First Custom Rifle Concerns

[Lee Goodwin]

277 fury

 

[muzzletalk]

I have a 6.5ss and a 338ss both have been great. I was thinking of trying a 7 when I need a new barrel.

I have a 338ss also. It's a great all-around gun for a short action. I would also like to try the 7SS at some point but this 338 just fits the bill for most anything I'm going to hunt.

 

[Darkhelmet]

I built my 7 saum on a Stiller Predator medium action, xm size. 24 inch HLR carbon fiber barrel, 1-8 twist. AG Composite stock. Triggertech special. Absolutely love it! Bout 8.5 lbs ready to go. I'd bet that Stiller still has some of these actions as he had 5 magnums and 5 regular bolt face when I called about mine. BTW I'm running the 190 berger lrht @2885.

 

[jpfrog]

I am looking to build my first custom rifle. I didn't know this would be so hard deciding on what I want and what would best suit my needs.

I want a long range cartridge that provides the least amount of recoil and that will have good performance in a short barrel (suppressed).

I was originally thinking a 7 saum to shoot 180 gr Berger Hybrids. Then I hear that a short action is too short to seat them properly and get performance. I then thought, hey the 7 SS would work. I am not crazy about the Hornady dies (no real reason though). Then I thought, the 7 SST has nice Forster dies, but will I get the performance? Then I thought, I'll do a long action 7 saum, but that seems like a waste and XM actions/stocks are super hard to get.

What should I do?

Looking at the following parts list:
Kelby Atlas Tactical
Rock Creek Carbon Barrel
AG Composite Alpine Hunter (maybe adjustable)
Trigger Tech Primary

Please help guide me!
Steve

Hey Boom- I have been in your shoes a few times, LOL. My first full custom was a 280 Sherman with a Proof Carbon/Stiller/Manners. I love it, and it gives me more Boom than a wimpy 280AI, lol. I also have full customs on a 30-06AI (Deviant), 6.5SS (anTi), and 308win (anTi)- all in Manners with Carbon barrels at 24" length and TT triggers. The Shermans are fun, and if you handload, make the most sense to me when going FULL custom, so it will be truly unique to your needs. And the dies you get from Rich are top notch. And they are conversation starters at the range or in deer camp.

Going the SAUM route won't hurt you, but that's a Goldilocks situation- LA is too long, SA is too short, and medium action is perfect but as you know there can be issues with sourcing a stock/bottom metal for your build. That shouldn't stop you though.

All that to say, I agree with those that have said to pick a bullet and velocity goal, then work backwards. A short mag case and a standard long case are going to have similar capacity, but the burn in a short barrel may end up more complete with the shorter fatter cartridge.

Good luck!

 

[simmonzz]

I'm having a 16.5" carbon 6.5 saum built I can let you know how it turns out if you want

 

[Pacecount]

What do you mean by "short barrel" and "long range?" I shoot VLD 180s myself at 2950 fps with 7mm RM.

A short barrel (20" or 22") a long action does not make sense. Yiu need at least 24" and more likely 26" of barrel to burn that powder and take advantage of the extra velocity.

Sound like you need a 6.5 CM with a 20" or 22" barrel. You do not need to reload mine shoots factory 143 ELDX and makes one ragged hole with 5 rounds.

 

[D$tring]

I am looking to build my first custom rifle. I didn't know this would be so hard deciding on what I want and what would best suit my needs.

I want a long range cartridge that provides the least amount of recoil and that will have good performance in a short barrel (suppressed).

I was originally thinking a 7 saum to shoot 180 gr Berger Hybrids. Then I hear that a short action is too short to seat them properly and get performance. I then thought, hey the 7 SS would work. I am not crazy about the Hornady dies (no real reason though). Then I thought, the 7 SST has nice Forster dies, but will I get the performance? Then I thought, I'll do a long action 7 saum, but that seems like a waste and XM actions/stocks are super hard to get.

What should I do?

Looking at the following parts list:
Kelby Atlas Tactical
Rock Creek Carbon Barrel
AG Composite Alpine Hunter (maybe adjustable)
Trigger Tech Primary

Please help guide me!
Steve

Going to have to compromise a bit somewhere. I think the short barrel is a greater consideration than the short action or the billet choice. It adds more inches and more weight per inch. So if lightweight, pack-ability is your primary concern, I would still stick with a short barrel, but plan on a different bullet. The 180s out of a short probably won't get you the speed you need/want. I was in your shoes with the 7 SAUM. 20.5 inch barrel (cut the shank off of a 22 inch barrel — going for lightest possible). I decided to plan on shooting 166 ATips. Still a high BC to reach out there, but better speed out of a short barrel. And, as an added bonus, they fit in a short action.

 

[Muledeerhuntingfreak]

1st off there is not enough kinetic energy out of A 6.5 creedmore to shoot a deer at that distance Your maximum kill range should only beshould only be to around 700 yd you are pushing it to try and kill something at that 1000 yd range With the 6.5 creedmore Evidently people like to watch animals run away and never recover

 

[WKWRIGHT]

I am looking to build my first custom rifle. I didn't know this would be so hard deciding on what I want and what would best suit my needs.

I want a long range cartridge that provides the least amount of recoil and that will have good performance in a short barrel (suppressed).

I was originally thinking a 7 saum to shoot 180 gr Berger Hybrids. Then I hear that a short action is too short to seat them properly and get performance. I then thought, hey the 7 SS would work. I am not crazy about the Hornady dies (no real reason though). Then I thought, the 7 SST has nice Forster dies, but will I get the performance? Then I thought, I'll do a long action 7 saum, but that seems like a waste and XM actions/stocks are super hard to get.

What should I do?

Looking at the following parts list:
Kelby Atlas Tactical
Rock Creek Carbon Barrel
AG Composite Alpine Hunter (maybe adjustable)
Trigger Tech Primary

Please help guide m

I am looking to build my first custom rifle. I didn't know this would be so hard deciding on what I want and what would best suit my needs.

I want a long range cartridge that provides the least amount of recoil and that will have good performance in a short barrel (suppressed).

I was originally thinking a 7 saum to shoot 180 gr Berger Hybrids. Then I hear that a short action is too short to seat them properly and get performance. I then thought, hey the 7 SS would work. I am not crazy about the Hornady dies (no real reason though). Then I thought, the 7 SST has nice Forster dies, but will I get the performance? Then I thought, I'll do a long action 7 saum, but that seems like a waste and XM actions/stocks are super hard to get.

What should I do?

Looking at the following parts list:
Kelby Atlas Tactical
Rock Creek Carbon Barrel
AG Composite Alpine Hunter (maybe adjustable)
Trigger Tech Primary

Please help guide me!
Steve

I will never understand all the guys on here that say they want a short barrel rifle that shoots long range, doesn't make any sense to me, you give up way too much just to have a few less inches of barrel.

 

[IHFarmer07]

Here, you can shoot saum ammo also with this chambering. Best of all worlds for you.

Sherman Wildcat Cartridges

shermanwildcatcartridges.com

 

[BoomFlop]

2-4" of barrel length is 40-100 FPS. The powder you choose will vary velocity by that amount. Although I understand your thoughts, 50-100 doesn't have near the effect on effective range that temperature and elevation does.

 

[Zorack]

I am looking to build my first custom rifle. I didn't know this would be so hard deciding on what I want and what would best suit my needs.

I want a long range cartridge that provides the least amount of recoil and that will have good performance in a short barrel (suppressed).

I was originally thinking a 7 saum to shoot 180 gr Berger Hybrids. Then I hear that a short action is too short to seat them properly and get performance. I then thought, hey the 7 SS would work. I am not crazy about the Hornady dies (no real reason though). Then I thought, the 7 SST has nice Forster dies, but will I get the performance? Then I thought, I'll do a long action 7 saum, but that seems like a waste and XM actions/stocks are super hard to get.

What should I do?

Looking at the following parts list:
Kelby Atlas Tactical
Rock Creek Carbon Barrel
AG Composite Alpine Hunter (maybe adjustable)
Trigger Tech Primary

Please help guide me!
Steve

First nothing wrong with the custom grade dies from Hornady, and if there was Rich Sherman would not be using them. I'm pretty sure Foster has made dies for the 7ss as well. A short action 700 with either a Wyatt 3.00 or a 3.2 will work fine with the 180's with 7ss or 7saum.

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

Maybe ask guys what their col is on the 7ss and saum with the bullets you want. The WSM AI style mags will fit 2.950".

Somebody is gotta using that load combo you mentioned.

Defiance deviant Short Action. 7 SAUM, 22 inch with ultra 7. 175 ELDX, COAL 2.940. Running these out of WSM AICS mags with KRG chassis.

Killed deer and elk from near to far! Hard to beat this setup IMO.

 

[wasskeet]

Not that you want a Gunwerks rifle, but here is session of LRP discussing the 7 SAUM: