After several years of hunting and shooting I have found that the 7-08 is the caliber that suites my needs best, the one I reach for in just about any situation, so now that I have settled on a caliber of choice I've been giving serious thought to having a rifle that best suites my needs built in this caliber.

Here is were I really need help, I know that I want a short action, a quality fiberglass stock, a No.4 contour barrel capable of half MOA accuracy with 140 gr.bullets and topped off with a good 3x9x40 preferably with a 100 and 300 yard dot.

Since I have no experience with anything other than factory I am VERY unsure of the best way to get this rifle built.

I do have a Win. M.70 Classic SA I am willing to donate to the project and though I am not trying to get off cheap from what I have seen I can have Pac-Nor to true and barrel my action, buy and install the stock myself for about half the price of other options. As of this time using a smith in my area is not an option but I am trying to get some credible references.

I have searched the net and looked at just about every barrel maker and custom rifle builders site there is (alot of options) and am only more confused as to what to do so decided to ask for help from some of you that have been here to help point me in the right direcion.

Any help is very much appreciated.

Wow! That Win70 Classic SA with a Pac-Nor sounds near perfect for your 7/08 project! Have you considered a laminated stock?

It sounds like a good start to me! PacNor does good woek on the bbl. action. You can install any scope/mount combo you like & there are many "drop-in" fiberglass stocks available. If the rifle doesn't shhot to your liking, then look for a gunsmith to glassbed the action to your fiberglass stoc (you can also do this w/ a bit of patience).
Good luck!

You may just find what you want in a factory rifle. I got a 7mm-08 Remington Mountain Stainless laminated stock, free floated the barrel and pillar bedded the action and this is one of the finest shooting rifles I own. Even with its whispy barrel, five shots through it as quick as you can pull the trigger will put all five of the 130 gr. XBT into .190" at 100 yards and 2525.3 fps. If I want more speed I up the charge a bit to give 2686.2 fps, but the accuracy "drops" to .733" for five at 100. Until I saw this with my own rifle, I would never believed one could achieve this level of consistency and accuracy out of a super light factory grade barrel. On this particular rifle, it has the smoothest barrel interior that I have ever used. I have shot over 50 shots through it without accuracy degrading and when cleaning time comes, usually two ten-count passes with CR-10 and the barrel is perfectly clean. Not saying you will have the same luck as myself, and I never shot the rifle before doing the modifications, but you might want to start factory and take it from there.

Big Bore......I'm sorry but..... to get a group in the 0.1's with Barnes bullets, ltwt barrel and "shooting as fast as you can pull the trigger" one of several things had to happen (1) you missed the paper with 3 of the 5 shots (2) you are the luckiest guy alive (3) your real name is Tony Boyer, or you are full of .......! Thank God you didn't say you were shooting off-hand..or were you?

I have had a 7-08 in a winchester feather wt.for about 16 years.I have several deer rifles but this is my favorite some of the others are more accurate but the short action feather wt. points like a good shotgun.After I bedded it in fiberglass the accuracy was much improved.

Daryl and Fred,
Thanks for you input, sounds like "two" thumbs up for Pac-Nor.

Daryl, I have concidered laminated and have seen some very nice looking laminated stocks but am still unsure how they compare to fiber as far as rigidness and durability?

Big Bore, them are some very fine groups to say the least but I've never had such luck with factory tubes, not even sure I could hold a 7mm still enough to shoot groups that small.

With carefull handloading I can "for the most part" get my factory barrels .30 caliber and under down between .5 to .75 at 100 yards. I know that is reasonable groups but what I am looking for at this point is

1.A very nice rifle built to my specs to fit my needs and hands. (Nice plus also to know you will never see a replica of your favorite rifle in the showcase at Wally World.

2. A rifle that shoots .5 groups or better at 100 yards with a variety of loads.

No.1 is something I have'nt found in a factory offering, No.2 would be just pure luck to find in a factory rifle.

Heavy,

Big Bore got it right on the head.

Check out the Rem 700 LSS Mountain in 7mm-08. I can shoot 140gr Bal Tips into 5/8" (39gr IMR-4895, BR-2 primers)on a constant basis. It may be the rifle that you are looking for. Plus they are beautiful little guns!!!!!!!!

As for Pac-Nor, I have several of their barrels. They are about to receive an order for 2 more this week. Just be forewarned about their chambering. My 416 Rem Mag barrel and my 338-8mm Rem Mag barrel (which is now a 338 WSM) both had to have threads cut and be re-reamed.

Do yourself a favor and look at the 700 LSS Mountain Rifles. I think that they also come in 243, 260, 270, 30-06 as well.

------------------
Speak softly and carry a really big MAGNUM.

Regards,

Mark

PAWildcatter....tell us a little more about the performance of your .33WSM...what kind of action did you use etc etc...how does the performance compare to the .3338 WinMag?

DB,

Here's a previos post I made under the "Small Bore" forum.

"I did one on a Rem 700 SF Sendaro that started as a 7mm Rem Mag.

Took the barrel off, twisted on a Pac-Nor Hunter Bench Profile, reamed to 338 WSM, and started shooting.

Had to do some smooting to the boltface (.532 v .535), and we altered the feeder rails too much!!!!!!! Also, the magazine only holds 2 rounds (strange). My former 300 Ultra held 3 rounds.

Anyway, it's headed to CT to get the feeder rails & the magazine fixed.

As for loads, I've tried a few, but haven't chronoed them. I had to get it up and going for the past hunting season and I haven't fired it since November 2001.

The gun is sub MOA with various charges of H414, H380, W760, & H4831SC.

The most accurate is 67.8gr of H4831SC, Win Brass, Fed 215 Primer, 180gr Ballistic Tip.

Again, I haven't chronoed but I'm guessing 3000+.

------------------
Speak softly and carry a really big MAGNUM.

Regards,

Mark

Big Bore surely you made a typing error!

I must agree with DB-Bill on the .1 group shooting as fast as you can at 100 yards. The best my brother in law has ever done is a .189 (once mind you in comp.) with his target rifles and this guy can shoot. One is a .222 Rem. X something that was rebarreled and tuned up with all the goodies and sports a 20plus power scope. The other is a Rem. 700 action on a Lilja barrel custom stock, etc. on the bells and whistles. Now this guy shoots everyday with a vengence, blows away around 8 to 10,000 rounds a year I betcha. I am not a bad shot and have yet to break a .8 with his rifles. Trust me I try and it ain't that easy with a great rifle in your hands. That kind of shooting is for the great ones!

Just because I can't run a 4 minute mile that doesn't mean nobody else can either.

Robert....we're not talking about running a 4-minute mile, BigBore's claim was the equivalent of running a 2-minute mile carrying an anvil on his back. Read his post again....a factory rifle with a thin barrel, shooting as fast as he can pull the trigger and shooting a bullet notorious for accuracy problems.....anyone who believes the results he posted, with the implication he can do it on demand, probably believes in the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and Santa Claus.