The good old 7mm's

[SJB358]

I put this here for Mike. I know he was sorta thinking of a 284 Winchester... Figured it would help him along some!

http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/7mm/

I love the 7mm's. I have a 7x57, 7WSM, and 7RM.. All three of them are pretty slick and since I started my hunting life with a 7mm, it will always be a good one.

This article really puts the 284 Win in a great light.

 

[DrMike]

I've seen this article previously. I do like the .284 Winchester a lot. Apparently, I like the 7mm calibres. I have two .280 Remingtons, a 7mm WSM, a 7mm Remington Magnum. I have previously owned another .280 Remington, a 7X57 Mauser and another 7mm Remington Magnum. I have only barely managed to avoid picking up a 7mm-08 Remington. Yeah, I like the calibre--a lot.

 

[SJB358]

I've seen this article previously. I do like the .284 Winchester a lot. Apparently, I like the 7mm calibres. I have two .280 Remingtons, a 7mm WSM, a 7mm Remington Magnum. I have previously owned another .280 Remington, a 7X57 Mauser and another 7mm Remington Magnum. I have only barely managed to avoid picking up a 7mm-08 Remington. Yeah, I like the calibre--a lot.

Well, I am glad I am not the only crazy one here! When I saw Jakes brother with his 284 and the accuracy he was getting from it, I was pretty curious about it.

Joel passed on a 284 Win BLR awhile back. I almost disenfriended him! :lol:

The little 7WSM really got me back into the saddle with the 7mm's. Now I am excited to work with the older 7RM again, and have since gotten a new stock for it. Gotta find some glass for it as well. It is a mean cycle we live as riflemen!

 

[Guest]

A few years back I picked up a nice, plain Rem700 in 7mmRemMag wearing a 26" barrel. The plan was to restock it and have the barreled action cerakoted, and end up with a great elk rifle. Alas, the thing was not even MOBD accurate (Minute-Of-Barn-Door), had feeding problems, and a chamber that was .040" longer in the shoulder than SAAMI specs. I've wanted a 7mm to replace it ever since. At some point, I'd like to own the trifecta of great magnum 7's - 7mmRemMag, 7mmWby, and 7mmWSM. We'll see if that ever comes to pass...but the 7mm is a great bore size. (My 270Wby is still better, though...)

 

[DrMike]

I did some work with a 7mm WBY a short while ago. I really enjoyed it; it was a sweet cartridge. Unfortunately, it doesn't really have much on the 7RM, so I likely wouldn't specifically go looking for one.

 

[Guest]

On my to-do list is a cadre of Weatherby rifles in all six original Weatherby chamberings. I'd like a 257Wby in a ULW or Fluted Synthetic, a 7mmWby Euromark, a 340Wby Accumark, and a 375Wby Deluxe. Matching those up with my 270Wby Mark V Synthetic and 300Wby Stainless Synthetic, would give me a very nice representative sample of the original six, I think. The 375 will have to be custom, as Weatherby won't chamber it in a 26" rifle for me. I'll start hunting for a gunsmith when I get the money...

 

[DrMike]

That would be a great stable of Weatherby rifles. I've never loaded for or shot the .375. I have loaded for the .220 Weatherby Rocket, the .240, .257, .270, 7mm, .300, .340, .30-378, .338-378, .378, .416 and the .460. Fascinatingly enough, I've never shot a .375 or a .224 Weatherby. Surely, there are some around.

 

[Ridge_Runner]

lets see, 7mm's in my stable
7mmjdj, 7mm/08, 7mm RM, 7mm stw, 7mm AM......yep I like them pretty well
RR

 

[JD338]

I am a fan of the 7mm as well. Played with 7-30 Waters, 7-08, 280, 280 AI, 7mm Rem Mag and 7mm RUM.
The 7mm shoots flat and hits hard. The best single bullet offered in 7mm is the 160 gr PT. It will cover anything from mice to moose.

I did get to shoot a 284 Win and there is a lot of cool factor with that one. 8)

JD338

 

[Songdog]

I could live a full and rich hunting life with a 7mm Rem. and a 160 AccuBond in the pipe.... though it would cost many a furry critter theirs.

 

[BK]

Two 7RMs, two 7WSMs, and a 7-08. I'd love to find a 700 Classic from the year they did 7 Weatherbys. And I think about doing a .284 on an M70, or finding a 7x57 in an M70. Or building a Mauser in .275 Rigby. Plus, there's the thread on the RUM...

 

[atmoshpere]

+1 for the 7mils! I think they are a great compromise between BC and bullet weight. Sure you can get a .6+ BC out of a 6.5 140 grain bullet, but when you want to do something bigger than mule deer, I think a 160 is a nice place to be. If you're looking at a short action 7mm I don't think you can go wrong with a 284 win, especially if you're gonna put a custom barrel on it as you can maximize your COAL to your mag allowable. I'm using a stock 308win with no mods other than a barrel change and beatin the pants off the 308win and 7-08 ballistics while still not hesitating to kill an elk with it. Hell, given the right situation with 160 ABs I'd have no qualms with punchin a moose with it either. If your doing long action, IMO you might as well go with a 7RM or 280 and not short yourself on case capacity.

Great bullet choice, great cartridge choice, great bullet BC and SD: what's not to love?

 

[Bruce Mc]

I've only used the 7mm rem mag as far as 7mm's go but I've had three different 7mm Rem mags. Any rifle that can hurl a 160 AccuBond at 3000+ fps mv into small groups is GOOD. There isn't a better all around for the lower 48.

 

[SJB358]

I've only used the 7mm rem mag as far as 7mm's go but I've had three different 7mm Rem mags. Any rifle that can hurl a 160 AccuBond at 3000+ fps mv into small groups is GOOD. There isn't a better all around for the lower 48.

Bruce pretty much nailed what I think as well. I love the bigger guns on elk, but the 270's and 7mm's do it with less recoil and allow the shooter to shoot more. Makes a difference.

 

[IdahoCTD]

While I'm more of a .30 and up fan the 7mm's have their place, especially where lower recoil is concerned, and I have several of them. Presently I have 2 .284 Win., 2 7 STW's, and a 7-300wm. I did have 2 7rm's until recently when they were broken down to become donors for other other projects. There is also a Krieger and a McGowen 7mm barrel in the safe and a Obermeyer coming for another 7-300wm.

 

[tecumseh]

I'm a big fan of the 7MM! with the success I had working up a super accurate load for my 280 Rem with a ballistic tip I was going to get a 7mm-08 but I'm now thinking about getting 7mm mag barrel for my Encore Pro-Hunter instead. I have a good supply of 7mm bullets and powders on hand to work with.

 

[Songdog]

While I'm more of a .30 and up fan the 7mm's have their place, especially where lower recoil is concerned.

Funny..... 'cause I can't stand most .30 cal. rifles. To get the same external ballistics from a .30 cal pill.... as you can get from a 7mm pill..... you have to withstand 30% more recoil.... across the board. Terminal ballistics is another matter..... but both have the horsepower to put a serious hurtin' on critter clockwork for a loooooong ways.

If you're going bigger than a 6mm..... go 7mm. If you're going bigger than 7mm.... go all the way to 9mm (release the .35 whelen hounds).... or all the way to .375 like I did.

 

[IdahoCTD]

While I'm more of a .30 and up fan the 7mm's have their place, especially where lower recoil is concerned.

Funny..... 'cause I can't stand most .30 cal. rifles. To get the same external ballistics from a .30 cal pill.... as you can get from a 7mm pill..... you have to withstand 30% more recoil.... across the board. Terminal ballistics is another matter..... but both have the horsepower to put a serious hurtin' on critter clockwork for a loooooong ways.

If you're going bigger than a 6mm..... go 7mm. If you're going bigger than 7mm.... go all the way to 9mm (release the .35 whelen hounds).... or all the way to .375 like I did.

Early on in life my hunting rifles went from a 7mm to a .30 and then I jumped to a .358. After that it kept going to a .375, a .416, and I stopped at a .458. The .375 and .416 are my favorite for shooting big game, especially elk and bigger.

I've had a lot of 7mm's and .30 cal. and the .30's have always averaged better accuracy. That might be why you don't see a lot of 7's in long range shooting.

 

[Songdog]

The .375 and .416 are my favorite for shooting big game, especially elk and bigger.

I've had a lot of 7mm's and .30 cal. and the .30's have always averaged better accuracy. That might be why you don't see a lot of 7's in long range shooting.

I too am a big believer in the .375... particularly the H&H. What they do to game has to be witnessed to be appreciated.... much the same as the Whelen... but +P.

I've never really noticed a difference in levels of accuracy from the bench between the two calibers.... but I have noticed a difference in field accuracy.... or "shootability" if you will. Several middle/large 7mm stand out in my mind as being mediocre from the bench.... but were devastatingly accurate in the field. I believe one 7mm Rem, running the Speer 160 SBT (AccuBond before AccuBond was cool) rattled off a streak of 40+ confirmed kills without a miss, out to 450 yards on: crows, coyotes, jackrabbits, more coyotes, possums, 'coons, deer, bears, elk, a few more coyotes and several unfortunate "boot kings" drifting down the Nooksak River. But, it only shot those bullets in about an inch at 100 out of a SS Ruger MkII.

I truly believe that the recoil difference between the two (7mm vs. .30) makes an enormous difference in field accuracy.... especially when the shooter may be slight, or of little experience. however, I don't feel like you're sacrificing anything in killing ability.... even on marginal hits.

 

[IdahoCTD]

For a long time I've carried 10+lb guns so the recoil has never been a issue for me. In addition almost every gun I hunt with has a muzzle brake so recoil is nothing in a 7 or .30. I like heavier barrels as they tend to be more accurate and I'll take accuracy over less weight any day (well at least until I can't carry one anymore). My wife shoots my light (7.5lbs) .284 with a brake really well and she is only 125lbs. It kicks about like a .243 without a brake.

Your right in that most people would shoot a 7rm better than a .300wm in a hunting weight rifle because most people only shoot their gun right before hunting season and can't tolerate the additional recoil of the .300wm. I sell a lot of muzzle brakes to people that had to have a .300wm or a .300RUM and then can't shoot them. I even sell brakes to guys with 7mm's.