7mm saum vs 6.5 saum

[Prieto9000]

I´ve been wondering about what my next build should be and I narrowed it down to this 2 calibers.

What are the pro´s and con´s of each one??

I found a no turn reamer from PTG for the 6.5 saum so neck turning is not an issue now.

I have a 7mm rem mag that I really like, but I´ve read the 7mm saum can achieve 3000+ fps with the 180 Bergers easily and my 7mm RM just won´t get to 2900.
What´s the average barrel life for a 7mm SAUM??

On the other hand, GAP states that a rifle chambered in 6.5 saum can easily last over 2500 shots. MV for this baby is a little higher with the good old 140 hybrids so it tempts me. I love my 6.5 CM and I love my 7RM so if I can squeeze a little extra juice form the 140´s or the 180´s it would be awesome.

I have a blueprinted rem 700 short action ready to be barreled and I´m waiting to decide on the caliber to place the order for my PTG bolt.

The rifle is intended to be a light hunting rifle. I was hoping to keep it under 10lb. For what I´ve seen a #3 contour @24" will keep me this light with the right stock.
Do I need a longer barrel to squeeze all the juice out of the 7saum??
Most people running 6.5 saums state they´re getting almost 3200fps with 24" barrels

Barrel life is important since I don´t like to have my rifes living @ the smith´s shop. That´s why I ran away from the 7-300WSM. I expect to get at least 1500 shots out of my rifle. I know, hunting rifles are not meant to be shot a lot, but I just like to take my rifles to the range and shoot them.

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

Complicated questions...for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction !!! All this velocity increases your talking about cause wear and tear on the barrel, type of steel, cleaning procedures, and many other factors are involoved concerning barrel life...those numbers your mentioning 1500-2500 with any magnum might be hard to achieve. 3000+ with 180 grain Bergers without barrel damage might not be possible out of s shortie. If you want to spend lots of time st the range you might consider toning things down to save the barrel...why not a 6.5 or 7 mm/06, or use a .308 case, I think you would save your barrel, paper is not hard to kill...good luck !!

 

[bigngreen]

Your numbers don't jive, to push a 140 in the 6.5 3200 fps you'll need a little more barrel and you will not see the barrel life since most of GAP numbers are much lower than that to get the barrel life.
Anyone I know getting over 3000 fps from a 180 in a 7 saum is running a 30 in barrel and pushing it hard and it also won't hit your barrel life wants, a 7-300 win mag at 24 inches will be in the 3000 fps range, a 7-300 wsm might just make it if pushed, how ever none of these throated for the 180 will cycle through a short action without putting a lot of bullet into the powdér.

 

[jrock]

tag

My thinking from switching from a 7mm RM to a 6.5 SAUM was to reduce recoil but still shoot the 140s at 3100 fps. Found out that it doesn't save a ton of recoil and may not be worth doing.

 

[Shooter264]

Your numbers don't jive, to push a 140 in the 6.5 3200 fps you'll need a little more barrel and you will not see the barrel life since most of GAP numbers are much lower than that to get the barrel life.
Anyone I know getting over 3000 fps from a 180 in a 7 saum is running a 30 in barrel and pushing it hard and it also won't hit your barrel life wants, a 7-300 win mag at 24 inches will be in the 3000 fps range, a 7-300 wsm might just make it if pushed, how ever none of these throated for the 180 will cycle through a short action without putting a lot of bullet into the powdér.

Well said, agree completely.

 

[Mateo]

Your numbers don't jive, to push a 140 in the 6.5 3200 fps you'll need a little more barrel and you will not see the barrel life since most of GAP numbers are much lower than that to get the barrel life.
Anyone I know getting over 3000 fps from a 180 in a 7 saum is running a 30 in barrel and pushing it hard and it also won't hit your barrel life wants, a 7-300 win mag at 24 inches will be in the 3000 fps range, a 7-300 wsm might just make it if pushed, how ever none of these throated for the 180 will cycle through a short action without putting a lot of bullet into the powdér.

Bigngreen is right. You are getting the 130 gr and 140 gr bullets mixed up with the 6.5 saum. Most 6.5 4s shooters are just over 3000 fps with 140 bullets and just over 3200 for 130 bullets.

 

[Prieto9000]

Thanks for the input guys. So 3000fps with the 140's is doable with a 24" barrel gettin around 1500 shots out the tube??
How about using the 168's for the 7saum?? I don't use them right now because my 7RM just don't like them. Will this make them fit the short action??

 

[Scot E]

Another point to consider. The 6.5 saum that gap is talking about that gets 2500+ rounds is their very specific version of the 6.5, the 6.5 saum 4S. I would not count on any 6.5 getting that kind of round count especially if you are pushing speeds like you mentioned.

Hope this helps.

 

[Shooter264]

I've had 5 6.5 saums and all of them shot 3060-3110 with a 24" tube and 61 grains of H1000. I've ran them as high as 3220(26" tube) but all have shot bugholes with 61 H1000. A good buddy of mine tore down his 27" 7 saum and built a 6.5 saum after being around mine. They are a sweet rig and a blast to shoot.

 

[Shooter264]

Thanks for the input guys. So 3000fps with the 140's is doable with a 24" barrel gettin around 1500 shots out the tube??
How about using the 168's for the 7saum?? I don't use them right now because my 7RM just don't like them. Will this make them fit the short action??

No, you would still need a long action to get the goodie out of them

 

[Prieto9000]

Another point to consider. The 6.5 saum that gap is talking about that gets 2500+ rounds is their very specific version of the 6.5, the 6.5 saum 4S. I would not count on any 6.5 getting that kind of round count especially if you are pushing speeds like you mentioned.

Hope this helps.

I was planing on using this reamer:

 

[Shooter264]

Perfect!!

 

[Scot E]

That's the one. I will trying to find the post but now that brass is soon to be out I remember reading a long thread about which reamer was going to be the best one. It seemed it wasn't the no turn but I could be wrong.

I'll try to find it.

 

[bigngreen]

I'm waiting on the 6.5 GAP brass before I have JGS grind me up a reamer just to make sure I'm GTG. The 6.5 is really a sweet round, I run a very similar wildcat based of the SAUM in 6.5 and 7mm and they are just fun to shoot and it really does not feel like your shooting something that is getting the performance it is, it's the perfect case capacity for top end performance in the 6.5 tube!