28 Nosler or 7mm chamberings

Ruger007

Ruger007

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Been looking at 7mm chamberings lately. Never really played with the 7mm caliber before.

I have a Rem 700 that I was thinking of changing the barrel. Currently it is a 7mm RUM. Brass is just too hard to find.

So I have a magnum bolt face 700 action with a ultra mag magazine.

7mm STW?
28 Nosler?
Something that brass can be found fairly easily. Even if I have to buy factory ammo first.

Who has a 28 Nosler? What do you think. Seems comparable to the RUM.
 
I was helping a fellow earlier this year with a 7mm STW he inherited - turns out was a custom barrel with a tighter than normal neck, although switching from reformed 8mm Rem Mag (which may have not had the necks thinned) to using factory 7mm STW brass seemed to sort out his issues. Two other local fellows - one has a 7mm Weatherby Mag and one has a 28 Nosler - have been gathering up the reloading tools for them. In researching loading data - 5 or 6 reloading manuals, online, etc. - a considerable variation is published - so, until we do some actual pressure series and chronograph some shots, I am not sure there is more than 100 fps between the three of them - probably more variation among three rifles all chambered for the same cartridge? I do know that the price of 7mm WBY Mag cartridges will bring tears to your eyes - if you can find any, anywhere, and the empty Weatherby brand 7mm Weatherby brass is pretty healthy as well. Actually sounds that the 28 Nosler ammo is not as big a challenge to find as the 7mm Weatherby stuff. For those high intensity rounds, the free-bore gets to be pretty critical - had read, but have not personally handled, that some "custom" barrels are well over-pressure with Weatherby factory ammo - because the maker did not chamber to the Weatherby free bore.
 
28 Nosler would be the practical choice. Same case capacity as the STW, but you can get brass from Hornady, Nosler, ADG, Peterson
 
My son shoots the 7mm STW in a Cooper Model 56 Custom Classic, his go-to rifle. Awesome cartridge and it loves IMR-7828 behind the 150 gr...............fast, flat and deadly!
 
track said:
My son shoots the 7mm STW in a Cooper Model 56 Custom Classic, his go-to rifle. Awesome cartridge and it loves IMR-7828 behind the 150 gr...............fast, flat and deadly!
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Probably a good example to look up - that 7mm STW, the 7mm Weatherby Mag, the 7mm Ultra Mag all show max highest velocities of between 3300 and 3400 with 150 grain bullets - Nosler #7 Manual - on the Nosler website, they list the 150 grain 28 Nosler ammo at 3250, but show hand loads to more than 3400. So might be an extreme of 100 fps listed in the Nosler data among those four cartridges for 150 grain bullets. That is only about the listed max speed - says nothing about what velocity is most accurate.
 
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While the 7STW is irrationally one of my favorite cartridges I currently don't own one. The 28 Nosler is really its equal and may feed a little better from a RUM magazine since both are .404 Jeffery based, should have better barrel life than the RUM and not need as long of a barrel.
Two cartridges you're overlooking, In my opinion, 7mm Rem Mag and 7-300 Winchester both may require mag work but have brass available and cheap in spades compared to the others.

Before swapping the barrel I'd probably run it as is. I bet a WTB would net you enough brass to toast the current throat for a fraction of a new barrel before chambering and install costs.
 
sask378 said:
Wait a bit and see if Hornady does a 7mm PRC.........

7-300 Win Mag - might have to change out mag box
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We have a few 7-375 Ruger rifles running around our crew for quite a few years, I prefer it to the 28 nosler. It's an absolute beast of a cartridge and now with ADG and soon to be lapua making 300prc brass forming the cases is a breeze. I won't post the ludicrous speeds that have been attained by 180g bullets in it as most of you wouldn't believe it anyways but they can be driven FAST! I do believe ADG is making ultramag brass as well.
 
I've got a 7mm Weatherby that my Dad had built in 1961. Aside from the slow (1:12") barrel twist, I'm not sure why I would want anything different for open country. Certainly wouldn't replace it just to gain 150 FPS. I'm sure that a 150gr 7mm bullet skipping along at 3250 will do everything that I could want it to in North America. Might have to try some 150gr Sciroccos if I ever move back to open country.
 
Curious - I hunted Saskatchewan mostly - had good luck with many decent enough white tail and mule deer - with a Ruger No. 1 in 7x57 and 150 grain Partitions - on my Crony they run about 2,800 fps. Never had a deer out run them, bullets do not "bounce off" - just about perfect, I thought. Always itched to step it up a bit - so I did - Schultz and Larsen Model 60 in 7x61 Sharpe and Hart - sort of past the Rem 280 but not quite to hot loaded 7mm Rem Mag - ought to be quite similar to 7mm SAUM, except about 50 years older?? If that is not enough, I do not need a faster 7mm bullet - I need a fatter and heavier one. In the cabinet is a 338 Win Mag - 225 Accubond at 2,800 fps. 9.3x62 with 250 also Accubond at 2,650. Test project on the work bench is a 9.3x57. And somewhere is 30-06, 308 Norma, 300 Win Mag and 300 Weatherby Mag, all with 180 Speer Grand Slam. Kind of redundant times about 5, I think now - thought each was a good idea at the time - but only the 7x57 has taken game - often, over 20 years. The 338 Win Mag has taken two elk. Never taken anything else with the others - definitely running out of hunting seasons left, compared to rifles on hand to try...
 
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