7MM or 300 Dakota

hwy40 · #1 08-07-2010, 04:33 PM

I am gearing up for a rifle build on a Parker/Hale M1200 action. I am planning on going from a standard bolt face to a magnum. I had been entertaining going with the 7mm/375 Ruger wildcat but I can get the same performance out of the Dakota cartridges. The only question is 7MM or 300. I want to be able to take ballistcally responsible shots out to 1000 yards but should be shooting from 0-700 most often. The other particulars of the rifle will be a Bell&Carlson full aluminum block bedded stock, a Shilen #5 contour barrel, possibly fluted and finished at or about 27" topped with a Leupold custom shop VX-III 4X14 with custom BDC turrets mounted in a Leupold 1 piece windage adjustable base with matching rings. Let me know what you think and what your reasoning is for the caliber choice. Thanks in advance,
Dale.

JARHEAD1371 · #2 08-07-2010, 05:20 PM

I would go with the 7mm Dakota or 7/300 Dakota. Stick with the high BC 7mm VLD bullets and you will have no problem out to a grand. I would skip the windage adjustable base and either go with a dual dovetail or one piece rings/base from Nightforce. In my experience, these are much tougher setups plus you get 20 MOA cant with the Nightforce.

hwy40 · #3 08-07-2010, 06:51 PM

How much difference will a 20moa base make? I can see it helping out at 1K but will it hurt me up close?

JARHEAD1371 · #4 08-07-2010, 09:59 PM

The 20 MOA bases won't hurt you up close. It will help you out with your scope adjustment not bottoming out. Instead of using the bottom portion of the scope adjustment you will use the middle of the overall scope adjustment area. I that makes sense to you.

hwy40 · #5 08-08-2010, 10:03 AM

That makes total sence, thank you. In the past I have just learned the ballistics of the load I am shooting and then held over. It works alright out to 600 or so but beyond that it gets pretty sketchy. I don't like sketchy when the kids are hungry.

ewallace · #6 08-08-2010, 06:37 PM

Both of the Dakota cartridges you are looking at will do the job at 1000 yards it would depend on what you are hunting if elk I would lean more to the 30 with 210g bullets.

hwy40 · #7 08-08-2010, 07:45 PM

The only issue I have with shooting a 210 out of a 300 is that you can't get your velocity up very high. I don't mind the weight but I want to push it closer to 3000fps rather than 2800. My reasoning is that there is a 300 ft/lb difference at 1k. That can be the difference between proper bullet function and the bullet acting like a FMJ.
I think I would stick with a 180 in the 300 at around 3200 fps just for the retianed velocity and flatter trajectory.