i have been wanting a 7mm rem mag for awhile, now.
Not sure witch one to get.probably buy one in about 6 to 12 weeks.
Right now the most likly candidates are a wood and blue hawkey, or the plane jane model 70.
I could spend more money if I want to but I can't think another more expensive rifle would out shoot either of these.
I have a ss hawkeye in .338 and it is very good indeed.
I also have a new 3x9 redfield (leupold built) to put on it...You opinions please.
...tj3006

I got a Mod 70 Supergrade some years ago in 7mm Rem Mag and like it quite a bit. Smooth and easy to adjust the trigger. It does everything well but I have not fallen deeply in love with it and find it stays home a lot.
I like mine quite a bit, but have been thinking of rebarreling it to .300WM because it's the only 7mm I have and am wanting to quit stocking so many different caliber components. I've even considered selling it. Blasphemy I know.

Get a Sako AV in any short belted magnum caliber, and have it re-barreled and chambered for the 7mm Weatherby. The 7mm Remington Magnum does much better with case filling loads, just like all the other overbore belted magnums. At full loading density however, the 7mm Remington Magnum gets a little squirrely. By that I mean pressure excursions, large velocity deviations and degrading accuracy. The .243 Winchester is also so cursed.

The 7mm Weatherby chamber comes with a much smaller free bore section these days (o.38"). It is accurate, and the loads track predictably as you get close to the case filling loads. It is a bit faster, but nothing to write home about. It is more consistent, and often more accurate.

At the least, do a little research on the issue, and come to your own decisions. There are several older threads on this topic.
Enjoy whatever you get. The Sako AV is comfortable with scopes and iron sights, the palm swell is pleasing to the hand and offers more control. It is also a good looking gun. McMillan makes t6op quality fiberglass stocks that duplicate the Sako Hunter pattern in either the lightweight, or heavier weight persuasions.











This one was mine, and I surely do miss her,

I like the sako action pretty well'
The 7mm wewtherby is a cool round but i want the rem mag.
I just like it...tj3006

I'd go M70 personally. But a Browning would also be right up there as far as accuracy goes, in either A or X bolt configurations.

looked at a model 70 today, and definate quality in the machine work. Just might go that rout. tj3006

That's what I would do! Doesn't get much better if you want CRF.

STW

Model 70, 7mm Rem. Mag.

Model 70 STW in the wood/blue Classic model w/ CRF. If you reload you can cruise well past the performance of the 7mm Remmy. I have both so I am not being partial. There are a few tricks to get the TOP velocity safely from the 7STW that you won't get with the now-a-day factory loaded ammo...unless you find some that was loaded by A-Square when the cartridge came about some years ago. I chronied their factory loaded ammo and shot it in two rifles and the velocity was there w/o the pressure problems people ASSUME are there. I have not shot my late model factory 70 7STW yet but don't expect it to be any different than before. The STW gets my vote as you can always load it down if you want.

I agree with lawndart on the Sako. Get an AV or l61r in 7rem. I have no experience with any 7mm other than the 7mm rem mag, it's always done what I've expected it to do, from elk to deer to coyotes, recoil is also very manageable.

For about 10 years or so I had a Model 77 Ruger, tang safety model in 7mm Rem Mag. It had a 24 or 26 inch heavy sporter weight barrel, but it wa a really good hunting rifle. Another of those that I let go of, that at times I wished I hadn't. I am happy with the choices of guns I kept, but like most folks there are those that a person misses.

I have a Savage and a Remington that are both sub-minute shooters. There are lots of good rifles out there to choose from.

I use a Browning A-Bolt II. Has been very dependable and accurate with 175gr handloads. 160 Nosler Partitions shoot very well in it also. Have taken 2 elk and many, many deer with it. It is my "go-to" gun for hunting in Western NE.

IMO whatever you get make sure it has a 26in barrel if you want best performance. Mine is a Tang safety Ruger I had rebarreled to 26in it will hold it own with my friends STW. I have had 0 pressure problems with full cases of Retumbo. Just my $.02

Tj,

The 7mm Rem Mag is a great cartridge but it really depends on the rifle itself because what lawndart said is very true.

If you get cursed with the "wrong" 7mm Rem Mag you'll have nothing more that a heavy recoiling 270 Winchester.

The 7mm Rem Mag can be "difficult"; depending on your barrel or how the barrel was chambered.

If it's a good one you're Golden; if it's the wrong one you're F****. Pressure spikes; crazy accuracy & the wrong bullets and lots of different powders. The real acid test is a Chrony - until you've established the correct performance with such a device a 7mm Rem Mag is it just another rifle - despite what the cartidge label says.

Statistics apppear good with 140's although the best 7mm Rem Mag load is usually with a 160 grainer - go figure.

Best option for optimun performance is a 26" tube IMO, too.

I've got two both are fine Boomers but one of them gave me alot of head scratching concerning brass, bullets & powder before I got it all right; only issue is why do I need 2 with such different requirements?

But please, do it - you got the urge; go for it because when they're right the 7mm Rem Mag is a fantastic cartridge. Obviously, you're in the market for a bolt-action but I wouldn't sneeze at a T/C Encore Pro Hunter either - it's got a 28" tube.

Browning BAR Safari

The plain Jane Stevens Mod. 200 in 7mm Rem. Mag will get the job done just fine and leave you some scope cash to boot. roger

What a terrible problem that there are so many choices it is easy to get decision lock on a new rifle. I like the new TC icon and venture and am interested in trying the new Weatherby vanguard series 2, the Tikka interests me as well. Sako's are certainly nice rifles and the winchesters seem very well constructed, Browning has always made rifles that fit me well and shoot well, I'm not a big 700 fan but a few million users would disagree with me.

Anything with a decent trigger and an accuracy guarantee seems like a good bet but I love my 35 year old Ruger 7mm Remington Mag with a 3x9 Zeiss Conquest and wouldn't dream of changing it out.

I agree with the other posters that the rifle will pick the load for you - mine shoots 150 grain Nolser BT's and Barnes TTSX into unbelievably tight groups and has killed lots of deer, elk and other critters and you don't have to think just point and shoot at out to 300 yards.

It seems even the cheapest modern rifles shoot well with very little effort now - I bought a Savage truck / loaner rifle lat year in 243 and it shoots 100 grain walmart corelockts into sub 1" groups easily. My cousins new TC venture in 300 win mag does the same thing with 180 grain factory loads.

This isn't much help - but pick what feels best to you or what makes the most sense financially and I don't think you and go wrong - if you do sell it and start over. The only problem is a 7 mag covers a lot of game and you don't have an excuse for a new rifle very often.

Not sure if you've ever handling a Sauer 202, but once you have, and seen the shooting results, that rifle is hard to get out of your head. I own two of them, a .270 and a two barrel set in .300WM/ .375H&H. I saw at least one .7mm mag on Gunsinternational the other day for a reasonable price ( reasonable as Sauers go). You might be able to negotiate a better deal.

I believe these are the finest production rifles out there; definitely the slickest action and the reliability is un-matched. This is probably the most popular bolt gun in all of Europe; slow to catch on in the US probably because of price and unfamiliarity.

Handle one before you buy; you won't regret it.

Mike

My Blaser R93 with its 7mm Rem. Mag. barrel shoots lights out. Light and handy, too.

Of course, I bought it before the price of everything German went through the roof!

Cooper M52 Jackson Hunter 280 AI.

Or get a 270 Weatherby Magnum and shoot 160g Nosler Partitions at 3150 fps. A sweet rig.

I would get a Rem 700 in a .280 Rem and save your ears and shoulder. The .280 will do whatever the 7mm mag does with less fuss and bother.

quote:

Lawndart

Don't enter the fight with a stick on the right!

Barstooler

quote:

Originally posted by chuck375:
Or get a 270 Weatherby Magnum and shoot 160g Nosler Partitions at 3150 fps. A sweet rig.

The Weatherby.270 card has been drawn now.

Get the .270Wea for raygun performance. 180grain @ 3000 ft/sec to 130grain at 3450-3500 ft/sec.everything else falls in between.
.270cal(.277") is actually closer to 7mm than those called "7mm something mag".

Out of the two you mention...I'd go with the Ruger