Midweight 7's in a SA Savage

[xsn10s]

The short supply of reloading components has pretty much put me in a stand still. I did manage to find some H380 locally and just ordered some 55 gr vmax's for my 22-250. So that and maybe testing some loads in my 30-06 will be on the list. I'm still interested in SA 7mm. But really a 280 Rem, 280 AI, SAUM, or 7mm RM would be easier to do for the 180's.

 

[LVJ76]

The short supply of reloading components has pretty much put me in a stand still. I did manage to find some H380 locally and just ordered some 55 gr vmax's for my 22-250. So that and maybe testing some loads in my 30-06 will be on the list. I'm still interested in SA 7mm. But really a 280 Rem, 280 AI, SAUM, or 7mm RM would be easier to do for the 180's.

Great point, there are several members here selling 7mm bullets and 7mm Rem Mag brass every week vs the 7 SAUM every now and then.

 

[JakeC]

Honestly one reason I haven't been very interested in a saum is that if I want to go play like a big boy the rem mag is so much easier to buy for. Brass and dies are easy to get and entire rifles can be had for really reasonable money, at least where I live. As of this morning between there are at least 20 available within two hours of me, new or scoped and slightly used for under 600. Win 70, several howas, every flavor of savage, three brownings, etc. I'm not against a magnum, I just don't think I want to pay to feed it and deal with a 1k round barrel.

That said, I'd be really curious to hear if anyone has ever run a 7 rem downloaded a bunch for barrel life and powder savings. It looks like to get within my criteria I'd be loading down around starting loads, 65 to 80 percent fill, which just sounds like a recipe for problems. Maybe not. I haven't found enough information yet on downloading to overcome the warnings about pressure spikes and irregular ignition. Anyone ever done that with a 7mag or others?

 

[XSIVSPD]

Honestly one reason I haven't been very interested in a saum is that if I want to go play like a big boy the rem mag is so much easier to buy for. I'm not against a magnum, I just don't think I want to pay to feed it and deal with a 1k round barrel.

I think you're grossly overestimating how fast the barrel (throat realistically.. And throat can be cleaned up without a new barrel most of the time) will burn out. Even the guys running 28noslers are getting 50% more life than that and it's much worse than the 7rem. Looking on this forum I've seen 1500rnds on the low end and 4000rnds on the high end

 

[LVJ76]

Honestly one reason I haven't been very interested in a saum is that if I want to go play like a big boy the rem mag is so much easier to buy for. Brass and dies are easy to get and entire rifles can be had for really reasonable money, at least where I live. As of this morning between there are at least 20 available within two hours of me, new or scoped and slightly used for under 600. Win 70, several howas, every flavor of savage, three brownings, etc. I'm not against a magnum, I just don't think I want to pay to feed it and deal with a 1k round barrel.

That said, I'd be really curious to hear if anyone has ever run a 7 rem downloaded a bunch for barrel life and powder savings. It looks like to get within my criteria I'd be loading down around starting loads, 65 to 80 percent fill, which just sounds like a recipe for problems. Maybe not. I haven't found enough information yet on downloading to overcome the warnings about pressure spikes and irregular ignition. Anyone ever done that with a 7mag or others?

If this is what you want a 280 Rem or better yet a 7mm-08 will do that. Less powder, longer barrel life and less recoil if that matters to you.

On the preliminary tests I've done with 168gr Bergers I still jave 1,800 fps and 1,200 ft/lbs of energy at 675 yds in my 24" 7mm-08 which is not bad.

 

[JakeC]

I think you're grossly overestimating how fast the barrel (throat realistically.. And throat can be cleaned up without a new barrel most of the time) will burn out. Even the guys running 28noslers are getting 50% more life than that and it's much worse than the 7rem. Looking on this forum I've seen 1500rnds on the low end and 4000rnds on the high end

Wow that's very different than what I'd read elsewhere. Good to know.

 

[XSIVSPD]

Wow that's very different than what I'd read elsewhere. Good to know.

Also, regarding magazines:

They aren't expensive on ebay to either buy a wsm mag (for the saum or wsm rounds) or buy a spare one of either and modify the feed lips for whatever round you want. It's mostly just bending them. In or out so that the cartridge is at at the correct hight to be picked up and chambered properly. Totally reversable in most cases

And for info sake, I have a factory savage 111 long range hunter in 6.5x284. It's a song action, but uses the mags that savage makes for the 7mmrem/300win cartiges (that's what they're marked from savage and have no noticeable differences)

 

[JakeC]

If this is what you want a 280 Rem or better yet a 7mm-08 will do that. Less powder, longer barrel life and less recoil if that matters to you.

On the preliminary tests I've done with 168gr Bergers I still jave 1,800 fps and 1,200 ft/lbs of energy at 675 yds in my 24" 7mm-08 which is not bad.

Oh I know, ultimately 280 rem/284 win speeds are what I'm after. The mags have just been on my mind because people are unloading nice ones lately. Standard action rifles are fairly overpriced in comparison for what you're getting. There are some very beat up -06/270 howas/vanguards going for 5-600+ while the unshot 7mags are not selling for the same amount, some with scopes. Just got me thinking is all.

 

[JakeC]

Also, regarding magazines:

They aren't expensive on ebay to either buy a wsm mag (for the saum or wsm rounds) or buy a spare one of either and modify the feed lips for whatever round you want. It's mostly just bending them. In or out so that the cartridge is at at the correct hight to be picked up and chambered properly. Totally reversable in most cases

And for info sake, I have a factory savage 111 long range hunter in 6.5x284. It's a song action, but uses the mags that savage makes for the 7mmrem/300win cartiges (that's what they're marked from savage and have no noticeable differences)

Yeah, I know they're not expensive, for some reason it just makes me irrationally grumpy that they're only 2-shot mags. You're saying you think the 10-shot 308 mag could be modified for a saum with no big hassle? Being ignorant I assumed there was more to it than tweaking the lips like it would be for .284. Hmm. That was a pretty big issue for me.

 

[LVJ76]

Oh I know, ultimately 280 rem/284 win speeds are what I'm after. The mags have just been on my mind because people are unloading nice ones lately. Standard action rifles are fairly overpriced in comparison for what you're getting. There are some very beat up -06/270 howas/vanguards going for 5-600+ while the unshot 7mags are not selling for the same amount, some with scopes. Just got me thinking is all.

I'm not one to buy the most expensive rifles. My 7mm Rem Mag is a Remington 700 ADL with a 26" barrel. Was $350 on sale and could not pass it up. I put a Trigger Tech on it and it shoots great.

Loves 140gr and 150gr CT Ballistic Silvertips over IMR-4350.

It's loving the 180gr VLDH with RL23. Also liking the 160gr Gameking SPBT and HPBT. 162gr Interlock and SST shoot really good as well.

The more expensive ones shoot good and sometimes they don't. Keep this in mind, most factory 7mm rifles come with a 1 in 9.50" twist. Remington does a 1 in 9.25".

 

[XSIVSPD]

Yeah, I know they're not expensive, for some reason it just makes me irrationally grumpy that they're only 2-shot mags. You're saying you think the 10-shot 308 mag could be modified for a saum with no big hassle? Being ignorant I assumed there was more to it than tweaking the lips like it would be for .284. Hmm. That was a pretty big issue for me.

I dont see why it wouldn't work. You might need to stretch the spring for some extra tension and/or mess with the angle of the shoulders where it goes from staggered to centered. I've also seen mag extensions for sale for savages. They're usually marketed at the 308/6.5 creed crowd, but they should attach just the same to the bottom of the wsm mags.

As an aside, I might have understood your first post wrong but I though this mostly going to be a hunting rig. Many places have 5rnd mag limits for hunting.

 

[JakeC]

I dont see why it wouldn't work. You might need to stretch the spring for some extra tension and/or mess with the angle of the shoulders where it goes from staggered to centered. I've also seen mag extensions for sale for savages. They're usually marketed at the 308/6.5 creed crowd, but they should attach just the same to the bottom of the wsm mags.

As an aside, I might have understood your first post wrong but I though this mostly going to be a hunting rig. Many places have 5rnd mag limits for hunting.

Yeah, it would be dual purpose ideally. I assume the 10-rounder would fit 6-7 short mags for the range or plinking. It probably would be easy-ish to modify down to 4+1. I'll look into the extensions. I can just hike with an empty chamber and load one more when I'm not on the move. I'm okay with 3, just not 2.

 

[JakeC]

I had a lot of thoughtful input here so I thought I'd share how things turned out. I went with a 7 SAUM and an X-caliber 5R sendero barrel smithed out by Crown Ridge Barrel works. The SAUM isn't the classic 284 I was after originally after but I could get the barrel I wanted at the price I wanted from the vendor I wanted, and I know I can get the results I want in the bullet class I want with milder loads.

CRBW was so nice to deal with. I haven't shot the gun yet, the barrel just went on the other night, but the purchase was just so pleasant. I ordered a 9 twist (which is only available in 6 groove) but Anthony talked me into what he had on hand, a 5R (which I really wanted) in 1:8. I told him I wanted a nine because I was worried about blowing up 180 ELDMs, which is going to be my main pill (because I can find them). He said his regulars didn't have that problem, and that the SAUM wasn't going to give it the RPM that would spin them apart anyway. Boom, I couldn't find that answer in a dozen or more hours of research, which had only brought up intel about the 180 at 2900+. I said cool, go ahead, and the barrel was on the road with UPS about 24 business hours later. A one day lead time and essentially free muzzle threads. I also bought their self-timing aluminum brake. I didn't really want a brake starting out but I need to give it a fair try.

So I'll see how it shoots. Things being what they are and the barrel being the easiest thing to acquire I bought that dead last. I literally got every other thing I could possibly need for about 400 rounds before ordering the barrel, so I should be up and running as soon as I finish dissecting my savage. I decided to mess around with the spring tension which booted me down a rabbit hole that lasted a couple days (I mark ervy part I take off my truck with the original direction and location, do you think I did that with my firing pin parts? The cocking index washer needs to go back on the way it was, in case anyone wonders. Otherwise the aft end of the assembly sits at an angle, binds in the bolt, and makes you think you somehow bent the bolt body.)

In the process I got a frankford M-press that is really blowing my socks off, a forster caliper-style seater and one of Hornady's new bushing match grade FL sizer. Why? because they were available in January! They all seem legit, I like what I got and I'd probably do it again if everything was in stock. I guess I've got a soft spot for well-made knockoffs: I drive Nissans too.

I'm going to grab a bolt lift kit but in the meantime I lapped in the new PTG bolt head, polished every bit that rubs on anything, set the headspace, then finished assembling the bolt head and set the firing pin protrusion about 15 thou back (it's about .040 now, but I might but it back to original because I don't love the bolt slop that results from messing with the spring stop). I bought all new extraction/ejection parts so I now have 2 complete bolt heads. That was totally worth the loose change required to buy all the itty bitties.

I'm looking for load suggestions or leads on data, which has been hard to find. I've got h4831 and IMR 7977 to put under 168 ABLR, 175 ELDX and 180 ELDM. There is just nothing I can find for 7977. Which makes sense, I bet it came out after the SAUM was commercially extinct. I think I'm seeing that IMR/Hodgdon says it's basically the same energy by mass as h1000 but that it's "materially different". So, just bulkier? For h4831 Nosler has good info, Hodgdon has similar but less conservative data, Lee has a little that backs up Nosler's but stops at 175, Sierra has none, lyman has none, I don't think Hornady has any. But I think I have enough to start that powder.

Anyway, I'm open to opinions and I'm grateful for the help in decision-making. Happy spring!