OK, so I wanted to get a rifle set-up to try some long (to me) target shooting (start at 500yds and work my way out). I decided on a 7mm WSM, so that narrowed my choice of rifles drastically since I wanted something on the heavy side to make the shooting a little more pleasurable. Finally found one of the New Haven Coyotes in like new condition, bought it (along with 140rds of Federal factory ammo, mainly for the brass) and picked it up from my FFL today.

I had a Near Mfg 10MOA picatinny rail that I had bought from Cabela's a few years back on clearance. I prep'ed everything, taped off the action (minus the portions where the base sits), sprayed Hornady One Shot on it, and mixed up a small amount of Marinetex. It's not sitting with the base mounted with ~10inlbs of torque - figured that was enough to seat it good without inducing any "bending" of the rail if the action is not exactly square.

I'll finish up the base tomorrow night (torque it properly), mount the scope rings, lap 'em, and get a scope mounted.

Hope to get out to the range (300yds max) this weekend, sight it in and shoot a group or two.

I'm looking forward to your target pics, to see how your new rig works at the longer ranges...great cartridge!

Nobody believes you until we see pictures!! (grin)

Yeah, I know . . .

Got the rings mounted and lapped and scope mounted tonight, and bore-sighted it (visually across the backyard). Also pulled it out of the stock - still had the hot glue "bedding" and glue on the trigger. Did I mention it was like new???

Anyway, that was the hardest Win hot glue bedding to remove that I've ever encountered, and I've done a few. Went ahead and drilled some holes in the stock and scuffed it up to prepare it for a proper bedding job which it will get tomorrow night. Then I think it'll be ready for the range.

It has a thin recoil pad - that might have to be replaced shortly. I know it's heavier than a regular sporter (I need to weigh it when I take some pic's), but I still think a 1" Decelerator will help. I need to grind a couple more too, so this weekend I'll probably get out the disc sander and go to town.

Winchester M70 Coyote 7mm WSM
Near Mfg 10MOA Picatinny Rail
Leupold PRW rings
Sightron SII 6-24X42MD

10lbs 9oz as it sits (empty).

Nice! Hope she shoots for you!

What bullets are you going to try?

Nice! I have a pair of em (.223 and .243). I've heard they are hit or miss as far as accuracy goes, but mine both shoot good. I bought the .223 and liked it so much I grabbed the .243 when I saw it cheap. Wouldn't complain about a 7wsm that's for sure.

Well, I've got several boxes of factory Federal ammo to shoot first - wasn't much more than buying Win brass, so I thought I'd do that to see if the Fed brass is any better than the Win.

After that, probably try the Hornady 162gr Amax, maybe one of the Berger's.

Any suggestions???

Yeah, replace the Sightron with a Conquest 4.5x14...

Alright now I believe you...

Good luck with your new rifle. I have the same gun in 270 wsm and never got it to shoot good. Its a 1 moa at best so for long range shooting its a no go. Every gun is different though and everybodys expectations are different so i'm hoping yours works. ED

Having played with a 7WSM a lot this year, the greatest limiting factor is the LOUSY brass that Winchester makes for it-as far as I know, they are the only ones making 7WSM brass.

I tried to buy 300WSM brass. I had Norma backordered at Graffs for 120 days before I finally got it recently. I got some Federal before that but it is no better than the W-W brass. It belongs to my buddy, if it were mine, I would set the barrel back and rechamber to 7x300 WSM- as it is, all the 300 stuff has to be fire-formed to blow the shoulder out and shorten the neck.

Too much trouble for me to ever buy one myself. Hope yours is a shooter, the one I have been playing with is a Savage 116 custom shop rifle and it does shoot very well when I can put 5 good pieces of brass together!

It shoots the 180 Bergers into about .5-.6 MOA so far. Been too windy and then too hot to really wring it out this year.

Can you neck up the Norma 270WSM brass???

I could, but easier to neck down the 300WSM brass - neck is already big enough to create the false shoulder. Would have to expand the 270WSM brass necks, then partially size it back down to create the false shoulder.

On another note, started prepping the stock for bedding last night, finshed up tonight - taped off the recoil lug and the stock where it was needed, removed the trigger and filled the opening with modeling clay, several layers of tape around the barrel to center it/keep the same gap all around, enough tape around "bedding bolts" give the screws plenty of clearance after bedding, sprayed the bbl'd action with One Shot liberally, etc. Mixed up the MarineTex and got it bedded!

Think it's ready to hit the range Saturday! Wind shows to be 2-5mph in the am, so should be a good day to test the accuracy.

It looks like you can expand the neck and fireform to blow out the case and shoulder.

You "can" neck it up but why? it won't headspace so you have to neck it to 308 anyway and go back down. Better to just start with 300 brass and neck until it chambers.

The 7WSM has a lot of potential but is mired in a lack of good brass and good support. If ever, a cartridge was on life support, this is it!

I much prefer the longer neck of the 300 and 270 case but the bean counter killed the 7 by making it the odd duck out so that the 270 couldn't be chambered in it...

Good luck with your Coyote. Mine is a .300 WSM, and it shoots great! Particularly with 200 gr Accubonds or 210 gr Berger VLD's over H4350.



A little heavy for long hikes in steep country, but I'm not as lean and mean as I once was either. Mine is a good shooting rifle. The Jewell trigger helps.

Because he traded me for a 100 Norma 270WSM brass...just asking the question.

TX,

I've got several hundred rounds of the factory Federal. The fired brass holds up well for my reloading purposes.

Well, the bedding turned out nice - action fits nice and tight, no movement. Worked on the trigger - got it down to a crisp 2lbs. I love the old M70 trigger - wish they hadn't changed it. It's more work and takes longer to adjust, but once done it beats the new one hands down IMHO!

Heading to the range in the morning - will post results afterward!

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.