7mm rifles, whats your thoughts, favourites

[Hogpatrol]

In the same realm as the 7RM, 28 Nosler has some advantages, standard long action, no belt, higher velocity. Brass though is limited to Nosler and ADG.

 

[meigsbucks]

I’ve used the 7/08 since it’s inception and it continues to be my “go to” whitetail rifle. It’s a 18.5” barreled carbine so velocity is lower than normal. I initially used the 140gr Sierras for years and were deer killing machines. I switched to 140gr TSX when they came out and found them just as effective and penetrated better.
This rifle is extremely accurate and due to it’s 8.4 lb weight has very low recoil.
I ‘ve only used the .280 Rem on a couple of deer using the 140gr Nosler Partition but they were DRT. I really need to use this round more often.
Back in the 1980’s and ‘90’s, I used the 7mm Rem mag using 160 gr Sierras and 162gr Hornadys with great success. I now load the 160gr Barnes TSX.
IMO, I view the carbine 7/08 as moderate range deer killing machine. The .280 as a versatile round with fairly low recoil. The 7mm Rem mag is the .280 on steroids, with 250 fps greater velocity.

 

[CBH Australia]

Im liking the 7mm-08 supporters. @Von Gruff has a *thing " for the 7mm

some interesting reading still

 

[Dr Ray]

If I were to purchase a 7mm right now it would be a 280.

Me too!

 

[jacques smith]

Im a big fan of 7mm rem mag bought and still own one from 1962. Still a go to for intended usage

 

[IvW]

So , A gunshop in Adelaide (Australia) said that the 7mm-08 is popular with African shooters living there.
Is it a common round in Africa?
What about the others?
I've read on the 7x57, sounds like a classic.
Yesterday i read about the ,284Winchester another 7mm bore, and the 7mm-08 AI
People I've met with 7mm rifles are pretty happy with performance
It seems that for hunting the 7x57 is well liked. The 7mm-08 equals it and the 7mmRm is fine but there are other 7mm magnums too.
do these others show any real world performance for hunters?

7mm-08 popular in Africa? I would be weary of this gunshop...

South Africa 7x57mm, 7x64mm and 7mmRM that is about it...rest would be oddities at best and unless you reload would be difficult and expensive to get ammo

 

[grand veneur]

I own a David Lloyd rifle caliber 7mm Rem Mag , not because I am a fan of the 7mm cartridges , i prefer cartridges caliber .308 rather than cartridges caliber 7mm , but because I like the rifle that shoots this cartridge. Nevertheless , the 7mm Rem Mag is a good cartridge.

 

[CBH Australia]

7mm-08 popular in Africa? I would be weary of this gunshop...

He was suggesting that the 7mm-08 is popular with Africans in Adelaide.
Actually I havent been back there.
I’m sure .308 outsells 7mm-08 by a massive margin in Australia but i wanted one.
I tend to read enough to satisfy myself that I was on the right track, unless I read enough to the contrary then I change direction.
Gunshop’s are a great source of bad information. I know a few knowledgeable people and always been interested in rifles learning what I can.
This place is a good source of knowledge and good advice. Like at the start of the year I thought Africa was a pipe dream, you lot talked me into it and I’m travelling there soon. Just let me assess my budget before posing any more good ideas.

 

[TMac]

The old sage Jack O'Connor once said that any real world difference between the .270, the .280 and the .284 Win was just fodder for discussion, the "hot stove league", and existed mostly between the ears of gun writers!
Paraphrasing of course.

All due respect to ole Jack and his fans, there is one potentially meaningful difference between the 270 Win and the 280 Rem. That is barrel twist rates. The 270 is usually a 1-10, and the 280 often has a faster twist. Not sure about 284 Win. My 280’s all shoot 175 grain bullets well. Not shot anything over 150 grains in a 270.

Double tap says 270’s will stabilize and shoot well their 160 and 180 grain loads. One of these days I am going to see if it is so. If that is correct, then ole Jack is right. When I select a rifle to hunt with, it is most often one of my 270’s or 280’s. They work well for me on the game I hunt the most, deer and elk, and don’t have excessive recoil or muzzle blast.

 

[sestoppelman]

Jack was right regardless normal twist rates. He was talking about their effect on game. You will find 7mm cal rifles with twist rates from 8-10.
Lets face it. No animal would know the difference if hit properly with any of those rounds using any appropriate bullet weight for the intended game. He shot enough game with these rounds to know, especially of course the .270, his favorite.

 

[Mr. Zorg]

That's an interesting point. The fastest factory .280 Remington rifle barrel twist rate listed in the GS Bullets chart is 1:9 inches (229mm).

http://www.gsgroup.co.za/faqtwistratebymanuf.html

The fastest factory 7mm-08 rifle barrel twist rate shown in that chart is also 1:9 inches (229mm).

My Zastava 7X64mm Brenneke rifles have factory barrels a twist rate of 1:8.67 inches (220mm), same as my 7X57mm carbine. I plan to primarily focus on 7X64mm loads with projectiles weighing 155 grains to 175 grains, including some with high BC's. Factory loaded 7X64mm I have on hand to try hunting with are some vintage Federal ammo with 160 grain Partition bullets and Geco ammo with 170 grain bullets. The speediest 160 grain 7X64mm factory load I've found is Norma using their 160 grain Tipstrike bullet at a respectable 2953 feet/sec (900 meters/sec).

My Zastava 7mm-08 rifle has a factory barrel twist rate of 1:10 inches (254mm), not a problem for me as I don't plan on using projectiles heavier than 160 or so grains in this chambering. The 7mm 155 grain Federal Edge TLR bullet is the highest BC bullet I plan to test in my 7mm-08 with 22 inch barrel. Factory 7mm-08 ammo is primarily focused on 140 grain projectiles; factory 7mm-08 ammo I have for hunting is Federal with 140 grain Partition bullets and 140 grain Trophy Bonded Tip bullets. Reed's offers a 7mm-08 load with 160 grain Accubonds at 2690 fps muzzle velocity as a step up for those like me that don't reload and desire a bonded bullet with good BC.

https://shop.reedsammo.com/7mm-08-160g-Nosler-AB-Bonded-Ballistic-Tip-708160NAB.htm

Norma has 7mm-08mm ammo with 160 grain Tipstrike bullet also loaded at 2690 ft/sec.

Those Norma 7mm 160 grain Tipstrike speeds will be my targets to achieve with the Federal 7mm 155 grain Edge TLR projectiles.

 

[AZDAVE]

7x57 for bushveld distances
7 RM for mountain and prairie distances

 

[Longwalker]

or 7x64 for all distances! ;-)

 

[Graham Hunter]

And Hornady

In the same realm as the 7RM, 28 Nosler has some advantages, standard long action, no belt, higher velocity. Brass though is limited to Nosler and ADG.

 

[Mike Van Horn]

And Hornady

ADG brass is very good stuff. 28Nosler, 168 grain LRX Barnes is about as close as it gets for a all around rifle for NA game. IMO
I think it would be fine for most PG also, although l have not been to Africa "yet"

 

[Mr. Zorg]

or 7x64 for all distances! ;-)

More truth for this than casually meets the eye!

I ran some stability calc's for my 1:10 twist barreled 7mm-08 rifle. The 7mm
Federal 155 grain Edge TLR projectile isn't really suitable. Nor is the 7mm Federal 160 grain Trophy Bonded Tip. The 160 grain Nosler Accubond is pretty much the BC / bullet length upper limit for my 7mm-08 rifle.

My rifles in 7X64mm and 7X57mm with 1:8.67 inches barrel twist rates are OK with the 7mm Federal 155 grain Edge TLR projectile, and the relatively low minimum impact expansion velocity of 1400 feet/sec coupled with the high BC extends the practical hunting distance envelope for these cartridges due to the rifling twist rate, whether I use a 7X64mm rifle with 23.6 inch barrel or a 7X57mm carbine with 20" barrel.

Seeing factory 7X64mm ammo loaded with a 160 grain projectile at a muzzle velocity of 2920 - 2953 feet/sec (890 - 900 meters/sec) is really nipping at the heels of factory loaded 7mm Remington Magnum ammo, and explains why there isn't factory loaded ammo for a 7X64mm Ackley Improved version; the 7X64mm cartridge paired with a rifle having 1:8.67 inches rifling twist rate, needs no Ackley Improved version.

 

[Newboomer]

I like my 7RM for pg up to and including zebra. I got one shot kills with Barnes 160g TSX ahead of 52 g of 4064 out to 200 yards. At FTW Ranch I found it's good for 12 inch steel at 1000 yards, too. Ammo is readily available most anywhere you go which is a plus.

 

[Luederitz]

For european game the 7mm calibers do whatever is necessary (although other calibers are fine).

My personal favorites are:
7x66 SE von Hofe in a Mauser 66S
7x75 R SE von Hofe in Borovnik o/u BBF and drop ballel rifle
7x65R in my Borovnik Drilling

Especially the 7x66SE vH, which was designed in 1955, is a very interesting magnum caliber, which could be seen as parent of all other WSM, RUM, RCM, Ruger, Dakota... and all other cabliers, which are based on the .404 Jeffery case, 60° shoulder, long neck...

https://bobp.cip-bobp.org/uploads/tdcc/tab-i/tabical-en-page42.pdf

 

[bruce moulds]

newboomer,
without wanting to rain on your parade, you are shooting a rifle chambered for 7mag with 7 mag brass, but the load is ballistically 280 rem.
without looking at a reloading manual, I would suggest that load is doing about 2800 fps.
h4831 or h1000 will give that bullet more speed at less pressure in 7mag.
the real point of this is just how good the 280 rem really is.
bruce.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

newboomer,
without wanting to rain on your parade, you are shooting a rifle chambered for 7mag with 7 mag brass, but the load is ballistically 280 rem.
without looking at a reloading manual, I would suggest that load is doing about 2800 fps.
h4831 or h1000 will give that bullet more speed at less pressure in 7mag.
the real point of this is just how good the 280 rem really is.
bruce.

Why less pressure? Is it the slower burning powder?