7mm rifle build choices, help, feedback?

[rcdinaz]

I am looking to build a 7mm long range rifle and have yet to decide on which 7mm or who to have build the rifle. Long range for me would not be over 1,000 yds as many around here shoot and is more like 800yds and in for my considerations. I have a 300 RUM and a 6/284 so I am not interested in .30 or 6mm right now. Rifle would be for medium sized game, deer, antelope, javalina (ok they're small) and time at the range.

The rifle must be able to shoot factory ammo so I am not looking at any wildcat rounds. I dont want to travel to a hunt find a missing box and have to borrow a gun or scrap my hunt due to lack of ammunition. I will play with fine tuning handloads but wont be building a rifle specifically for longer heavier bullets.

So which 7mm? My plan started with the 7mm WSM but I have seen a lot of 7mm Rem Mag and SAUM users around as well and a few that have said just go with a non-mag round .284/7mm. I was staying away from the big cases such as the 7RUM based on a lot of negative feedback on barrel life.

 

[benchracer]

Based on your factory ammo requirement, I think 7mm RM would be your best bet for sheer availability of factory loads. No other 7mm chambering comes even close.

If you want to go with a non-magnum chambering, .280 Remington, .280AI, or 7-08 would fit the bill. Though factory ammo for .280AI is less commonly available, you can still shoot standard .280 Remington factory loads in it (albeit with reduced velocity). Of the non-magnum 7mm chamberings, the .280AI comes the closest to 7mm RM performance and would likely provide the best performance from hand loads.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

I shoot many 7mm's. I like the 7mm STW the best for long range hunting.

 

[budlight]

I have never let having factory rounds slow me down. I just go buy a few 100 cases. I even had 240 cases for my 30-338 Weatherby. @ about $3.00 per each unprimed case. Be realistic. What event would you go through 300 rounds or 500 rounds and have to worry about finding a store for more. I've said the same thing to friends. Don't WORRY! I have cut down cases and fire formed wildcats. Some of my guns don't even say what they are stamped on the barrel. Good luck on stealing one of them and trying to figure out what might fit in them.

I reload, chronograph, ballistic tables, keep notes. So I would not want to buy some factory load for my OEM rifles anyway. Because you would have to start all the new load data over and chrono the factory round to figure out where it's going

Anyway enough said.

I'm a 7STW person. But the 284 Jarret might be a fine rifle.

The 284 jarrett is a 300 win mag necked down and blown out with a sharper shoulder, these are the case volumes and velocities they have posted on their site.
(Volume to base of neck)

7mm Remington Magnum 73.5 gr.
7mm Weatherby Magnum 78.0 gr.
284 Jarrett 85.5 gr.
7 STW 98.3 gr.

It's interesting to note where we are volume-wise, 12 grains greater than the Remington Magnum and 13 grains less than 7 STW.

140 gr. bullet -- 3450 to 3500 fps
150 gr. bullet -- 3350 to 3375 fps
160 gr. bullet -- 3250 to 3300 fps
http://www.jarrettrifles.com/cal_284_jarrett.htm

Any other opinions on jarrett barrels???

 

[LewisH]

1+ on the 7 STW. I studied this question a few years ago and chose the 7 STW. It seems to be about the optimum "over-bore" 7mm.

That is, cases larger than the STW sharply increase inefficiency (incrementally larger powder charges required for smaller velocity gains) and decrease barrel life.

.

 

[roninflag]

7mm rem mag

 

[Don Ward]

With the factory load as a condition, the 7 mag is the one. Load a 168 VLD around 3000+ and you can shoot Rem factory 150 Sciroccos with the same drop data within a click or so at medium ranges.

Without the factory limitation, the 7 mag is still a great choice and a great balance of recoil and ability to launch a heavy bullet.

 

[angus-5024]

My prefrence would go to the 7mm STW , but at least up here in Canada, its hard to find factory loaded ammo. For your specific wants I dont think that you should stray from either the 7mm Remington mag or the .280 Rem. They are similar performance wise and easy to find ammo for. If you want to step it up the STW is the way to go. I dont think that for whitetales the 7-08 or .284win would be good choices to 800-1000 yards, just a lack of energy (not to say that they wont work). have fun with you build!

 

[rcdinaz]

Thanks for all the feedback so far! I am leaning more and more towards the 7mm Rem but hadn't thought about the STW so I am going to look it over.

I am trying to keep it in the $2,000 - $2,500 range. Any reason that would be a challenge? Yes, I realize there are a million options to throw in the mix. Just making sure I am not planning short of what I should be.

As for the build; I have looked most seriously at Center Shot and Quarter Minute Rifle and one place in my home state (AZ) that I used a few years back that I wont use because they just arent all that pleasant to deal with. Seems there are a lot of capable smiths but some return calls and email right away and really like talking to clients and seem to at least pretend to be excited about helping out and others maybe have too much work to be bothered. (sorry for the tangent)

Again appreciate any direction or feedback.


budlight, agree on loading up a boat load of your favorite handloads. My problem is that the airlines have become a joke and lose my stuff all the time. Oh I also have no bench right now, had a surprise 3rd daughter last year and lost my second garage to a home expansion. Now my press and equipment is about 15 large storage containers stacked in two columns to the cieling and the drill press is a giant hanger in the corner of the garage. I will get it all in place again but it wont happen overnight. In the mean time I have got to get back to shooting my two older daughters are interested and i dont want to lose that window of opportunity.

 

[budlight]

Daughters are very important. I only have one. I taught her how to shoot a 3X- 9X scoped Ruger 10/22 at age 6 before she was 10 she was going to the range with me and a box of 500 22's. I'd be off doing chrono work with paper and she would come over with black little fingers asking if I had more bullets.

Today she is a fine young lady 25 years old who enjoys deep sea fishing and p-dog hunting with me and her friends. She knows how to reload and field dress a deer.

I have some customs that were relatively cheap that are wonderful shooters. I just went out and bought a used sporter gun for the action. Like you could buy a rem 700 300 win mag just for the action and 28 inch custom barrel sized to your contour choice in something like a 7STW or the 284 Jarrett Then take itto your local gun smith for R&R ...... head spacing. couple hundred for a laminate thumbhole stock for a rem 700. Some minor hogging if you get a big diameter barrel and there you can have a sub $1500 rifle even with your name engraved on the side of the barrel.

Add a nice 6X-24 56mm mildot scope and the local pigs are in trouble

I used to live in Las Vegas and we would load up friday after work in my desert racing jeep and head down for pig hunting in AZ 270 140 and 150 BT's just blow clear through them even at long ranges

 

[rcdinaz]

Thanks for the ideas on the rifle build!

That is a great story I hope my daughters go the same route. Right now 12 and 10 and they are dying to shoot anything that moves. They spent all duck season yelling "kill the coot kill the coot" when there were no ducks flying. The 12 year old got a Tikka .243 last year and I am shocked how well that thing shoots. I just need to get her out shooting more often.

The pig shoot sounds great, I really want to shoot one of those critters way out there.

 

[trueblue]

If I were on a budget, I would look at a Sendero 7 Rem Mag. Skim coat bed the action in Devcon, and go to town.
I had a 7 STW, and it was a great caliber, but in my mind it doesn't give you that much advantage over a 7 Rem Mag.
Factory ammo is a non issue if you are talking longrange, as you need to develope an accurate load for your rifle, and factory ammo does not cut the mustard.
If you can afford to go custom, the choices are endless, and there are some great smiths on this site.
If you want a budget accurate rifle, get a Remington Sendero in 7 Rem Mag.

 

[rcdinaz]

Thanks! I want to do a little more than a factory sendero this time around. I will get around to doing load work as well just want the option of off the shelf. If I get to Africa which didn't work out last year, I can only imagine having all my ammo lost by the airlines.

Good points by all on the 7mm mag I am leaning this way as opposed to the wsm I was considering. I saw some load recipes on here already using retumbo which I have plenty of from the 300 rum loads.

Is there a list of smiths on the site? wasn't sure if this was even something I should be asking due to sponsors and such.