1000yds: Picking the right rifle

[MudRunner2005]

Oh, I love my 7mag. Its very fun to shoot. But I cant justify buying another one lol.... I was wanting something that is a step or 2 above a 7mag. The 300 is a step ahead in bullet selection, but I think I want more.... MOOOOOOOAAAAARRRR gun)gun)gun)gun)gun)gun)gun)gun)gun)gun)


lol, Im sure you guys know what I mean

Actually, these days, the 7mm is almost on par with the .30 cal in bullet selection. And the .300WM is not really a step up over the 7mmRM, even though most will tell you that. They are both exceptional and well-proven cartridges. And despite case capacity and case size, when compared (data proven, BTW) equal weight-for-caliber bullets in a 7mmRM vs. a .300WM, they are ****-near equal. It is basically a wash at that point...Do you want 7mm or do you want .30...That is basically what it comes down to.

Now, do you want something faster & flatter? Or do you want something larger in diameter, and more powder? The 7mmRM will take any game on the American continent.

Since you are a 7mm fan, the 7mm STW or .28 Nosler might be something to give you a step-up pushing the new Berger 195's with a good 1:8 twist heavy barrel in the 28-30" range.

Or if you want something larger in diameter and larger in case capacity, you could step up to a .300 Weatherby.

Do you have any smaller & faster cartridges? Those are always fun. Example, .22-250 Rem, .243 Win., .25-06, and .257 Weatherby.

If you want big and bad... Just go ahead and buy a Noreen ULR in .408 Cheytac or .416 Barrett or .50 BMG, or have a custom built in .375 Cheytac.

 

[thehulk]

If you want big and bad... Just go ahead and buy a Noreen ULR in .408 Cheytac or .416 Barrett or .50 BMG, or have a custom built in .375 Cheytac.

I was thinking along the lines of big and bad but practical. I've had a .338 Lapua and it was awesome however I was under the impression the 300RUM was a big step up from a 7mag... energy wise at 1000.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

I was thinking along the lines of big and bad but practical. I've had a .338 Lapua and it was awesome however I was under the impression the 300RUM was a big step up from a 7mag... energy wise at 1000.

It is. The only problem currently with the RUM is brass availability. Although I just did a quick search on Midway and there is Nosler and Hornady brass available along with all kinds of loaded ammo. I am not sure why people are trying so hard to talk you out of it. The 300RUM is a very impressive round. Arguably the fastest flattest long range factory cartridge out there. Is it going to shoot as many rounds as a 300WM? No. Is it in a class of it's own? Yes. Take care of it and it will hold hunting accuracy pushing 2000 rounds. I am going to get yelled at for that statement as some guys have burned them up in less than 1000 rounds. My best buddy bought one of the first ones to hit the shelf, I guess 15 years ago, he is finally looking at a new barrel for it. He is well over 2000 rounds and still holding sub moa to 1000 yards. This was one of those factory gems that shot very well.

So Hulk, if you want one of the best hot rods available short of wildcats, get it done. Enjoy it for what it is.

Steve

 

[MudRunner2005]

It is. The only problem currently with the RUM is brass availability. Although I just did a quick search on Midway and there is Nosler and Hornady brass available along with all kinds of loaded ammo. I am not sure why people are trying so hard to talk you out of it. The 300RUM is a very impressive round. Arguably the fastest flattest long range factory cartridge out there. Is it going to shoot as many rounds as a 300WM? No. Is it in a class of it's own? Yes. Take care of it and it will hold hunting accuracy pushing 2000 rounds. I am going to get yelled at for that statement as some guys have burned them up in less than 1000 rounds. My best buddy bought one of the first ones to hit the shelf, I guess 15 years ago, he is finally looking at a new barrel for it. He is well over 2000 rounds and still holding sub moa to 1000 yards. This was one of those factory gems that shot very well.

So Hulk, if you want one of the best hot rods available short of wildcats, get it done. Enjoy it for what it is.

Steve

Steve, the only reason people are talking him out of it, is because he said he doesn't want to reload for it. Brass availability doesn't mean anything, since he only wants off-the-shelf factory ammo for it. .300 RUM does not have a very diverse factory ammo selection, if you can even find a box on a shelf at all.

 

[WildRose]

I was thinking along the lines of big and bad but practical. I've had a .338 Lapua and it was awesome however I was under the impression the 300RUM was a big step up from a 7mag... energy wise at 1000.

Both the 300wm and especially the 300Rum are a big step up in energy over the 7mm RM.

The difference is enough so that the 7RM is running out of gas at just about the same point the WM really begins to shine.

Pick loads in each of the three calibers and compare energy from 600 to 1,000yds in hundred yard increments.

If you can put it in the right spot the 7rm loaded with the right bullet is still plenty to get the job done way out there but your margin of error gets narrower and narrower.

Once you get below 1,800fps many bullets have a higher and higher frequency of not opening well so the wound channel gets smaller and smaller.

I've got a buddy that has killed at least 50 elk at ranges beyond 600yds with the 7RM but he's also the best natural shooter I have ever seen. He was my dad's best friend and hunting buddy and in hunting for over 30 years with him I never saw him miss a shot on anything bigger than a coyote.

For the humans among us though the extra energy and flatter trajectory at long range of the .30 cal magnums/ultras helps to make up for our errors.

As for the comments above about the 300Wby, they are spot on. Weatherby standardized the hotrods long before most of us even had a concept of an ultra, super, you name it magnum.

Unfortunately in that era Muzzle Brakes and good recoil pads were next to non existent and so the punishing recoil of the 300 and bigger Weatherby magnums gave them a very limited following and of course the price of Weatherby ammo compared to the rest made and still makes them very expensive to shoot for those that can't or don't reload.

 

[WildRose]

It is. The only problem currently with the RUM is brass availability. Although I just did a quick search on Midway and there is Nosler and Hornady brass available along with all kinds of loaded ammo. I am not sure why people are trying so hard to talk you out of it. The 300RUM is a very impressive round. Arguably the fastest flattest long range factory cartridge out there. Is it going to shoot as many rounds as a 300WM? No. Is it in a class of it's own? Yes. Take care of it and it will hold hunting accuracy pushing 2000 rounds. I am going to get yelled at for that statement as some guys have burned them up in less than 1000 rounds. My best buddy bought one of the first ones to hit the shelf, I guess 15 years ago, he is finally looking at a new barrel for it. He is well over 2000 rounds and still holding sub moa to 1000 yards. This was one of those factory gems that shot very well.

So Hulk, if you want one of the best hot rods available short of wildcats, get it done. Enjoy it for what it is.

Steve

People burn them out quickly for the same reason we burn out .204 Rugers, 220 Swifts and other really high velocity cartriges. They shoot them hot and then keep shooting.

Let the barrel cool down well between shots and shot strings and even the "real barrel burners" will give you considerable barrel life.

Nothing you can do will make the Rum last as long as the 06 but most people will never shoot enough to burn one out.

The bigger problem with the large cased magnums is recoil which is why we so many of them for sale "barely used", "Just 50rds through it" etc.

They can also very quickly give a guy a pretty bad flinch and then it's a matter of a lot of hard work and retraining to get back to good basics.

For those reasons I always encourage anyone that doesn't have a lot of experience with magnum or med/large bores to see if they can find someone to let them run a few rounds through before tying up large amounts of money in a new one.

I hate seeing someone new to the sport start off with a bad experience. I have a Mod 70 stainless classic in 300 Rum I love to shoot but if I'd started with that rifle vs the 7RM I got for my 13th birthday I doubt I'd have ever turned into the shooting nut that I eventually became.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Steve, the only reason people are talking him out of it, is because he said he doesn't want to reload for it. Brass availability doesn't mean anything, since he only wants off-the-shelf factory ammo for it. .300 RUM does not have a very diverse factory ammo selection, if you can even find a box on a shelf at all.

I just did a quick check at midway and they have lots of choice of factory ammo. So I don't know but it looked pretty good. I could be really wrong.

Steve

 

[RockyMtnMT]

People burn them out quickly for the same reason we burn out .204 Rugers, 220 Swifts and other really high velocity cartriges. They shoot them hot and then keep shooting.

Let the barrel cool down well between shots and shot strings and even the "real barrel burners" will give you considerable barrel life.

Nothing you can do will make the Rum last as long as the 06 but most people will never shoot enough to burn one out.

The bigger problem with the large cased magnums is recoil which is why we so many of them for sale "barely used", "Just 50rds through it" etc.

They can also very quickly give a guy a pretty bad flinch and then it's a matter of a lot of hard work and retraining to get back to good basics.

For those reasons I always encourage anyone that doesn't have a lot of experience with magnum or med/large bores to see if they can find someone to let them run a few rounds through before tying up large amounts of money in a new one.

I hate seeing someone new to the sport start off with a bad experience. I have a Mod 70 stainless classic in 300 Rum I love to shoot but if I'd started with that rifle vs the 7RM I got for my 13th birthday I doubt I'd have ever turned into the shooting nut that I eventually became.

I agree with all you said here. I have turned into a recoil sissy after using great breaks. It seems that Hulk has shot/owned 338 Lap, so I don't see the RUM causing him too much trouble.

Steve

 

[MudRunner2005]

I just did a quick check at midway and they have lots of choice of factory ammo. So I don't know but it looked pretty good. I could be really wrong.

Steve

That's good for the OP, I guess. The RUM's seem to be about like the STW, when it comes to random manufacturing of brass, so it dries up for a while, then for a quick minute it's here, so you have to buy it up while you can and drop a chunk of change at once, to have plenty when it dries back up again.

I hope for his, and all of our sakes that things are going to start leveling off and becoming normal with brass production for some of the cartridges that we enjoy, that have been really hit-or-miss availability over the last 4-6 years.

 

[TXAoudadKlr]

I agree with all you said here. I have turned into a recoil sissy after using great breaks.

Steve

You're not the only one! I'm swapping out a brake on my 338LM for a T3 Terminator. I got tired of having the crap kicked out of me after 28 rounds over two sessions. I was like this can't be right not if my buddy's Tac50 is more pleasant to shoot and my 300AX is as tame as it is.

 

[WildRose]

I just did a quick check at midway and they have lots of choice of factory ammo. So I don't know but it looked pretty good. I could be really wrong.

Steve

I never had any problem getting good factory ammo for my Rum's while I was building up brass other than paying for it.

For premium ammo there's usually about a 20-30.00 difference in 300wm and 300Rum which can be pretty hard on a guy's wallet, especially a guy who wants to shoot a lot on a budget.

 

[HARPERC]

.......Take care of it and it will hold hunting accuracy pushing 2000 rounds. I am going to get yelled at for that statement as some guys have burned them up in less than 1000 rounds. My best buddy bought one of the first ones to hit the shelf, I guess 15 years ago, he is finally looking at a new barrel for it. He is well over 2000 rounds and still holding sub moa to 1000 yards. This was one of those factory gems that shot very well.............

"Burned out" is always an interesting term. With the variety of disciplines, and needs, one persons "burned out" may be more than adequate for the next.

Seeing a 0.5 MOA guarantee is not uncommon these days, a change to 0.75 MOA isn't
going to negatively affect most of us.

 

[HARPERC]

I have turned into a recoil sissy after using great breaks....

My recoil tolerance decline has exceeded my ability to burn up barrels.

Shot an un-braked, lightweight .30-06 recently, and mild wouldn't be my description of the recoil. Definitely more than my .338 RUM.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

You're not the only one! I'm swapping out a brake on my 338LM for a T3 Terminator. I got tired of having the crap kicked out of me after 28 rounds over two sessions. I was like this can't be right not if my buddy's Tac50 is more pleasant to shoot and my 300AX is as tame as it is.

Not to hijack this thread but I am very anxious to hear your results. What break do you currently have on your 338?

I have only shot fire forming loads to this point with the 5 port Muscle Break. 303g Hammers at 2900fps. If this is as good as it gets I will have to Man Up. I will have a Pain Killer to give a try off another 338LAI in the next few days. As long as the threading is the same.

Be sure and post your results when you compare.

Steve