Factory ammo recommendations -- help!

[Brydawg512]

Hello all,

The rifle is an older, wood stock Winchester Model 70 in 7mm rem mag. I am looking for factory ammo recommendations capable of MAX 650-700 yard shots on the game I hunt (includes deer, elk, bear, cougar). It would also be enjoyable if I could plink with this gun out to about the 1,000 yard mark as well. Need to test my twist rate, but I'm assuming a 1:9.25.

Please let me know your recommendations!

Thank you.

 

[WeiserBucks]

What you're looking for doesn't exist. Welcome to the realm of handloading.

 

[ShtrRdy]

That rifle may not be capable of doing what you're asking even if you found the best load for it. If you don't reload you will just have to buy different brands/types on ammunition to try. Make sure to buy something with a quality bullet.

 

[Brydawg512]

What you're looking for doesn't exist. Welcome to the realm of handloading.

I'd prefer handloading, just very lost as to where to start. I'd like to stay on the "cheaper" side as much as possible in regard to the equipment needed. I have no idea what equipment I need to start, how to load... the whole nine. Extremely new to all of this.

 

[Brydawg512]

That rifle may not be capable of doing what you're asking even if you found the best load for it. If you don't reload you will just have to buy different brands/types on ammunition to try. Make sure to buy something with a quality bullet.

What is it that would make the rifle incapable of reaching this goal? Thinking long and hard about my options.

 

[dwightb]

HSM is about the only thing close to handloads. I have never shot it but it was recommended by a very accurate rifle maker.

 

[257Tony]

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...mm-remington-magnum-162-grain-eld-x-box-of-20

This should carry enough velocity to 700. Now wether your rifle will shoot it accurate or not....

 

[Bravo 4]

Tony you beat me to it!

A buddy just got a new Remington 700 Long Range and I'm gonna be trying out the Hornady 162 ELD-X Precision Hunter. We have had great results from his and another buddy's 6.5 Creedmoor with the Hornady factory ammo out to 800 yards. The way they shoot you would be hard pressed to do better with handloads...except for price per shot.

 

[ShtrRdy]

I had an older Rem 700 in 7mm Mag that I used for hunting. It would put the first shot in one location and the next couple shots in another location. If I fired it more than that during the same session it would start stringing shots. I ended up getting the action squared up and a good barrel installed. Now it puts the first shot and several additional shots in the same group. While I was at it I had it chambered in 300 Win Mag.

It's a 3/4 moa gun when I shoot off the bench. Off of shooting sticks with me at the controls it's more like a 1.5 moa gun. I figure in a hunting situation I should double that to 3 moa. Figure a kill zone on an elk is 15" and I've got a 500 yd limit I should hold myself to.

Your situation could be very different. Maybe your rifle won't have the cold bore problem or the stinging problem. Maybe it'll shoot 1.5 moa groups off a bench. And your a better shooter than I so you don't need as much safety factor as me.

I have a different rifle I like to use for longer distances. When I was first working on being able to shoot out go 1000 yds I got to where I could hit a target at 100 yards within 1/2" of where I was aiming from the suported prone position, (1" group). This was the result of a gun and ammo capable of 1/2 moa and me that had 1/2 moa of consistancy. This would translate to being able to hit within 5" of where I was aiming at 1000 yards, (10" group), if everything else was perfect.

 

[Brydawg512]

I had an older Rem 700 in 7mm Mag that I used for hunting. It would put the first shot in one location and the next couple shots in another location. If I fired it more than that during the same session it would start stringing shots. I ended up getting the action squared up and a good barrel installed. Now it puts the first shot and several additional shots in the same group. While I was at it I had it chambered in 300 Win Mag.

It's a 3/4 moa gun when I shoot off the bench. Off of shooting sticks with me at the controls it's more like a 1.5 moa gun. I figure in a hunting situation I should double that to 3 moa. Figure a kill zone on an elk is 15" and I've got a 500 yd limit I should hold myself to.

Your situation could be very different. Maybe your rifle won't have the cold bore problem or the stinging problem. Maybe it'll shoot 1.5 moa groups off a bench. And your a better shooter than I so you don't need as much safety factor as me.

Understood. So, it sounds like it'll just be a matter of trial and error to see if this rifle is capable of accurate shots out to a longer range.

 

[ShtrRdy]

Understood. So, it sounds like it'll just be a matter of trial and error to see if this rifle is capable of accurate shots out to a longer range.

Yes. Maybe you have a sweet shooter. It is a Winchester so it's possible. As Bavo 4 pointed out you might have good results with Hornady ELD-X ammo.

If your rifle were to not have the cold bore problem or stringing problem then it would be worth trying some changes to the rifle. Bedding the stock or a different stock. Changing the trigger. Going over the optics mounting and scope. Things have to be working really well to get into that solid "less than 1 moa" performance.

Good luck with the journey. ;-)

 

[Deviant]

Ive had good luck with Black Hills ammo in the past but it was a 338 Lapua.

 

[Brydawg512]

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...mm-remington-magnum-162-grain-eld-x-box-of-20

This should carry enough velocity to 700. Now wether your rifle will shoot it accurate or not....

Thank you for the recommendation. Can I ask, what aspects of the rifle would make it not shoot accurately? Is it just a matter of bedding the stock and a new barrel/rebarreling? Sorry, very new to all of this.

Guess what my big question is is do I need to buy a new gun for this goal or am I able to modify what I have?

 

[ShtrRdy]

Try what you have first. Have you had this rifle for a while such that you know what it can do?