Anybody regret NOT going 338?

[fmajor]

If the .807 BC were true, it would indeed up the ante for the 7mm cartridges, but it would still not hit as hard as the 215's and 230's from the RUM. That said, Bryan Litz lists the Matrix .284 190 VLD G1 BC of .637. The Berger 180 Hybrid will give more bang for the buck.

I wonder how this data measures/squares with the article/brief Bryan wrote here:

30 Caliber vs. 7mm for Long Range — Litz Offers Analysis « Daily Bulletin

I know the article is nearly 2 years old and a lot has changed since then... I wonder if Bryan would still favor the 7mm over the .30 caliber today?

 

[MontanaRifleman]

I wonder how this data measures/squares with the article/brief Bryan wrote here:

30 Caliber vs. 7mm for Long Range — Litz Offers Analysis « Daily Bulletin

I know the article is nearly 2 years old and a lot has changed since then... I wonder if Bryan would still favor the 7mm over the .30 caliber today?

I have read that article before and Brayn's argument is based available bullets at the time, recoil and barrel life and he is talking more to a paper punching BR crowd, not LR hunting of bull elk.

So...

Apples and oranges. Since then Berger (and Bryan) has developed High BC 30 cal Hybrid bullets. If you use the same basic form factors in designing a bullet, the larger cal bullet will always have more mass and SD and a higher BC.

If I was punching paper, I would probably go to a 6.5 bullet. But since I'm punching elk I prefer bigger bullets which cause more damage.

Recoil. Again from the BR perspective, they shoot a lot of long string competitions. LRH is a different animal. Not as much shooting and important to send an adequate amount of energy down range to kill big critters. I have a couple of ways to deal with recoil, the preferred being a muzzle brake. that said, an unbaked 7 RM gives a pretty good kick and a hunting weight version with standard but pad will start to get uncomfortable at some point.

Barrel life. The overbore factor of the 7 RM is about the same as a 300 RUM. I burned one up in about a 1000 rounds or so. Barrel life and LR hunting of elk out to 1000 yds don't really go together unless you're talking a 338 which will have much better barrel life than a 300 RUM or 7 Mag and the STW will cook a barrel quicker than a RUM or a 7 RM.

Bottom line is that article is somewhat outdated and is not written with LR hunting in mind. Big heavy, high BC 30 cal bullets can be shot very accurately to 1000 yds and beyond and bring some wallop with them.

 

[MudRunner2005]

The STW will NOT cook a barrel faster than a RUM. The 7RUM is even more overbore than the STW is. STW's average 1500 rounds, or more, if taken care of. I've never heard of a 7RUM lasting much more than 1,000 before the throat is completely burnt out.

If were gonna compare apples to apples, lets keep things facts and info honest, instead of biased and one-dimensional.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

The STW will NOT cook a barrel faster than a RUM. The 7RUM is even more overbore than the STW is. STW's average 1500 rounds, or more, if taken care of. I've never heard of a 7RUM lasting much more than 1,000 before the throat is completely burnt out.

If were gonna compare apples to apples, lets keep things facts and info honest, instead of biased and one-dimensional.

If you go back and read my post I said nothing about the 7 RUM. I was talking about the 300 RUM. The 7 RUM is more overbore than the STW which is more overbore than the 300 RUM which is about the same as a 7 RM. Overbore = case volume to bore diameter ratio. If you got 1500 rounds through an STW, then you're doing great. Are you promising the same to the OP? Are you going to buy him a new barrel if he cooks his in 800 rounds? I have read reports on the 7 RUM burning barrels at about the 500 round mark and the 300 RUM at about the 1000 round mark. All else being equal, the STW will most likely be somewhere between and it will certainly not last as long as a 7 RM on average if shooting the same type of loads through them, i.e., high pressure, high velocity. Feed them slow powder and big bullets with mild loads and you'll get more life.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I do feed mine with big heavies and normal charges. If I get excellent consistancy with 75.5gr of H1000, why would I try to push it 85+ grains ofher than to gain 150-200 fps.

I love my 7RM too. Over the years I have gotten excellent barrel life out of my 7Mags.

I understand you said 300 RUM, but comparing apples to apples would be 7 RM vs 7STW vs 7 RUM, you see what I'm saying?

Why would I buy someone a barrel? I don't know how good or bad they're gonna treat it to make it burn out in 500 or 1,500...

Buy whatever caliber you want that makes you happy, but I know what works for me, so I make suggestions based on my personal experiences. I have never owned a RUM, but have shot many, and one of my buddies had a 7RUM years ago. I do like the idea of a non-belted magnum, but they should have cut them down to STW specs, IMO, and barrel life would have been significantly increased over a 7RUM. But that's just speculation.

 

[highridge1]

The 7mm mags are not in the same league as the 338's and they never will be.Delivering a 300 gr bullet to deer,elk bear etc at long range there is not a debate the .338 is better.Bigger bullet hole, alot more energy and less wind drift. If recoil is the discussion well I don't really know what to say there a 12 yr old kid can shoot a big 338 with a quality brake. The first time my teenage son shot my Edge at 1000 + yards he was consistently hitting rocks shooting 300 gr bullets. About the 300 Rum compared to the 7mm STW, WSM, Ultra etc with the 230 gr bergers running around 3100-3150 fps it flat smokes the 7mm's more energy, bigger hole, less wind drift, It not complicated it's just facts. When I see a debate between and 7mm and a 338 for long range I wonder how many guys on here actually go out and do this stuff or if they are just a key board commando....

 

[MudRunner2005]

Recoil is not an issue for me. I have shot an early model (un-braked) Barrett .50 BMG before, which will push you back 6" from where you touched it off at...And I'm NOT a small guy at all. Recoil is definitely not an issue for me. For others it might be.

What makes you so certain I'm a keyboard commando? How do you know you're not the one being the commando here? You sure seem to dissuade the 7mm on all accounts and in general, compared to everything smaller than the .30 caliber. Please give me factual evidence, instead of calling names and casting stones... I don't give a crap what you say your kid does with your .338 Edge. Show me factual evidence that the 7mm's are, as you are portraying them, worthless....

I'm not saying they're better than the .338's for long range, I just want to see how you can completely dismiss a blatently obvious contender in the long-range game.

Is it as good on large game @ 1,000+....Most likely not, but it still has it's place.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Recoil is not an issue for me. I have shot an early model (un-braked) Barrett .50 BMG before, which will push you back 6" from where you touched it off at...And I'm NOT a small guy at all. Recoil is definitely not an issue for me. For others it might be.

What makes you so certain I'm a keyboard commando? How do you know you're not the one being the commando here? You sure seem to dissuade the 7mm on all accounts and in general, compared to everything smaller than the .30 caliber. Please give me factual evidence, instead of calling names and casting stones... I don't give a crap what you say your kid does with your .338 Edge. Show me factual evidence that the 7mm's are, as you are portraying them, worthless....

I'm not saying they're better than the .338's for long range, I just want to see how you can completely dismiss a blatently obvious contender in the long-range game.

Is it as good on large game @ 1,000+....Most likely not, but it still has it's place.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. You have a reading comprehension problem and It's a real PITA. You did this with me in your post #101 and numerous other replies to my posts which you completely misrepresnted. Highridge did NOT say the 7's are worthless nor did he completely dismiss them.

Anytime someone says something you don't like about a bullet or a rifle or whatever that is your baby you over react like someone was talking trash about your sister. Get over it already or take it somewhere else. It's a real PITA and it's getting real old.

 

[Rangerpl]

Here is a pic of my .338LM. It has a total of 6 round through it at the moment. When I get back from Afghanistan I intend on putting a few more down range. Rifle weighs 22lbs and has a muzzle brake.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Good lookin rig....Nice looking shotty.

 

[sp6x6]

Nice table,gun aint bad either love the 338.

 

[angus-5024]

7mm are great, but they cannot be compared to .338's. They are fun to shoot and definately have their place, and for the recoil they have tremendous ballistics.
.338's are a better long range hunting round for heavy game (not whitetail deer or hogs).

Its like watching a heavywieght boxer fight a midlle wieght. both bring something impressive to the table, but I can tell you whose hand will be raised at the end of the night 9 times out of 10.

I have very few rifles, but I have a 7mm and a .338. They both have their place.

 

[porkchop401]

I shoot with a guy that can clean my slate most days outpast 1k, when i was shooting my 260 and they was shooting a 7wsm .When he rebarreled to a 260 as well, the gap narrowed .(he is still a better shot) When my 338rum arrived. and i got some loads worked up it leveled the playing field. if he went with a 338 there is no dought he would clean my slate again. Why? the.818 bc beats the hell out of a 500 bc bullet any day there is so much as a nat fart in the air between you and your target. With that being said I shoot my 260 5 times as much as i do the 338. Why (1) cost (2)more enjoyable for me and the folks around me (3). It is less forgiving than the 338 @ long range and that hones my shooting skills and wind doping ability

 

[MMERSS]

I'll take a 1/2 MOA 7mm with a G1 of .67 or greater, single digit SD, 3200+ MV over a 338 3/4 +MOA, .818 BC, double digit SD, 2800 MV for hunting big game with ranges between 700-1100 anyday. With precision and MVV being about equal the 338 will end up in my hands the vast majority of time even on medium sized game.