7mm Rem mag or RUM?

[jtoews80]

In October I bought a NIB Sako 75 in 7mm Rem. I've been fairly busy and haven't got around to breaking in the barrel or anything. Now as it gets colder during the winter I get to tinkering with my reloading bench and coming up with ideas to build something interesting.

I am asking myself if I'd like that 7mm Better with the chamber opened up to RUM or STW?? The rem has it's perks, shells are cheap, recoil isn't bad, it's got as much reach as most guys can shoot. I still do like to burn powder just for fun and a Sako barrel will handle the extra velocity well.

So, I am still undecided and my 75 is still unfired.

JT.

 

[Bruce Mc]

I say leave it the original. If I had the skills to shoot game at 600 plus yards I might prefer the STW. But since I'd never take a shot that far even if I had the skills, the rem mag does just fine.

 

[roysclockgun]

I agree with JT. Unless you are stretching your clean kill range beyond 400 yards, don't change it from 7mmRemMag.
For me the RUM experience was disappointing, in terms of what effective range I could gain, over the 7mmRemMag. As MV went beyond 3300fps, groups opened up! It all came down to what I wanted and what I could do at given ranges.
If the increase in propellant burned is only to punch paper at extreme range, then, there is no ceiling.
Steven A.

 

[DrMike]

The 7 RM is an excellent cartridge. The 7 STW is cool. Candidly, the RUMs have never excited me overly much. Especially in the 7 mm calibre, the RUM appears to be an answer in search of a question. Nothing wrong with rechambering to whatever turns your crank. I'd probably shoot the rifle a few times just because before I rechambered.

 

[JD338]

I would shoot it to see what the rifle will do as is.

JD338

 

[corbin9191]

I would leave it as the rem mag. I say this because the bullet that my brother is using in his 7mm rem mag (168 grain berger target vld @ 3081 fps at muzzle) has more energy and velocity then a 30-378 weatherby (with a normal 165 grain bullet at 3500 fps) compared at 1000 yards. http://bergerbullets.com/ scroll to the bottom and take a look at the video.

 

[jtoews80]

You guys are right, I should at least give it a bit of range time before trying to fix a brand new rifle.

I'll give it a try and post range results when it warms up.

It's -28 with a 9MPH wind today. Good day to reload and drink coffee.
Perhaps I'm just feeling sheepish because that 7mm rm Ruger #1 that I took on trade & sold to my brother shot under half MOA with the first load I tested. 140 AB's and IMR 4831.

JT.

 

[OldMan]

One thing to think about in the RUM is burning up the barrels and using a bunch of powder. If you want a RUM, I'd go with the 300 or 338 to use that case for pushing a heavy bullet way out there for Elk. Do you realize how much you have to pay for in the 7mm Rum? Lots of powder, a bunch more recoil, and gobs of noise! The 7mm Rem Mag will do a real great job with way less. The new powders we have now days will make the old 7 sing a happy song!

 

[FOTIS]

Altering a SAKO in anyway should be a sin!

Leave her alone! They shoot great as is!

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

I'd shoot the barrel out, THEN rechamber it as a 7mm STW.

 

[nomosendero]

I'd shoot the barrel out, THEN rechamber it as a 7mm STW.

Indeed! I like the STW alot, but why not shoot the RM for a while, you may decide the STW is not needed & the 7RM is great. I read alot about the RUM when it came out, I believe the RUM cas is a little much for the 7mm bore, a 28" or longer tube with a fast twist barrel for the 180 Berger or longer custom bullet would then utilize the round, but in fact. format I don't see a big gain over the STW.

 

[6mm Remington]

It it was me, I'd load some 160 gr. Accubonds and get me a great load worked up and be completely satisfied!

Leave it a 7mm Remington Magnum!! :evil:

 

[JD338]

I would start 7mm Rem Mag load development with a 160 gr AB and RL 22. :wink:

JD338

 

[DrMike]

I would start 7mm Rem Mag load development with a 160 gr AB and RL 22.

This would allow generation of a classic hunting round!

 

[Guy Miner]

One shot, 175 gr Nosler Partition, 7mm Rem mag. What more could I ask?

I'd keep it a 7mm Rem mag. It's not an outrageous cartridge, just a good all-around performer. What I like about it is:

1. Modest recoil - about the same as a .30-06 as far as I can tell.
2. Excellent long range performance, particularly with the 160 - 175 gr bullets.

It's so easy to load & shoot and performs so well... Just a really nice all around package for the open country hunter. I don't see any point to hot-rodding it up into the STW or RUM version.

Regards, Guy

 

[DrMike]

I'd keep it a 7mm Rem mag. It's not an outrageous cartridge, just a good all-around performer. What I like about it is:

1. Modest recoil - about the same as a .30-06 as far as I can tell.
2. Excellent long range performance, particularly with the 160 - 175 gr bullets.

It's so easy to load & shoot and performs so well... Just a really nice all around package for the open country hunter.

Spot on, Guy. I would hate to have a gun safe without a 7mm Remington Magnum in it.

 

[roysclockgun]

Guy, very nice bull. Congrats.
I agree with you. In most cases, bigger may not be better, when dealing with the 7mmRemMag., and it's full potential, VS larger cartridges.
The more modern bullets will perform today, just as we expected much heavier bullets, with any old style SP design to perform 40 years ago.
Everyone should buy and/or build and shoot what they believe that they want, but over the years, I have lost interest in the super magnum cartridges. Not enough gain. Too much recoil. Too much propellant blasting out the muzzle. And, in general, overkill.
I am able to retrieve a fair number of once fired cartridge cases at my county's range. When I see people checking out rifles just before hunting season, I take note of how may rounds they fire. In all cartridges up to the ones that produce recoil similar to 7mmRemMag and 30-06, those people will fire a box of cartridges, or more. Above that, in the realm of 30-378,338Mag., 340WbyMag., 338Rum, they fire, on average 4 rounds. Why is that?... When I see a man tooling around town is some super expensive, fast, powerful car, I admit, I stand on the sidelines and admire his possession. I realize that even he may know that he is driving more than he needs and that what he is driving, is based more on what he wants to project to the rest of the world. What he wants to project may be; "Look at me, I have something different, that very few men have!"...And that is okay with me! The same can be said when hunters use super magnums to hunt deer. That is okay with me.
Steven A.

 

[DrMike]

I used a 7mm RM for many years to take some of the largest black bears I have ever taken, elk, moose and mule deer. I used one load launching 175 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullets at ~2850 fps. I bought TBBC direct from Jack Carter before Speer assumed manufacturing rights, and I still have a modest supply of the 175 grain bullets. Later, I began using the 160 grain Fail Safe at about ~3000 fps. Moose, elk and black bear all died readily when shot with these bullets. I still have a modest amount of this ammunition loaded. More recently, I've focused on 175 grain Partitions at around 2800 fps. Though I have not yet taken game with this load, I know it will do what I need it to do and I certainly don't feel undergunned with this load. Admittedly, the longest shot I ever took with this rifle was 320 yards, and the average shot has been around 120 yards. Few critters ever ran very far after being hit. The 7mm RM has been all that I would want it to be. Would I buy other cartridges? I have, and I would, just because it is interesting to load for differing cartridges.

 

[roysclockgun]

DrMike, well put Sir.
When I went on a self guided hunt in the year 2000, the man next to me happened to also be going to Colorado to hunt elk and we fell into the usual hunting conversations. He worked around to telling me that he was carrying one of the super mags. I do not remember the exact caliber, but it was a big one. He asked me what I was carrying and I responded that I had a 30-06. Looking surprised, he reared back a bit and said; "You know of course that you are undergunned!" The conversation did not go much farther, as I buried my nose in a book. I know longer wanted to talk to someone as ignorant as he had shown himself to be. I bagged my bull that year. The shot was a measured 304 yards. I was using a hand loaded 180gr. Speer Grand Slam, because that bullet grouped best of the 180gr. bullets that range tested. Today, I would go wiith my 7mmRemMag, using 160gr AB, only because I can get a flatter trajectory, wthout giving up penetration, accuracy and weight retention.
Steven A.

 

[YoteSmoker]

Having had both 30-06 and 7 RM, my 7 RM is my favorite of the two but in reality is only about 50 yards flatter than the 30-06 comparing a 160 AccuBond @ 2900 fps to a 165 AccuBond at 2800 fps. They are both, in the hunting woods, pretty darn close in effectiveness. I traded my 30-06 to my dad for his 7 RM, but I also have my grandfather's 30-06 03 springfield that sits in the safe, while the 7RM gets used. I went to the 300 RUM for instances where I would like more range than either can produce.