Is 22" too short for this caliber?

Not really, but I'd prefer 24".

I'm sure it would be fine. Especially if it fits your needs.
I wondered the same with my 338, so I went 23". Plus odd numbers seem to fit here

Probably won't loose enough that the critters will care, but it will be louder.

Min 24" preferably 26"

26" will get the most out of the cartridge. I heard somehwere that you lose approx. 25-30 fps for every inch reduced below 26". Don't know it that's true or not, as I have never chono'd one with a shorter Bbl. than 26".

Best,

JM

+1

Mine is 26". Shoots great, handles nicely. It is a Win Classic M70.

Fastest 7 Rem mag I have ever owned was a 1995 Mod 70 SS Classic with a 26" barrel. It shot Federal Premium 160 grain(factory load) partitions over 3100 fps. The conditions the day of the reading were temps in the high 90's and 100 % humidity(central Florida) . Since that time I have had 24" tubes on all my 7 rem mags.

The 24" tubes with the correct 160 gr loads are in the mid 2900 range. I was getting 2850 wh 7828 160 gr partition out of a remington 700 KS chambered in 280 Rem. All will work.

Mine is 23" and at times I wish that it was 24 or 25". When I put together a 280AI I left the barrel at 25" and it is much more pleasant to shoot and the velocity between the two is very similar. If not sure start long and cut back after you have used it for awhile and are sure you want it shorter.

I've had 'em in 24" and 26" lengths. Current 7mm mag is a Ruger Number One with the 26" tube - I really like that rifle... Preferred load over the years is a 160 gr bullet at 3000 - 3100 fps, although I've used heavier and lighter as well.

With a high-velocity smallish bore magnum, a 24" barrel, or longer, just seems to make sense.

Regards, Guy

Well you just end up with a 280 with a lot of noise and recoil. Do it if you want to, the game is not going to care all that much. If I was going to do that, I would just shoot a 7 x 57 that I have. The 7mm RM is best with a 24 to 26 inch barrel in my opinion.

I would agree 7mm Rem is at it's best with a 24" to 26" inch tube. However it's your rifle, do what floats your boat. When building my 7mm Rem I went middle of the road at 25"....

I'll agree with the others. 22" will be louder and velocity will be less but not noticeable on game. I prefer 26" barrels on magnums and don't find them cumbersome but my current 7mm mag has a 24" barrel. It shoots itty bitty groups and my load matches my ballistic reticle perfectly out to 600 yards so I am happy as the proverbial clam.

Another vote for 26 inch tube on belted magnums.

cooperfan,

If you want more noise than a normal 7 Mag and the same performance as a .280 Remington go for it. A 22" barrel will still have the "impress factor" when you tell folks, "I have a 7 Mag." And the game wont know any difference.

But the barrel will know the difference and will wear out faster than a .280 going the same velocity.

Yes - too short. Diminishing returns are realized below 24" in velocity. I'd sooner have a lighter .280 or .270.

I have had 7 mags in 26", 24" barrels and my current 7mag is 23", If I were to build another one today it would be 23". As far as noise, when I'm at the range I use ear plugs, when shooting game I never notice the noise. And I can assure you it is faster then any 280 remington, which I have owned in 22", 24", and 26" barrels.

Yes--especially if you want to keep your hearing semi-intact.....

Plus, at 22 inches not much diff than a 280Rem.



Casey

I have a 22" & 24" 7mm. 22" is a belted 280

..............Nope! But as with all magnum rifle cartridges, you`ll always get slightly better performance from a longer barrel.

If you`re going to hunt in thicker brush country or in thicker timber country, a shorter, handier, more nimble and faster rifle is always a plus.

You won`t lose or compromise that much velocity or long range capability at all with 4" of shorter barrel length. With my 16.5" 300 WSM Ruger Frontier carbine, (7.5" shorter than a 24"), I`m running 4.5% to 5% behind in overall velocity to the 24" barreled 300 WSMs. There should be less an overall percentage of loss going from a 26" 7 mag down to a 22" 7 mag.

Sure! Shorter barrels are noisier and that may be a small downside. But, "WE ALL" should be wearing good ear protection anyway,,,,regardless of barrel length.

Anyone who is hard of hearing due to rifle noise and complains about the shorter barrel noise, has only himself to blame.

To me the only belted mag worthy of a short barrel is a 338 Win.Good case to bore ratio there.

guys i am a self proclaimed idiot in terms of reloading. i have been following all kinds of threads on the subject and various calibers being reloaded in. my comment, but really a question because i do not know is this. in terms of the 7mm rem mag and it's skinny bore to case size, i am under the impression from past readings here and other places that you really don't get the full benifit of that cartridge/powder capacity until you go to the longer 26" barrels and the heavy for caliber bullets to take advantage of the slower powders required for that much case capcity and bore size. not that you can't make it shoot well in other barrel lengths and bullet sizes, but to achieve the best that caliber and case size matched together has to offer. am i way off on this? have i over generalized in terms of the 7mm rem mag and it's abilities? again i don't know so i'm asking.

...................The only thing lost with a shorter barrel,,,,is velocity. Not accuracy or anything else.

Regardless of barrel length, whether it be the shorties like my two, a 16.5" tubed 300 WSM or a 20" tubed 375 Ruger, one re-loads the "EXACT" same way as though one were shooting a 24" or even a 26" barrel in the same given cartridge.

Regardless of the powder burn rate, the powder itself is completely burned up before the bullet leaves the barrel. HOWEVER, with the shorter barrels, you will get more left-over gases coming out from the muzzle as opposed to a longer barrel; hence more muzzle flash.

It is also perceived that faster burning powders are more efficient from shorter tubes. Just as in longer barrels, many faster burning powders do offer better velocity to the grains of powder used, but "NOT" more velocity.

The term "full benefit" from a longer barreled 270 WSM, 270, 7mm Mag, a 300 Win Mag, 300 WSM or whatever the cartridge happens to be, can only mean "additional velocity" or better ballistic performance, because that`s all there can be as far as "full benefit" is concerned.

I think I am going to do what one of the members here suggested and have it cut to 25".