6mm Rem Model Seven youth, rebarrel or conversion?

[Miller Outdoors]

Howdy. I've got a sweet little all original Remington Model 7 in 6mm Rem. Short, light and fun to hunt with. But it struggles to hold groups with heavier bullets, even with handloads after floating barrel, trigger work, ladder testing loads, etc. Best is about 1moa with 95gr SST, but it really prefers lighter bullets.



Deer hate it, and 11yo son took moose with it few years ago, 1 shot bang flop, but really want it shooting a heavier, better constructed bullet.

Anyhow, thinking of either a rebarrel in a faster 1:7.5 twist so can shoot something like the 100gr Partition, Sierra TGK, 103gr ELDx, etc or a conversion to something like the 6mm Creedmoor.

What do you think? If simply rebarrel will it have mag space for the longer bullets? If going to be a space issue would converting to the shorter Creedmoor case solve for longer bullets, or would that route be more expense than it's worth?


Also, was kinda thinking that since it's a little buttstock heavy with the orig 18" pencil barrel that probably go to 20" and maybe slightly thicker profile for a lil better balance. Either that, or stick with the 18" pencil and maybe swap in a carbon fiber stock to lighten the package even more.

Thanks for input.

 

[blackblue]

Leave it as is and send it my way, would go nicely with the 7-08 we have.

 

[swampbuck]

I'm not sure what the value of that rifle is right now but you might just want to leave it alone and start a build using another. It would take a little research. Also I would be looking to change into an adult stock. I have a 12 year old that is growing like a weed. By the time you change stock and barrel starting fresh might make sense.

 

[XP1K]

If I did a rebarrel I think I'd go with the 6 creed.

I'm not real familiar with the 6mm remington but I'm currently playing with a 243AI and after this 243 is smoked I'm really thinking hard about the 6 creed.

Looking through hornadys data for 100gr bullets the creed gives up nothing to the 243 or the 6mm remington and is actually a hair faster than both with some loads. We're talking less than 50fps in most cases but it does it with less powder.

 

[Potsy]

The 6mm Rem. had a couple of different twists as I recall. The slower one not playing nice with heavies. Not sure which your 7 is, but the shorter action/mag box length coupled with the 57mm case length likely wont do any favors with long bullets. I’d keep it, work up a killer coyote load w/75 or 87 V-Maxes, try 85 Partitions and keep on killin’.
I get it, higher B.C. bullets are cool and all, but it’s rarely the reason someone doesn’t kill a deer.
If you still have the itch, Bighorn Origins are nice…..just sayin’…..

 

[bmash]

I put a new barrel on a model 7 260R and love it! Even with appropriate bullets I couldn’t get moa from the pencil barrel. Very accurate with new barrel.
If you reload and already have the components I would stay with 6 mm Remington. It is a good round. If you aren’t reloading, then change to something that you can find ammo for. As to feeding from the magazine, I would think a similar size cartridge should feed fine. And don’t throw away 6mm rem components! They are hard to find…

 

[FisherT&C]

Remington really botched it when when they originally released the 6mm Rem with too slow of twist, great cartridge though.
One thing to consider is feeding from the internal magazine. For a 6 Creedmoor to feed ideally it may be necessary to open up the feed ramp a little due to the Creedmoor shoulder angle. The 243 Win performs extremely well in faster twist and feeds from internal magazines like wise with the 6 Rem.

 

[Codiekfx400]

I think you answered your own question with the bang flop scenario on the moose. Just leave it alone and shoot it.

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

Remington, never made a 6mmRemington with a slow twist. All 6mm Remingtons had a 1-9 twist. The .244 Remington had the slow 1-12 twist. When introduced in the 1950’s Remington thought of 6mm rounds as only being good for varmints. Winchester saw it as being dual purpose and chambered the .243 with a 1-10 twist that would work for Spitzer bullets of 100 grains.

As far as the 6mm Remington and the .244 Remington, Both cartridges cases are identical, the 6mm Rem is a renamed .244, with all rifles bearing the 6mm Remington label having a 1-9 twist. The change was made in 1963, decades before the Model 7 was introduced.

Brenda’s very early model 700 in .243 exhibited the same problems noted by the OP. However, over 40 years of ownership, the little rifle settled down and started shooting really good groups, far exceeding any other production rifle I have seen form the 1960’s/1970’s.

 

[FisherT&C]

9 twist is too slow for 95-100 grain in an 18" barrel, it's just too finicky; not enough rpms. When I ran a 26" 9 twist in a 243 Win I could get 1/2 MOA but with 95 SST and 100 SBT but it got almost worthless past 600 yards except for exceptionally warm days with light wind.

@Miller Outdoors You could give the 80 grain Hammer Hunter a try, they will sell you a 15 round try pack; it could give you the same BC as the 95 SST if you can get it going fast enough.

 

[spife7980]

If it was gramps old rifle then I woud leave well enough alone but if you dont really care about the sentiment then rebarrel the sucker. A 20" remage 7 or 8 twist 6 creed in a light varmint/palma contour would make a nice carrying rifle that would shift a smidge more weight up front than the short sporter pencil.

 

[Miller Outdoors]

I'm not sure what the value of that rifle is right now but you might just want to leave it alone and start a build using another. It would take a little research. Also I would be looking to change into an adult stock. I have a 12 year old that is growing like a weed. By the time you change stock and barrel starting fresh might make sense.

That's a good point. Have no idea what it's worth. Has some sentimental value, but I've got a lot of rifles and making it better would give me reason to use it more.

I put a new barrel on a model 7 260R and love it! Even with appropriate bullets I couldn’t get moa from the pencil barrel. Very accurate with new barrel.
If you reload and already have the components I would stay with 6 mm Remington. It is a good round. If you aren’t reloading, then change to something that you can find ammo for. As to feeding from the magazine, I would think a similar size cartridge should feed fine. And don’t throw away 6mm rem components! They are hard to find…

I do reload. Not opposed to staying 6mm Rem at all - would just prefer it stabilize longer, heavier bullets and not sure if mag will let me if stay 6mm Rem.

I think you answered your own question with the bang flop scenario on the moose. Just leave it alone and shoot it.

That's one option. But if I don't do something to this rifle there's no way I'm not going to get another one that'll stabilize bigger bullets, and if I do I won't take this one out of the cabinet any more than the once in a while I have been the past decade, and I'd really like to use it more.

9 twist is too slow for 95-100 grain in an 18" barrel, it's just too finicky; not enough rpms. When I ran a 26" 9 twist in a 243 Win I could get 1/2 MOA but with 95 SST and 100 SBT but it got almost worthless past 600 yards except for exceptionally warm days with light wind.

@Miller Outdoors You could give the 80 grain Hammer Hunter a try, they will sell you a 15 round try pack; it could give you the same BC as the 95 SST if you can get it going fast enough.

Agree that 9 twist is too slow for what I want this for. I've got other .22 and 6mm guns for varmints with lighter bullets and really want this one for bigger critters since it's so nice to carry.

I'll look at the Hammer. Sounds interesting. The SST is okay construction, but barely. Try to avoid bone with it, but really prefer breaking shoulders. Much prefer something like the Accubond or Scirocco but this gun doesn't like them in 90gr.

If it was gramps old rifle then I woud leave well enough alone but if you dont really care about the sentiment then rebarrel the sucker. A 20" remage 7 or 8 twist 6 creed in a light varmint/palma contour would make a nice carrying rifle that would shift a smidge more weight up front than the short sporter pencil.

Some sentimental value, but not a ton. Ya, I'm kinda thinking 7.5 twist would be about perfect.
Was looking at Shaw and McGowen to send barreled action to if decide to keep it 6mm Rem. Any recommendations of a somewhat economical smith who might be able to make it 6mm Creed and back before fall? Is that even possible anymore?

 

[spife7980]

Was looking at Shaw and McGowen to send barreled action to if decide to keep it 6mm Rem. Any recommendations of a somewhat economical smith who might be able to make it 6mm Creed and back before fall? Is that even possible anymore?

Look up a remage from northland shooting supply (they are the criterion remage dealer), you can get a remage barrel and all the tools from them to do it yourself for an equivalent cost to sending it off to someone else to do it for you. Swap the labor charges for the tool costs. But then you end up with tools to take it off and on again over and over at a fair savings each time into the future.

 

[Miller Outdoors]

Looked at the Hammer bullets. Holy crap, a buck a piece. lol

I loaded up on reloading components when Obama was first elected and haven't had to buy anything since. Is everything this ridiculous now?

The Hammer looks like it'd perform like a Barnes. Is it better somehow to justify the price, or are Barnes that high now too?

 

[Miller Outdoors]

Look up a remage from northland shooting supply (they are the criterion remage dealer), you can get a remage barrel and all the tools from them to do it yourself for an equivalent cost to sending it off to someone else to do it for you. Swap the labor charges for the tool costs. But then you end up with tools to take it off and on again over and over at a fair savings each time into the future.

Cool that it's possible. 20 years ago I would have been all over that option. Nowadays I don't even change my own oil anymore.

 

[bmash]

I do reload. Not opposed to staying 6mm Rem at all - would just prefer it stabilize longer, heavier bullets and not sure if mag will let me if stay 6mm Rem.

maybe I’m missing something, but measure the mag and see what COAL is needed for the bullets of interest. Also you should be able to just seat the bullet deeper to meet what ever length your mag can take. (You just lose powder capacity.) Or you could make up a dummy round and try to feed it.