First Build! Remington 700 Long Range 7mm. Questions

[asg1485]

So I think i have been bitten by the long range bug. None the less two good friends have gotten me into it. I ordered a 700 long range 7mm and went ahead and ordered the timney trigger as well. Will be adding a muzzle break as soon as i receive it as well. Scope still a toss up. Leaning towards a vortex viper of some sort?? Maybe a SHV if the funds are available. Kilo 2000 rangefinder and the list goes on. Dang, its gonna be a tough Christmas lol!!

The questions I have are:

Coming up with a load?

Whats a good starting point?
Powder, grains, seating depth?
Berger is what i plan on using

Anyone have any group info you are seeing also?

Thanks in advance

 

[dkrueger]

I am on the same line, in fact a ways behind you. I have been shooting a .243 open site my hole life and just got into long range shooting. I Just bought a 7 mm mag Tikka T3 Lite and put a Vortex Viper 6x24x50 HS LR scope on it. Was told it is a **** hot scope. Also got a Savage 111 .308 Trophy Hunter XP. It had a 3x9 Nikon on it. My dad just give me his reloading equipment and thought this would be as a good as time as ever to get into LR Shooting.

I have 3 kids coming up and want them to learn both open sites and then LR Shooting. Anyway, I live in North Dakota and was trying to site both in the other morning when it was 5 above dam. I got the Tikka close at a 200 yard zero with a zero wind at my back. I was circling a quarter, but hit it with the .308 was right on both with factory ammo.

Is there any advise I can get on which rounds to go with. My dad is big on nosler and a buddy is big on horady amax. The nosler or the hornady. If so what grains do you suggest? I also have a .270 with open sites. Please give feed back on all 4 calibers. I need to upgrade the scope on the .308 but will have to be later on. Please feed back on good scopes as well. Thanks.

 

[FearNoWind]

The questions I have are:
Coming up with a load?

Whats a good starting point?
Powder, grains, seating depth?
Berger is what i plan on using

Anyone have any group info you are seeing also?

First thing to remember is that the load that works in my 7mm will not perform the same in yours. So using someone else's load data is a waste of your time.
A "good starting point" would be to load somewhere in the midrange, favoring the low end of the chart, as recommended in the reloading manual of your choice. Read all of the reloading precautions in the manual and follow them ...
Try using this method:
Berger Tips for Loading VLD Bullets « Daily Bulletin
I'd suggest you work with the 180 grain Bergers - hunting bullets if you're intending to build a hunting load; target bullets if that's your game.Write down the result of every shot ...

 

[asg1485]

Thanks for the response. I will review the link. Not trying to shortcut it, but any info helps. I know from all the tome and effort that they have put into their guns, its a long process.

 

[roninflag]

you do not say what you are shooting at. 140 berger and 69.5 grains of H-4831. nosler or norma brass. WLRM or 215GM. .030 off the lands. also the same load with a 140 ballistic silver tip .

 

[asg1485]

Will be a hunting rifle.
Whitetail/elk

 

[asg1485]

Ok. Gun has arrived. Timney should be here tomorrow. Once installed, of to get the muzzle break put on.
Looking at egw pic rail 20 moa and burris zee signature rings Medium height?? Better rings in this range?

Also looking at a vortex viper PA 6.5x20x50. Kenton turrets soon after!

Am i missing anything?

 

[AZShooter]

Three Remington rifles all in 7 Rem mag had good results with the 168 Berger classic hunter bullets and Retumbo. These rifles have taken deer, elk and antelope. In fact Joe remarked he had never seen a faster death when he shot his elk with this bullet, but Joe had never used a Berger before.

The classic hybrid is very seating depth friendly, none of these Remingtons required any seating depth changes. All were loaded so bullet fit and fed from magazine without contacting the rifling.

Start at 70 gr of Retumbo and work up to find most accurate load. Joe's rifle liked 72.5 gr for 3115 fps. My rifle liked 73 gr for velocity of 3121. James's rifle liked 71 gr for 3079 fps. All rifles used Rem brass and federal 215 primers.

 

[scrmblr1982cj8]

I agree with FearNoWind's advice. I have two R700 AAC-SDs. One loves 42.5g IMR4064 with 168g TTSX bullets, the other doesn't group any better than 1.2" at 100 yards with it.

I keep records for each load for each gun. No two chambers/actions/barrels are the same. It is more work, but the accuracy is worth it.

 

[scrmblr1982cj8]

Do you have a preference on which Berger bullet you want to use yet?

 

[asg1485]

Not sure on the bullet. Just compiling info from all u folks that way we have a game plan when we throw some loads together. I am a newbie. Been screenshotting all the responses and forwarding then on.

Thank u all for the responses

 

[Bart B]

First thing to remember is that the load that works in my 7mm will not perform the same in yours. So using someone else's load data is a waste of your time.

Why?

Is it not possible that a very accurate load in one rifle will shoot the same excellent level in another?

Why is it that good commercial match ammo for a given cartridge shoots darned accurate in so many rifles?

I never worked up any load for my .308 Win nor 30-338 Win Mag rifles for existing bullets. Just used the same loads the winners and record setters used. They shot as accurate in mine as they did in their rifles. Helped work up one load for a new bullet for which no data was available and it shot about 1/2 MOA in 30 some odd rifles at 600 yards; all sorts of good quality barrels in different shapes.

That old myth exists because most people don't shoot enough bullets per test group to get credible data on its accuracy. Easily seen by noting the many 5-shot groups in a day of 100-yard benchrest matches for each rifle have a 4X to 5X range in size from the smallest to the largest. And the smallest is rarely the first one shot.

 

[FEENIX]

FNW, now you've done it!

 

[dc1986]

Just bought this same rifle and ordered a Timney trigger.Also bought a Swarovski 5-25x52mm BT scope with 4w reticle.Hoping to find some 162 Hornady ELD-X ammo and see how it groups.What is recoil like with this particular gun?Will I need a break?