what to do? What TO DO?

[johnmventers398]

i have a 7 mm rem mag that i want rid off.. well kinda.

i am thinking a re barrel to a less potent but just as efficient cartage catch my drift? good... but the bolt face.. it is the issue.. any 7 mm-08 class rounds that could make use of the mag bolt face?

 

[ShootDots]

About the only cartridge I can think of is the 7 SAUM.. It is only slightly (and I mean slightly) less potent than the 7 mag. However, it is A LOT more efficient! Although it is doubtful you or the animal would notice any difference. If you want LESS power, get a bolt with a .473 boltface and do up a 7mm-08, otherwise you really are just kidding yourself.

 

[hogpatrol]

Some options, 6.5 SAUM, 7 SAUM, 28 Nosler, put a brake on all of them.

 

[Kurz]

The 7 x 61 Super S&H is another lower capacity (75 grains) but magnum bolt face cartridge in the range of the RSAUM. Brass is available from Huntington's, made by Norma. With a good brake this is a pussy cat cartridge.

Regards.

 

[jsn]

What is your goal for shooting with it?

I have the same (sort of) problem with a factory 7mm Rem Mag that was Mashburned without marking the barrel. I don't need it as a hunting rifle.

Now, with a heavy barrel and stock for F Class, I could handle that.

 

[joshb]

OK, I'll ask the gunsmiths a stupid question: Can the bolt face be bushed or "filled"? I'm thinking to a 6.5-55?

 

[Shawnba67]

If it's a savage rifle new bolt heads are cheap. If it's a remmy I just saw a magnum bolt sell on eBay for $225 ptg has a replacement for $145 or should be easy to trade for a standard bolt.
I know the bushing can be done on some bolts but don't know the specifics so can't help there.
There are the wssm rounds also. Some simple wildcatting could do it. 243wssm necked to 7mm would be neat.

 

[Ggmac]

If your adventurous a 7-307 Ackley , head spaced on shoulder . A 7-40 Krag Ackley , head spaced on shoulder , rim cut . It's possible but a lot easier to swap out actions or bush bolt .

 

[JohnHenry]

Why not try a reduced load with H4895? My 46th edition Lyman book shows a maximum 7mm Rem Mag load with a 150 grain lead alloy bullet of 50 grains of H4895 yielding 2739 fps and a pressure of 49,500 CUP. The 2700 fps velocity is typical of a 7mm-08 max load with a 150 gr bullet. Obviously thinking of using a 150 gr jacketed bullet instead of lead alloy. The starting load was 40 gr H4895 yielding 2171 fps.

PS: Accuracy of the reduced loads may surprise you. I have recently been shooting some 25-06 reduced loads with H4895 using 70 and 75 grain Sierra bullets and getting 3/4 moa accuracy in a custom 25-06.

 

[ckrifles]

If it is a Rem 700 ? I have a box full of LA factory bolts with .308 bolt face PM me if interested. Chuck

 

[bobinpa]

OK, I'll ask the gunsmiths a stupid question: Can the bolt face be bushed or "filled"?

Yes. I have had it done. It also requires a Sako style extractor.

 

[Sniper338]

Sell your gun and buy a new short action. Do it right, build what you want. It never makes you happy if you dont do it the right way from the start

 

[Prose]

6.5 Remington Mag is probably the only option that is genuinely easy on the shoulder compared to most magnums.

H4895 is a real solution to magnum recoil. Ever since my arm was severed, hah just kidding, only arthritis... well ever since arthritis I have used reduced recoil loads formulated with H4895 from 17 to 458 caliber. It's a great way to tame a shoulder mounted land cannon. John Henry listed a load above that very much matches the performance of a 7mm-08, but you can go even lower than that, maybe starting about 40 grains of H4895 or so at about 2,300-2,400 fps. That's internet math so do your own homework.

The reduced loads with H4895 have proven to be very accurate and consistent. It may be contrary to everything you ever learned about case volume, but it really does work, and at $22 bucks a pound it's way cheaper than a new rifle.

 

[Kurz]

i have a 7 mm rem mag that i want rid off.. well kinda.

i am thinking a re barrel to a less potent but just as efficient cartage catch my drift? good... but the bolt face.. it is the issue.. any 7 mm-08 class rounds that could make use of the mag bolt face?

These would be better answers if we knew the rifle you have to work with...

Here is the problem with the mechanical fixes:

Yes, you can sleeve the bolt face and add an extractor. ($)

Yes, you can replace the bolt with a bolt having a standard bolt face ($)

But what do you do to solve the feed rails which are wider for the 7mm Mag. when you drop down to a .473 case head? The solution is to do a DBM conversion with center feed. ($)

Personally, I would give the reduced loads a try first since all you have to do is match the bullets to the reduced load and get some H-4895.

But in the long run, cheapness aside, I would re-barrel to a 7x57 Mauser (.275 HV Rigby) with corrections or substitutions and call it a great asset.

Regards.

 

[DRNewcomb]

I find that large capacity cases are like strong coffee. If you want too-strong coffee to be a little weaker, just water it down. If coffee is too weak, there's nothing that will make it stronger. If you reload, you can easily load a 7mm RM down to .308 performance, for most practical uses*. If a case is too small, there's nothing you can do to get it above it's maximum capacity. So, the ideas of loading down with 4895 would be my first suggestion. The 2nd would be rebarrel to 6.5 RM. The third would be to trade it for another rifle.

*With due acknowledgment of the issues of optimal loading density, etc.

 

[people]

I find that large capacity cases are like strong coffee. If you want too-strong coffee to be a little weaker, just water it down. If coffee is too weak, there's nothing that will make it stronger. If you reload, you can easily load a 7mm RM down to .308 performance, for most practical uses*. If a case is too small, there's nothing you can do to get it above it's maximum capacity. So, the ideas of loading down with 4895 would be my first suggestion. The 2nd would be rebarrel to 6.5 RM. The third would be to trade it for another rifle.

*With due acknowledgment of the issues of optimal loading density, etc.

Exactly. I like to say you bought a 40s&w it is not a 10mm, same for a 308 to 3006 to a 300wm to a 338lm.

 

[normmatzen]

My brother has a Husqvarna 7mm MAG our father bought new in the mid 60's. It is a real shooter! But, my brother tired of being beaten by a very light 7mm MAG!
So, I down loaded some ammo for him with 284 WIN ballistics and it really tamed the gun. Plus it shoots as good or better than before!

 

[4xforfun]

Why not try a reduced load with H4895? My 46th edition Lyman book shows a maximum 7mm Rem Mag load with a 150 grain lead alloy bullet of 50 grains of H4895 yielding 2739 fps and a pressure of 49,500 CUP. The 2700 fps velocity is typical of a 7mm-08 max load with a 150 gr bullet. Obviously thinking of using a 150 gr jacketed bullet instead of lead alloy. The starting load was 40 gr H4895 yielding 2171 fps.

PS: Accuracy of the reduced loads may surprise you. I have recently been shooting some 25-06 reduced loads with H4895 using 70 and 75 grain Sierra bullets and getting 3/4 moa accuracy in a custom 25-06.

I used a reduced load of around 50 G H4895 with the 120 Balistic tip at around 2750 FPS in my 7mm Rem Mag for my (X) wife. Very accurate and low recoil/blast. The cool thing about this load is that I could switch back and forth between my full house 150 NBT load and the reduced load without adjusting the scope. The 150's were dead on at 300 (my prefered hunting zero) and the 120s were dead on at 200 yards.

Another option is the 6.5 or 7mm WSSM (not WSM). I run my 6.5 at around 6.5-284 velocitys. No need to change the bolt. You may need to tweak the mag feed rails a touch. My 6.5 WSSM is VERY accurate.

Good luck,
Tod

 

[onelastshot]

Get the bolt face you need and change it to the cartridge that you really want. If you don't you're always going to feel like you really compromised.

A 7x57 Mauser is a great 7mm cartridge. You can load it up with a 168 or 175 grain bullet and have an effective Elk rifle or you can load it down and have a lightweight deer rifle. Just another option.

 

[joshb]

I'm in the same situation. I just bought a Tikka 695 in 338 Win Mag. My hope was to eventually turn it into a 6.5x55. I "knew I'd seen new bolt bodies for sale, some where. Turns out that the only ones left are Mag bolt faces. I guess it will stay as it is unless I pay to change the existing bolt.