Which 7mm for 1 mile
- Thread starter jimbo88mm
- Start date
When a good friend borrowed a 7mm Rem Mag to break the 1000 yard scope sight record at the 1970 Nationals, it was popular in such events. 700 to 800 round barrel life was the norm. It still is. 28 caliber rifles burning more powder will have less life.
The 7mm Rem SAUM may get 1200 rounds of best barrel life. That's when it starts out at 2/3 MOA at 1000 then opens up to 1 MOA. Accuracy will get 10% worse for every hundred yards further. At some point, bullets will start into subsonic speeds and start going crazy.
Later.....
My barrel life calculator says 1300 to 1500 rounds for the 7mm Rem SAUM.
The 7mm Rem SAUM may get 1200 rounds of best barrel life. That's when it starts out at 2/3 MOA at 1000 then opens up to 1 MOA. Accuracy will get 10% worse for every hundred yards further. At some point, bullets will start into subsonic speeds and start going crazy.
Later.....
My barrel life calculator says 1300 to 1500 rounds for the 7mm Rem SAUM.
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Yes, headspace all bottleneck cases on their shoulder. However.....
Far More long range rifle matches were won and records set with new belted cases or full length then pressure ring sized fired belted cases that headspaced on their shoulder than any neck sized version. Neck only sizing doesn't end up with necks well centered on the shoulder they headspace on. That's why most benchrest folks quit neck only sizing over 15 years ago. Sierra Bullets proved this back in the 1950's.
They'll all make your goal. Weighing out many variables will narrow your search. Simplicity is one variable and its very hard to beat the 7 mm mag out of those options. Todays technology has made It pretty simple to not consider really, any of the other cartridges either. Opinions obviously vary reading the responses but really none are more valid than another. Cost, experience and component availability all play into a decision to many as well. They all are fairly popular choices so it seems personal opinion once again will ultimately determine the outcome of your choice. Good luck. For me it would be the 7 Rem mag or Ultra Mag. The 28 Nosler is a fabulous choice but it's personal choice that the other two are decided from.Evening all,
A couple of weeks ago I had a chance to shoot out at various distances from 1000 yards to 1 mile. I used a 260 with 140gr berger hybrids. Overall I think my rifle did pretty good but I would like to put together a new rifle that will not get pushed around in the wind as much. This new rifle will not be used for hunting or competitions. Just something for me to grab when the opportunity to shoot past 1000 presents itself. It will be built on a savage action.
I prefer not to mess with a wildcat or turned necks. So far I have considered the following:
Straight 284
280/280 ai
7 saum
7 rem mag
7 ultra mag
28 nosler
The 284 and 280 appeal to me for lower cost (components and barrel life), but they are the slowest. Since this rifle will be used sparingly maybe I can afford to go with something a little harder on the barrel.
7 saum and 7 rem mag seem like good compromises. At one point I thought I was settled on the 7 rem mag but I keep hearing people complain about belted cases and problems associated with resizing and brass life.
The 7 ultra mag and 28 nosler look very good on speed, but brass costs alone are extremely high and barrel life seems very short. I know that barrels are expendable but I'd like to get at least 1200 rounds out of them before having to replace.
Suggestions and comments appreciated
I have used the 7mm Rem Mag since 69. I have shot out several barrels. I own 3 rifles right now. my last build is a Krieger barreled hunting rifle and shoot's 3" groups at 500 yds. As for the belted case it is no problem, Just size cases to fit the chamber same as any other cartridge. H1000 and Retumbo may be the powders to start with. I shoot 168 Bergers for hunting, I was looking at the 180 Hybrids for a windy day target rifle. Good luck. See if you can find some RWS brass. The old W-W cases that came in boxes of 20 are good, new brass in the bags is just OK. A lot of the new cartridge's have the same problem trying to find good brass.
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My goal is a touch further but I went thru this 6 months ago and ended up with a round I hadn't really put into the equation! a boring ol' 300WM and I had a woody for the 28 Nosler! but at the end of the day that brass ain't cheap!! I've had a 284 and 7WSM and finding brass for those guys is like finding a hot redhead that owns a liquor store who really digs ya lol
Thing that got me on the 300WM is that you can find brass pretty much anywhere, with a 28" barrel and the 215 Berger's you can get 3000-3050fps, dies are easy to find and not a custom just all around something that is simple and easy. I know a couple of folks that have a problem with more money than they know what to do with and they have had a mess of interesting rounds and not saying anything bad about them by any means but ya know they still have a 300WM and shoot them more.
My goal is 2500 yards and while there may be better rounds out there to get me there I don't feel the boring ol' 300WM is going to be the handicap in getting there. Thing about shooting extended distances is that you have to do it often to get decent at the game and if you have to save a couple of weeks just to afford to feed that rifle it's going to take awhile to get there! either way the pennies are coming from your pocket and I'm no expert by any means so think it over and make a choice that you'll be good with and get out there and shoot. Later,
Kirk
Thing that got me on the 300WM is that you can find brass pretty much anywhere, with a 28" barrel and the 215 Berger's you can get 3000-3050fps, dies are easy to find and not a custom just all around something that is simple and easy. I know a couple of folks that have a problem with more money than they know what to do with and they have had a mess of interesting rounds and not saying anything bad about them by any means but ya know they still have a 300WM and shoot them more.
My goal is 2500 yards and while there may be better rounds out there to get me there I don't feel the boring ol' 300WM is going to be the handicap in getting there. Thing about shooting extended distances is that you have to do it often to get decent at the game and if you have to save a couple of weeks just to afford to feed that rifle it's going to take awhile to get there! either way the pennies are coming from your pocket and I'm no expert by any means so think it over and make a choice that you'll be good with and get out there and shoot. Later,
Kirk
The 300 WM or WSM is a great choice. I too have a 300 win mag and it does do well at the same ranges as the 7s. Just that some people shooting those heavy 215-240 grain bullets, it tends to be harder on them to shoot. Especially when the 180-195s in the 7s tend to drop less and be the more accurate choice with less abuse. I shoot next to a friend often and I shoot a 284 win with 162 Amax while he slings 220s from his 300 mag. Our bullets have almost the same ballistic characteristics both in BC and velocity. Only difference is he needs a masseuse when he's done shooting at the end of the day while both targets seem close in overall score. When the wind gets going I can jump to the 180s and do even better than his 220s and hardly tell the difference in comfort. Again it's all a preference and comfort deal. Many guys don't mind the recoil but at the end of the day can definitely tell they've been pulling the trigger all day. Shooting a 300 and 338 in the past, I just love the 7s for hours of shooting comfort and good overall performance. Brass availability is abundant for the 284 but pricy. The 280 or 7 mag is much less expensive.
nakneker
Gold $$ Contributor
I have a 280AI and a 7saum. I like them both, my favorite of the two is the Saum. I made the Saum after reading the 7mm caliber thread on the main page here, there is some good info there. I also have a 338 Lapua with a 28 inch Bartlien and a T3 muzzle brake. Interestingly enough when I go out for a long range session and the my daughters and wife tag along they end up shooting the 338L, it makes hitting your target easy and the 300s buck the wind, there is very little recoil with the T3 brake. I have plenty of brass for both the 280AI and the Saum. 200 pieces of brass will out last the barrel and I had that brass on my shelf before the rifles were done. There's a lot good calibers mentioned and I don't think you could wrong with any of them, the bigger the caliber the less barrel life and more powder you will deal with. The 7RM is not difficult to load for, belt and all, I've owned several and love the caliber. I think you just pick one, nothing beats trigger time and practice for hitting your target down range.
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Alex Wheeler
Site $$ Sponsor
28 nosler will run the 195 3200 in 26". I dont know when those bullets will start blowing up, but in 30" I would expect over 3300 fps. For plinking Id do a saum for the pure accuracy.
For me...right now, it would be a 3 way tie.
7-300 WBY
7-300 Win
28 Nostler
Remember, you don't have to be a "wildcatter" to make either of the 7-300's. Brass is plentyfull for both. The 28 has the "newness" factor..... which, for me , is WAY down the list of concerns!!
Good luck and HAVE FUN!!!
Tod
7-300 WBY
7-300 Win
28 Nostler
Remember, you don't have to be a "wildcatter" to make either of the 7-300's. Brass is plentyfull for both. The 28 has the "newness" factor..... which, for me , is WAY down the list of concerns!!
Good luck and HAVE FUN!!!
Tod
Quick Update. Went out again this last weekend. Got started right at sun up before the dam wind gets so strong out here on the Prairie.
1st round hit at 1615yds and went three more before my first miss. so four out of 5 at 1615yds. Its just a plain old 7mm Rem mag. You don't need anything special besides good ammo and a good barrel.
Is that a 24" plate ?
36" AR 500. The big plate is nice when the grass is tall and you cant see your hits. This you can actually Learn what your doing right or wrong if your in a spot where the misses are unable to be seen.
Nice, I use a half (36"x42") steel entry door painted white to get on target. The hits really show up easily on that thin tin door. Then graduate to a 24" steel plate.
I always liked a bigger plate so you can spot when you don't read the wind just right, might not be a hit where you were aiming but at least you know what you need to change to make corrections so you know what to do when you step down to that MOA size plate when you get to feeling froggy Later,
Kirk
Later,Kirk
Jimbo88,
I have shot to one mile with my 7mm rem mag with 180 hybrid Bergers H1000, 2930ft/sec MV, Fed 215m. 62 grains. Jewel, Harris.
First time out 3 shots, 3 hits on an 18x18" plate. Wind was nil. Early morning.
Factory barrel out of a Rem sendaro. I went farther and the bullets flew nicely through transonic phase.
I have a new barrel and after contemplating another cartridge, I am going back to the rem mag. Done. The accuracy is phenomenal and equipment is easy to find.
RG
I have shot to one mile with my 7mm rem mag with 180 hybrid Bergers H1000, 2930ft/sec MV, Fed 215m. 62 grains. Jewel, Harris.
First time out 3 shots, 3 hits on an 18x18" plate. Wind was nil. Early morning.
Factory barrel out of a Rem sendaro. I went farther and the bullets flew nicely through transonic phase.
I have a new barrel and after contemplating another cartridge, I am going back to the rem mag. Done. The accuracy is phenomenal and equipment is easy to find.
RG
Build a 7mm RUM with a 32" barrel, set it back 3" when the throat starts to erode, and roll like Thunder as far as you can see the targets clearly.
I always look
when I read about barrel life concerns. $550 for a new Bartlein gain twist barrel, fch to your action. We will say 7mm RUM.
One eight pound keg of ____ powder, one-thousand primers, 800 berger bullets, and three trips to the range for load work.
Ten round trips shooting live varmints, or matches. In a year, you have used all the comestibles, spent twice the cost of the barrel, and you have targets, or dead varmints. The barrel has lost its sub-.5moa accuracy.
So, why, is the only cost issue that concerns you the cost of a new barrel...?
I always look
when I read about barrel life concerns. $550 for a new Bartlein gain twist barrel, fch to your action. We will say 7mm RUM.One eight pound keg of ____ powder, one-thousand primers, 800 berger bullets, and three trips to the range for load work.
Ten round trips shooting live varmints, or matches. In a year, you have used all the comestibles, spent twice the cost of the barrel, and you have targets, or dead varmints. The barrel has lost its sub-.5moa accuracy.
So, why, is the only cost issue that concerns you the cost of a new barrel...?
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