Calvin45
Well-Known Member
Maybe I'll worry about this when I'm older. At present I'm 30 but naturally don't have steady hands (thanks ADHD). So heavy rifles are my friend!
7mm/6.5 Weatherby RPM
- Thread starter 8x68s
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
Husky user
Well-Known Member
Why do you think people pay all that money for light rifles,
After you have climbed up into the clouds looking for sheep of big Mule deer you will understand why some of us like light rifles!!
Calvin45
Well-Known Member
Yeah fair enough. I've covered a lot of ground on foot BUT never at high altitude. I just know I'm a tad jittery either way haha so light rifles prove very challenging to shoot accurately
Andrew Cowling
Well-Known Member
I keep getting asked why I copied wetherby witj my cartrges when 22 years ago I designed and built a 7mm, 308 and 338 AC MAGNUMS. All of these are a rebated rim 3006 bolt face. I used 300 win mag brass and turned the belt off and Rims down and pushed the shoulder back to give a longer neck. I did devolpe the 6.5mm version but it was a bit of a barrel burner and gave up nothing to the 264 remington magnum so I droped it.
Designed as a intermediate to long action the 7mm can easily be chambered in a 7mm mauser with no other changes. The 308 ACMagnum has been the most popular in that any 3006 can be rechamvered to it with no other changes required.
These rebated precision magnums are nothing new.
Designed as a intermediate to long action the 7mm can easily be chambered in a 7mm mauser with no other changes. The 308 ACMagnum has been the most popular in that any 3006 can be rechamvered to it with no other changes required.
These rebated precision magnums are nothing new.
I bought RPM brass, necked em to 25, and loaded dummies to get a reamer and dies built off of until I sat one next to my 257 wby and realized I'd be getting "almost" the same round with way less available components and never pursued it any further. Just was'nt any reason to go through all the trouble for less performance than I'm already getting.
Husky user
Well-Known Member
I don't think the cartridges are what the attraction is, its the semi custom rifle that draws me.
I have looked at having a rifle from Bansner,In Rut, and several other custom builders.
All were in the $7-8,000 range.
With the Weatherby I can have two rifles for that kinda money!
If I was not concerned about weight the new Nosler model 21 in 27 or 28 Nosler would be my choice!
I have looked at having a rifle from Bansner,In Rut, and several other custom builders.
All were in the $7-8,000 range.
With the Weatherby I can have two rifles for that kinda money!
If I was not concerned about weight the new Nosler model 21 in 27 or 28 Nosler would be my choice!
Well in my 60s got my teenage daughter into hunting, when she was smaller was carrying both rifles, a light weight rifle would have saved me from just being dog tired from carrying both rifles them.
Husky user
Well-Known Member
If you would take something like a 7mm-08 the light weight Kimber would be a good rifle for a kid or woman!
Rich Coyle
Well-Known Member
One could have .300 Win Mag performance in an ultralight package. Also, there is no belt so resizing can be more easily accomplished.
Calvin45
Well-Known Member
Real question here cuz I'm just trying to make sense of all this: would be any lighter than a .300 wsm? I get it's skinnier but
The short mag is, well, shorter.
@Husky user You can get a full custom rifle that's as light or lighter and be in the $5000-5500 range. They're not all $7-8,000
shedhunt
Well-Known Member
What case is the 7RPM based off of and what type of performance are you getting out of it?
.300 Dakota
Well-Known Member
I drew this cartridge up with JGS Precision about 10 months ago. I had slightly reduced body taper and extended freebore to a quarter inch or more (can't recall the exact specs). I was designing it to launch 195gr EOLs at what I had surmised would be about 3000 ft/s from a 26 - 27" barrel. I would have about 84.0 grains of water capacity. I recognized that the RPM handles 65,000 psi max avg. pressure, which is somewhat higher than the 7mm Rem Mag making the wildcat an even better choice.
In doing the math, we figured out COAL with the selected bullet would be well over 3.900", this necessitating an action AND bottom metal capable of supporting a full 4" of cartridge (C7 length, or some such designation - a bit longer than CIP). This would require the action to be capable of cycling this length, but doing so in a configuration with standard bolt face.
Enter the BAT Machine Igniter. It checked all the boxes for $1200. I contacted BAT and received permission to call the new cartridge the "7mm Igniter." I ordered a 4" M700 internal box/hinged floorplate lightweight bottom piece from Pacific Tool abd was all set to go. Then I contacted a top nationally known gunsmith who highly advised against using this case. He explained that he had a trove of Wby rifles in the parent chambering waiting to be rebarreled for poor accuracy. He explained that simething was screwy with the case geometry/design, though didn't elaborate. It's very difficult to have something built that the builder has little confidence in building. I'm sure many of us have had these great ideas only to have them squashed by the smith, who like competitive shooters (my smith was both), are HIGHLY opinionated and generally polarizing. So the Igniter never got off the ground. One dares not ignore the voice of reason and experience in such an expensive and precise undertaking, but at the same time IT WOULD BE refreshing, satisfying, and unheard of to get a dozen reasons that we could make this work vs a dozen reasons of why it won't. Reputation in the precision gunsmithing business is priceless, and guys don't like to step outside their comfort zone and risk something they aren't uber-familiar with going awry. Fair enough, I suppose.
I was considering other smiths that might be familiar with the parent cartridge, but lo and behold, somebody published the 7mm PRC which exactly duplicates everything about my wildcat except extra long freebore, in a shorter case with Mag bolt face.
It can be a challenge to order a long action with standard bolt face period, because who builds 30-06s anymore, right?? (Not saying a .30-06 Match with 26" tube wouldn't be legit... just saying in general.) It can be an even broader challenge to find one that will accommodate the necessary length, though you may get it into a 3.715" M5 configuration if PTG didn't lengthen the leade.
What you are proposing is a cpabable cartridge given proper attention by a smith who believes in your design. Do let us know what your ballistics look like of you get a prototype up and running!
Rocketeer77
Well-Known Member
Words of wisdom or pearls before swine? Unfortunately reinventing the wheel overwhelms us all at some stage. The 280AI is an exceptionally good cartridge and very efficient to boot. I have a Sako .270 begging to be upgraded...
