7mm WSM or 28 Nosler Build?

[Hiwayman92]

I'm having a weak moment. I've been in the process of building a rifle for about a year now, and it's finally all at the smith. Here's my dilemma. I've squirreled away 250 new Winchester 7mm WSM brass (new.) I've started reading about the 28 Nosler, and am very intrigued. I'm hoping to push 175 ABLR's at 2950 out of the WSM, but I could do that with the 28 Nosler very easily, and it looks like I could add 150-200 FPS when comparing load for load. Will barrel life be a lot less on the Nosler? This is going to be a long range hunting gun, not an every weekend shooter. Also, Nosler brass looks VERY expensive for the 28... but available. 7mm WSM brass looks to be about impossible to find, however I have 250 brand new ready to go that I'm sure somebody would pay close to what the Nosler brass would be, or trade me... What do you guys think? The parts I have amassed are: Manners EH-1, Benchmark #3 27" fluted, their Mini Miller Brake, and a will-be trued remington 700 LA. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Jordan Smith]

I'd stick with what you've got. All the downsides you've listed to the 28 Nosler are real (more powder burned means shorter barrel life, and expensive brass). In addition, WSM brass is very durable. You could probably sell off 150 pieces of what you have, and still be left with enough to burn out that barrel. The return on investment in powder burned to velocity gained goes downhill fast once you get up passed the 7WSM.

 

[Hiwayman92]

You may be right. I've already bought the Wyatt CFE 13 mag box for the WSM, and it sounds like I would have to mill out the receiver for the 28 Nosler... it would suck to have a fresh gun and be unable to hit the lands with 195's. I should probably stick with the 175 ablr's in the WSM, and have all the length room I could ever need. .. but the Nosler just sounds so cool! My buddy said if I was thinking about the Nosler I should just do a STW, because brass is everywhere and they are ballistics wise almost identical. This just gets harder and harder!

 

[Jordan Smith]

I'm pushing the 195 to 2850 in my WSM's. It's a lot of bite for relatively little bark

 

[Hiwayman92]

I'm pushing the 195 to 2850 in my WSM's. It's a lot of bite for relatively little bark

Would you share your load info? There's definitely nothing wrong with that velocity... According to Berger's twist calculator I should be fine with a 1:9 barrel above 3,000 feet. Everything I hunt here is 8000-10,000'. My only exception would be Alaska, but before I have the money for that hunt I'll have burned 3 barrels...

 

[Jordan Smith]

Krieger 26" 8T barrel
OAL 3.200"
65gr 7828ssc (slow lot, work up!)
Prepped and turned WW .300WSM brass
CCI250

I also run it in my 9.5T Kimber Montana 7WSM at a shorter OAL, and it stabilizes fine at 3500'.

 

[Trm82]

I'm having a weak moment. I've been in the process of building a rifle for about a year now, and it's finally all at the smith. Here's my dilemma. I've squirreled away 250 new Winchester 7mm WSM brass (new.) I've started reading about the 28 Nosler, and am very intrigued. I'm hoping to push 175 ABLR's at 2950 out of the WSM, but I could do that with the 28 Nosler very easily, and it looks like I could add 150-200 FPS when comparing load for load. Will barrel life be a lot less on the Nosler? This is going to be a long range hunting gun, not an every weekend shooter. Also, Nosler brass looks VERY expensive for the 28... but available. 7mm WSM brass looks to be about impossible to find, however I have 250 brand new ready to go that I'm sure somebody would pay close to what the Nosler brass would be, or trade me... What do you guys think? The parts I have amassed are: Manners EH-1, Benchmark #3 27" fluted, their Mini Miller Brake, and a will-be trued remington 700 LA. Thanks for the feedback!

The 28 is fun to shoot and you can easily do 3150-3200fps with 175's . I am on my second 28 since last spring and it is very impressive.
Who really cares about barrel life it will be your hunting rifle. Even if you shot it 100 rds a year it would probably last 10 years or longer. You have all the rigging to build the 7wsm or the 28 you just need to decide what works best for you.
I am currently shootng 160 ab at 3300 and my buddy has one built on a rem 700 and he shoots a 180 vld at 3220.

 

[Iron Worker]

I have a 7mm WSM it's a horrible cartridge.When you decide to let that rotten horrible brass go. Send me a PM . Let me remind you if you shoot an Elk with the 28 Nosler ,it will be deader than being shot by the WSM .

 

[Jordan Smith]

Trm,

A "long range hunting gun" still needs to get shot enough so the OP is proficient with it at long range. That's usually a lot more than 100 rounds a year...

 

[shortgrass]

You may be right. I've already bought the Wyatt CFE 13 mag box for the WSM, and it sounds like I would have to mill out the receiver for the 28 Nosler... it would suck to have a fresh gun and be unable to hit the lands with 195's. I should probably stick with the 175 ablr's in the WSM, and have all the length room I could ever need. .. but the Nosler just sounds so cool! My buddy said if I was thinking about the Nosler I should just do a STW, because brass is everywhere and they are ballistics wise almost identical. This just gets harder and harder!

I could use some of that STW brass that's "everywhere". Please, send me a PM letting me know 'where',, 'cause I can't seem to find any Rem. head stamp and , like you, I'm hesitant to pay the price for Nosler. 50 pieces of "new" would be all I'd need!

 

[KYpatriot]

28 nosler. I considered every 7mm available at the time for a custom build, and went with the 7 rem mag, as it was just a little faster than the 7 wsm with heavies. Had the 28 been an option I would have done that.

If you are worried about barrel life, then shoot a 308 trainer and shoot your custom 7 just enough to develop a load, validate trajectory, and hunt. Or Have two barrels smithed at once. Most misses at range are bad wind calls and shooter position building errors, and you can practice those with another rifle. In fact, it is easier to learn to dope the wind with a poor performing wind cartridge like the 308.

There isnt much difference incrementally between the 284win and the 7rsaum, the 7rsaum and the 7wsm, the 7 wsm and the 7rem mag, the 7 rem mag and the STW, and the STW and the 28nosler. Yet, there is a LOT of difference between the 284 and the 28 Nosler.

In the end, hits at long range will depend on your consistency at the rifle, your load development ability, and most of all your wind calling ability, and given the world class performance of any of the those cartridges with the amazing 7mm heavies available today, which one you choose is probably not even in the top ten list of concerns when engaging long range targets.

 

[Str8shooterTX]

7lrm?

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

How about neither....why drive yourself crazy trying to find brass in the future, I can't even imagine what it's going to be like in ten years/twenty years...it's not like your going gain all that much over the time tested 7mm RM.. It's just not worth going nuts over an the expense will be and is ridiculous for 200 fps..... Availability of brass in the future I going to cause lots of thought on new builds, I feel sorry every time I see someone on here begging for of brass when they could have prevented the problem themselves, think BEFORE you leap !!!

 

[mgood]

My buddy said if I was thinking about the Nosler I should just do a STW, because brass is everywhere and they are ballistics wise almost identical.

I have an 8mm Rem Mag (parent case of 7mm STW). Brass is not that easy to come by. $3+/piece for Nosler 8RM brass.