Help selecting a barrel for a heavy 7mm RM

[mcseal2]

I'm building a long range rifle for times I don't have to carry it much. I'm ok with a finished weight of up to 12lbs for the rifle only, less is alright too. I want to build a 7mm Rem Mag to shoot the 168gr Berger VLD with a 28" barrel. The action will be a Winchester Classic stainless M70 I have, I'm a big fan of 3 position safeties.

Berger recommends a 1 in 10 twist for the barrel. I'm leaning toward a #5 contour at present but open to suggestions. Any advice on what companies barrel I should go with? Thanks for the help.

Also I'd appreciate advice on what powders to try with that bullet and the longer barrel to get good consistent velocity and accuracy. Thanks again!

 

[MudRunner2005]

Barrel weight, length, and contour are all personal preferences, but I would go with a 1:9 twist barrel, that way you have the option to shoot up to a 180gr if you decide to later.

 

[harleybug]

I just finished a 7 rem mag on a rem 700 action and i went with a sendaro contour 28 inch 1 in 9 twist krieger barrel and it shoots .25 moa with some impressive velocitys for a rem mag. Im right at 3000 mv with retumbo. My rifle weighs in at 10 pounds and its not a bear to hall through the woods. I really like my krieger barrel i would go krieger or bartleign in my opinion. They are both top knotch. I chose my barrel manufacturer by reading whats winning moat of the f class matches. It seeems to be bartleign,krieger, or brux but there are alot of other great manufacturers. I would most definately go 1 in 9 though so u dont limit yourself.

 

[mcseal2]

Thanks guys I'll go with a 1 in 9. I will check Kreiger and Bartlein and see what wait times are. I have a Kreiger on my 6mm and it is one of the best shooting rifles I've ever fired, just want to know what's good now. That one was built a while ago.

 

[harleybug]

Bugholes.com has them in stock thats were i bought mine.

 

[brentc]

My 7 RM is a rebarreled R700 with a a 28" 1 in 9 pacnor #6. I have it in a Manner's MCS-T stock and all set up with my Leupold mark 4 it weighs in at 11.5 lbs.

I have several loads that work very well with 180 VLDs and Hybrids. My very best loads are with the 180 hybrid with Retumbo at 70.5 grains and H1000 at 69.6 grains. The retumbo load checks in at 3030 fps and the H1000 comes in at 2975 fps. Both are extremely precise.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I just put together a 27" barreled 7mmstw this year on a m700lh action and stocked her with a laminate. She is wearing a #5 contour Shilen Select Match 8" twist and topped with a elite 4000 6-24x in Leopold bases/rings.
The rifle weighs in at 10# even scoped and has no trouble at all going 1/4-1/2 moa with 140 nos bt's. I'm still working with her on heavies but do have one 1/2 moa load so far and several moa loads that can likely be tweaked to 1/2 moa.

as to powders, use what is appropriate to the cartridge... an inch or two more barrel doesn't change the powder you will need. I'd look at retumbo and rl25 in a 7rem with heavier pills as good choices.