Set-up for NF ELR Hunter type rifle?

[oldnewguy]

16lb rifle for shooting paper and steel from 800-1600, occasionally to a mile.

I'm going to exclude .300s for recoil reasons.

The choices would seem to be;

.257 wildcat, running high BC BJ or Berger bullets at 3100+.

.264, such as a PRC or SAUM. 150-156s at 2950-3050.

.284 in a 7mm SAUM, WSM, or some sort of 7mm wildcat. Heavy bullets at 2850-2950.


So, what would your setup look like?

 

[jasent]

Recoil is nothing with a good brake. Watch impacts in the scope even at 100 yards with 338’s
But keeping in your focus range 7saum would be my vote

 

[Steel head]

7 saum with 190 LRHT at 2850-2880 is pretty amazing.
Mild recoil with really impressive ballistics.
With 180 Berger or 183SMK is also an option at 2950ish
Mile is easy peasy and I’ve had it successfully much further.

 

[Reload10]

7 saum for sure. But do it in a long action and throat accordingly.

 

[oldnewguy]

7 saum with 190 LRHT at 2850-2880 is pretty amazing.
Mild recoil with really impressive ballistics.
With 180 Berger or 183SMK is also an option at 2950ish
Mile is easy peasy and I’ve had it successfully much further.

I think I've read all of your 7 SAUM posts, and they've helped push me in that direction. For the balance of ballistics, recoil, and barrel life, it seems hard to beat.

You're shooting a 28" barrel?

 

[Steel head]

I think I've read all of your 7 SAUM posts, and they've helped push me in that direction. For the balance of ballistics, recoil, and barrel life, it seems hard to beat.

You're shooting a 28" barrel?

Last two were 28”
New one is 30”
Last two went to 1500 rounds before I had to do any adjustments and got to 1900 before they got wonky.

 

[Reload10]

A good accuracy load with 180 hybrids is 56.5gr h4350. Seems like most find a sweet spot around there.

 

[Schw15]

I would think for that 7mm would be king on medium action. Lighter recoil and great bc bullets and many to pick from. 7 saum is about the best for that I think. The .257 looks so awesome on paper but barrel life I think would be of concern

 

[tate1976]

If I had a chance to do my build over. I’d go 7saum.

 

[oldnewguy]

If I had a chance to do my build over. I’d go 7saum.

What did you end up with?

 

[tate1976]

What did you end up with?

6.5 prc. I was going to do a little prs type events pretty much changed my mind. Being I have the prc built. Now I’d go 300nm for my next.

 

[Steel head]

Here’s a pretty interesting article
For me the perfect cartridges for that event are 300NM and 7SAUM, I’m pretty familiar with both and both have impressive ballistics and easy loading.

I’m trying to talk my buddy into a faster twist barrel on his next barrel to run the 245LRHT.
Yea it’s a bit slower but you get a bit better wind.

The 220LRHT is another impressive option flatter with a bit more wind than the 245.

NF ELR Calibers & Cartridges – What The Pros Use

Over the past few weeks, I surveyed over 100 shooters who competed in this year’s Nightforce Extended Long Range Steel

gunchamber.net

Soo many 6.5 PRC’s but none in the top 25 placers.

 

[Schw15]

I want to find the time one day to shoot this competition as well looks like a blast along with the nlr hunter divisions. I would take my 7mm-300 win mag that mag feeds I think it would do good.

 

[moosemeat]

Do you have a action already?

 

[oldnewguy]

Do you have a action already?

I have a Tikka I had planned to use, but I'm also considering a LP Fuzion.

Although, now that I see how difficult it is to find brass...woof.

 

[Rockdoc173]

.284 in a 7mm SAUM, WSM, or some sort of 7mm wildcat. Heavy bullets at 2850-2950.

I'm really wanting to do a 7SAUM, it just seams to be right at the sweet spot. BUT...brass is non-existent right now so that's something to consider. As a second option, I ordered a reamer from Manson that's a 7mm-6.5PRC. Mine will be used in a SA with the 180 Hybrids, but if you put it in a LA with ~190s you could increase your range from ~1600yd transonic distance in the SA to hell and back, give or take a few yards. As for brass, the 7SAUM is basically limited to ADG and I haven't seen any available for quite awhile. However, Lapua and Peterson (among others of course) make the PRC and the conversion is simply running the mouth over a 7mm mandrel. Easy peasy. If you want the print I'm happy to send it your way.

 

[atepointer]

I'm really wanting to do a 7SAUM, it just seams to be right at the sweet spot. BUT...brass is non-existent right now so that's something to consider. As a second option, I ordered a reamer from Manson that's a 7mm-6.5PRC. Mine will be used in a SA with the 180 Hybrids, but if you put it in a LA with ~190s you could increase your range from ~1600yd transonic distance in the SA to hell and back, give or take a few yards. As for brass, the 7SAUM is basically limited to ADG and I haven't seen any available for quite awhile. However, Lapua and Peterson (among others of course) make the PRC and the conversion is simply running the mouth over a 7mm mandrel. Easy peasy. If you want the print I'm happy to send it your way.

Hey if you build one of these please me know I want to be there when you take it out. If I were ever to go from my current that is the caliber I'd move on. For the same reasons as you I'm waiting on the periphery. What powder will you be running? Thanks man....we will be out there Wednesday if you are heading out this week. Gonna be a bit chilly!

 

[Schw15]

Adg is now making 300 wsm brass so you could make a 7-300 wsm more velocity than the saum. Just get on back order list now

 

[oldnewguy]

I found a bunch of Norma 300 Saum brass locally that could be necked down, but I don't know if that's the direction I want to go.

 

[Steel head]

I found a bunch of Norma 300 Saum brass locally that could be necked down, but I don't know if that's the direction I want to go.

You possibly might need to neck turn it.

 

[Steel head]

Adg is now making 300 wsm brass so you could make a 7-300 wsm more velocity than the saum. Just get on back order list now

That’s going to make a lot of people happy
300WSM is still fairly popular in hunting and f class

300WSM in a medium action with 220LRHT or 215’s would be interesting.

 

[Schw15]

That’s going to make a lot of people happy
300WSM is still fairly popular in hunting and f class

300WSM in a medium action with 220LRHT or 215’s would be interesting.

Mid to late February should be hitting the shelves they said. I'm sure it will be gone in a blink of an eye. But at least there is more and more options

 

[Taylorbok]

7 RUM, 7 STW, 28 Nosler shoot the 190's as fast as possible.

 

[SuperBoot]

Personally I’d roll with a 6.5 or 7mm option. Honestly whichever one you can find the most components for the quickest is the one I’d build as long as you can stick to the speed numbers you posted originally.

There was a dude on my squad shooting a 25 SAUM last year that did decent, but he got beat up pretty bad by the wind past about 1400. He was using Blackjacks I think, with speeds in the range of what you posted.

 

[Rockdoc173]

Hey if you build one of these please me know I want to be there when you take it out. If I were ever to go from my current that is the caliber I'd move on. For the same reasons as you I'm waiting on the periphery. What powder will you be running? Thanks man....we will be out there Wednesday if you are heading out this week. Gonna be a bit chilly!

Oh it's happnin lol. I ordered the reamer with 0.045" freebore which is shorter than I would've liked but it'll make a 180 Hybrid fit in a short action pretty well I think without eating up a bunch of case capacity. As for powder, I'm gonna start with 6.5PRC appropriate stuff like RL-26, N-165, H1000, etc. and go from there. I ordered the reamer at the start of January so the earliest I'll get it will be April. Then a few months to get the barrel done so I'm thinking July or August I might be in business. Of course, all that need be uttered is 'COVID' and schedules are automatically shot to hell so there's that.

I think of this as a grownup version of the 7mm-08, which I like a lot. It's not the best, an XM action and longer freebore could exploit the 190 class with better results, but I have a SA so I do what I can. Of course you're welcome to have a go when she's a thing my man

 

[atepointer]

Oh it's happnin lol. I ordered the reamer with 0.045" freebore which is shorter than I would've liked but it'll make a 180 Hybrid fit in a short action pretty well I think without eating up a bunch of case capacity. As for powder, I'm gonna start with 6.5PRC appropriate stuff like RL-26, N-165, H1000, etc. and go from there. I ordered the reamer at the start of January so the earliest I'll get it will be April. Then a few months to get the barrel done so I'm thinking July or August I might be in business. Of course, all that need be uttered is 'COVID' and schedules are automatically shot to hell so there's that.

I think of this as a grownup version of the 7mm-08, which I like a lot. It's not the best, an XM action and longer freebore could exploit the 190 class with better results, but I have a SA so I do what I can. Of course you're welcome to have a go when she's a thing my man
View attachment 7793062

Awesome thanks looking forward to it! Might end up being Thursday now, but Mike and his lady will be out there tomorrow for sure. I'm sticking with my SA as well so very interested. If you don't worry about mag length and single load does the 190 class still have a chance in the SA?

 

[Rockdoc173]

Awesome thanks looking forward to it! Might end up being Thursday now, but Mike and his lady will be out there tomorrow for sure. I'm sticking with my SA as well so very interested. If you don't worry about mag length and single load does the 190 class still have a chance in the SA?

Oh yea, absolutely. I planned this out with an OAL of ~2.95" for ARC/MDT mags. But it would be a beast with hand loaded 190s. I'll probably puss out til the torrent lets up. All that 'if it ain't rainin', we ain't trainin' ' stuff is total crap lol

 

[atepointer]

Oh yea, absolutely. I planned this out with an OAL of ~2.95" for ARC/MDT mags. But it would be a beast with hand loaded 190s. I'll probably puss out til the torrent lets up. All that 'if it ain't rainin', we ain't trainin' ' stuff is total crap lol

Looking forward to seeing some numbers off your Strelok or whatever you use for 180 and 190. I'm a super long way off from doing anything the out of stock game is something I have no bandwidth allocated to...so who knows maybe never. I've got 6k plus of powder/pills/primers/brass for my current and back up 6.5 barrel to keep me happy so I don't have to play the component search game. But you might motivate me who knows so keep me in the loop please!

 

[86alaskan]

I'll chime in from 257 land. I've run the 131gr blackjack bullet from 3 good 25s. A 26" 2506, a 26" 25 creedmoor and a 30" 25saum. the saum and 2506 will run that bullet over 3100 all day easy, and they're very easy to shoot from a lighter rifle. both of those were outfitted less than 16lb for the NF ELR match. ran a can on both and spotting shots was a non issue. the saum can be cranked quite a bit and run safely over 3300fps if you so choose. the creedmoor is good for a touch over 3k, but it has to be run hard at that point. I have over 1k rds on my 25 creed at 2950fps and have no signs of speed loss or barrel problems.

The 131 doesn't splash much at a mile, but under decent conditions they fly well and 1 mile + hits aren't that difficult. I really think the low recoil and high performance makes them a really good choice for straight target shooting for fun.

 

[oldnewguy]

A 25x47 or 25 Creedmoor is on my really short list of rifles I'd like to build. I've got a ton of CCI 450 primers and H4350, and good brass & 135 Berger Hybrids seem easy to find.