Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 7mm rem mag Mountain Rifle Build

So, I've been thinking of building a light / midweight 7mm mag. I love my kimber montana 300wsm, but apparently kimber has not deemed the 7mm mag worth while.

Anyone on here put together a model 70 extreme weather, paired up with a mcmillan edge featherweight style stock? Im aiming for 7.5 lb with scope.

Thanks fellas

Just to throw this out there, since you like Kimbers, have you considered a Kimber Montana in 280AI? Very close to a 7mmRM, in a package you already like. I recently picked up a Kimber 84L Classic Stainless Select Grade in 280AI, a very beautiful rifle!

Buy a Tikka super light in 7mm rem Mag and buy talley lightweight rings and be done with it

nd: The suggestion above for a Montana 280 AI may be the easier choice. That said it can be done with a M70 action but you have to watch what you're doing. My lightest was a bit under 7.5#s scoped on a pre 64 action wu th FW alloy bottom metal, Brown stock and #2 Krieger that Butch Searcy profiled with a "Burgess" contour. (Utah 7/08 has posted here with a clever barrel contour that is similar). I built that rifle in the 80's and hunted it all over the west and Canada.

I always use a 24" barrel.

Stocks by Brown, Bansner, or McMillan Edge should all get you there. I would use alloy bottom metal , a light scope and rings, and contour a #2 barrel as mentioned above. If you watch the details you will come in about 7.5#s. Not sure an EW will eork but never trued it.

I have the parts sitting here with a Borden Rimrock and may get another together.

Had a Rifles inc. at one time in 7 Rem Mag.

Rifles Inc. Classic Model. 7mag � Winchester M70 CRF Action
Banner stock (I think)
Shilen barrel - .620 at muzzle with 1� of shank. 24�
13.75 LOP �
6lbs 14 oz with mounts

Wouldn't use a M70..

Hmm thanks for the input. I like the 280 ackley idea, but have no less than 1000 7mag brass...
Why 24" barrel? Any significant loss over 26"?
I was also thinking I would wait on a forbes 28b, but have been hearing mixed things on stock finish.
I have a tikka t3 in 7 mag, shoots great, just looking for something with more style.
Option 2 is say the hell with it and keep rocking the Kimber.

If you're considering a Forbes, you might also consider finding a Colt Light Rifle and sending it to NULA for a restocking. Be about the same price as the Forbes if you get the CLR at a good price and they came in 7 mag.

Consider a 270 WSM.

A wide range of weights are made now in .277" bullets these days as well.

The 270 WSM Kimber Montana I have shoots 150's very well and the ammo is available.

If your not shooting 162's or better, all you've got is a powder burning 270.



That should stir about 4 pages of BS

The Kimber Montana 8400 270 WSM weighs 1/2 pound less than a M70 Featherweight in 270 Win!

And 6oz more than a Faux Ti, which is kinda sick.

Just get a 7mm WSM Kimber Montana - you should be able to find one at any place that carries used guns.

There was at least a half dozen on gun broker.

Yeah, scrap this project. 300wsm , 200 grain partition at 2890 is all I need. Maybe I'll just sell that pile of 7mm brass and call it good.

Smart move.

I was going to retube my 270 to 280AI and drop it in a McSwirly Sako, but the Montucky was cheaper.

And turnkey......

Seriously what's the matter with you................

Ackleyfan,

My suggestion to use the available 270 bullet's that also have good ballistic properties in substitute for the 7mm is reasonable.

The 7mm bullet is .007" larger in diameter than the 270 bullet, not that bad. Sure the 270 is better but not by much

The top load in Nosler5 for 150s in the 270 WSM shows 3187fps.
For the 7mm WSM with 150's the top load shows 3136 fps!

Both with 24" barrels. They are about the same because they are about the same! Only .007" difference!

The BC for Noslers 150 gr BT 270 bullet is .496.
The BC for Noslers 150 gr BT 7mm bullet is .493.

IRRC, it goes like this:

162 AMax, 7mmWSM
150 ABLR, 270WSM

...then everything else. Unless you throw in a 6.5mm WSM and Scenars


and away we go.......

Please try to stay on topic.....

I am on topic.

I make the point that a .277" can to what a 7mm can!

Thus a Kimber Montana in 270 WSM would be a complete rifle ready to hunt that will do what a 'build' in 7mm might do!

Kimber Montana 270 WSM.

Can it shoot a .661BC at 2860fps?

That question will require a psychiatrist and several days to answer...

A .543 at 3,000 won't suck.....

No it can't however for the game and way I hunt all year such a load would not be optimum in terms of trajectory, recoil, richocets etc.

I have a 7mm WSM that's shooting the 168 VLD's well. Not much use for it here.

For VT I use the .358 Win 99F. Optimum for my woods.

Got one?

If you run a faster twist barrel it can. There are some .277 cal bullets with that high of BC. You might run into some COAL issues depending on the magazine in your rifle.

Seriously I don't know why you want a sub 7.5 lbs magnum rifle. I think a 7-08 would do 90% of what the RM would do without all the recoil. I'm not recoil shy and realize that this isn't a shoot often rig at the range but a hard hunting rifle.

I have a M70 EW .270 in a M70 FWT Edge stock with a VX3 3.5-10X40 CDS mounted in Talley LWT it weighs in at 7 lbs 13 oz. It's fun to carry and pleasant to shoot as long as I'm not pushing 150's too hard. 2900+ with Mag Pro is reachable but 2790 shoots pretty nice and isn't as hard on the shoulder, but I stick primarily to 130's.

I believe the difference between the .661/ 2860 load and the .543 / 3000 load is a whopping 10" of drop and 10" of drift and about 100 FPS at 1,000 yards.

But rub one out if you want...

I've no interest in single loading rounds, so the COAL length would be a no go from the start for me on the 270 specialty bullets. That 180 load is a pleasure to shoot from any position out of my 8.25lb rifle. YMMV.

2.918" kiss in a 3" magbox, IIRC

No it won't, but it ain't close to a .661 at 2860. Not even on the same field.

Tanner

10" and 10" is a pretty BFD if you ask me, for a negligible difference in recoil.

I'm not talking about the .543 or whatever bullet, taylorce1 was saying that some 270 bullets got up to a .661 and there's no way in hell those stay in the mag.

Edit: guess I shouldn't say no way in hell. I don't know the length of those bullets.

Never said they'd be single loading just that different rifles allow for different mag length. I can't imagine the specialty .277 caliber bullets being that much longer or shorter than your 7mm's. YMMV

Drop is on the dial and if you can call 2mph of wind at 1k, have at it. That's about 2" difference at 500, which is further than 99% of dudes shoot. BC aint exponential.

BC ain't about being able to call wind either, but I'll sure as F U C K take a .661 over less, simply BECAUSE I can't call 2mph of wind. I'll take that extra cushion very day of the week... But you knew that.

Your "cushion" is about 6" at 1k with a 5 mph variance, but you knew that. And you also know there's 99 problems and 6" of pfuqqing drift aint one.

I certainly get you desire for more style and this has been mentioned so you can probably just ignore it but... A T3 Superlight with a few upgrades can certainly class it up. Maybe a Carbon camo Manners SL, fluted bolt with aluminum shroud would certainly set it apart from the crowd for not much more than a Kimber.

I suppose I have just fallen for my basic Superlight more than I ever thought I would...

Nick

I watched a mule deer get plowed tonight by a 7mm 168 VLD at 500 yards in a 10mph wind, and I guarantee you that the dude shooting wasn't wish he was packing less BC around, especially after he stuck it right behind the shoulder. But WTF do I know... Smart guys opt for less BC I guess.

Tanner

Per JBM, there is a 13" difference at 1K..Which allows a pretty good cushion over the .277,

Kick the .661 upto 3k, which I shoot it at, out of a 24" tube, the advantage is over 20"..

Paper ballistics are one thing. Actually shooting another, I promise you the advantages are pretty obvious in real life.

take 99 problems, and adding more drift to it certainly aint the answer.Lots of little things compound into a big fat miss..But we all know that

Now your down to 2" hotshot. I know you're a big time guide now, but you might wanna check yourself before you wreck yourself. But a smart guy can spot a kid at the cusp of making an ass of himself, but I still think you're a decent dude....

I think we're losing sight of the most important point here ... as 99 so correctly noted, the higher BC bullet will have more ricochet. clearly none of us want that ...

Who ever said I was guiding?

Open invite any time you wanna' come see if you and your 270 can hang...

That pretty much says it all.

If wanting a 7mmRM "mountain rifle", I would go 700, stainless #2 or Rem Sporter, in an Edge MR handle (ADL) with Limbsaver. I'd likely top it with a VX3 3.5-10 with B&C or turret. Should go about 7.5lbs and I don't think I'd want one any lighter.

This one runs 7.75lbs
A M70 but set up like you were thinking JPro. And, it was/is slinging 168 VLD and yes... I like the BC.

Out in the open like that, I'd want the BC too. Very nice rig.

168 VLD .619 @ 3,000 FPS
500 yards 10mph drift=13.3"
500 yards 15mph drift=20.0"
Velocity at 500=2,269 FPS

Margin for error, 6.7"


150 ABLR .543 (Litz)@3,000 FPS
500 yards 10mph drift=15.4"
500 yards 15mph drift=23.2"
Velocity at 500=2,178 FPS

Margin for error 7.8"

Difference in margins, 1.1"
Difference in velocity, 91 FPS

Unfortunately the "paper ballistics" apply the same to both and it assumes BC's are accurate since I believe Litz measured both and the ABLR didn't live up to its stated .625 in a 1:10. But doesn't take into account elevation, ability to judge wind, shot angle, atmosphere, shooter ability, soundness of the chronograph, range finder, each rigs particular capability, scope, yada, yada....but we'll just assume everything is equal.

Have at it..........

Unfortunately I only allow a 7" margin for error so the 270 would be out of the running on this one.

Shod

Looks to me like things sure do get dicey past 500 no matter what you shoot...

ricochet factor ("RF") goes off the charts

I think I just woke my whole house up laughing about that one..

Mark?

my Rem 700 lh 7 mag weighs 7lbs 4 0z. scoped, slung and 3 in the belly of the beast

I really like that rifle but wouldn't want one much lighter, I find recoil on it comprable to the .338, so not bad, but it does recoil

now the 7mm-08 in 5.5 lb. package.....suhweet lil pussycat

and she's kilt the last two moose I dropped

My Ruger M77 in 7mm RM was my only bog game bolt gun for 20+ years. Didn't know until I got on the 'fire that the rifle and ("Hit 'em again") cartridge both sucked.

Once the girls were out of college I started acquiring other rifles chambered for other cartridges. The number of elk I killed skyrocketed compared to the years before when I was using the 7mm RM.

That, of course, had a lot to do with the way I hunted and additional time I spent in the field and nothing whatsoever to do with the choice of rifle or cartridge. Nonetheless, the 7mm RM has languished in the safe, going after deer but not elk for over a decade now.

Yesterday I took the M77 in 7mm RM and Ruger MKII's in .30-06, .300WM and .338WM to the range. While all shot well, the 7mm RM shot the best, with both 140g and 160g North Fork bullets turning in sub-MOA groups.

Today I'm headed back to the range with my hunting buddy, who won't be able to make the trip this year. We'll spend a little time at 100 yards before heading to the 600-yard range. Still haven't decided which two rifles to take but am leaning heavily toward the 7mm RM as primary with backup still a toss-up. The long range shooting will help make that determination.

The 7mm RM is such a bad cartridge I don't know why it is still offered.

You guys Crack me up.

I'm sure at what ever range your flinging bullets at you will not squeeze the trigger if there's a chance you'll miss.

It is pretty funny at times, and while I'll never argue a 7mm bullet isn't better on paper than a .277. That said my largest mule deer should have never crumpled at 560 yards to a .436 BC Sierra GK according to some. In the real world of hunting there is no real difference between 7mm and .277 bullets as long as the shooter knows how to shoot his chosen rifle and cartridge.

However, the OP knows what cartridge he wants to shoot and is just trying to determine platforms that'll reach his goals. I can't argue against his choice the 7mm RM as it has proven itself time and time again in the field. Now I have my doubts about me ever wanting a 7.5 lbs all up rifle launching 180 grain bullets at 2800+ fps. It just doesn't sound like fun to me, I have a 7 lbs 06 and 165's at nearly 3K gets old quick at the range.