Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Reaching 3000 with a 180 in a 7 mm

It sure will but I'm not interested in 80 to 90+ grains of powder to make it happen.

I also avoid Remington brass when I can.

Just got in from the range and some speed tests with the Mashburn and the 180's.

As per usual they shot like generic dog poop in my rifle but that's another story. The tube is very froggy and that could be part of it...or it could just be me..

Long and the short, I used my max load from my 175 work and R25.

I topped out @ 3K with the 180. Maybe I could give it a bit more but maybe not..

According to the newest Horn Manual and the 175 in the 7 Wby I should be able to give it more powder. But, I don't feel I wish to go there. This is the first time that I can recall where the 7 Wby had loads with more powder than I felt I could safely go to. This is once again using R25.

I think if you feel the need for more gas than 3K you're two best options are more barrel length than I am running and or going to the 7/300 Wby.

Bottom line for me, there's slugs that I likey more than the Bergers so I'll stick with them. The 150 NBT, 162 Horn, 175 Sierra are all good long range slugs and the 150 SMK aint bad either.

Guess I'll stick with the bullets a bit lighter and at fair bit faster speeds. Lastly, I'm only concerned with going to 700 yds and feel nun the least handicapped by going with the 150 NBT or 162 Horn for all that moves.

Dober

Thanks Mark! Good feedback.

I'm looking at a looong rifle that hammers things like rocks, gongs, ect out to 1200 + yards.

U could always just build a 7mm Dober..... (7/378)

Dober

Then the 338 Edge or Lapua is what you are looking for. The 300 SMK's .768 BC makes it an excellent wind bucker with enough mass to hammer the target when it ar
arives

Is there any advantage at all to the 338 Lapua over the 338 Edge?

Ballisticaly they are equal. Shawn Carlock the designer of the Edge and the maker of my 338 Lapua uses 92 grains of H-1000 behind the 300 SMK and that is the exact load that I shoot in my Lapua

The advantage that the Lapua has IMHO is brass quality and the fact that there are very accurate factory rounds available if needed. The Edge is a Wildcat

Chesapeake, thanks. That was a good article. That RL25 is proving good in a lot of 7mm's...I know that it even works good in a 270 Winchester although no one uses it for that.

..the 7WSM is a strange one and I cannot figure it out.The cartridge with Federal Premium factory loads,160 Nosler Partition,averaged over 3250 in TWO different rifles,a Kimber Montana, and a NH M70.That's faster than I expected and I was unable to duplicate it,at least within what I considered safe margins....I know Federal loads the cartridge right up there.....

WOW, that`s smoken...proprietary powder?
I`ve gotten 3190 average with Retumbo out of the 24inch Wby. Case is full, slightly compressed even. Don`t think I would do more.

My Kimber 270wsm is the same. A box of Winchester Super X was launching 150 grain soft points between 3100 and 3180 (I may be remebering these numbers wrong,the loads were HOT!) out of my Kimber. Heavy bolt lift, flattened primers, and large velocity swings. I shot maybe 4 or 5 out of that box and left the rest alone. Federal premium 130's were up neer 3300 fps and a little stiff on the bolt lift. I dont know if its my rifle or what, but I cant approach 270WSM advertised velocities, or MAX powder charges with any I've tried. I shoot 140 NAB's at 3000 and folks ask me why I play at 270 win velocities.

Sorry for the hijack Bob.

No worries Rick, all input is gtg here.


I just got off the phone with Travis from Rbros.
http://www.rbrosrifles.com/

He's been building 7mm Rem mags using a new reamer that caters to the 180 VLD. Loaded with Retumbo
the 7mm Rem mag has become a whole new animal, laying in 180's on top of each other at 3,000 + mv.

I'll be sending Travis my Brux barrel and action.

You building this rig for the High Buck or just for ringing gongs?

I've looked at Rbros. before and wondered about going back to packing 10#'s of rifle up the mountain. Just not ready to give up packing my 7.5# rig yet.

Oh man, no way will this be a backpack rifle, i have a 6.5 lb Ti for that in 6.5-284.

This will be a "Migration Rifle" for the big bucks heading out of the high country on their way to the low country to winter. Snipe them when they are on their route that their ancestors have been traveling for the past few thousand years.

This will also be a rifle for long range elk hunting in SE WA Blue's.

SU: Like I been sayin' for years (who listens? .......when it comes to "slow' 7 RM's, it's all in the throats and barrels

Bob (and others),

The good ol' 7-mag interests me greatly.

However, one reason I went 300 WM on my Sendero was that at least in the loading manuals, a 7-mag doesn't do anything like 3000 fps with a 180. At least if memory serves. In fact, I remember being quite surprised at the speeds in the books for 7-mag, when I was researching it. Why is that?

Regardless, when I succeed in wearing my 300 WM barrel out, and believe you me I'm trying, it'll most likely become a 7-mag throated (and twisted) for long bullets.

So see Bob? You aren't just casting your voice into the void.

SU35 - I've seen Travis' work and his rifles in action. Excellent workmanship and real performers. You're likely to get one heck of a rifle back from him.

I'm settling for 160's at 3,000+ fps these days from my 7mm RM/Ruger Number One. Doesn't seem like much of a sacrifice.

Regards, Guy

I do build lightweight rifles also....just most of my builds are more longrange hunting style. Lately my focus has been on what I feel is the best of both worlds. What I have come up with weighs just under 10lbs with a 4.5-14x50 scope and 26" barrel. Balances perfectly, has long range capability, and is extremely accurate. So far, its working out well and alot of guys are going with it.

Sorry to hijack the post.

How would the 7mm/338 Ruger compare?