What 7mm Cartridge

Weatherby Fan

Weatherby Fan

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Ok lets here your thoughts on the most sensible 7mm/.284 cartridge to build a target rifle with, wanting to shoot out to 1000 yards,

I really like the looks of the Gunwerks 7mm LRM but no decent brass as of yet and will be at the far end of sensible with recoil and barrel life but should be perfect for chucking those 195gr Bergers,

Im looking at the the 7 SAUM since you can get quality brass for it now and I do have a Defiance Rebel XM mag bolt face action on hand.

280AI, 284 Winchester, 7 SAUM, 7 LRM, 7 WSM ?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts or experience.
 
If you are shooting in F open, then the 284win is the defacto goto.

If just plinking, the 7-08 reg and AI will do a surprisingly wide range of stuff.

If there is a chance of dual roles, target and hunting, my past fave was the 7 RM cause ... lots and lots of rifles setup to work well. Dont like the belted case, then similar magnums will do similar things... but don't expect the barrel to last all that long.

I really enjoyed my time with the 7 Mystic which was my version of the 280AI but today, I would likely go smaller for fun shooting. 1000yds just isn't that far anymore.

Jerry
 
Weatherby Fan said:
Ok lets here your thoughts on the most sensible 7mm/.284 cartridge to build a target rifle with, wanting to shoot out to 1000 yards,

I really like the looks of the Gunwerks 7mm LRM but no decent brass as of yet and will be at the far end of sensible with recoil and barrel life but should be perfect for chucking those 195gr Bergers,

Im looking at the the 7 SAUM since you can get quality brass for it now and I do have a Defiance Rebel XM mag bolt face action on hand.

280AI, 284 Winchester, 7 SAUM, 7 LRM, 7 WSM ?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts or experience.
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For just target shooting at 1000, any of the 7mms from 7-08 and up will do the job (with correct bullet choice). If I had an XM length action in hand like you, 7 SAUM would be a no-brainer. I have one built on a short action and it's a great caliber but you lose case capacity when loading 180s+ to mag length. Obviously not an issue in an XM. Next Saum I build will most likely be on an XM. Next 7mm caliber I try will most likely be a 7-300 Norma Mag because, why not, haha. It's just another barrel and I'd be curious to see just how fast those 195s can go...
 
Mystic Precision said:
If you are shooting in F open, then the 284win is the defacto goto.

If just plinking, the 7-08 reg and AI will do a surprisingly wide range of stuff.

If there is a chance of dual roles, target and hunting, my past fave was the 7 RM cause ... lots and lots of rifles setup to work well. Dont like the belted case, then similar magnums will do similar things... but don't expect the barrel to last all that long.

I really enjoyed my time with the 7 Mystic which was my version of the 280AI but today, I would likely go smaller for fun shooting. 1000yds just isn't that far anymore.

Jerry
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Thanks Jerry, like you say most any of the cartridges will get you there, Im never to worried about barrel life as I find barrels for the most part are reasonably priced and readily available and I know a cpl guys that can chamber/install fairly quickly.........

This would strictly be a target rifle as I have a cpl decent hunting rifles !
 
I opted to build a 7 SAUM. I'm building on a long action, 30" barrel and a custom reamer for the heavy bullets. I won't be shooting this rig at 1000 yards though as that is too close for the abilities of this cartridge. 280ai is another option that runs close to the SAUM performance. Since you have the XM action, I think a SAUM would be a great performer
 
TrxR said:
I see mention of the 7-08 what does it do that its parent case 308 doesn't ?
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Basically it's a ballistics thing, a 7mm target bullet stays supersonic easier hence stays more accurate easier at 1,000 than a 7.62 target bullet of the same mass,ie.140 grain 7mm versus 140 graain7.62 .
Cat
 
TrxR said:
I see mention of the 7-08 what does it do that its parent case 308 doesn't ?
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I would think the main thing it does over the 308 is that the 7-08 can actually fire a 7mm 195 gr Berger EOL with better accuracy lol since OP is asking about 7mm,s
The 7-08 would be a poor choice for the 195,s tho - 7LRM would be nice. My 28 nosler is very accurate with 195 EOL,s but hard on barrels
 
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It surprises me how theres a fantastic selection of 7mm bullets yet a a poor selection of 7mm cartridges. The 7/08 is a great cartridge but it lacks case capacity for anything over ~160 grains.

I wish Hornady would have released 7mm PRC instead. That would be a perfect sized case for the heavy 7mm’s. Oddly enough the 6.5 PRC is marketed as a long range hunting and target cartridge yet 7mm would provide superior BC and down range performance.
 
coleman1495 said:
It surprises me how theres a fantastic selection of 7mm bullets yet a a poor selection of 7mm cartridges. The 7/08 is a great cartridge but it lacks case capacity for anything over ~160 grains.

I wish Hornady would have released 7mm PRC instead. That would be a perfect sized case for the heavy 7mm’s. Oddly enough the 6.5 PRC is marketed as a long range hunting and target cartridge yet 7mm would provide superior BC and down range performance.
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The 284, 7SAUM, 7WSM , 7mm mag and the 280 are two that fit the bill perfectly, depending on what action a person wants.
Cat
 
coleman1495 said:
Something that’s commercially supported like the 7 rem mag but not an archaic belted cartridge. A modernized option would be really nice.
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Well, depending on the discipline chosen, the 280 Remington or the 284 Winchester would be great, or the 7 SAUM.
Virtually every competitor I have been on the line with or spoke with over the years hand loads, so factory ammo does not enter the equation
Cat
 
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