Sendero as a starting point?

[roninflag]

Thanks again every body so much for all the imput. FEENIX dont worry I definately will get out and get a gun but I'm just one of those people who spends lots of time researching before any purchase. I suppose the whole idea of an impulse buy is foriegn to me lol, but I definately agree that the most important thing is getting out there with a rifle and practicing.

Thank you guys so much I definately will go with the sendero. I am a big fan of the 700 action and I'm glad that there is so much praise for an out of the box rifle. What bullets would you guys recommend? I've had my eyes on the Berger 168gr and the 180gr mostly because of the bc but are there any other high bc bullets that I should know about? How have the Bergers performed for those of you who use them?

Sorry to change gears on you guys but the glass to go with it is still a toss up in my mind. Are there any particular scopes I should be looking to adorn this rifle with? What are the general price ranges I'll be looking at with these scopes? I don't neccesarily need the best but I definately want good solid quality and most importantly repeatability...and some practice messing with adjustable turrets would probably do me some good too.

Also, (and again please forgive my lack of knowledge I'm still new to building up a rifle) what breaks would you recommend if I need one at all? How much do they really improve recoil? Are there any draw backs to having one? Can I install it myself or will I need the aid of a gunsmith?

I know thats alot of questions but thank you for your imput and patience,
Sean

get a VAIS BRAKE. I would not shoot a magnum without it. 50% decrease in recoil. wear muffs and puffs when you shoot. bullets - you can fuss around and try 162 max or a 140 berger . really the 168 is all you need. scopes- get one with a side focus. like i said i use leup VX-3. they are awesome . i have a couple of bushnell 4200 6-24 they work fine. the burris ring with the inserts are inexpensive and you can get a 10 moa cant out them. i shoot norma brass out of one and nosler brass out of the other.

 

[Smoke]

I had a sendero in 7mm rem mag. My particular gun didn't shoot very well out of the box because the barrel was misaligned and touching the stock resulting in 1.5" groups at 100yrds. I opted to sell the rifle instead of correctly bedding it. I also have the same rifle in 22-250 and it consistently shoots 1/2 moa groups out to 300yrds! I've won several shoots at our local club with that particular rifle. I think you can't go wrong with the sendero. I think i had a lemon.

 

[kweidner]

I have one in 220 swift. Love it....mine is the vssf though. One ragged hole accurate @ 100. I have many many groups to prove it.

 

[ATH]

A Sendero will make you reconsider the need to spend the coin on a custom gun. At the ranges you can shoot game with the calibers they are chambered in, there will be no need to go custom for hunting purposes. I've shot mine in 300WM plenty out to 900 yards, it's .5-.75 MOA at any range with optimized handloads.

Until this year it was entirely factory. I finally swapped out the trigger for a Kepplinger single set trigger. I just couldn't get the factory trigger quite as light as I liked (safely), and I got spoiled on target triggers on Anschutz target rifles and now CZ set triggers.

 

[roninflag]

My 7 mag is shooting about 5/8" to 3/4" groups and I haven't finished working on loads. I would like to see what a real marksman could do with it. They are heavy but they are balanced and handle and shoot good. Did I mention they are heaavvvvvvy. Would hate to have to carry it all day in rough country.
Am currently shooting 150 BT with IMR 4350 powder.

alfred: i feel the senderos are more of a med weight especailly the stainless fluted ones. i toook my 7mmrem mag on a rocky mtn bighorn sheep hunt. we hiked over a 9000' pass. it was minus 9 degrees the last day. one shot 296 yards.

 

[Alfred Crouch]

Roy, I guess gun weight is relative. Since I am used to hunting with 7 to 7.5 lb. rifles a Sendero is a bit on the heavy side. I find it has a bit of a bulky feel as well with the pistol grip swell and large fore end ..... not used to it. It is certainly not to the point of not being usable. It is well balanced and it sure shoots good. I love the feel of shooting it.

What size groups are you able to get with your 7 mag.

-9 degrees ....... Brrrrr ........ makes me shiver to think about it.

 

[roninflag]

alfred- i have rem 700 titanium. much more suited to mtn hunting. i got good groups at 100 yards . but not at 200. from titanium i knew where the bighorns live it may call for along shot. the 7mm sendero shoots less than 1/2 inch at 100 yards less than 2 inches at 200 . prior to the hunt in order to check the kenton knobb we went to 558 and 767 yards the groups were a little over 3 inches and a little over 4 inches respectively

 

[meatyrem]

Thanks you guys! Since you mentioned you replaced the trigger it just got me wondering if the factory trigger is adjustable at all or should that be one of the costs that I immediately account for in planning my build?

And since we brought up scopes I've been looking around quite a bit at them and I definately have found NF to have a good reputation, but that reputation also comes with a price that is currently outside of my budget.

Im looking more in the $1000 range for scopes and in that range Im looking to get the most scope while keeping good reliability. Ive heard good things about the Vortex Viper PST though Im not sure whether to go with more magnification or more elevation adjustment (I suppose i would need the bullistic charts for a gun i dont own yet to decide).

Thats just another option Ive heard about for glass and if there are any others to be considered/compared or any experience/opinions on the ones mentioned or to be mentioned throw it out there all info is more than welcome

Thanks again,
Sean

I too have a sendero II. But cant help with performance as I have not shot it yet. i would recommend leupold for optics. Ive had great performance with them, and also a custom 50 BMG rifle builder mentioned to me that he was a nightforce optics dealer and yet he would recommend the leupold over the nightforce. The new remingtons are equiped with the x mark pro triggers which are externally adjustable that are better than the original rem triggers. I hope this helps.

 

[Alfred Crouch]

Roy, That is good shooting.

Another factor I find entering into the mix is that the further I move from the "young whipper snapper" category and into the "old foggey" category the heavier guns seem to get .....

 

[younggun]

just been kinda browsing 7mm bullets and berger's 180gr hunting vld has caught my attention just wondering if its as good at dropping big game in their tracks as it is for putting holes in paper

 

[roninflag]

Sean- i believe best of the west uses the 180 with h-1000 not sure. my next up hunts are coues whitetail ( they are dinks like 65 pounds ) and wolf ( 120 pounds ) so i am going the other way to a 140. i have shot a few out of a winchester laredo model 70 ( that i used to have) they shot ok but it did not have a break and it kicked a lot. i still have 80 or so left. the 168s do all i need.

 

[younggun]

thats what im debating between is having the 168gr as an all around bullet for antelope and mule deer (more than enough) and elk (arguably just enough) or to have two different setups either with the 140gr and 180gr or the 168gr and 180gr. I do plan on installing a break so i dont think the recoil from the 180gr will be a hinderance with that on and if its thats the case it would be halfway tempting depending on the velocities achieved with the 180 it would be tempting to just use that as an all around bullet...even tho i am concerned with spoiling a little too much meat on the antelope. after all the goal is to knock it down not pick it up and carry it away. does anyone have any thoughts on that one? i suppose the reason the 180 is so attractive is that .67 or so bc on a hunting bullet which when combined with that weight it has quite the energy over quite the distance

any thoughts?

 

[Dr. Vette]

I've got a Sendero in 7mm Rem mag, and my other main rifle is a 7mm Wby mag. The Sendero weighs enough that I am not bothered by the recoil - and this is with a "not quite perfect" rotator cuff due to a car accident many years ago. With a shoulder recoil pad I have shot many rounds out of my Sendero with zero issues, and the Wby really isn't bad either. The Sendero is currently shooting 140 and 168 grain bullets with no noticeable difference in recoil.

So, I would not let the bullet weight affect your decision with regard to recoil. Pick the bullet you like, and go from there.

FYI, using the Wby with 154, 160 and 175 grain bullets Dad and I have taken elk and deer with zero issues. These are more than "arguably just enough" in case you wondered.

 

[younggun]

but do notice i said "arguably" ive taken elk at 300 yds with my 270 and 150gr bullets running them hot right at 3000 fps but im looking for longer range applications. hence the indecision on whether to go all out with the 180s or sit back just a little with the 168s to keep the 50yd antelope in at least big pieces