Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Just picked up my Winchester Coyote in 7mm WSM . . .

OK, just got home from the range. I was raining, but very calm. As I previously mentioned, I purchased several boxes of Fed ammo with it - was shooting 140gr Nosler Solid base ammo today. Got it roughly sighted in at 200yds, then cleaned it - figured that way the barrel would cool down while cleaning, killing 2 birds with 1 stone so to speak. Then it took 2 foulers to settle in. Tweaked the scope a little, then shot a 5 shot group at 1.050" (center to center). Moved to another target and shot a 0.800" 3 shot group. Both groups had more vertical spread than horizontal, so hoping that reloads will tighten the groups up some. Both groups were fired holding the rifle fairly firmly with both hands and pulled into my shoulder. Tried semi-free recoiling it - light pressure on shoulder, firm grasp with right hand, left hand squeezing the rear bag - didn't measure the group, but it was approx. 1" but 2" right/low from previous group. Just goes to show, even with a heavy rifle, depending on how consistently you hold/rest/grip it, POI will change.

Overall, I'm definitely happy with it. Will most likely look for a new scope to put on it, maybe a Conquest 6.5-20.

Very nice. Glad it worked out.

Me too !! The humidity had me soaking from head to toe. Even my socks were wet.

Keep us posted. Im curious to see how she ends up in the accuracy dept.

Joseph

My 7WSM was identical to yours. It took a bit of doing but after bedding and installing a Timney trigger it would stay about 3/4MOA with 150 Sciroccos and about 1/2MOA with 160 Accubonds. The furthest I every shot it on the range was 850 and the longest big game kill with it was 750 on a smallish 6 point bull. It was my first long range rifle and I wasn't too kind on the bore (shooting too fast, too much brushing, etc) so when it started going bad on me, I had it rebuilt into another 7WSM. Now it will stay sub 1/2MOA out past 800 with 168 Bergers.

I've always used Winchester brass and always been happy with it. I get probably 6 or 7 firings from a piece of brass and for the price think it's pretty much a bargain.

Good luck with you Coyote!!!

Cross

Dennis, I think you are all alone on the brass issues. Nobody I know has any issues with the Winchester or Federal brass. I just shot with a guy Saturday shooting Winchester brass in his 7 WSM. I watched him shoot two consecutive 3 shot groups at 675 yards that were under 3" center to center with 180 grain Bergers. He didn't do anything but trim them, size them and load them 5 thousandths off the lands. He doesn't shoot a lot either, hates recoil and is 75 years old. I would say the brass is great. Several other guys I shoot with say the same thing. What is it about the brass that is so bad, in your opinion? I am not seeing it. Flinch

It is pretty bad compared to other stuff. The primer pocket tightness varies, I sometimes get a handful of cracked necks in a bag of new brass, and I even found a 3" curled up shaving of brass INSIDE one of the pieces in a new bag. I had to fish it out with a mechanical pick

Cool rifle and I like the consistent updates.

The 7mm is the only wizzum that ever held any interest to me, and the coyote seems to me like the perfect platform for it. If you can't get it to shoot consistently you might consider having the barrel trimmed back a couple of turns and recutting the chamber. This may help square things up.

Good luck!

Seems like I recall hearing about one particularly bad lot of 7 WSM brass. The original brass was good and then there was the bad stuff about 2 or 3 years ago and seemed to last up until last year maybe. I have heard the new stuff out from Winchester is much better. Jordon you might try some new stuff and see if you have any better luck. I hope you do.
I had a Coyote in 7WSM that I eneded up selling to a buddy and it is a good shooting rifle. He is getting well under 1 MOA groups out to 500 and has not bedded or done anything to it, pure factory stock at this point.

My first bag of Winchester 7 WSM brass is quite small compared to what others measure... also had one neck that had a split in it, more like a defect than the kind of split you see from well-used brass.

I have a Savage action made into a 7wsm.... Shoots depending on load sub -1 moa with box ammo.. I love it. had it built by Stockade Guns in the Dakotas... I am noticing brass is hard to come buy so I buy it or loaded rounds when I find them.. seems like the big retailers are selling out the loaded ammo so I have been getting it cheap...

I have the exact same gun, still sitting NIB. I bought a 20 MOA rail for it, but between too many other projects (.204, .257 Weatherby, another 7 WSM in a Howa, '06, .300 H&H) and paralysis through analysis on a scope, it's kinda been placed on the back burner. Maybe this thread will give me the kick in the backside I need to get moving on it. I'm interested in how the reloading is going to go for you.

We're holding you to that promise and we want to see pictures of little tiny (honest) groups.........

KDK, you are always getting yourself stumped over which scope to buy. If it is going to be a long range rig just get something like a 4.5-14 and call it good. If it is a really long range you could go with higher magnification. Take a look at some of scenarshooter's chit and that will give you an idea too. I've got a 20 moa rail on my FN PBR XP 300 wsm but it doesn't do me any good because I never get out and stretch its legs. I don't have a place I can shoot the distances it begs to shoot when set up that way. Here's a pic of the set-up:



It shoots pretty good too with my hunting loads (165 hornady spbt interlocks):

10 shots, 1 right after the other. To the OP, your coyote should shoot great. FN is puting out some very accurate rifles. As a matter of fact I'm getting ready to take my extreme weather out right now since the wind isn't howling. Good luck with your coyote and let us know how she shoots........

Guilty! I think I may end up with a NF or a Mk. IV on it, it that power range. Just a matter of saving the doucats!

Sounds like great choices. Good luck with it.

A 4.5-14x would be perfect.