8 lbs or less scoped is my goal as well.
Deciding between a big 7 or a 300 Win Mag.
I know Bob always preferred the big 7.
I still have a pile of 7mm Dakota brass on hand, but that would involve work on the bolt face, etc.
Mashburn or Nosler if I go with a 7mm.
I do have a 7mm Rem Mag I built on a M70 classic edge. Sub 8lbs with a Swaro Z5 3.5-18 in Talley Lightweights.
Shoots the 160 Accubond VERY well at 3100, so maybe what I'm looking for is already in the safe.
I like the 7mm's myself in a sub 8 pound rifle they aren't real unmanageable with the top end loads. You're current 70 is pretty danged close to perfect in my opinion if you like it. If It shoots well now, it isn't going to shoot less well as a Mashburn either. It's almost cheating to stick a 3.6" mag box, shorter bolt stop and rechamber a 7mm Rem Mag to see if you like it. It is what I did for my first one and I decided I liked it enough to have Kevin Weaver build me one I really liked.
The Mashburn is exactly like John55, Joel and Gunner describe it. For my first one I used plain old RCBS FL dies and simply ran Hornady 300 Win Mag cases into the die and when I pulled them out they were 95% ready to go. I used Dober's load of 65-67 grains of IMR4350 with a 139-145 grain bullet and formed all of my brass. My only issue was once neck donuts started appearing. Bob never got them, Gunner hasn't ever got them, but with the 3 Mashers I have worked with, I got them. It is super easy though, a quick ream with an electric drill and they are gone forever.
I got the Redding dies when I got the 2nd rifle and that's all I have used to this point. John and Joel have the Whidden dies made for their chambers so they have gotten away without donuts thus far.
Dober's had 7 barrels on his Mashburn over the years and doesn't believe in the donuts and he's filled arks full of elk, bear and deer with his with 120 Barnes through 175 Semi Spitzer Partitions.
I can't remember if PF76 has dealt with donuts or not in his gun, but honestly it isn't that big of a deal if they show up.
The beauty of the Mashburn is ANY of the 300 Win Mag cases will work really well. WW used to be the gold standard. I used alot of Hornady, but has been using the same 50 RWS cases I formed back in 2017'ish. God knows how many loads of 175's over 83.8 grains of RL33 I have on them, but it is going on 6-8 firings, I anneal them everytime and they just won't wear out. ADG now makes 300 Win Mag brass which is probably as good or better than RWS so the amount of great brass makes the Mashburn pretty appealing to me and its just outside the ballpark of a 28 Nosler. I also don't think it needs a barrel longer than 24" myself. My old Winchester that was rechambered was just as fast as this Bartlein and just as accurate with almost the same charges of powder.
I just finished up load work for my cousins 28 Nosler and I used H1000 for 175 Partitions and averaged 3110 for speeds. I could've used Retumbo or RL33 and probably gained 100 FPS but on that one, I think it needs the 26" barrel to get those speeds, it recoils more, and is a bit heavier rifle and you lose 1 round typically in the belly. Any of our Win Mag Classics will feed and function like they have eyes with the Mashburn case, while a 28 Nosler will be more work to get them to feed and function that way.
Sorry for the babbling, just my thoughts on it.
300 Win Mag with a 1-8/1-9 barrel is pretty easy if you don't want any of the extra HorseSh*t if it is set up to seat the longer bullets to maximize case space. John55 has worked with 3 of Weavers recent 300 Wins and can chime in with his thoughts on them to give you an idea of what he is getting.
