7mm/300 wsm or 7mm SAUM?

What 7mm is best for me?

  • 7mm SAUM

    Votes: 177 38.4%
  • 7mm/300 WSM

    Votes: 120 26.0%
  • 7mm WSM

    Votes: 164 35.6%

  • Total voters
    461
I went with the 7 SAUM for my custom build last year. I wanted to have a rifle that not everyone knew about. You will never notice the small velocity difference between the two, but you will notice the difference in powder consumption after a while. The SAUM is very accurate as well. So far, my best group at 600 yds is
1 3/8" with 168 Bergers and RL17 running around 3025 fps. Good shooting days are hard to find around here. I also put a CSR muzzle brake on it and I can spot hits at 300 yds.
 
I went with the 7 SAUM for my custom build last year. I wanted to have a rifle that not everyone knew about. You will never notice the small velocity difference between the two, but you will notice the difference in powder consumption after a while. The SAUM is very accurate as well. So far, my best group at 600 yds is
1 3/8" with 168 Bergers and RL17 running around 3025 fps. Good shooting days are hard to find around here. I also put a CSR muzzle brake on it and I can spot hits at 300 yds.

I noticed somewhere else that you said you had a 270 wsm. I ran the numbers comparing the 270 wsm and the 7mm saum. With 140 gr accobonds and the 270 wins. the 270 wsm at 2850 using the 169.5 wildcats its substantially better. I didnt compare the 7mm saum using bergers though. Run the numbers if you want the wildcats have a .740 BC and you would no better about what velocity you could reach I guessed at 2850, it can probablt do betterthan that. It appears the 270 wsm using wildcats it far superior to anything that the 7 saum can do. Tell me if Im wrong though. Thanks
 
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I noticed somewhere else that you said you had a 270 wsm. I ran the numbers comparing the 270 wsm and the 7mm saum. With 140 gr accobonds and the 270 wins. the 270 wsm at 2850 using the 169.5 wildcats its substantially better. I didnt compare the 7mm saum using bergers though. Run the numbers if you want the wildcats have a .740 BC and you would no better about what velocity you could reach I guessed at 2850, it can probablt do betterthan that. It appears the 270 wsm using wildcats it far superior to anything that the 7 saum can do. Tell me if Im wrong though. Thanks


The only rifle I own (for now anyway) is my custom 7 SAUM. Before I had it built last summer, I was considering the 270 WSM but was not impressed on the available bullet selection for the 270. I say available bullets referring to ones that are easily purchased. I didn't want to have a rifle built around a bullet/cartridge combination that were hard to find when needed. Don't get me wrong, I think the 270 WSM or 270 SAUM would be excellent when matched with the 169 WC and a 28" barrel. I had a hard enough time finding primers, I didn't want the same trouble finding bullets.
My rifle loves the 162 A-max much better than the 168 or 180 Bergers. I'm pushing them to 3057 fps with excellent accuracy and a .5 gr of H1000 below pressure signs. With a 28" barrel and the 270 WSM/SAUM with the 169 WC I'd guess you could push them around 2950-3000 fps. That would be a great combination. If the WC 6.5 or 270 bullets become available I was looking at re-barreling my rifle for my wife and building a bigger one for me.
 
I have loaded and hunted with 7mm wsm and the 7mm saum, for me there is no differance in shooting / hunting. They both work GREAT.

The 7mm saum is easier to reload though. The case fits the shell holser better and seems to go through the dies smoother (with less effort). Perhaps this is due to my 7 saum is in a custom barrel and all, but still ...

Side notes: All of my 7 saum brass is 300 saum necked down to 7mm. The 7 wsm brass was over the counter Winchester headstamp 7mm wsm.

Usually I take my Browning 7 saum to go hunting because it is more all-weather than my other big game rifles. In snow, rain, or whatever, it refuses to rust. That is so cool.

So, saum or wsm; just do it. There are no bad choices here.:D
 
All 3 are good, I put together a 7-300WSM last year on a trued and timed Savage action with a 27" Brux 5 contour barrel.

I get 2950fps with a 180 Berger and H1000, but that is a hot load. Groups run .5-.6 MOA way on out there.

I would have built a straight up 7WSM but I really didn't want to use Winchester brass. If you don't mind the extra sorting involved then go for it. If Norma or Lapua ever make 7WSM brass then this becomes the easy choice to me.

I would only consider the 7SAUM if you want to shoot the 168gr bullets. for the 180s go with the higher capacity cases.
 
I'll gladly use 7 WSM brass. As soon as Norma or Lapua makes some.:D

I hear you.

I like the Lapua brass best of all but I have many calibers that they don't make brass for so
I fall back on the old method of prepping and weight sorting for consistency.

I don't particularly like Winchester brass but have had good luck and accuracy after careful
sorting and only lose 2 or 3% of the cases. At 1/2 the cost If I lost 50% of the cases It would
come out about the same cost except the quality and durability would not be there.

There is little difference between the 7mm/300, 7WSM and the 7 Saum in performance so
it is a personal choice. I try to stay away from wildcats unless they offer something that
a factory chambering doesn't because of available ammo and head stamp.

Don't get me wrong I like a lot of the wildcats and have many, but they do come with there
share of problems.

Recently a friend show up at deer camp with the wrong ammo for his rifle because of the
head stamp and being a wild cat he could not purchase any. so after much ribbing and stalling
I loaned him one of my rifles. (I'll bet he won't do that again).

Anyway ; for simplicity I would recommend the 7 Saum or the 7 WSM in spite of the available
brass quality.

J E CUSTOM
 
The 7mm wsm is a barn-burner. Look it up on 6mmbr. Some brit just set a 1000 yd world record with 180vld's I think. You'll get the most speed out of the wsm's. In the world of long range accuracy, speed only helps. Make sure you get a twist that can handle big bullets too!!! Good luck!
 
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