Most capable .30 cal or 7mm S/A Chambering for ELR

[Wheres-Waldo]

Looking to pick up a finish reamer and barrel to turn out as my primary barrel for 1000+ paper/steel targets.

Criteria: 30 cal or 7mm only, must be short action compatible, open to an experienced with wildcats and imp. cartridges, open and experienced with tight necks/neck turning, can make my own neck dies.

I know the ELR capable chambering will eat barrels, Id like to get atleast 1500-2000 rounds out of it.

Have given thought to a 7-300 WSM, a true 7mm or 300WSM.

Any suggestions as to what might be a fun, unorthodox reamer to try out?

 

[George63]

7 WSM and 7 saum would be the 2 main choices, but 1500 out of the WSM is not likely

 

[Gunny81]

I ran a straight 7wsm with 180 hybrids from a 27" krieger 8.5 twist to 2000 yards often. You'll be good to a mile from a short action 7wsm. You'll need the extra capacity of the wsm vs a saum or 7/300wsm. The main thing to remember when you're shooting that far is to find a bullet that has a .60 bc or higher and run it 3000 fps at least. Your optics are gonna be very important as well.

 

[Bigwheels]

+1. If your stuck on a SA the 7WSM is hard to beat with 180-190's. I personally use a 300WM with 230 Hybrids for 1K+ but I also use it for LR hunting so the energy is important to me.

 

[mcfred]

...must be short action compatible...

The 7mm short mags are pretty much the ballistic optimum given the limitations of a short action:

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...e-7-wsm-build-now-new-barrel.html#post2311421

If you want 2000 rounds out of a barrel though, then you'll probably have to run reduced loads. This may be fine for what you're doing--have a full power load for long range and reduced for short range. Or if you want a little less capacity then maybe try a 7mm WSSM? You said you were open to wildcats:

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...199189-7mm-wssm-7wsm-switch-barrel-comps.html

I've used this out to 2000 yards and the throat still looks good after about 800 rounds.

 

[blksno]

This is the first time I've wanted to suggest the 7mm Fatso.

For strictly ELR out of a short action, with a 7mm...it would be a fun project.

 

[Smokerroller]

I personally use a 300WM with 230 Hybrids for 1K+ but I also use it for LR hunting so the energy is important to me.

what size game are you shooting at what distances with that 300?

 

[Jeffvn]

My first true 7WSM (26" Kreiger Tube) shot 180 Berger's @ 2,800 fps, was great to 1,800 yards, and went to 1,800+ rounds.;

My second barrel on that same rifle (longer throated for single-feed only) had a 28" Kreiger tube, got to 2,900+ fps with the 180 Berger's and was good to 1,900 yards. That one went closer to 1,900 rounds (using H1000 exclusively).

The third Barrel on that rifle was also 28" Kreiger and long throated, also shot the 180 Berger's to 2,900+ fps and went just over 1,700 rounds (also with H1000).

Different rifle long throated to over 3.100" built on a long action and a 30" Bartlein tube ran at 3,000+ fps plus (H1000) and shot well to 2,000 yards. That one had 1,500 plus round through it when I swapped barrels (not shot out but I was selling the rifle so I put a new tube on it) and sold the rifle.

Jeffvn

 

[VKC]

7wsm in a short action with alpha mags. You can get the 180grs Bergers VLDs up pass 2800fps which has great ballistics.

But the question is how much pass 1000 yds are you really shooting? If you usually shoot less than 1000yds and rarely up to that range, then what not try a 7mm-08? You will get adequate ballistics with better barrel life and better brass, and be able to use a shorter barrel.

If you are usually shooting 1000-1600 yds then okay go with a 7mm WSM.

In a short action you are not going to be able to get the 30 calibers up to equivalent velocities as the 7mms, but in a long action the the 30 calibers shine but at higher recoil.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bigwheels]

what size game are you shooting at what distances with that 300?

Elk, Black Bear & Mule Deer. I'm very comfortable with my 300 out to around 1000 yds, maybe a touch more under the right conditions. Haven't had a shot that far on game yet. So far my farthest with the 300WM is only 300yds. 500yds is my farthest with my 338WM. Just the way things have worked out so far.

 

[xdeano]

This is the first time I've wanted to suggest the 7mm Fatso.

For strictly ELR out of a short action, with a 7mm...it would be a fun project.

This one! ^^^^ 3100fps with the 180grn Bergers, 24" bbl. what's not to like. Brass prep is the only downfall.

xdeano

 

[mcfred]

Any suggestions as to what might be a fun, unorthodox reamer to try out?

What did you end up with?

 

[csloop]

Smoker roller, myself and a buddy have shot 100lb does at 1100 yards with the 210 Bergers and the farthest they ran was 40 yards

 

[HodgdonExtreme]

The fatso makes sense here.

 

[7GRT]

Straight 284 seems to be the obvious choice , I run two 7/270wsm's , one on a F Class setup the other on a field / hunting and shooting two or three matches of 2 & 15 in the day compared with three or four rounds a day makes a hell of a difference in barrel wear from the same cartridge .

 

[Aimsmall55]

what size game are you shooting at what distances with that 300?

I shot a 130# doe with a 230 Berger OTM out of a 30" Broughton ( 2900 fps +-) at 660 yards this past fall and she was DRT. I also shot a few more at 435, 375, and 315 yards. They ALL WERE DRT.

Sorry didn't mean to jump in....

 

[Aimsmall55]

I should also mention that at 660 yards it hit her with about 2300 ft/lb's. Which I would think would be PLENTY to take down most North American game. At 1440 yards is about when it hits the 1,000 ft/lb mark. At 1,000 yards its still at 1612 ft/lb's. it's alot of energy. I've since changed to 215 bergers at 2990 fps during hunting season because they are flatter and the wind is actually less of a factor from the 230 OTM at 2890 to 2900. At 1,000 yards its less energy, but flatter, faster , and plenty of knock down power to do the job on a Whitetail. However, I doubt I'd ever take a shot farther than 8 or 900 yards....Considering they can take 3 or 4 steps before the bullet even gets there resulting in a miss or FAR WORSE...a wounded animal.

 

[Wheres-Waldo]

I'm knee deep into the project at this point. Chamber reamer is a 7WSM W/ .312" neck. 1.5° lead and zero freebore.
Made my own neck die from a Newlon blank and using a Redding body die. Ytst
Ive been prepping Nosler 300WSM brass, necking down and turning necks to fire form with a false shoulder.

Barrel is an Bartlein 30" M40 contour with 1:8.5" twist 3 groove.

 

[mcfred]

Ive been prepping Nosler 300WSM brass, necking down and turning necks to fire form with a false shoulder.

Since you have the reamer, maybe it's easier at this point to make the steel match the brass. i.e. run the reamer in short and maybe modify the dies slightly. Depending on the reamer you might need to trim the case length slightly too. I've played with blowing out shoulders and it seems like a pain that could be easily avoided if you're not trying to match an existing chamber. Good luck with the project.

 

[Wheres-Waldo]

Since you have the reamer, maybe it's easier at this point to make the steel match the brass. i.e. run the reamer in short and maybe modify the dies slightly. Depending on the reamer you might need to trim the case length slightly too. I've played with blowing out shoulders and it seems like a pain that could be easily avoided if you're not trying to match an existing chamber. Good luck with the project.

Time intensive? Yes... A pain? No. Reloading is half the fun.

 

[vivo]

I run a PGW Coyote(short action) in a 7 WSM and have nothing but good things to say about it. 180 gr SMKs over 66.6gr Rl 25 at 2850 fps out of a 24" Krieger gives me sub 1" groups at 300m. I have done 4" groups at 930M with this set up in 20mph winds so the performance speaks for itself.

 

[6Dasher]

The 7mm-270WSM does fine at 1500y, just don't put a 20" barrel on there, you loose too much velocity.

 

[Wheres-Waldo]

Finished the barrel yesterday, OAL is right around 26" plus the brake.

Going to get started with fire forming in the coming weeks then begin load development.

180 JLK VLD's + H1000 are going to be the ingredients.

 

[usmc02xx]

7 WSM and 7 saum would be the 2 main choices, but 1500 out of the WSM is not likely

ballsitically a 7wsm is plenty capable at 1500. I'm throwing 180 bergers vld's at 2900ish. my handy little ballistic calculator shows that still rolling 1216fps at 52.7 moa. much further and it will get nasty, but those are doable numbers for a reasobale load. if i shot hotter it would be waaaay within reason.

 

[6Dasher]

3050-3100 out of a 30" barrel.

XLR and "short barrel" is an oxymoron.

 

[Aimsmall55]

3050-3100 out of a 30" barrel.

XLR and "short barrel" is an oxymoron.

I've just developed a load with Nosler brass that has 92.4 h2o capacity. That's about 4.1 more than RP brass. DON'T SHOOT THIS ...EVER. I've got a long throat and it allows me to shoot higher powder charges with safe pressure because they are seated long. (THAT'S FOR YOU LURKERS OUT THERE)
78.5 H-1000, 215 Berger at 3.720" ( 2.943 to ogive). Nosler brass , FGM215. 3100 fps give or take. I was previously using RP brass and 77.7 grains was 3,035 fps. #'s confirmed out to 1330 yards. No sticky bolt, no ejector marks, although the primers were slightly flattened. Not much though. And the temp was 92 degrees. So I know it's safe.
I don't shoot it much, anything inside 1,000 yards goes to my 6.5 creedmor and .308. But for ELR shooting it takes the .30 Cal to a whole nother level.

 

[6Dasher]

.30? Weren't we talking about a 7WSM? 3.72" is not a short action round btw unless you're cheating and removing the bolt for every round haha