Which would you choose?

[greenecj]

Looking to pick up a good gun without going full custom. I'm going with the old faithful remington 7 mag.
I believe I've narrowed it down to two guns. A christensen arms mesa long range or remington sendero (preferably an older one, don't know if I trust the new rem arms company)
What would you go with, and why?

Thanks

 

[Reelamin]

Based on info you provided. I don't buy used guns I intend to hunt with unless I know the details of its life from someone I trust and can shoot it to prove the accuracy. Mesa Long Range.
If I could get a 90's Sendero (as above) that is a babied and accurate shooter the Sendero. IE: I have a 7STW Sendero that will shoot 5 175ABLR's into .5" at 3200fps, yet it has I think over 1000 documented rounds through it. I used it for years as my ground hog/coyote gun shooting 120BT's at 3600 and it was shot hot many times. I could lie, let you shoot it, and yet it could POO POO the bed within the next 100-700 rounds.

 

[Lee7588]

I'd take an old sendero, but like Reelamin said you don't know what you getting into with a used gun. Christensen seems to have been going through some quality control issues, sure there are some that are good guns and those that have them have had them for a little bit. For what you would spend on a Christensen you could put together a full custom especially with Black Friday sales or be **** close to it

 

[wasskeet]

In 7 Rem mag, I'd be talking to this well known LRH member today:

@MtnTrax

SOLD/EXPIRED - Seekins Havak PH2 7mm Rem

Low mileage, Urban camo black ceracote 26 inch threaded barrel. TT trigger comes with updated case and extra carbon fiber magazine and short rail. Shoots 180 Berger’s very well. 46 rounds fired. $1600 Scope and rings not included.

www.longrangehunting.com

 

[crashlanding]

what he says

 

[K.E.C.]

What they Said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^.

 

[std7mag]

If i couldn't readily find a Tikka, i'd be checking to see if that person (^^^^) still had the rifle.

 

[willtim]

90's Sendero. So many options for "tweaking".

 

[nksmfamjp]

Can you tell us a bit more about the mission? What are you hunting? Where? How far can you shoot? How far do you want to be able to shoot game?

As far as the rifles….with this current infornation, my answer is like "sure".

i would question buying a rifle in 7 Rem Mag. Great caliber….in the 80's. Today, there are many better options. I mean 30-06 was an excellent game changing round…..in 1920.

My initial thought is Tikka or Weatherby, but I don't either! My dad does. I too would push off the full custom decision until you are really sure what you need and demand spec'ing it yourself.

Rem 700 is going the way of the 1917, the Mauser and the do do bird!

That Seekins above is the easy button for those ready jump in!

 

[std7mag]

Can you tell us a bit more about the mission? What are you hunting? Where? How far can you shoot? How far do you want to be able to shoot game?

As far as the rifles….with this current infornation, my answer is like "sure".

i would question buying a rifle in 7 Rem Mag. Great caliber….in the 80's. Today, there are many better options. I mean 30-06 was an excellent game changing round…..in 1920.

My initial thought is Tikka or Weatherby, but I don't either! My dad does. I too would push off the full custom decision until you are really sure what you need and demand spec'ing it yourself.

Rem 700 is going the way of the 1917, the Mauser and the do do bird!

That Seekins above is the easy button for those ready jump in!

Is the 7mm Rem Mag suddenly not capable of doing what it did in the 1980's?
Or heck, even the 1960's?

Oh, please list these " much better options"!

With the newer powders & projectiles i'd say it's even more capable today!

The Mauser i built for my Daughter in 7X57 Mauser killed her doe just as dead this year as any of the new "wonder rounds".

 

[Phil Rizzo]

I suspect somebody will still make brass for it even though it's "done" hahahah

 

[orkan]

It's one thing to already be invested in old technology (belted magnums) and continue it's use for financial reasons.

It's entirely another thing advocating that someone that is not already invested in it START getting invested in it.

To start with, to use a belted magnum properly in handloading, you must use a neil jones collet die if you expect continued use of the brass beyond just a few firings. Then there's the fact that a primary and secondary headspace is a pain in the butt to deal with, and has been known to create not only sizing issues but various other feeding/extraction/ejection issues over time with various platforms. The belt was never a desire, but rather a design necessity given the limitations of the time.

Literally any non-belted option would be a better choice. The 7 PRC is aimed squarely at this exact use case.

That said, the reasoning of "because that's what I want" is reason enough for anyone to shoot whatever they like. It's only when they start advocating what someone else should do, that faulty reasoning (if it's present) becomes a problem.

I still remember the first pronghorn I shot with a 7mm rem mag. Fixed 4x optic at nearly 600yds. Downright amazing cartridge that took a long time to eclipse.


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[nksmfamjp]

Is the 7mm Rem Mag suddenly not capable of doing what it did in the 1980's?
Or heck, even the 1960's?

Oh, please list these " much better options"!

With the newer powders & projectiles i'd say it's even more capable today!

The Mauser i built for my Daughter in 7X57 Mauser killed her doe just as dead this year as any of the new "wonder rounds".

Don't get me wrong. 30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, 264 win mag, 270 Winchester are all great rounds. When you can buy something beltless, faster twist, steeper shoulder's, higher head height, why would you buy the old cartridge. 7 rm is a great round in terms of case volume matching to bullet size.

I would suggest 280ai in 9 twist or faster, 7 PRC or 6.8 Western, but you know that. If I were building a custom, I'd probably do 280 ai or 270 win with longer freebore and 8 twist.
…..I'm just making the point, when buying a new factory rifle, why buy an old school cartridge.

 

[Hugnot]

I buy cheap used rifles at various licensed dealers including pawn shops. I get to do a real close inspection Including running non-wildcat dummy rounds thru action. If the dealer chokes up on that, no deal. After that the rifle goes to a smith for re-barreling with instructions to face off receiver ring & lap bolt lugs. I can specify exactly what I want for certain bullets & cartridges.

I like the popular .280 AI, abundant .270 Win brass may be FF to .280 AI. A 9 twist works out well with most bullets up to 160's. A smaller body diameter area means less bolt thrust & easier bolt opening.

I do my own stock work using pre-inlet, shaped, laminated wood (dyed birch) stocks. I do epoxy bedding, final shaping, recoil pad, ancillary fixtures, & finishing.

Despite its fame & popularity I am not a 7mm RM fan. Should popularity of the 7 PRC wane, brass availability and home ammo production would suffer. Same for the 6.5 PRC that I expect to get into operation soon.