7mm dilemma !!!!

[idaho elk hunter]

Don't get a 7 get a 30 cal...... 30 cal you can buy bullets from 100 grains all the way to 240..... The problem with the 7 is at ELR it's hard to see your bullet impacts if the conditions are not favorable. If you plan on shooting 1000 yards and in it doesn't matter..... I have owned 3 7mms 7RM 7Hulk and 7Allen Mag. All are good guns....... But not the same as a 30 cal.

So if I understand this right one size in caliber size is going to make a difference in visible impacts? This made me roll on the floor laughing so hard that I ran out of air. Wow, I haven't heard that one before.

I will take a 175 ABLR or any 175 for that matter and you take any 30 cal and we will put them to a 1000 and do our thing. I would put a thousand on it that if we saw one we would see both. Yes I do gamble, I think the odds are in my favor.

 

[blksno]

I was always wondering if I made a mistake choosing the 7mm Rem Mag Match instead of something like the LRM, but after load development and the slow powder selection...I'm MORE than happy.

After 700 rounds, this was my recent 5 shot group at 400 yds with the 180 Hybrids.
Chrono was clocked at 3066, but my POI suggests it's going a pinch faster. (Not surprising since I confirmed the 180 VLD to be going 3105 with the same charge weight and almost identical accuracy.)

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[MudRunner2005]

Nice shooting C-Bass!

Idaho, I almost hit the ground myself when I read that. It took all I had to not comment on it. LOL

 

[Chandalar]

Don't get a 7 get a 30 cal...... 30 cal you can buy bullets from 100 grains all the way to 240..... The problem with the 7 is at ELR it's hard to see your bullet impacts if the conditions are not favorable. If you plan on shooting 1000 yards and in it doesn't matter..... I have owned 3 7mms 7RM 7Hulk and 7Allen Mag. All are good guns....... But not the same as a 30 cal.

I would agree with this, and I would go with the 300 Norma Mag,
Here is a good article that was writen by Frank Galli, These guys were shooting everything from 7mmWSM to 408CT. Enjoy and all the best with your build.

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[Dick Tinsley]

Don't get a 7 get a 30 cal...... 30 cal you can buy bullets from 100 grains all the way to 240..... The problem with the 7 is at ELR it's hard to see your bullet impacts if the conditions are not favorable. If you plan on shooting 1000 yards and in it doesn't matter..... I have owned 3 7mms 7RM 7Hulk and 7Allen Mag. All are good guns....... But not the same as a 30 cal.

Got laugh at this also! BTW, didn't the OP ask about a 7mm instead of a 30 cal. He said he has the 30 cal covered an was wanting 7mm info. Mud, I think your reading problem has boiled over!!!! LOL

DT

 

[upacreek]

I own a 7RM and a 7WSM. I think they both have similar recoil, but there is something I like about cycling the short action while shooting quick. I have plans for my 7WSM this winter, but either way I would never be without my 7RM. It's just reliable, easy to find ammo and just as effective at range asany bullet my hunting partners shoot. Personally I won't ever shoot a 7 under 160gr. Just my opinion.

 

[upacreek]

I have to say trying to find 7WSM brass loaded or not is next to impossible the last year!

 

[Mossy49]

Looks like I'm trying to decide between the 7rm or the 7STW. If I could get brass for the 7RUM, I'd probably go that route. Just got a feeling I'll be going the 7STW route! digging the ballistics and for some reasons I can get ammo for it up . Looks like I'll be bugging the 7STW brotherhood for some reload info.

 

[cummin_un_glued]

There is one more 7mm that i havnt seen mentioned. a 7-300win mag. Some great information about them on this forum. Falls right between the 7 mag and 7 STW. Actually with 180gr bullets its pretty easy to acheive 7 STW velocity in a 28" barrel and still be alot shorter round.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Looks like I'm trying to decide between the 7rm or the 7STW. If I could get brass for the 7RUM, I'd probably go that route. Just got a feeling I'll be going the 7STW route! digging the ballistics and for some reasons I can get ammo for it up . Looks like I'll be bugging the 7STW brotherhood for some reload info.

The RUM is not an efficient cartridge. It takes almost 20gr more powder to achieve a noticeable velocity difference in identical rifles and loads, but has less than 1/2 the barrel life of an STW.

There is something called the point of diminishing returns. And any 7mm after the STW seems to drop-off drastically. The STW is not the best on barrel life at around 1,200-1,500 (achieved by several members on here), and some have gotten even more than that out of one. You seem to really lose barrel lift with the 7RUM, dropping off significantly at around 600-800 rounds of accurate barrel life.

Personally you couldn't give me a 7RUM, without me ripping the barrel off and building something else out of it. But that's my feelings on it.

You can save barrel life in the STW by shooting heavy bullets at moderate speeds with slow burning powders, instead of shooting lighter bullets with fast powders at very high velocities. The higher the velocity, the worse the barrel life.

Feel free to come join us over in the STW brotherhood. We'll try to help you out as best we can. Or you can PM me with questions if you'd prefer.

 

[Mossy49]

Thanks for the info , should decide here in acouple of days. It will be either the 7RM or 7STW. Gonna shoot nothing but heavy bullets out of either.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

The RUM is not an efficient cartridge. It takes almost 20gr more powder to achieve a noticeable velocity difference in identical rifles and loads, but has less than 1/2 the barrel life of an STW.

There is something called the point of diminishing returns. And any 7mm after the STW seems to drop-off drastically. The STW is not the best on barrel life at around 1,200-1,500 (achieved by several members on here), and some have gotten even more than that out of one. You seem to really lose barrel lift with the 7RUM, dropping off significantly at around 600-800 rounds of accurate barrel life.

Personally you couldn't give me a 7RUM, without me ripping the barrel off and building something else out of it. But that's my feelings on it.

You can save barrel life in the STW by shooting heavy bullets at moderate speeds with slow burning powders, instead of shooting lighter bullets with fast powders at very high velocities. The higher the velocity, the worse the barrel life.

Feel free to come join us over in the STW brotherhood. We'll try to help you out as best we can. Or you can PM me with questions if you'd prefer.

The 7rum bore life depends largely on how you load it and treat it. I bought mine used last year and have about 150 rounds on it with no noticeable bore deterioration. I'll likely go stw when she's dead but for now I'll enjoy loafing at start charges where my stw is full throttle speed wise.

The 7rum is definitely more of everything, but you need to start thinking differently about how you load it than you do with middle magnums like the 7rem, 300win, and stw to really get any gains. 7828 and rl22 aren't going to get you more of anything other than powder consumed. You need to start thinking about 168-175 grains and above and retumbo and slower for powders. I'm using rl50 with 168 bergers and retumbo with 175 hdy's at present.

I think the best choice for a 7mm is still the stw, with a close 2nd being the 7x300. The rum can be made great but it takes a bit of luck and skill to get there while still having barrel life. I'm on my 3rd 7rum and I still haven't figured them out fully.

 

[MudRunner2005]

The 7rum bore life depends largely on how you load it and treat it. I bought mine used last year and have about 150 rounds on it with no noticeable bore deterioration. I'll likely go stw when she's dead but for now I'll enjoy loafing at start charges where my stw is full throttle speed wise.

The 7rum is definitely more of everything, but you need to start thinking differently about how you load it than you do with middle magnums like the 7rem, 300win, and stw to really get any gains. 7828 and rl22 aren't going to get you more of anything other than powder consumed. You need to start thinking about 168-175 grains and above and retumbo and slower for powders. I'm using rl50 with 168 bergers and retumbo with 175 hdy's at present.

I think the best choice for a 7mm is still the stw, with a close 2nd being the 7x300. The rum can be made great but it takes a bit of luck and skill to get there while still having barrel life. I'm on my 3rd 7rum and I still haven't figured them out fully.

I agree completely. I think we are on very close to the same thought-pattern when it comes to the 7's. The RUM's defiitely have a place, but to make the large amount of diminishing returns worth dealing with, you will have to figure out the sweet spots of the caliber. From my dealings with them, and with other RUM ownsers over the years, they seem (to me) to be a very finicky caliber. Alot of folks feel this way about anything larger than the 7RM & 7Wby, including the 7-300, STW, & RUM.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I agree completely. I think we are on very close to the same thought-pattern when it comes to the 7's. The RUM's defiitely have a place, but to make the large amount of diminishing returns worth dealing with, you will have to figure out the sweet spots of the caliber. From my dealings with them, and with other RUM ownsers over the years, they seem (to me) to be a very finicky caliber. Alot of folks feel this way about anything larger than the 7RM & 7Wby, including the 7-300, STW, & RUM.

The biggest problem with the 7rem and smaller is that you slow down too much with heavier bullets. They are great mid range rounds but the extra few hundred fps from the stw and bigger means a lot when you stretch the range a good bit. I'll take a 175 at 3100 (start charge in my 7rum) any day over a 175 at 2800(top charge for my last 7rem).
I know some are doing better with their 7rem's, but it's usually at pressures I won't let my rifles generate. I plan on using them years and winding the dog snot out of them is counter productive to me. Go big or go home.