..... If in a packing rifle, I've noticed that bbls around 22" seem to balance better in the hands, but I don't notice when packing or shooting a 24"....... I don't get the 'fast handling 7 mag' concept.
HuntnShoot: The concept of fast handling 7 mags probably goes back to the days when guys like JOC and Warren Page set the parameters of what was then known as a "mountain rifle".As it turns out these mountain rifles proved to be pretty good all-round BG rifles.
Those guys back then tended to specialize a bit less,but traveled a great deal to hunt,here and abroad. The rifle might not only see real mountain duty but also use in Africa, for deer (almost anywhere with the myriad conditions where they are found)and elk back here, as well as black bear,moose, grizzly,African plains game, etc. It should be able to reach 400-500 yards on elk if called upon, but should be maneuverable in the confines of a leopard blind, or take a 70 yard kudu,whitetail or elk in confined quarters of brush country where fast handling is at a premium.
They might be transported by truck, plane, mule or horseback.
Reason is simple...you can't travel with a lot of rifles to suit the many circumstances you might bump into,and people who have to travel from home to hunt frequently don't know what they will encounter.
The rifle has to be more of a grand compromise than a highly specialized piece of gear,and those 22"-24" 7 mags (270's, 280's, 30/06's etc.)weighing 7-8 pounds do a better job of handling a lot of hunting than a heavier rifle with long barrel.....which may be just the ticket for some open country stuff, but a PITA at 10,000 feet on a mountain,and ridiculous in a blind or heavy cover trying to hunt animals that actually move and don't want to be shot.
I've hunted with 26" barreled rifles (300H&H and 264 WM)and it was no great burden but in building a 7 mag for myself,give me the lighter 23-24" #2 contour,and bring it in at 7.5-8 pounds. I know it's gonna work at a bunch of chores,including those fast shots we sometimes have to make.
No real need to worry as a 24" 7 RM will handily outrun any 280 in barrels of the same length. I would be surprised to see the 280 come close.
