Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7mm Rem Mag

I just bought my first 7mag recently, a Winchester Mod 70 Stainless w/ synthetic stock. I selected a factory Federal Premium load 150 gr nosler solid base to zero with. I am having a little diffuculty with consistancy.
I am planning my winter trip to Colorado this year and have drawn both a muley and a cow elk tag. I have always used factory loads for the convenience. My goal is to shoot in at 300 yard but my groups are bad and the pattern seems to grow up and to the right the more I shoot. I do allow sufficient cooling between groups so I really don't think heat is a factor. What I am looking for is a recommended Factory brand of bullet, type of construction and weight that you think is best in your opinion and why.
Thanks in advance for the input... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" />

This sounds more of a bedding problem then an ammo problem.

Buy some cheap stuff and see if you still get the verticle and to the right stringing.

Or you could freefloat the barrel.

GB

If this is being used as a hunting rifle then only worry about the first shot out of a cold barrel ( just like when you are hunting). If the rifle will consistantly put the First Shot where you want it then you are good to go. If you want to go to the range and shoot "groups" then I would have it glass bedded by a gunsmith.
I have a 7MM Mag myself and it is a good hunting rifle but not my idea of fun to shoot groups with at the range. I use the 160 Nosler Partition Federal Premiums in mine.
GWN

This sounds like a problem I had. It turned out to be a bedding problem that was cured with a bit of pillar bedding and a minor sanding out of the barrel channel to give it a free floated barrel.

A friend has a SUCKS in 7mag that was worse than your M70. After bedding the action, floating the barrel, and the trigger set to 3#, it proceeded to keep 160 sierras, 154 Hornadys, and Win Supreme factory loads with failsafes all under 1" for three shot groups @ 100yds , and keep all three loads in the same 3" circle @ 200.

TxGunslinger -

My first centerfire was the Ruger 7mm Mag I bought in '81. It also had a problem in that the longer I shot the further the group would move up and to the left. It�s called �stringing� and the problem is often caused by the barrel touching the stock. As the barrel heats up the stock, the stock expands, pushing the barrel further and further off the original zero. (Makes zeroing a scope a real pita.)

The solution in my case was easy � free-float the barrel. I removed the stock, wrapped some sandpaper around a Magic Marker, and started sanding. When I could reassemble it and slide a dollar bill down to the receiver between the barrel and the stock I called it good. A touch of polyurethane applied with a rag to seal the newly exposed wood finished the job. No more stringing, ever.

The down side of free-floating the barrel is that while it should stop the stringing, your group size may actually grow a bit. This probably won�t be a problem as every rifle I�ve free-floated was still quite accurate. My 7mm Mag has always shot better than 1� at 100 yards and with a new North Fork load shot a 3-shot group of 0.266� center-to-center.

Agree with the free floating suggestions, had to do it to may Rem Mdl 700 7 mag. As for bullet selection, 160 Nosler partition. Have used it on elk, deer and antelope with great success.

Well I decided to reload some 160 nosler accubonds and try them. I will try the dollar bill test after 3 rounds and see if the barrel is touching. Thanks Guys

TxGunslinger,

Welcome to the forum. That rifle, like all others, will shoot well once you find the inaccuracy cause which is the last place that you will look.

In order of what to do is to make sure everything is tight. This includes the scope and most important the front guard screw. Take some tools to the range the next time and always check this screw and all others before anymore testing.

I am not sure what stock you got with that SS 70 but the injection molded one I got with my SS Classic in 7mm WSM back in Oct of 2002 was not a keeper. The stock had many problems that I have reported on before and the rifle now has a B&C on it that works and if I started over it would have a cored stock on it like a Bansner which I have but it's not bedded yet if ever as now the rifle is very accurate.

There are many other factors affecting accuracy all the way from the aiming to some specific detail.

The time is short so test it again soon and get back to us.

I have the same rifle and think it is a good one. My problems echo yours'. Get some Barnes CR-10 or Sweets 7.62 and CLEAN the copper fouling out of the barrel every 10-20 rounds until the fouling stops. For some reason, the Winchester 7mm barrels are rough and foul like crazy. If you keep the fouling down, they bug hole consistently and the groups don't wander. Free float the barrel and check the screw tension (tight on front screw, snug on rear). Flinch

ONe more thing, don't use any kind of windage adjustable bases. Leupold Dual Dove Tail bases and rings are the way to go. Make sure your scope is up to the task. By the way, what scope, rings and bases are you using? Have someone that REALLY knows how to shoot, shoot your rifle. You may not think you are flinching, but you might be. And by all means, buy a Pacmeyer Decelerator recoil pad and swap out the hard rubber one. It will make a HUGE difference in your shooting. They bolt right on to the stock with included screws. Takes about 5 minutes to do the recoil pad change. Flinch