Where does accuracy suffer?
- Thread starter 25 Otter
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Yes and thank you. We will be up in unit 67 for the first rifle elk season.
If you don't mind having hearing protection handy, you can get 20-22" barrel chambered in 7mm-08 and put a brake on it. Shoot 140 to 160 gr bullets without worrying about recoil at all because of the brake. You can buy really good 308 win lapua brass, neck it down to 7mm, load and go. Any elk 400 yards or less will be toast if you do your part. You could easily get a 6-8 lb rifle out off it. 7mm bullets have a good BC as well but won't really play much of a factor since you are only shooting to 400 yds. The heavy 7mm bullets will buck the wind pretty good.
308 brass will be around FOREVER. And 7mm bullets arnt going anywhere either.
And actually, a 7mm-08 is pretty mild recoil. You probably wouldn't even have to brake it.
308 brass will be around FOREVER. And 7mm bullets arnt going anywhere either.
And actually, a 7mm-08 is pretty mild recoil. You probably wouldn't even have to brake it.
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
THEORETICALLY, and on paper with a stiff charge of Varget, a 7mm-08 with a Berger 180 VLD and a 1:9 twist 24"-26" barrel would absolutely wreak havoc inside of 500 yards on ANYTHING in North America. Granted, you'd probably have to shoot it as a single-shot, unless you got a standard bolt long-action, and built from there. Then you could run it as a repeater.
With RL19, and a 24" barrel, some folks claim to be getting 2550 fps MV. That's pretty kickin! With a 26" tube you should be around 2600-2650 fps MV. That's pretty nasty for a little 7mm-08 with a heavy-hitter stuffed into the end of it.
With the 24" barrel, that's about 150fps faster than my .308 Win with the 210 Berger VLD load, which is right at 2400 MV with my 24" 5R barrel.
I might have to play around with this combo just for shiz and ga-giggities...
With RL19, and a 24" barrel, some folks claim to be getting 2550 fps MV. That's pretty kickin! With a 26" tube you should be around 2600-2650 fps MV. That's pretty nasty for a little 7mm-08 with a heavy-hitter stuffed into the end of it.
With the 24" barrel, that's about 150fps faster than my .308 Win with the 210 Berger VLD load, which is right at 2400 MV with my 24" 5R barrel.
I might have to play around with this combo just for shiz and ga-giggities...
THEORETICALLY, and on paper with a stiff charge of Varget, a 7mm-08 with a Berger 180 VLD and a 1:9 twist 24"-26" barrel would absolutely wreak havoc inside of 500 yards on ANYTHING in North America. Granted, you'd probably have to shoot it as a single-shot, unless you got a standard bolt long-action, and built from there. Then you could run it as a repeater.
With RL19, and a 24" barrel, some folks are getting 2550fps MV. That's pretty kickin! With a 25-26" tube you should be around 2600-2650 fps MV. That's pretty nasty.
That's about 150fps faster than my .308 Win with the 210 Berger VLD load, which is right at 2400 MV with my 24" 5R barrel.
I might have to play around with this combo just for shiz and ga-giggities...
I am in full agreement with you. The 7mm-08 gets overlooked a lot but it is a darn potent little cartridge under 400-500 yds. It's super accurate, lapua brass which lasts forever(308 brass necked down), mild recoil, and good choice of heavier bullets. The good thing is that you have a good bullet weight range for this cartridge. You can load it down to 140 gr bullets for a kid for really light recoil or move up to 160-180 gr bullets to, as you stated, wreak havoc out to 500 yds. Very versatile little gun and can be easily had in a lightweight setup.
I guess I'm guilty of overlooking the 7-08. I've had a couple of them in the past,but for what ever reason I just never got hooked on them. I did get involved with a long action 284 built by a BR friend of mine. Unfortunately I ordered the barrel for it and didn't have a good grasp of what I was looking at. Too heavy! I bought a #4 Shilen and though it shot very well,it was no walking around the mountains rig. Another fella had no problem with it and relieved me of it. I'd be tempted to try one in a short action though. I know the magazine length is a problem,but I do like the cartridge.
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
LA vs SA weight will be less than 1/4 lb. I couldn't see where action length would be a real hindrance with weight. However I would consider it a blessing when it comes to seating long heavy bullets WAY out there when building a LR rig chambered in a short-action caliber. I think it would be a perfect candidate with a LA receiver. Wouldn't it be worth a shot? And if it doesn't work, you could always ream the chamber and use that same action for a .280 Ackley Improved.
COBrad
Well-Known Member
That was too heavy? What did it weigh? From your spec's, it looks like it should have been a great hunting rifle. I really like what I have been reading about that chambering.
My rifle, similarly built but with a carbon fiber stock, came in at 6.8 lbs without scope. It's a great walking varmint rifle, and likewise a pretty fair elk rifle. Mine is a .270 WSM
My rifle, similarly built but with a carbon fiber stock, came in at 6.8 lbs without scope. It's a great walking varmint rifle, and likewise a pretty fair elk rifle. Mine is a .270 WSM
Field ready with a nylon sling and a full compliment of 150gr b-tips she went 10.5 lbs. The Shilen was cut to 24" and I had dual dovetail rings and bases on her. I considered a full flute and bolt handle job along with some Talleys. But I got a fair price for her and would sooner have a stainless action. This one was off of an old 06 I took in on trade.
As for the round. It gives up nothing to the straight up 280 in a long action. We chambered it to put the base of a 150gr a-bond or b-tip flush with the bottom of the neck with a kiss of the lands. It never went over 1/2 MOA out to 400 with what I intended to hunt with. I want to land closer to 7.5 # field ready and would settle for 8.5 . I still have a bunch of 284 brass here. I was playing with the O.A.L. in the SA Remmy and the 140/150gr pills last evening. It's pretty tight. 55 or 56 grains of RL19 takes up a bunch of room. Maybe one of the short or super short cut powders would come into play. Tempting it is. The 7 SAUM would be sweet,but the way brass is getting you snooze you loose. Your 270 WSM may be the ticket. The same case length problems as the 284 in the short action,but a lot more boiler room.
As for the round. It gives up nothing to the straight up 280 in a long action. We chambered it to put the base of a 150gr a-bond or b-tip flush with the bottom of the neck with a kiss of the lands. It never went over 1/2 MOA out to 400 with what I intended to hunt with. I want to land closer to 7.5 # field ready and would settle for 8.5 . I still have a bunch of 284 brass here. I was playing with the O.A.L. in the SA Remmy and the 140/150gr pills last evening. It's pretty tight. 55 or 56 grains of RL19 takes up a bunch of room. Maybe one of the short or super short cut powders would come into play. Tempting it is. The 7 SAUM would be sweet,but the way brass is getting you snooze you loose. Your 270 WSM may be the ticket. The same case length problems as the 284 in the short action,but a lot more boiler room.
COBrad
Well-Known Member
It sounds like you set the rifle up nicely, but it certainly is not a light weight. I think that's a good weight for a rifle intended for 1K, but then I would want a more potent cartridge. I've had two .300 WSM's and now this .270. I've been happy with the performance of these rounds. Being a 7mm fan I would have had mine chambered that way had I commissioned the rifle. I bought it NIB from someone else who made me a deal I was not going to let pass.
My rifle, at a good 2 lbs lighter than yours, still has enough heft to settle right in for 500+ yard shots on marmots, but is light enough to make a good backpacking rifle.
The Stiller Predator action has a long enough magazine I believe you could chamber for a seating depth similar to what you currently have.
My rifle, at a good 2 lbs lighter than yours, still has enough heft to settle right in for 500+ yard shots on marmots, but is light enough to make a good backpacking rifle.
The Stiller Predator action has a long enough magazine I believe you could chamber for a seating depth similar to what you currently have.
COBrad
Well-Known Member
My first custom was built on a trued Rem 700 with a Wyatt magazine box and had a trigger job done on the factory trigger. It made a dandy rifle. It had a 4 taper Pac-Nor 24" barrel. The stock was a McMillan with what they called light fill at that time, early 90's. The bare rifle weighed 7 lbs.
I wonder what you would have by replacing the magazine box, replacing the stock with something really light, and maybe having the action lightened. Cost wise it could be effective, or maybe that expense combined with what you can get from the rifle become your down payment on the new one.
(insert big grin here). I surfed the gun auction sites and the classifieds on several internet forums for a year or so while I considered just what I wanted in a light hunting rifle and how I was going to pay for it. I happened across my rifle on gunbroker.com and watched it fail to sell for a couple weeks before making an offer and buying the rifle. I had been debating 6.5-284 or 7 WSM, but 270 WSM was right in there.
I wonder what you would have by replacing the magazine box, replacing the stock with something really light, and maybe having the action lightened. Cost wise it could be effective, or maybe that expense combined with what you can get from the rifle become your down payment on the new one.
(insert big grin here). I surfed the gun auction sites and the classifieds on several internet forums for a year or so while I considered just what I wanted in a light hunting rifle and how I was going to pay for it. I happened across my rifle on gunbroker.com and watched it fail to sell for a couple weeks before making an offer and buying the rifle. I had been debating 6.5-284 or 7 WSM, but 270 WSM was right in there.
