Hunting Washington Forum
Equipment & Gear => Guns and Ammo => Topic started by: arrowflinger on November 23, 2008, 06:03:23 PM
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I'm looking to get a new rifle...........apparently I don't have enough. I would like a 7mm. It would be a long range rifle to hunt antelope, deer and elk. I do reload. I was thinking of the 7WSM, but up for options. Please just about the caliber, Not sure if I'm going to built one or buy it and do some mods. I just want to know about the calibers and what to expect. I have read a few things in here, but still not sure.
Thanks for the advice.
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7mm stw
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Reason...........
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the 7 WSM, is not a bad round, if your intent is to reload, ya might want to try 7mm mag, someone please correct me if i'm wrong, but i believe you will not be able to get the same speed reloading that WSM round, you may loose 200 fps, compared to the factory round. i forget why, something the factory can do safely that we can't. the factory rounds out there for this WSM choice are actually very very good. if 350 and under is your intended range, might look at the 270 wsm. some very good bullet choices here for this round light and heavy. seems to be developing a following. and maybe no need for scope modification. looking at maybe just a 5 inch drop at 300 yards.
you say long range, if that is your intent, expect to spend another 700 for a good range finder, and having your scope modified with a bdc turret. Leupold does it for less than 200. they did mine. i can shoot accurately, out to so far to 836 yards, but i have found that my comfort range for me with my rifle is 500 and under for hunting. my 2cents. good luck.
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I think I'd go with the 280 Rem. Just enough power for shots out to 400 yards, and very manageable recoil. Plus the fact that factory ammo won't be hard to find and will be reasonably priced, compared to any of the other 7mm cartridges, other than maybe the 7mm Rem. Mag.
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:)I am with Bobcat. check the numbers it is 'this close' to 7 mag ballistics but very mild recoil and long barrel life. One of the most under rated under used cartridges around. I consider it the best of the 7's.
Carl
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Since you are gonna handload get a .280 Ackley Improved :IBCOOL:. Same ballistics as 7mm mag ang nosler loads ammo for it because they are chambering it in their Nosler Custom Rifle. It sure looks like a sweet round :drool:.
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The 280 Ackley is ok but in my opinion too much hassle for the little gain in velocity. But it all depends on your priorities. 100 feet per second isn't much of an improvement over the standard 280.
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i had a 7mm wsm and my buddie had a 7mm mag both rifles were ruger mkII's. personaly i would go with the 7mm wsm it was just a better shooting rifle and not quite as tough on the shoulder. though a 7mm isnt that bad in general anyway
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If I were a handloader looking for a "long range" gun, I would go with good old 7 Rem mag, or 7mm STW
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Everybody has thier own taste, but I have been shooting a 7mm Rem. Mag. for 19 years and am very happy with it. I am selling my .338 because I like the 7mag. better. I've never had to track an animal with my 7mag., they fall where they are hit. In my experience, the 7mag. has more energy transfer at long range, than any other rifle I've been around. Shooting 1/4 steel plates at 500 yards, the 7mag. with 150 gr. corelockts, put deeper dents in the steel than a 300win. mag. and a .338win. mag. both shooting 200-250gr. bullets. Now these are factory loads, and this is just my experience, and I am biased because I love my trusty 7mag. I have never had a problem with recoil from my 7mag. My brother has a 7ultra mag., and that thing will back up a little. I think that you would be happy with any 7mm. round you choose, because they are all great, and you can load them to your liking.
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What a bout barrel lenght for the 7mm's?
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Most mag calibers come with a 26''. However, the Vanguard's use a 24'' in the mags. I dont know what the velocity loss would be with a 2'' shorter barrel, but I cant imagine that it would be drastic. Might make getting through the sticks a tad easiser, but I have 26'' on all of my mag guns and never have a problem.
Sage
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7mm Rem Mag! oh and go with a 24 inch barrel.
I just picked up one in Browning MKII Lightweight Safari w/boss and it's the most accurate rifle I've ever owned! It has better accuracy than my Tikka 30-06!
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I love my 7mm Rem. Mag...I have the 26 inch barrel and a leupold vxIII 4.5-14 on it ...and my gun loves the Barnes x bullets out of that thing...
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I have a 7 WSM and a 7 Remington mag and like both of them, but if I had to pick just one I would go with the WSM. It shoots a little better, is lighter and is easier on the shoulder. I'm getting 3150 FPS with Hornady 154 grain bullets and 3100 with 139 grain bullets. Both loads shoot within an inch. I can't say how they do on game because when it comes to hunting I always use a 6.5x55. You magnum guys can say what you want, I'll use the 6.5x55 and take my dead elk and go home.
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If you don't handload, get an oldschool 7mm rem mag. If you do, get whatever tickles your fancy. If you want a lightweight rifle (less than 7 lbs), get a 7-08 or 7x57 or 280 or 7SAUM. Anything more will be way jumpy.
Bear in mind that reloading components (brass) for things like 7-08, 7x57, or 280 are quite a bit less expensive than any of the WSMs or SAUMs or magnums.
A 280 is no slouch. A good lightweight factory rifle would be a remington mountain rifle or a ruger hawkeye.
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I have shot the 7-mag, 280 and 7-08 over the chronograph with hot handloads. I logged these velocities:
7 Rem mag with 24" barrel:
139 gr Hornady Inter-Bond, 71 gr RE22, 3150 fps
162 gr Hornady Spire Point, 66 gr RE22, 2980 fps
280 Rem with 24" barrel:
139 gr Hornady Inter-Bond, 57.5 gr IMR4350, 3120 fps
I didn't test the 160 gr bullet in this rifle but my manual shows 2850 fps.
7mm-08 with 22" barrel:
139 gr Hornady Inter-Bond, 45 gr IMR4895, 2950 fps
160 gr Nosler Partition, 43 gr IMR4064, 2780 fps
Look for efficiency in the numbers. Is that extra powder, recoil and noise of the 7-mag worth it? If you reload, get a chronograph so you can get the maximum velocities out of your handloads. Your groups will depend on your rifle.
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How do you define long range? You can throw a blanket over the 280, STW, Rem Mag, WSM and all the others out to about 350. There's a difference sure but not enough difference to really worry about.
Beyond that range the STW and Rem Mag may give you a lil more versatility in their ability to shoot the bigger bullets (160s and up) a little better than the WSM. Rem mag brass is probably more available than any of the the others as is the ammo.
If you're talking about building a rifle for longer ranges (over 350) than 26" or > will allow you more velocity especially if you shooting the 160 grn bullets and up.
I personally shoot a 280 w/ a 22" barrel and feel pretty good shooting it out to about 350 maybe 400 w/ 140 for deer and lopes.
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Intruder, I like your thinking. :tup:
Sage
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I'll throw another vote for the .280 Ackley. I have a . 280 Ackley in a Remington Mountain Rifle with a 22" barrel and it works great for me. Since you reload nosler makes brass for it now. http://www.nosler.com/?p=9&bullet=13
