Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Optimal 7mm SAUM Barrel Length

This rifle will be used first as a big game hunter but possibly banging steel and punching paper for fun too if it's a shooter. I want it to be as light and handy as possible, without giving up too much in regards to accuracy and velocity.
I have a Bartlein #3 to chamber and cut to length. I'm thinking 22-24", but leaning hard towards the shorter option.
I am hoping to run 162gr at 3000FPS, 140gr at 3200FPS, 120gr at 3400FPS.
Any help from those who have this round would be greatly appreciated.

Don't own this round, but in browsing my 49th edition Lyman manual I see max loadings for the 120 gr from 3381 to 3393 fps; the 140 gr from 3152 to 3250 fps; a 160 gr from 2884 to 2972 fps....All from a 24" barrel. No 162 gr listed...

You may not achieve the velocities you are looking for if you shorten your barrel less than 24".

Since you want this rifle to be as light and as handy as possible, I suggest that you focus on the rifle OAL and weight which includes barrel length that would have the best possible handling that you are looking for,,,,and then let all the velocity chips fall where they may.

You'll still have enough power to accomplish anything that you would want to.

Figure losses of about 16 to 25 fps per every inch of shorter tube length, which imo might be similar to my 300 WSM compact.

I've been searching everywhere for information on this round and have seen guys that are getting excellent accuracy pushing 140gr bullets out of 22" barrels at 3200FPS, supposedly easily. I've been on forums I'm not a member of, so I'm unable to ask for specifics and was hoping some guys on here may have experience with this round and those "hotter" loads.
The idea of a 22" barreled 7mm hammer in a sub 7lbs gun is very intriguing for several reasons. I'm looking for speed more to help with mistaken wind corrections. I don't shoot true long range, but every little bit of speed helps when calling shots at distance.
How long is the barrel on your 300 compact?

It is a 16.5" tubed 300 WSM Ruger Frontier that I nicknamed mighty mouse. And that it is.....Handy and is a powerhouse.

Using max loads of ""ONLY"" RL17, it launches a 155 VLD at slightly over 3200, a 168 VLD at 3030-40, a 175 VLD at 2920-30 and a 190 VLD in the mid 2800s.

A 35.5" OAL rifle with more oooooomph than a 24" and 26" barreled 30-06.

Alot of fun........

You should make us all extra-super green with envy and SBR that sumbitch around the 11.5" mark.




Dave

..........Well hell!!! I'll run right out and do that right now!!!.............Hold yer breath.....

It could bump those speeds with the 155's down to about 3,150 though.

Not a bad trade-off.




Dave

I think I'll leave it just the way it is....But thank u anyway.....Has a fair amount of recoil and is noisy e-nuff..........lol

Sheit, I thought you died. Nice to see Jesus wasn't the only to rise from the dead.

If you ninja kick while pulling the trigger, you'll counter act the recoil and add a few extra fps. Video it and slap it up on youtube. Always wanted to touch off 70ish grains of powder in 16 inch barrel, but haven't suffered enough brain damage to make it happen...

Nice of u to admit and good to know that you couldn't handle 65 to 68 gr from a shorty tube. Well I can!....Your brain may suffer some damage though. Mine is fine.

Next time I chrony it, I'll throw a high kick and see if I get a few xtra fps..Lol...Just for u.....

Came back to life just for u Rogueeeeeee. Now GFY...lol

Don't forget to video tap you ninja kick. I'm sure you have a "friend" that will loan you their phone so you can capture the moment. Maybe the ten year old neighbor kid can show you how to post it.

...................Don't have a 10 year old neighbor kid. But you are always welcome to come on down and show me a thing or two....Right on Rogueeeee.....

Isn't this where you play opossum and write your own obituary?

...........Gees, you can't even spell...."Opossum"???..........LOL....LOL.......Go back to playing your banjo, bottle blowing your favorite tunes on your front porch, barefooted, outside your hillbilly shack......

Hey, it's Casper again!

How do you spell Opossum?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opossum

David

Classic!!! Squeezer's nephew must've commandeered his computer again lol.

Can't make that sheite up.

[bleep] miss this schit.

Saw it to 21" and Blair Hank Jr while you do it please.

You really don't need to shoot a SAUM to know that 22" will serve you just fine.

Follow your heart.




Travis