Converting Win 70 7mm RM to 28 Nosler

[rickjoty]

I'm giving this conversion serious thought if I can't improve the accuracy and consistency of this mid '70's Win. Model 70 Super Grade. I had it shooting 1 MOA or less with lead but then California instituted the lead ban for hunting. So with copper Barnes TTX, Hornady GMX, and Nosler, I have been 1.5 - .75 MOA. I had the stock bedded, barrel free floated, and the action trued. I took it to the range with its prior favorite load and shot a 4 MOA group. Can you call that a group? Took it back to the smith. They said everything checked out ok. I tried some different loads and was able to shoot one at 1 MOA. Now I have changed the scope to see if that makes a change. If not I'm thinking about sending it to another smith and have him go through it and add a Hart barrel. At that time I'm thinking about changing to 28 Nosler. Has anyone done this? Is the 28 Nosler inherently more accurate that the 7mm RM?

 

[Jerry M]

Are you saying the rifle went from 1 MOA to 4 MOA between shooting sessions? Something is wrong. If all screws are tight and you are loading it with the proper ammunition, try swapping scopes.

If it is still 4 MOA, find someone with a bore scope and look at the barrel. Talk to a benchrest shooter in your area about reloading some bullets for you. I had a 7mm Mag that shot 150 gr factory Remington core-locks to 6 MOA at 100 yards. Reloaded 175 gr Speer shot to .75 MOA. All barrels are different, some are more different then others.

I would not swap calibers for the reason given. 7mm Rem Mag is plenty accurate, brass and ammo are more available and will serve you well in the lower 48 states. Not dissing the 28 Nosler, just not a great reason to switch calibers. Unless you want to - then want defies all arguments.

Good luck

Jerry

 

[rickjoty]

Are you saying the rifle went from 1 MOA to 4 MOA between shooting sessions? Something is wrong. If all screws are tight and you are loading it with the proper ammunition, try swapping scopes.

If it is still 4 MOA, find someone with a bore scope and look at the barrel. Talk to a benchrest shooter in your area about reloading some bullets for you. I had a 7mm Mag that shot 150 gr factory Remington core-locks to 6 MOA at 100 yards. Reloaded 175 gr Speer shot to .75 MOA. All barrels are different, some are more different then others.

I would not swap calibers for the reason given. 7mm Rem Mag is plenty accurate, brass and ammo are more available and will serve you well in the lower 48 states. Not dissing the 28 Nosler, just not a great reason to switch calibers. Unless you want to - then want defies all arguments.

Good luck

Jerry

Thanks for your feedback Jerry. Actually I had the gun shooting fairly well but had work done to see if I could improve consistency. When shooting a reload that was the gun's prior favorite, the first group was 4 MOA. Imagine my disappointment. I have checked had the gun rechecked and the scope mounts checked. I am still worse off than when I had the action trued and the barrel floated. Now I put a different scope on it, carefully worked up several different reloads and waiting on time and weather to go out to the range.

If it still does not shoot well, I'm going to rebarrel it. So, the thought process was, if I'm going to rebarrel, why not consider something different. I have a Sako 270 that shoots great. I have a Win M70 30.06 that shoots well. Maybe I should go 338. That's when I thought about 28 Nosler.

I'd like to find out what it takes to convert my M70 7mm RM to 28 Nosler.

Rick

 

[Deleted member 46119]

Hi Rick,

Happy New year!

Switching from jacketed lead to lead free is a pain but it is the law. Since I love raptors, I use lead free and have forever.

If you change anything on a rifle, especially bedding, or even how hard you torque the action screws, you will/may have to start over. It's happened to me. IIWY: go lighter and faster with that lead free.

I don't really like the Nosler lead free E-Tip bullet myself. Hornady GMX seems fine. Really I use TTSX or LRX. I am frustrated that I did not get through working on Hammer Hunters. CEB are nice looking but the only ones I've sent down range were in testing xxx/26-Nosler "wildcat" designs.

My 284/26-Nosler (aka 28-Nosler) was made by rechambering a 7mmRM barrel in a R700. It shot great for me. I traded it for an antique target rifle. I have not heard bad about it.

If you can't get the 7mmRM to shoot, rebarreling and changing to 28-Nosler should be a piece of cake, however, I haven't done that kind of work on a M70. If it is not a controlled round feed there should be nothing to it. If it is a controlled round feed it may be a little harder but not too bad.

 

[jimbires]

if it had a barrel pressure point when it shot good , and now you removed it . you will need to start over doing load development , you drastically changed barrel harmonics . or you could try putting a few business cards between the barrel and stock to see if this brings the good groups back . you can just stack a few cards up and force them in between the barrel and stock . if it shoots better you will need to put a pressure point back in the stock .

 

[rickjoty]

Thanks jfseaman. Yes I have been using mostly Barnes TTSX in my rifles. I have it shooting very well in my Sako A7 270. I really had not shot the 7mm for a few years and felt it was time to work on it. I think I'm talking myself into re-barreling to 28 Nosler but I really have not all I need to do to cover variables. One is the scope and the other is, as jimbires mentioned, putting a pressure point back in the stock. I'll be off to the range here in the next couple weeks with a Zeiss I took off of my Tikka. Next I'll try the pressure point.

How did you like the Nosler round performance vs the 7mm RM?

 

[Deleted member 46119]

...How did you like the Nosler round performance vs the 7mm RM?

Love it. I traded away the one built I on a R700. I have a Proof CF barrel for a new on on a Weatherby Mark V.