ER Shaw Mk. VII or ???

LanceK

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2018
Messages
208
Location
Amarillo, TX
I am planning my next rifle purchase and I have really been looking at the ER Shaw Mk VII, I would like to build/buy a do everything, traditional rifle with blued steel and wood/laminate stock. I have just about settled on 30-06. On paper, I like the 300WSM or 300WM, but the recoil (respect for/fear of) keeps me from wanting to go that direction. Are there other manufacturers that I should consider in the sub $1500 range?
 
First off let me just say, put a muzzlebrake on that .300 Win Mag and it will be like shooting a 30-30 or .243 depending on the load and the brake you use. Second off, ER Shaw use to be fairly local to me and back in the day people said they made pretty good barrels. I don't like to say negative things, but the consensus now is that there's better options for barrels and rifles. If I had a $1500 I would buy a factory rifle like a Savage or Remington and see how well it shoots and get used to it. Then upgrade the shortcomings of it. A nice stock is $250-400, trigger upgrade is $150, barrel is $300-350.

If you buy a Remington, you can get some models, like the 700 Long Range, that come from the factory with a nice B&C stock. The rifle brand new is about $700. You can upgrade the trigger ($150) and have a gunsmith install a barrel and muzzlebrake and have around $700-800 in it. You'll be right around your $1500 budget but have a tack driving rifle with a premium match grade barrel. Just my thoughts.
 
I am planning my next rifle purchase and I have really been looking at the ER Shaw Mk VII, I would like to build/buy a do everything, traditional rifle with blued steel and wood/laminate stock. I have just about settled on 30-06. On paper, I like the 300WSM or 300WM, but the recoil (respect for/fear of) keeps me from wanting to go that direction. Are there other manufacturers that I should consider in the sub $1500 range?
If I were you I would consider a build your own or have a friend do it for you. I have a friend from Alabama that built a 6.5 for his son. He even bored the barrel. His son is shooting a 1-2 inch grouping at 1000 yards. That is where my next rifle is coming from.
 
Great suggestions so far. I'm considering a brake, didn't know how much the noise will be a detriment to range sessions.

Keep the suggestions coming, this will be my most expensive gun purchase to date and I don't want to overlook any obvious choices.
 
Another question, would a brake like the one that comes on the savage long range hunter tame recoil levels down to an in-braked 30-06 level?
 
First off let me just say, put a muzzlebrake on that .300 Win Mag and it will be like shooting a 30-30 or .243 depending on the load and the brake you use. Second off, ER Shaw use to be fairly local to me and back in the day people said they made pretty good barrels. I don't like to say negative things, but the consensus now is that there's better options for barrels and rifles. If I had a $1500 I would buy a factory rifle like a Savage or Remington and see how well it shoots and get used to it. Then upgrade the shortcomings of it. A nice stock is $250-400, trigger upgrade is $150, barrel is $300-350.

If you buy a Remington, you can get some models, like the 700 Long Range, that come from the factory with a nice B&C stock. The rifle brand new is about $700. You can upgrade the trigger ($150) and have a gunsmith install a barrel and muzzlebrake and have around $700-800 in it. You'll be right around your $1500 budget but have a tack driving rifle with a premium match grade barrel. Just my thoughts.
You just perfectly described one of my rifles. It is exactly what you listed, and in 300wm. Two things though:

1. It is way too heavy to carry hunting, especially if you are going to be putting on any miles. At this point it probably weighs 16lbs.
2. That $800 price tag is a thing of the past. I actually got mine for just over $500 on a special sale from sportsman's warehouse a few years ago, but now they are selling closer to $1k used on gunbroker.
 

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I disagree about the 30/06 though. With modern cartridges, I get near 300wm performance from my 30/06. I'm shooting factory hornday superformance, slinging 180gr sst at about 2,850 fps. I don't disagree about building them though. My game is that I buy used series one Weatherby vanguard rifles for $300-$400, throw the stock away, order a replacement barrel and stock, adjust the trigger, (they are great when adjusted), and bam, for Around $1,000 I have the rifle that I want. Depending on the parts I may get closer to that $1,500 number, but that gives me a CF barrel and or a higher tier stock. My lgs threads my barrels for $50 each. Everything I own has a brake on it.
 
Another question, would a brake like the one that comes on the savage long range hunter tame recoil levels down to an in-braked 30-06 level?
I had nothing but trouble from my 300wm long range hunter. It was the only rifle I've ever owned that wouldn't group no matter what I fed it. There used to be page after page of people talking about having the same problem. Maybe they've fixed it, but I'd avoid that model based on my anecdotal experiences.
 
No, I didn't place an order. I found a good deal on a light weight 270 from a member here. Going to give that one a try.
 
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