Best 7mm cartridge?

[Rockyshots]

Hey y'all I'm kinda new to shooting really far. I got a 6.5 PRC right now but I'm not really happy with the rifle and I was looking at getting a new one. I really like 7mm (Especially the 195gr EOL) I'm just curious what cartridge I should shoot. It's going to be a long range target gun (around a 1000) and my elk rifle. Any recommendations for cartridges or rifles? I was considering building one but I'm hesitant because I don't really know what I'm doing. (I was looking at 28 Nosler but the brass is expensive and I'm not quite sure if I need that much rifle)

 

[GoosePilot]

7mm blaser improved or 7mm Sherman max

 

[Backcountry sports]

Hey y'all I'm kinda new to shooting really far. I got a 6.5 PRC right now but I'm not really happy with the rifle and I was looking at getting a new one. I really like 7mm (Especially the 195gr EOL) I'm just curious what cartridge I should shoot. It's going to be a long range target gun (around a 1000) and my elk rifle. Any recommendations for cartridges or rifles? I was considering building one but I'm hesitant because I don't really know what I'm doing. (I was looking at 28 Nosler but the brass is expensive and I'm not quite sure if I need that much rifle)

I use 168 vld berger out to 1000 yds I've killed elk at 700yds no problem 195 vlds are fine also

 

[Rockyshots]

I use 168 vld berger out to 1000 yds I've killed elk at 700yds no problem 195 vlds are fine also

What cartridge are you shooting?

 

[JMW67]

Hey y'all I'm kinda new to shooting really far. I got a 6.5 PRC right now but I'm not really happy with the rifle and I was looking at getting a new one. I really like 7mm (Especially the 195gr EOL) I'm just curious what cartridge I should shoot. It's going to be a long range target gun (around a 1000) and my elk rifle. Any recommendations for cartridges or rifles? I was considering building one but I'm hesitant because I don't really know what I'm doing. (I was looking at 28 Nosler but the brass is expensive and I'm not quite sure if I need that much rifle)

I have been using a 7mm weatherby with a 8 twist 26 inch barrel and getting 2870 fps with the 195 plenty good to 1000

 

[WahooYahoo]

I'm putting things together for a 7 Sherman Max now. 14+ grains of powder less than my buddy's 28 Nosler will push the 195 only 50fps slower (his load is 84.x gr of n570=3100fps). Barrel life and brass life of the Nosler is a small fraction of the Max. And if you want to shoot the load above, you have to have a custom chamber in your Nosler, it was designed to shoot 162gr. If you push the 195 in that case, it is deep in the powder. As long as you're making a chamber, make it efficient

 

[DJ Fergus]

I like the two cartridges mentioned above. Im highly biased towards 7mm also. If you are going to buy a factory rifle, your choices narrow down. I think all of the 7mm fans have been long awaiting a mainstream 7mm cartridge based and designed around 180-195gr bullets and chambered in factory rifles. 28 nosler brass is very expressive. 7mm rem mag brass is very cheap but most factory twisted 7mm rm barrels are of marginal stability with >180s. As I said the Sherman series & blaser 7mm cartridges are very attractive. I don't have any useful advice as to where you would pick one of those up off of the shelf. Nosler makes 280 ai brass and I believe it is quite a bit cheaper than 28N. Several rifle manufactures are chambering in 280 ai but not ideally for 195s. 180s would probably be max in most 280ai rifles. If you do some research, it seems that the stepping up from 180 to 195 may not always be beneficial. I wish I could give you a straight up easy answer for your question. If you were going with a custom built rifle, answering would be a bit easier but I do understand your situation as probably no one ever started out with a custom built rifle.

 

[adam32]

Search the site...there was just a thread about this exact 7mm question.

 

[lancetkenyon]

28 Nosler will last you about 500-800 rounds of barrel life. NOT a long range target rifle if you plan on actually shooting it as your main rifle. Strictly a hunting round. And a mean one at that.
7RM or .280AI if you want a longer barrel life that will still get you a legitimate 1000+ steel ringer, and 800+ elk rifle.

 

[Backcountry sports]

28 Nosler will last you about 500-800 rounds of barrel life. NOT a long range target rifle if you plan on actually shooting it as your main rifle. Strictly a hunting round. And a mean one at that.
7RM or .280AI if you want a longer barrel life that will still get you a legitimate 1000+ steel ringer, and 800+ elk rifle.

Search the site...there was just a thread about this exact 7mm question.

At least get a 1 in 9 twist like my cooper 92

 

[B-LOT Banga]

A browning Xbolt Hells canyon will have a 1-8" twist in 7mm rem mag that will handle your Berger 195 with ease and you can find once fired or new brass for cheap. Your barrel will last way longer than a 28 Nosler, won't kick as hard, you won't need a muzzle brake, special expensive dies and all out of a moderately priced factory rifle.

 

[Jud96]

7mm LRM. A lot of people have pawned it off because the original Hornady brass sucked. But Gunwerks said they'll have their brass available for 7mm LRM in a few months. Gunwerks says they make their tooling to their specs and have ADG make the brass using their supplied fooling. This means the 7mm LRM will have excellent brass available for it now. It has the capability of pushing 180s to 3100+ and 195s to 2950-3000. Data I've seen in the past shows 180s around 3000 but using the weak Hornady brass that lasted a few shots. This cartridge falls right in the middle between the 7mmRM and the 28 Nosler, or about perfect for a long range 7mm round.

 

[Backcountry sports]

7mm LRM. A lot of people have pawned it off because the original Hornady brass sucked. But Gunwerks said they'll have their brass available for 7mm LRM in a few months. Gunwerks says they make their tooling to their specs and have ADG make the brass using their supplied fooling. This means the 7mm LRM will have excellent brass available for it now. It has the capability of pushing 180s to 3100+ and 195s to 2950-3000. Data I've seen in the past shows 180s around 3000 but using the weak Hornady brass that lasted a few shots. This cartridge falls right in the middle between the 7mmRM and the 28 Nosler, or about perfect for a long range 7mm round.

Mike at gun works gave me the load specs and it works very nicely on my 7mm with 168 berger and retumbo powder

 

[Antonio m]

Clear as mud...my vote is the .280 Rem, I don't care for the short /fats and it has got to work from a 22" barrel. 2nd is the 7 x57.