Short action magnums

7/6.5PRC...... Lapua makes great brass that is tougher than a boot. The Berger 180 Hybrids is the perfect fit for accuracy/velocity with a plethora of powders. Necking up to 7mm from 6.5 is a simple one pass process.

300wsm....Brass isn't that tough to find...Norma and ADG are the top two choices with Bertram brass being a distant third IMO. You can scream 180's or plug along with a ton of down range energy with the 230's. Stupid accurate cartridge.

7/270wsm or 7/300wsm.....When you can find Norma 270wsm the juice is worth the squeeze....one easy pass with the expander mandrel and you have 7/270wsm brass. You can send Berger 180's at 3100 or the Berger 195's in the 2950ish range with normal temp stable powders. I'm not sure what kind of velocities you can get with some of the hot rod powders as I don't use those. Stupid accurate cartridge.
 
PRShooter said:
New member here and I need the posts anyways so figured I'd ask the big short action magnum debate. I have a spare short action origin with magnum bf in the safe. (If I had a long or medium action on hand I'd be using it) Wanting to build a SAM with hopes of one day booking an elk hunt. I want to shoot heavy for caliber bullets and still retain magazine feeding.

The 4 big on my list at the moment are:
#1 6.5-7 prcw-brass availability/choices is awesome but I really don't want to deal with donuts and neck turn/ream
#2 7saum-brass availability is hit or miss
#3 7sst-same as saum, limited brass
#4 6.8 western-same thing, brass limited

Don't just say the 300wsm is the best thing since sliced bread. I'd like some personal experiences and why one would lean towards 1 vs the other. Thanks in advance.
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I would never try to sway anyone toward or away from a direction they want to follow. For me the 300 WSM was 'IT' for me. I've owned quite a few, factory and custom. I am currently building on a Win 70 CRF Stainless, an 8.5 twist 24" Rock Creek Carbon, and Nosler brass is my choice. This Rifle will be throated for 210 Bergers. Just prepped all brass and loads this week. I shot a former colleagues gun in almost exact the configuration last year, making small rocks out of big rocks at 1200 yards. I am quite impressed with this particular, caliber and cartridge setup. For me, a lightweight rifle for hunting in mountainous terrain, or across the coolies of eastern Montana is an extremely hard combination to beat. I have always been someone who is not so much a cartridge fan, more a projectile fan. Ballistics, after all, is a three-way game. Internal, external, and terminal. The latter is most important for me. A cartridge is merely a suitcase for that projectiles journey. Alas, at the end of the day, unless you make your own, most of us are relegated to choosing 'that' luggage from the available isle. I am a firm believer in the fact that almost any cartridge, and a quality set up, can be made to shoot accurately. The end result should be in the beginning of your search. Start with the target at the maximum distance that you plan to engage and reduce that target to the highest percentage of the time. Decide how much terminal performance you require at that distance to accomplish the task, and that should put you on the pathway to achieving that ballistic goal. It's at that point you can begin to formulate what your system will ultimately look like in size, weight, and length based upon what you can do with the components available today. I've decided on mine, and have begun the journey 😎. I wish you success in yours. Please PM me as you go.
 
I think you're thinking about this backwards. Who cares what the cartridge is? Pick a bullet, then figure out the speed, then determine your barrel length and the cartridge list will be significantly narrowed down for you.

Now, saying all that 300wsm has Norma, Nosler and ADG brass, I shoot 155's at 3260 in a 24" barrel. There isn't much that can stand it and it's fast enough that out to 800 it takes a significant wind for it to even matter. My next one will be a 20" barrel because I'm addicted to hunting suppressed.

Good luck…but pick your bullet, then figure out what cartridge will do what you want.
 
"Short action" is relative to what you're shooting in them. I've had three 300wsm's. My CA in 300wsm is shooting 185 Berger VLD-H .007" off the lands and capable of feeding reliably out of the standard setup. My Remington 700 I converted from 308 to 300wsm I could never get to shoot the Bergers other than single due to mag length hindering the performance I was after. I've had the same issue with the 6.5PRC on a SA with 140 VLD-H's. I'm currently working on a 6.5PRC load for 140 Sierra TGK to mag length….fingers crossed. I don't mind a single shot honesty but may be something you can't live with. Where I hunt it's usually one well placed shot and down. Usually if a second shot is called for they've disappeared into brush again anyway. I don't regret either cartridge just hindered by mag length. Both smack the tar out of everything I've shot at.
 
I built a 6.5SST back when I wanted a 6.5mm magnum because I felt like the PRC is a compromise in a short action that results in too narrow a margin of seating depth = mag fitment and controlled jump to the lands.

Result: It's been amazing and I'm very happy with my choice. It shoots the same speed as everyone else's 6.5 PRC and SAUMs. Brass has been: buy, load, shoot. Too easy. Great quality. Not cheap but I shoot 25rds a year out of it. I way overbought brass at $2.25 a pc. I think I have like 300 - 400 pcs. I don't even know anymore; still working my way through the first 50.

I thought about doing a 7SST on a super light short action. I'd almost do a 7-08 but I don't want to struggle with OAL and low velocity/ high pressure issues. I think the 7 SST would be perfect for the guy that doesn't feel like he needs to compete with the 7PRC for velocity but wants a little more juice than the 7-08. I bet it would be like loading the 6.5SST in terms of load and go as long as you believe in running a mandrel through virgin brass and chamfering before shooting. Yeah, the brass isn't cheap but 200pcs would last you a lifetime and you should focus on real problems. Finding large rifle magnum primers. Good luck!

Oh, and just do a 1:8" barrel and forget about high BC cup and core bullets. Commit to solid copper monos.
 
In my book, a dedicated elk gun should be .284 on up. I'd go 300wsm for more frontal area even if you give up some BC.

I've personally killed about 10 of them and am "done" with anything smaller than 30 cal. Although I'd gladly hunt with a .284 (I used a .264 on my bull last year) if that's what I had. Since you are building new and don't have the gun yet, move up from 6.5 and 6.8.
 
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If, built "Right" you won't be, Unhappy with,.. a 7 RSAUM.
Don't go too short on Barrel, 22" is Minimum, in My Book.
First bullet I'd try, would be the 175 gr Elite Hunter, Berger THEN, the 175 ELD-X, as BOTH will "Kill" Elk,.. really well !
Put out some Back Orders for ADG Brass at all, the Regular suppliers ( Buy 200 Rounds of Brass ).
Buy a set of, Forster Dies and Hone the Neck area out for exactly, the Bullet "Tension",.. you want !
There's NO need for, the expander Ball, after Dies are Honed out, Bullet concentricity is,.. Minimal ( less than .002 TIR )
 
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What are you looking to hunt with it? Everything from deer to elk?

I have a 270wsm that has killed multiple deer at various ranges as well as multiple elk, shooting 140 AB at 3200fps. Is it the best caliber, no I honestly think that there are other calibers out there that have better performance. However, it is an option on a short action and they shoot very well.

Best of luck on your build!!
 
shedhunt said:
What are you looking to hunt with it? Everything from deer to elk?

I have a 270wsm that has killed multiple deer at various ranges as well as multiple elk, shooting 140 AB at 3200fps. Is it the best caliber, no I honestly think that there are other calibers out there that have better performance. However, it is an option on a short action and they shoot very well.

Best of luck on your build!!
Click to expand...
I'm building this rifle up solely with the intention of going west for an elk and/or mule deer hunt. I'll likely only get the opportunity to do it a handful of times if that which is why I wanted to stick with an action I already have and use with other short action calibers. If I were to ever move to an area where I hunted elk terrain yearly then I'd be looking at the build completely differently. In my area of east tn/swva I'm lucky to get a shot past 150yrds on whitetail and I have other rifles for that job. (I typically bow hunt majority of the season)
 
I have a couple SAUMs in the 6.5 and 7 variety. Gunwerks (as of yesterday) has brass available for the 7 that is new and assumed by most to be made by ADG…..I haven't found it hard to find either 7 or 6.5 ADG brass over the past few years. It will be $2 a piece but it is nice and very consistent and if you get on the backorder list it will be delivered in 6 months or less at the worst case. The 7 has taken a large bull elk and the 6.5 is humming along at 3100+ with the 140 class bergers. Both are in SA actions with an extended box where I can load to at least 2.950 so haven't felt too handicapped even with a 180 eldm load that I have for long range paper punching and rock crushing. They are all fun….get one then you will prob end up with a few others 👍
 

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