I've got my dad's old Model 7 in 308. It isn't very accurate and because it's pretty light, it definitely let's you know you pulled the trigger. I'd like to get a new barrel on it too convert it to 7mm08 for my kids to shoot deer when they are ready. I already ordered a youth stock for it. I've never had a new barrel put on a rifle before and I am not exactly sure where to start. One thing that seems somewhat confusing to me is all the different contours out there.

I'm thinking a 20", 1-9 twist, threaded for a brake or suppressor.

How would you set it up? I just want to make sure this is set up smartly.

Thanks!

Contours vary from manufacturer to manufacture somewhat. So be mindful of that.


If you're setting it up for kids, you could step up a size or 2 to add a little weight....but, your stock must have a barrel channel that'll fit the barrel. Some stocks can be opened up easily. If it's too big, it's really free floated..drives some guys nuts.


Best bet to get it done right is to head to a gunsmith. You can order a barrel blank with a 7mm bore you like... sometimes there can be a long wait. The Smith will chamber the blank and screw it on the action.




Realistically, it's a Model 7. You might be ahead to find one already in 7-08 if that's what you want. You're talking probably north of $500 pretty easily... Small, light rifles are particular on how they shoot best. That could be the issue. Or flinching, or fouling, or scape/mounts etc etc. Shooting lighter bullets from the 308 will help tone the recoil down. A 7-08 with 140s and a 308 with 150s from the same gun is gunna recoil about the same.


Decide your end goal and a budget before you jump too far ahead. Real easy to spend a good bit of money to take the long way around.

My boys shoot a factory model 7 in 7mm-08. It’s very accurate. I bought it used for less than most rebarrels will end up costing.

if it’s not sentimental you could sell it and buy a compact 7-08 or 260 very reasonable.

That would be cheaper. My boy still has his model 7 youth. He killed a lot of deer it. It’s a 7mm-08. I loaded it down with H 4895, increased as he got older. It has an adult stock now, but we still have the youth stock for his boys when they get old enough.

you could also try some 125 grain accubond bullets in it...should help with the recoil

You can find a model 7 8mm-08 takeoff barrel for probably $50-$100 easily.

I have a blued 700 SPS take-off barrel in 7-08 that I would sell you. You could have a smith install it and cut and crown to whatever length you want. The slightly larger contour would add a little bit of heft up front and it would be much less expensive than experimenting with a premium barrel for a kid's rifle.

A lot of 'smiths won't install a used barrel because they don't want to deal with an unhappy customer if the barrel doesn't shoot as well as the customer expects.

It might cost you less to buy a new 700

Yep. Sell the m7 and buy a 700 adl and you're done. Or you can load 125 grain bullets in the 308 with reduced loads. Very cheap that way

I thought about selling it and putting it towards another rifle. But given how poor the accuracy is (generally 3 to 4 moa), I'm not sure I'd be able to get anything for it. I've pretty much decided to get a new barrel, just wanted advice on that. It might be more expensive, but that's the route I'm taking.

IMO, for this situation the take off barrel is the route to go. You'll have $600 or more in a barrel and install and that doesn't include the stock cost if you go with a new barrel . About half that if you go with a take off... I've had a couple factory take off barrels installed and they shot great. In fact, my most accurate rifle by a good piece is a Remington VSSF barrel in 223 that I had installed by IT&D on a Rem 700 action after I burned out the .17 Rem barrel on it. As long as you find a decent gun smith who knows what he is doing, you should be able to end up with a very accurate , relatively light deer getter for the kids.... in fact, try Shaen on this forum. His work is great, fairly priced, and fast turn around....

Bob

I have owned a Remington Model Seven in 7mm-08 since 1991. It's the early model with 18-1/2" barrel, and it shoots very accurately. Your 308 Model Seven might be made to shoot better than it does if you work on it. Another owner might think that way, so if you want to sell it, don't advertise it as a dog. Personally, I would buy a take-off 7mm-08 barrel and have it mounted on your action. I have a spare take-off barrel for my rifle, in the event I wear out the original barrel.

I'm not a 6.5CM fanboy but can see some advantages it has over the 7-08, esp as a deer rifle. Less recoil and more ammo not to mention it fits in a short action better.

Make it a 20" bbl and it will serve well for years after the kids grow up and the original stock goes back on.

I would make an effort to get the rifle to shoot better as is, could be a bedding issue that isn't that expensive to fix. As for recoil if you only shoot factory fodder there are reduced recoil loads out there and they work pretty good from what I hear. My model seven is a 7-08 and I like it a lot.

It shoots really well, is light and it's recoil doesn't bother me but I don't sit at the bench running hundreds of rounds through it either. If you are dead set on a rebarrel it would be money well spent at around $400. Even getting a takeoff fitted you will be out around $200.

OTOH ..... I'd like to have a 1st gen. blued/walnut Model Seven re-barreled with a 20" bbl and the original sights back on in 300 Savage.

When you say it is t very accurate, how much load work up are we talking about? How much load development and what size groups?

It’s one thing if you’ve tried extensive load development and it shoots patterns. Then at that point, something needs to change.

Personally, before I pulled the barrel I’d clean the heck out of it, then give a solid effort to working up a load with a powder/bullet combination generally recognized for being accurate in a .308.

If it is the rifle just won’t shoot, Considering the cost of are-barrel, you might be better off buying a compact budget rifle in whatever kid friendly caliber you want then having the Model 7 rebored to something like .338 Federal or .358 Win.

For about the price of a rebarrel you could come out with 2 rifles, and 2 rifles is always better than 1 rifle

The problem I had with the Model 7 I had was the mag length was far too short and the throat too long to seat the 6.5/120g bullets (260 Remington) out close to the lands like I wanted them. Due to this, I never could get it to shoot as well as I wanted so it went down the road. I have other rifles that will shoot the heavier bullets and I wanted the 260 as a coyote rifle. Just didn't work out for me. With a rebarrel and the right dummy round for the smith to use, he could set it up for any round you want to load IMO....

In and of itself, having to jump bullets isn't a guarantee of poor grouping.

If you're worried about recoil, put a Limbsaver pad on it. I had a .308 stainless/synthetic Model 7 that kicked much less than a M94 30/30 after I put a Limbsaver on it.

My wife's first deer rifle was a Winchester Model 70 in 243. It was never very accurate same as your Model 7 about 3-4MOA. Found a take off barrel in 308 and had the gunsmith put it on. It did not line up with the stamping's, he said for another $75 he would fix that. Told him not to bother. It's a truck/loaner rifle now. It is MOA with loads it likes. The replacement for the wife's deer rifle was/is a Remington Model 7 in 7mm-08. It is accurate, but was picky with ammo. I would get a take off barrel and take your chances. 7mm=08 is not likely to be shot out. You don't really get a guaranty on a new custom barrel as far as accuracy either, unless they install the barrel and tune the action. Rather than custom barrel route you could buy a Model 7 in 7mm-08 cheaper.

That is screaming out to become a Creedmoor

I have used a model 7 FS and currently a model 700 sps ss for the last 30 years for deer hunting. Both were, and are, accurate rifles, and I love the round as a hand loader. If you are not a reloader I would go with the 6.5 creedmoor due to ammo availability.

I've had many Model 7's rebarreled with Mod 700 take-off barrels, new barrels, etc. I'm tall so I really like the Model 7 to have a Sporter weight 22-24 inch barrel. I've had them in .220 Swift, 22-250, 22-250 AI, 6mm/284, .260, 6.5/284. My one and only ever 7mm/08 was a Kimber 84M Classic. I had it rebarreled to the .224 TTH but done in the factory Kimber contour. Dan Liljja made it , pur poison with 64-75gr bullets. But I digress. Go with at least a 22" barrel, a #2 Shilen in 6.5 Creedmoor. You ( especially your boys and your pocket book ) will thank me! Have a ball, and let us know what you end up with? have a ball with those kids for me!

Better off to buy a new Model 7 in 7 08 and ether keep the 308 or sell it. Cheaper in the long run. Re barreling runs $650.00 to $700. Personally I don't think there is much difference in the felt recoil between the 308 and 7 08. If you load try loading down the 308 to recoil the kids feel comfortable with. I've load down the 308 with 125 grain Nosler BT and found them to be very effective on deer at about 2600 FPS with very light recoil.

I put a 20" standard contour takeoff barrel in 7mm-08 on my Remington Model 600 Mohawk - essentially the father of your Model 7.

Cheap to do, the swap vastly improved handling vs. the 18 1/2" factory barrel, was soft-shooting and accuracy was just a bit plus or minus one inch @ 100 yards (I glass-bedded the stock once the new barrel was installed).

I'd certainly try the takeoff barrel option.

I would take that rifle to a gunsmith to find out what the problem is. He should be able to find the issue and then you can shoot lighter bullets in it. That is the least expensive route to take.

Yep.

May even shoot them well.

Those at 3K fps are real killers.

DF

If you want a new barrel an easy way to do it is get a Remage style barrel From Northland Shooters Supply for the 700, same threads as the M7. You can pick from several contours and lengths along with getting very good accuracy to boot, For around $340.

I think that's a lot of expense for not much benefit...

There's not much difference in recoil between the two rounds...or much difference in performance either.

Put a soft recoil pad on it and shoot reduced recoil ammo and it will be a great soft shooter, and very effective.

If you don't reload, reduced recoil ammo is available for the 308.

I wouldn't mind a M7 in 308 it's a a great rifle.