Wanting advise for new 7mm build

[30378]

If you have a 7 Mag, the answer is right in your hand. Save the extra bbl to re-barrel it when necessary. Of all these ctgs mentioned you would be hard pressed to prove any real benefit over the other in hunting situations. A good 7 Mag or 280AI with a decent bullet, putting up roughly 2900fps is just hard to beat for 90% of North American game.

 

[Steel Mover]

Probably the most surprising 7mm I have ever built was a 7mm Rem Mag full up accursed custom. I built as a gift.
If you do your job right that old cartridge is capable of blowing the doors of most any new whiz bang.
I own four and built a full house accursed 7 RM for a fellow that would not take payment on a job. A friend. Shoots .09 inch 5 shot groups. The four I own are .25-.5 shooters on factory guns or altered factory guns. That is what I expected, but the custom gun was way more capable.

 

[Fire Dog]

This, right here. You get 7 SAUM capacity and performance (very close, anyway) with good-to-great brass that is actually available. Brass can be formed from a number of different cases in a pinch, too. Factory ammunition is available, although not thick on the ground.

You can just chamber a factory round of .280 Rem into your .280AI and presto, out comes your now fire formed .280AI case.
Of course I would advise you to just buy some Peterson ready to load brass {I have used Norma & Nosler$$$} and have settled on the Peterson for price and quality... Nosler are just ridiculous in price and Norma appears to have stopped offering their .280AI brass and only offer 280 Rem.
I am running my .280AI in an F Open gun with Berger 184's and 4831SC at 2'830.
If you run lighter bullets, say 168gr, I am sure that you could safely push that figure over 3Kfps..
Standard bolt face, long action, easy to tune, has a lot going for it both for the range or out in the field.

 

[Fire Dog]

Probably but i believe adg and peterson make 7 prc brass

ADG now making 7-6.5 PRCW brass, ready to load, no necking up and by all accounts designed to fit in Neck Turn chambers without having to neck turn... Check with the reamer maker but I am sure I heard that either from Manson or JGS.

 

[std7mag]

@FTRinTexas,

Your looking for a cartridge suggestion. You already picked the caliber (7mm).

Having and shooting numerous 7mm cartridges, (7mm-08AI, 280 Rem, 284 Win, 7X57 Mauser, 7mm Rem Mag, 7mm Weatherby Magnum) it's hard to pick just one for almost every scenario.
Each has their own place.

My next build, before any of the other builds I want to do, is the 280AI.

Yeah, it's a long cartridge, but so what. More omph than the 7mm-08, 280 Rem & 284 Win.
Not quite the velocity as the Rem Mag and WBY Mag.

 

[Bill K]

Honestly I feel this "Long Range Hunting" is getting out of hand. People should be hunters, as in the past, rather than wanting to be snipers, plus I really wonder how many animals are lost with bad hits and never recovered.
As for a nice shooting 7mm, you are looking for a 280 AI or even the 7-08 AI ( see butch's photo and his post with the 7-08AI ). Then go have fun and hunt western game with good shot placement and kills at reasonable range)
I will probably be roasted for saying what I did, but I am old, thick skinned and have hunted for over 75 years and still do, even if slower in walking the sage out west.

 

[FNSafari]

I guess I would look at the max OAL of a loaded round and if you can reach the lands with that OAL in the action length you choose.

 

[Wild Bill IV]

I was totally impressed with the 280AI!! You already have 7mm Mag, which probably has a slower twist than 1:8!! That would be great for shooting smaller big game at long range with bullets less than 150gr!!! Above 160gr, the 280AI takes over death alley theory and that long more slender case filled with mag powder is easier on the shoulder and reduces trigger flinch!! With the AI, you will get longer barrel life!!

My advice is look at the lethality factor formula, evaluate all your choices!! The velocity at the range of kill and the bullet weight are all you need to calculate the factors of your choices. Speed does kill, to a point. Impulse time (the duration of the bullet inside the game body) is also important in the true amount of energy the bullet exserts on the game!! The longer the impulse, more energy on the game!! Less impulse, less energy on the game!!!

This impulse time also applies to hitting or kicking a ball. The longer the contact time on the ball, the further it travels!!! GOLF, BASEBALL, FOOTBALL, SOCCER, ETC!!!! Same applies to bullets and its speed at contact with the game animals!!!

 

[LCazador]

Since you already have a 7mm Rem mag and a 284 the one I would suggest that you have listed is the 7/300 PRC. More velocity.