

I'd thought a 7mm-08 throated for the 160gr TMK would be a good combo.
Or IF Berger would make a lighter hybrid bullet.

Still waiting for Sierra to start making bullets again...
 
I'd thought a 7mm-08 throated for the 160gr TMK would be a good combo.
Or IF Berger would make a lighter hybrid bullet.
Kenny !!......Berger's 140 VLD Hunter would be a good bet in the
7/08. I can make them scream in my SA284. I did'nt pursue them
further because of my long throat. I need to try them in my 284-ELF
now that I have the new reamer with the .140 throat. It never ends !!
 
I was meaning a 7mm for ELR/ULR.
Not just the bullet.

A 30-34" tube with the 197 Sierra, or 195 Bergers.

Video's are out there with 7mm Rem Mag at 3,000 yards on a 24X24 plate.
Smaller target than KO2M.
The 7mm mag and steel at 3000 yds... that would be "really good" for many of us!...but it doesn't take a 7 mag...that's been done with a stock Remington 700 police 308 200.2 gr Bergers in a aluminum chasis by the Australian shooting couple... on video. But then it doesn't take the puny 308 to get it done either!

The One that really impressive to me... the 45-70 in 1879 on record with the 1880 Secretary of War ....2 miles with the "45-70 at Sandy Hook in 1879" with a Springfield 1873 in 45-70. Mr. R.T. Hare the shooter from Springfield Armory. Details, small targets hit with 3 different rifles. 6 foot bullseye at starting at 2500 yds to 3200 yds surveyed by the government. Open sights, 7 lb trigger pull, (no cheek rest!) Only a barrel rest if I remember correctly. There were further tests done
at 4 miles for penetration to see how far away the 45-70 could inflict a deadly wound. The War Department conclusion was looking at 1 and a half miles as a serious enemy engagement strategy for the 45-70 In 1880. So good shooters can accomplish it with primitive tools and black powder... but modern day equipment allows more people to accomplish what has already been done. Custer should have started his engagement of the Indian tribes at 1.5 miles instead of splitting up his command and charging in on an open plain where he had the high ground...he also left the gattling guns and other calvary behind. Mistakes can get ya killed.
 
There is also the possibility that the 7mm bullet development kind of finished. At least for most targets and hunting. We have a lot of good bullets. Outside of BR and PRS it’s been the go to for a lot of yrs.

as for 30s, what’s new out there?

In the 6.5s there has been lots of room that hadn’t been explored, and the marketing for the caliber has made it the flavor of the season.


personally my 7-08 does everything I need with 140 class bullets for hunting.
I no longer hunt with anything but my 7mm-08 and the .223
 
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Depends.
Are you talking strictly target/match shooting?
Or hunting?

Berger, Hornady, Nosler, Sierra, Speer, Swift all make good lower (less than 180gr) hunting bullets.

For Out to 1,000 yards, the 7mm-08 shoots a little flatter than the 308 with higher BCs.

I'd thought a 7mm-08 throated for the 160gr TMK would be a good combo.
Or IF Berger would make a lighter hybrid bullet.

Still waiting for Sierra to start making bullets again...
Just seems like the 6.5 stuff will do anything the smaller grain smaller case 7mm will do and do it better. So the 7mm popularity for smaller cases and smaller bullets drops and the only real positive to a 7mm is in the heavy grain high bc stuff which typically needs atleast rem mag capacity or greater to shine. (Match shooting with 30-32” barrels the 284 stuff is fine but in a more hunting style or tactical gun with 20-26” barrels, not as heavy etc you like more case capacity.) And those big ones are throat eaters, and a big 30 isnt to far behind them in ballistics with the 30 nosler 300 prc 300 norma and rum etc with alot more barrel life. So i can understand 7’s falling off some in popularity.
 
Just seems like the 6.5 stuff will do anything the smaller grain smaller case 7mm will do and do it better. So the 7mm popularity for smaller cases and smaller bullets drops and the only real positive to a 7mm is in the heavy grain high bc stuff which typically needs atleast rem mag capacity or greater to shine. (Match shooting with 30-32” barrels the 284 stuff is fine but in a more hunting style or tactical gun with 20-26” barrels, not as heavy etc you like more case capacity.) And those big ones are throat eaters, and a big 30 isnt to far behind them in ballistics with the 30 nosler 300 prc 300 norma and rum etc with alot more barrel life. So i can understand 7’s falling off some in popularity.
Good point about match/steel shooting with long barrels vs hunting having quite different requirements.
 
Just seems like the 6.5 stuff will do anything the smaller grain smaller case 7mm will do and do it better. So the 7mm popularity for smaller cases and smaller bullets drops and the only real positive to a 7mm is in the heavy grain high bc stuff which typically needs atleast rem mag capacity or greater to shine. (Match shooting with 30-32” barrels the 284 stuff is fine but in a more hunting style or tactical gun with 20-26” barrels, not as heavy etc you like more case capacity.) And those big ones are throat eaters, and a big 30 isnt to far behind them in ballistics with the 30 nosler 300 prc 300 norma and rum etc with alot more barrel life. So i can understand 7’s falling off some in popularity.
In chronological order the big 30's came first and the big 7's offered good performance with less recoil. Today with improvements smaller case capacities and projectiles provide equal performance. It makes sense to move to overall performance, less recoil makes a rifle easier in the field.

My centerfire use is 223 varmint, 5.56 general purpose rifle, 6MM varmint, 6MM general purpose, (medium game), for traditional deer black bear, 8mm Mauser, 444 Marlin, the Marlin is great when you have to keep them from going onto another property, quick stops. Then I have a custom 450 for dangerous game.

I own a bunch between the 6MM and the 450 but they're more specialized so really 99% of my PA field work can be handled with a 22 or a 24.
 
I shure hope so...lol
Make things easier for me in obtaining components....like the 180HYB's
Through out this drought, The Hornady A-Tips were pretty much easy
to find. The cost of them is the reason why. Now that I'm playing
with them with better then good results, I hope they keep the price
high for selfish reasons..... :cool: On another note.....Early last year, I
bought the remaining stock of Sierras 7mm 130 HPBT Match King
since they have ceased to make them. They flat out shoot in one of
my short wildcats to 2900 fps. It's a shame the 7/08 guy's did'nt pick
up on this to keep production alive. I have 2800 of them on the shelf
and there will be no more.
 
Not likely anyone in F open will stop shooting the most popular bullet Berger 180 HYB anytime soon.. oh well
Glad im good for a while.
The 190 A tips are great in the bigger 7 ns
Just not my Shehane
 
How about a response from the F/O shooters? Are the various 7mms still winning?

This is a complicated question. Strictly speaking, yes, 7’s and 30’s, when they shoot together in a match, are sharing the top several spots, about evenly. There are many more 7’s in use, though, which means the 30’s, all of which are also magnums, are tending to do better than average by their limited representation, and by a healthy margin. (However, this is also fairly true of magnums, sone of which are 7’s, in general, with a few notable .284 shooter exceptions.) Consider though that those same 30’s shooters at the top do also finish very high with their 7’s, as well.
 
Through out this drought, The Hornady A-Tips were pretty much easy
to find. The cost of them is the reason why. Now that I'm playing
with them with better then good results, I hope they keep the price
high for selfish reasons..... :cool: On another note.....Early last year, I
bought the remaining stock of Sierras 7mm 130 HPBT Match King
since they have ceased to make them. They flat out shoot in one of
my short wildcats to 2900 fps. It's a shame the 7/08 guy's did'nt pick
up on this to keep production alive. I have 2800 of them on the shelf
and there will be no more.

The A-Tip price can’t come down, in my opinion. This is something we only would know from purchasing and handling them. I don’t see how they can even be produced profitably at the price they cost now, and so I have wondered about two grim possibilities, first, that these early years are at mere introductory pricing, and even worse, that Hornady might simply pull the line altogether rather than charge more per bullet, as they seem to follow a very principled pricing dictate.
 
Not likely anyone in F open will stop shooting the most popular bullet Berger 180 HYB anytime soon.. oh well
Glad im good for a while.
The 190 A tips are great in the bigger 7 ns
Just not my Shehane

Try seating them very deep, even body below the junction and jumping them far. I’m going to try a string at 1,000 Sunday, through a straight .284 versus the 195’s.

My favorite .284 load has been the 195’s, tipped, since they first shipped.

180’s though are the most accurate, until the wind is bad. I have never gotten the 184’s or 190’s to match the “bookends.”
 
The A-Tip price can’t come down, in my opinion. This is something we only would know from purchasing and handling them. I don’t see how they can even be produced profitably at the price they cost now, and so I have wondered about two grim possibilities, first, that these early years are at mere introductory pricing, and even worse, that Hornady might simply pull the line altogether rather than charge more per bullet, as they seem to follow a very principled pricing dictate.
By packaging right off the machine and having the consumer
remove the machine lube in a bag sent with the bullets, is novel
and cuts handling. Also being packaged right off the press makes
sorting at the bench a dream. You really don't have to !! Now during
my purchases, I have seen a spread by as much as $15 bucks a hundred
from venders. Add tax and shipping will in some cases put them over
$100 bucks.
 
I think the lack of selection issues in 7mm are related to the fact companies are making as many 6.5's and 308 bullets as they can make. Once the supply issues get sorted out, I am sure 7mm will be back.

This^^^^^^^^^

The bullet companies seem to have concentrated on 22, 6.5., & 30s during the aftermath of this recent national disaster. There have been runs of 7mm that come & go very quickly. The popular 120 thru 160 weights rarely are in stock for long. The heavies (180 & up) tend to be in stock considerably longer but also disappear.
 
I compete in ELR out to 2000 m with a 7mm. The BC7 for the 190 grain-ish bullets is around 0.40 and the speed is above 3000 fps, this makes the combo equal with a lot of the pure ELR stuff when it comes to the ballistics. However, the first shot must be a hit otherwise it is verry hard to se the splash when I miss the plate (covered terrain). The 500 grains bullets look like an explosion in comparison; however, the first hit is valued 2x in the Nordic countries and who wants to miss anyway.
 
Isnt that a 7mm too.?
Based on what im reading interest in the 7mm is not actually declining at all, but perhaps im some new ways increasing in some circles.
 
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