Keep the Sendero a 300 win mag or go 7mm rem mag ?

[SofaKing]

After a lot of time at the range and reloading bench. I've decided on having a Brux Barrel put on my Sendero. Brux Barrels is local to me in Wisconsin and would like to support the home team.

I've got dies and supplies for both 300 win mag and 7mm rem mag so that won't be a problem.
My thoughts are with running a 7mm rem mag I could run higher .618 BC 168 gr Berger VLD and not have to load 210 Berger VLD to get a higher .625 BC. Also if the 7mm rem mag would possibly have a milder recoil I might be able have my wife shoot it too.

I'll be hunting and shooting steel with this gun so I'm not looking for a 30" barrel length . I'd still like to be able to carry it

As far as barrel length and twist rates what would be some good options for either 7mm rem mag or 300 win mag? Is 5r rifling all it's cracked up to be?

I'm no expert and I'm open to suggestions. I'd like to end up with a .5 MOA rifle that I can ring steel at 1,000yds.

 

[HARPERC]

I would go with the .300 Winchester Magnum, in a 1-9" twist.

However, change to a higher capacity 7mm, with a 1-8" for the heavier bullets, I might change my mind.

How, and what I was going to hunt could influence me as well.

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

You can't beat .308 caliber holes when hunting...the difference hain't worth the money, wait or effort ....

 

[just country]

morning, the 300 Win. mag. is byfar the best choice for long
range hunting. the 7mm mag. has it's place at limited hunting
ranges. TUM

 

[FEENIX]

IIWY, I'd keep it .300 WM, re-barrel with it at least 26" with 1:9" or faster and propel the Berger 215s (or the 230s) and you're golden.

 

[jwall3d11]

There's a hundred different ways you can skin this cat. If I were you, before I did all that, I would put a brake on it and run some 215 Bergers on top of some H1000 and see what you think. If you are dead set on putting a barrel on it, might as well get the action cut while its apart. Are you still using the factory Remington trigger? I have a Sendero in 300wm and had 2 others in 7mm Rem, they're not bad guns...when properly tweaked.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Get you a Bartlein 1:8 twist 7mm blank, and build you a 7mm RemMag. You can shoot the Berger 195 Elite Hunters if you need a high BC bullet (which stomps the BC of a .30 caliber 210 and 215 bullet), and you can shoot the 168 VLD's or 175 Elite Hunters if you want a lighter/faster/flatter bullet.

 

[jwall3d11]

Get you a Bartlein 1:8 twist 7mm blank, and build you a 7mm RemMag. You can shoot the Berger 195 Elite Hunters if you need a high BC bullet (which stomps the BC of a .30 caliber 210 and 215 bullet), and you can shoot the 168 VLD's or 175 Elite Hunters if you want a lighter/faster/flatter bullet.

How fast do you think he will be able to push the 195's out of a 7mm Rem mag with a 26" barrel? From my quick search guys were getting around 2650fps with similar setups. So I took those numbers and compared to what people are seeing with a 300 win mag (I haven't chronoed mine) and the 215's through a 26" pipe, 2850 fps, and entered those numbers into Bergers calculator. The 215s beat the 195s until the 300 wm is down around 2700fps muzzle velocity. It was more or less a wash. I'm not trying to bet against the 7, I like your idea but to utilize that big bullet with a big BC, hes gonna have to get it moving out of a small case.

 

[jwall3d11]

You could always get creative and have a 7-300 built and shoot the 195s. You have the brass and if you have a 300wm neck sizing die all you would have to buy is a couple bushings. That would get that 195 moving a little faster and you could still shoot the smaller 7mm bullets for lighter framed shooters.

 

[SofaKing]

I've had the gunsmith do work on the trigger. He said he'd blue print the action when the barrel gets changed. We came to a consensus that after trying 178 amax, 190 VLD, and some Barnes (can't remember the grain) on top of H4831sc, H1000, & RL22. We've had the rifle shooting the best it could. Best group from the Sendero was 7/8" @ 100yds with 190 VLD's and 76.5gr of H1000. My T/C venture in 280 Ackley runs 140 VLD's 5/8" @100yds with 59gr h4831sc on a factory Thompson Center barrel with 5r rifling.

 

[jwall3d11]

Well if it were mine I would rebarrel it in 300wm. I like the extra case capacity over the 7mm RM and its a 30 cal. I don't particularly think you can go wrong either way but if I was to have a 7mm RM I would probably shoot the 168 grain Bergers. I know they shoot good out of my brothers Sendero at 3070fps.

 

[desertcj]

I just went through this myself. Although I was starting with a 7mag and had the option to go 300 win mag with a new barrel. I decided to stick with the 7mag and went with a 1 in 8 twist 26" barrel. I'm planning on shooting 180gr bullets at 3000fps. That being said, I mainly hunt deer and antelope. If elk are your main game, you might consider staying with the 300.

 

[SofaKing]

Muley & the occasional whitetail. But I'm hoping to draw an elk tag next year.

 

[ruby76]

So you already have a 280 ackley which would really cover off most of your needs, deer and the wife, and somewhat close to the 7 mag. Stick with bullets up to 150 in the ackley for milder recoil (plus not sure what your twist is). I also have a 280 ackley and a 300 wm, I wanted enough seperation between cartridges to make it worth while.

I'd keep your sendero as is first but step up to the 215 berger and H1000 as jwall mentioned, but don't bother braking it in case you later change your mind. With a 10 twist you will stabilize the big bergers, I do with my 10 twist 26" mil spec remington. Get them around .020-.030 off and work up the H1000, they are stupid accurate. I haven't braked mine, just a limbsaver pad.