7mm Rem Mag best for FClass & Hunting?

[sevenmm]

Greetings from OZ. I am new to the forum, but have been following LRH magazine for a while, so I thought I'd actually join.

I am a long range F-Class shooter and normally use a 308win for our F-Class Standard matches here in Australia. I have been shooting competitively for only 12 months and am getting pretty good results thus far, however a lot of guys over here are following the US trend of going to F-Class Open - these guys are using everything from 6mm Dashers to 284 Win, 300 Win Mags etc, but not too many are using the old tried and proven 7mm Rem Mag.

I have an old 7mm Rem Mag Sendero, which I am re-furbishing (new stainless barrel, Jewell Trigger) and intend on using it in F Open as well as long range hunting (feral goats and deer).

I'd love to hear what you guys in the US think of the 7mm Rem Mag for long range target shooting and hunting ? I mean what are your experiences in terms of this calibre being effective for hunting and being competitive out to 1000m?

 

[BountyHunter]

IF you are going to shoot Fclass Open, rebarrel it to 7 RSAUM and throat for 180s or the new berger 195s

 

[MudRunner2005]

I think it will be an interesting poker. I have loved and hunted with the 7mmRM since about 2002. The caliber is the best all-around hunting caliber I have ever seen.

I would be quite interested (and enthused) to see someone using a 7mm in competitions (and hopefully dominating) these days, since the 6.5's have taken over.

Keep us posted, you have my support.

 

[mitch260]

I know Bryan Litz used one for Prone competition when he was first starting. I met a guy that uses a 280 AI but never a 7mm remington mag. I was under the impression that F-T/R is growing faster than F-open is here, but I know F-Class is growing in general.

 

[sevenmm]

Thanks guys - I have used my old Sendero for many years for hunting and it has dispatched pretty much evrything here (other than NT Buffalo).

The 6mm's are very popular here too, but I just can't understand why the 7mm Rem Mag hasn't caught on.

Any other long range/ F-Class experiences out there ?

 

[KYpatriot]

The 7 rm will give you excellent performance, and more velocity with the 180 hybrid than the rsaum, or wsm or 280 ai. If you are going to throat a short action round " long" for the 180s then you will need a long action. If you are going to build a long action you might as well go ahead and take advantage of the extra case capacity of the 7 rm.

The 195s are not in sight...and with these high performance rounds with barrel life on the short side i like to chamber up two barrels at once. But if you go with a high performance 7 mm i would order an 8.5 twist.
The difference between the 7 rm and the 308 will be like night and day. You are gonna love it.

 

[sevenmm]

Thanks KYPatriot - my current rig shoots pretty well (about .4MOA) at 100m, however I am going with a new 28inch stainless barrel & jewell trigger so hopefully it goes well.

Thinking of actually using 180gn VLD Berger and ADI 2213SC powder?

 

[dsculley]

I currently hunt with a 7mm RM and plan to rebarrel it this winter with plans to try the F-Open this spring. I have had some say that the recoil may be too much for the long strings, but i have mine in a stock I made of African Mahogany with a Limbsaver recoil pad and recoil has not been bad. Keep us posted with your results and I will do likewise as I get mine built.

By the way, I am in south Alabama.

Dennis

 

[Stu76x]

I have done some load work late last year with the 7mm rem mag and 180gr berger hunting, I found 2217 to be my powder of choice. The rifle is a standard rem700 BDL WITH 24" barrel and only used for hunting.
My final load is 68.5gr 2217, 87mm OAL @ 2850fps 0.5MOA. I am yet to take any game with this load yet.

 

[sevenmm]

gun) Thanks Dennis and Stu76x. I will keep you in the loop once I have the gun re-finished. Should be done by end of Feb.

Dennis, you'd have some nice hunting options in South Alabama, lots of different species of deer?

 

[tim_w]

If I had to pick my favorite do most everything well cartridge if would be the 7 RM. After the first long hunt with one I was hooked. Before that I had been a 30 cal man thru and thru. 20 yrs later and I still love the 7 RM. It has handled everything from deer, large hogs, elk and even 2 moose (one was my uncles, shot with my gun)

With that said I would be hard pressed not to take a shot at F class with a 6mm. Get those 105 hybrids over 3200 fps and they are laser beams. The creedmore has sure taken over the tactical matches because of the max m-vel rules to keep from punching holes in the steel (set @ 3200fps) but before that you had cartridges pushing 3400 that were still getting decent barrel life (2500-3500rd) even with the fast pace shooting. 3300-3400fps / 26"-28" BL. That would have you at well under 6 mil @ 1K with a 100 yd zero .

For me if recoil was not an issue and I wanted only one rifle for both I would lean where I thought I was going to get the most use out of it Fclass or hunting. If its the later I would go with 7 RM if not ..........hmmm

 

[tim_w]

double post

 

[roninflag]

i have shot the sendero in 7mm ; 264 and 300 wm in f-class. they all do well, a little light in weight and heavy on recoil. all capable. most definetly the 7 rm.

 

[nosualc]

7RM is a great hunting round.

Pretty rare to see one on an F-Class firing line. Most of the 1k guys I know of use a .284 Win (or improved versions thereof), SAUMs or WSMs. At mid-range (300-600), 6BRs (or improved wildcats there of, like the BRX, Dasher) currently rule the roost.

Shorter, fatter cases with shorter fatter powder columns. No belts.

You can certainly shoot a 7RM in F-Open, but it'd be hard to be competitive.

-nosualc