So...the last day of Feb and it's STILL snowing, and windy, and cold and just plane NASTY OUTSIDE...and INSIDE my garage also.

I KNOW ya'll are just getting all flustered waiting for my last gasp to be started...hahahahahaha ...

32" McGowen #7 taper Barrel has 6-7 more weeks of wait time. Dies, Nosler Brass, Berger 195 gr EOL bullets on the shelf, seating dummy made up...bullet seated 0.0270" deep and base level with shoulder base at 3.75" COAL...ogive 3.050" roughly, I will need to throat roughly 0.400" but time will tell.

Between snow showers I futzed between garage and loading room(heated) removing a 220 Swift fast twist barrel, that wasn't showing much promise, from the Sav 111, swapped in a magnum bolt head and removed the extractor and ejector, and switched out the customized SA mag box and substituted a customized 375 H&H mag box and sizing a dummy case headspace gauge...I know, I know, but lets NOT get into THAT can of fish bait...I've said a few times before I've been mucking about with Savages since the early 60"'s and have LOTS of pieces and parts and customized pieces to mix and match with.

I wanted my last rifle to be a LONG barreled, MAXED OUT and OPTIMIZED, shooter with a heavy, high BC bullet seated out as far a possible for max case volume.

Absolutely friggin'lutly...When I did the number crunching the difference between factory 3.34" COAL and 3.75" COAL is about 4.8 grs and about 50 fs!!!!!! Cart before the horse thingy...I did the barrel length cogitating first and left the case volume numbers until today. I knew what was coming but I'd hoped for a little bit more.

The differential between 26" and 32" is 3040/4000 vs 3200/4440 or about the usual 25-30 fs and 70-75 ft-lb.

After all the dust settles I'm guessing 3.60" will be the COAL as this fits the 375 H& mag with about 0.0150" to spare.

At a COAL of 3.45" the 28 Nosler round will fit a Ruger 375 Ruger clip with a bit to spare, at least the dummies I tried....so I'm thinking why not just put the barrel in THAT receiver...it has a 1.12" OD barrel. Again the differential don't amount to a pile of ant mess.

I always have to chuckle...no matter how hard you pound the numbers, physics always has the last word but I just HAVE to play peekaboo...

So...until May...

Good Hunting

A little more progress the past day or two...spent a few hours studying the Savage LA. Originally it was a 7RM but I milled out the rear of the receiver to 375 H&H dimensions and hung a 375 H&H mag box on it. I have another older LA originally a 300 WM that ended up a 375 H&H.

It gets a bit confusing now...I had the shortened 375 H&H barrel on that 7RM action and epoxy sprayed the whole thing desert sand and fancied up the walnut stock in similar colors. THAT tan receiver got the 7RM barrel stuck on it for a while for bullet testing ad the other 375 H&H got the 220 Swift barrel, again for bullet testing...

Today I decided to pull the 375 Ruger barrel off the newer, large barrel receiver...put the 375 H&H barrel back in the original Tan colored receiver and the 7RM back on it's original receiver and put the 32" 28 Nosler barrel on the 375 Ruger large barrel receiver...and the reason are as follows...( LUV playing with Savages)


I've been running bullet weight type/powder scenarios for the Berger 195 EOL and RL33 powder on QL. I wanted to max out everything possible.

So here is something for all wanna-be wildcatters, get all I can get fs dreamers...to think about.

I soon found out that because the 7mm bullet doesn't displace very much H2O that cartridge COAL's from 3.35"(factory seating) to 3.900" only displaces a TOTAL of ~8.81 gr H2O for 0.550" of TOTAL COAL differential...roughly 8.9% of the 99 gr H2O Nosler case volume average that I measured using 5 Nosler brand cases.

Now...HERE'S THE KICKER...the differential between the 3.350" COAL loaded to 65 KPSI +/-~100 fs at ~3185 fs and the 3.900" COAL loaded to the same pressure at ~3206 fs...is 21 fs !!!! and the energy addition is only ~57 ft lbs.

I knew the numbers might be a bit low...BUT NOT THAT LOW. It's a good lesson anyway.

Time will tell just how close QL's number crunching and actual chrono'ed velos compare. All the loads run ~95 to ~98% density

So...after all is said and done, I will use a COAL of 3.45" which will fit in the Savage 375 Ruger detachable clips and give me ~3190 fs and still allow for a single loading at the 3.900 COAL...if I JUST HAVE TO HAVE that extra 16 FS...and use the 375 Ruger receiver for the larger barrel shank...that way I will have 3 more complete rifles...7RM, 375 H&H and 28 Nosler along with all the other cannons lying around the house behind doors, hanging on walls, in closets and generally out of the way yet accessible just in case T-RexRat comes calling. Hahahaha

Good Hunting

So the 375 H&H and 7RM are back together...two days of sunny weather helped...need to do some paint touch up as the air cured Aluma-hyde has chipped off a few places.

While I was at it I checked the various case headspace numbers...375 H&H Rem Brass, 0.208, 7RM Win brass, 0.211, headspace gauge 0.209", 416 Rem, Rem brass, 0.206"...very obvious variation and feel between headspacing using the brass and checking with the gauge and visa versa...both bolts had the same recess depth.

Ordered an inside mic, a BXA wedge type tool holder and a couple BXA tool holders and some other odds and ends tool bits. Indicated my tail stock...needs adjusting as it's 0.003" high and 0.004" away.

STILL no 28 Nosler brass online...might have to reform some 300 RUM brass.

~5 weeks to barrel.

More rain/snow tomorrow....SH********.

Good Hunting

BXA tool post came in...I'm gonna LIKE this new toy. BXA tool holders arrived also.

6 Jaw chuck due in today...barrel still a couple weeks out.

Witt Machine Clamp on Muzzle Brake arrived for the 500 S&W Mag and is TOTALLY COOL LOOKING(I think) and fit perfectly...I might turn the 28 Nosler muzzle to accept it just be be cheap...can't shoot more than one at a time anyway and it can be swapped by just half turn loosening of 4 6-32 screws... ...naw, I'm a cheap Scotsman, but not THAT cheap. Might post some before/after pics of that process also...Bellm forend mounts/scope mount, forend mounting/leading and stock leading.

Ordered some digital devices...gonna see how they work and how long the batteries last but have to remember to take them ALL in during the winter months. Left my mill quill battery operated slide on one winter and that was all it took...AND ALL my indicators stiffen up and quit working correct when it gets down near freezing...you would think I would know that by now, but no...Mr. Al Shimers takes care of that.

Weather STILL SUCKS!!!

Barrel arrived this evening just after 6...7mm, 32", McGowan #5 straight taper, 1.199" OD at chamber end, 0.877" at muzzle, 7# 9 oz... I'll get it set up to turn the MB threads this weekend, Harrell's 1" - 3/4-24 tpi...order the reamer from 4D reamers and the MB from Harrell's.

I will use the Savage 110 LA receiver with the 20" 375 H&H barrel, won't have to mess with bolt heads this way and don't need a short 375 anyway. The 375 has the long 3.60" mag setup also if I want or need to seat out the 195 gr Berger ELR bullets. Be nice if I could find a cheap Ruger CRF LA with a long mag.

Anyway...the ball is rolling finally. Worked out well as I cleaned up the winters mess around my sand box today and reinstalled target... hangers...tomorrow I will move the table back to 130 yds and cut down that dammed Juniper that's been in the way for so long.

Who says that getting bit on the popo on one project has to be a bad thing...

Good Hunting

Reamer finally arrived Friday and I did the chamber today...doing it the old fashioned way, 0.050" at a time, is time consuming and mind numbing but my though the muzzle lube system is leaking at the spigot rotary wrist and makes a total wild man outta me.

Oh how I like it when things just go so right...I didn't go cross-eyed and hit everything spot on....even that last niggling 0.002" of slop didn't happen...Murphy must have been napping today or messing with someone else.

Fired case came out so close it's scary...but nothing ever is perfect. The base is ~0.5505" which is perfect per SAMMI specs but the Lyman sizer resizes to ~0.548" so I will need to polish it out a bit...new Hornady cases are ~0.548" and change" and that ~0.002" isn't really a hair ball either. New shoulder ~2.262", fired 2.263" resized 2.262", can't get much better than that. Time and firing might change that but that can be fixed very easily with shell holders.

I will do the MB tomorrow...the wind has been uncooperative the past couple days for any kind of target/load work, cloudy, spitting and a storm is building right now, for tonight and through the next couple days cloudy, windy and maybe rainy....OK by me we NEED the moisture.

This time of the year is hard for me to get any work done...as when the sun comes out so do the motorcycles, atv's, 4 wheelers and squirrel guns and I disappear in a puff of smoke. I would have had the chamber done by evening yesterday if I hadn't have been acting all Evel Knievel.

AT least all I have to do is paint the barrel/receiver...the stock is just waiting for a friend...photo when presentable.

Good Hunting

The barrel/receiver is DONE...didn't even have to time the 4 port tactical Harrell's M.B...I just stuffed it in the 3 jaw, checked the run out, turned the major OD and started threading.

While all this fun was going on it started raining, thundering and a few lightning flashes.

I'm replacing my power pole tomorrow and might just loose my "not so legal" 220 v receptical(IF the rain stops) so I just got things finish under the wire.

Time to reload a few test rounds.

I'm HAPPY AS A FROG ON A LILLY PAD.


Good Hunting

THERE SHE BE... looking over the back fence. No paint yet...two cans of Aluma-Hyde II went bad sitting in the paint locker so order is on the way for another can of Desert Tan.





Fired case 101 gr H2O...7 rounds fired...one to check case numbers after doing chamber, 4 to adjust scope and 2 for chrono...145 gr Speer SP, 72 gr IMR 4831, 3.34" COAL, 2810, ES 6...2 left to dirty-up barrel when I start load development.

Velo a bit low for what the 2018 Hornady manual quoted for a 26" bbl and an additional 2.4 gr powder...to lands for this bullet 3.45". This McGowen barrel is as smooth as the proverbial "baby's butt"...WAY better than the 6.5 x 300 WBY MAG Vanguard...barrel/receiver/MB weighs 9# 13.8 oz...scope, stock and tripod maybe 3.5# - 4# more...definitely on the heavy side but it squats on the bench so fine.

Last 2 rounds for adjusting scope were one on top of the other 1.5" apart...I think if I hadn't adjusted for the elevation they would have been in one hole...maybe...hahahahaha...wistful thinking.

Time will tell, Hey.

Good Hunting

That is a long rifle. Nice build.

It makes my 28 Nosler look stubby, but my rifle weighs less than half of yours with a 26" barrel.

Try some Ramshot Magnum in that if you have it. I'm starting to work with that powder, and it is showing a lot of promise with 160gr SGK's in my rifle.

Jeremy

Yeah...I wanted BOTH weight AND length...kinda went overboard on the weight I think...didn't look hard enough at the barrel weight specs but this was for bench shooting anyway and I wanted to squeeze all the velo I could get out of it. The stock originally was a 375 H&H and I added some lead to the butt end. Hardly any recoil with the 145 gr, the weight and that narly MB.

No Ramshot powders or IMR 8133 in the area...or RL16, RL33 or or several others...this is booneyville to the max, but Thanks...I will try to find some somewhere.

I also wanted to shoot the Berger 195 EOL's so I bought 5 boxes...hope it likes them

Good Hunting

Weighed this beast...16 POUNDS...no wonder my hemorrhoids are popping out.

Nice 3 shot ~0.500" group yesterday...near top load of US869 and 145 gr Speer SP seated 3.395" COAL...RAIN today so went to town and found 2 boxes of 150 gr Nosler BT's and 3 boxes of 140 gr BT's. Have MORE than enough 7 mm bullets to wear out this barrel...only one set of chrono data so far...concentrating on groups/powders and COAL's.

So far all the Speer 145 gr SP groups haven't been over ~1.115" and two in one plus one outlier. Pretty much samo-samo when the powder and bullet weight are close.

Last 4 groups started more vertical then went horizontal wide, two and one, the 3 in a nice not quite equilateral triangle..next three might do it at plus 1/2 gr more powder and 0.005" longer COAL...Lyman seater stem isn't the most accurate and I'm working on that problem now.

The Speer bullets are very uniform in all dimensions...not bad for cup and core cheapy's....half the price of "the others" but time will tell when I go out to 500 yds and beyond.

Good Hunting

Mine's done on a Defiance action, 29" Frozen Fiber carbon barrel, McMillan carbon fiber A3 hunter. HS precision bottom metal. Trigger Tech trigger. 9.4 pounds with a 8.5-25 Mark 4.

Throated for 195s at mag length it does 3070 with 81 grains of RL33. I know there's internet data with considerably higher powder charges, but mine is done at 81.

Anyone else hate the smell of RL33?

Well I'm happy as a frog scarfing on a big fat worm...Not bad for a cup and core hunting bullet and my wiggles and squirms. Group went horizontal so maybe a 0.010" more length might do better as the powder amount is almost max as is...but I'm not going to use up barrel life for another quarter inch. I will try out the Nosler 150 BT's...they did very well in my 7 RM, then go on to the 195 EOL's. My to lands is 3.63" for the 195 EOL, just right for my mag but I usually just single load anyway.

This was from a clean, cold barrel to boot...Patch out yesterday afternoon, wiped down this am just before firing.

Yeah..you gotta watch internet information...each rifle is individual as you well know, and so is every load combo.

Sounds like your toy is TOTALLY fine...I'm just WAY to cheap for that kind of toy...I squealed at the price of the McGowen barrel...I keep thinking I will pop for something high dollar and totally upgrade, but my Scots/Irish heritage wouldn't let me sleep if I did.

Good Hunting

2:OO PM Tried some 150 gr Noslers...first 3 horizontal 1.13"...second three after adjusting powder and seating a bit - two in one 0.505" vertical...DONE with that one...Wind blowing storm in...done for today. Might try some RL25...Nosler manual says velo very close and I have 25 in my stock and available in town at three stores...Norma 217 available also.

The 28 is basically just a magazine length and VLD friendly version of the STW. If I learned anything from shooting out STW barrels its that you pick a bullet that will do what you want when it gets there, shoots well enough to do it, and don't throw your barrel away looking for what else shoots.

Absolutely and a few other of the "oldies but goodies" dressed in new clothes. You always have to have a gimmick to sell new things, doesn't matter what came before...new generations, new ideas and visions and anything "old" isn't going to be looked at very hard. 28 Nosler and a "new" case is much more desirable and catchy than that "old, longazz, BELTED POS STW". hahahahaha

I don't see much to jump up and down over, there ALWAYS has to be a beginning and a progression and what came B4, what now is and what will come...ALWAYS gets outclassed as time goes by.

Snuck in 3 more 150 BT's before the West wind found me...93 gr, 0.010" longer COAL, still vertical but 0.466"...gained a whole 0.039" smaller group. Somewhere down the line I will do another 3 just to measure the throat erosion. Seems like ~0.040" off the lands is a good place start...at least for the 145 Speer SP and 150 Nosler BT...maybe the 195 will follow suit...somewhere around 3.60-3.61"

Remeasured the 195 EOL's COAL AT 3.652"...

Good Hunting

I doubt I'll ever have a 28 Nosler, but I've enjoyed watching your journey! You've put a lot of TLC and love into this.

Thanks...been a bit frustrating at times but I din't think I ever built a shooter that didn't have Murphy involved at some point. Not much interest seems like or at least very few comments...everyone probably over on the Elk or Long range forums, it's TOO specialized or just not interested. I will post some pics of the 195 EOL's...and maybe some 180's, then get back to my 6.5 WBY Mag.

Pity...this newer cartridge is such an excellent cartridge for just about any game even tho' it has already gotten the moniker of "barrel eater", just like the 7 mm STW, 7 mm WBY and all the older 7 mm large cased wildcats that abounded at one time or another.

I've had a weird journey with the 7 mm's over time...starting with the 7 x 57 and arriving here with the 28 Nosler and included a 7 BR XP-100 that went through several case sizes and is now a 15" 7-08...always had a soft spot for the 284 Win and even thought about doing a 7 mm Fire ball stub barreled NEF. I think I have had/helped load development/played with most of the available commercial and many of the wildcat 7 mm's and built most of the family members that were shooters whatever rifle cal they liked...most picked a 7 mm.

Not ONE 270 W in the bunch and I have NO IDEA WHY...I have absolutely NOTHING against the 270 W...just one of those unexplainable things...most wanted 284's, 280's and then 7 RM when it came out...one wanted a 7 x 61 S&H because he found a 100 cases, a set of dies and a reamer in trade for some 30 cal pieces and parts. His son and grandson are still shooting it since he went on the greener pastures.


Had a real ripper go through here last night about 1...I live just below a tall butte and Pacha Mama was just stomping heck outta the summit about half a mile from my back porch. No time between the flash and the bang....CLOSE...and my tin roof was singing a song at the top of it's lungs. Hahahaha

This rifle is DEFINITELY not a target shooter and I'm not going all anal over tuning the ammo, just my usual amount of futzing so the groups it's turning out are really amazing to me and I've been doing this game a very long time. They are certainly NOT braggers but very acceptable for sage rats out to 4-500 yds.

I guarantee it's SOOOO MUCH easier to get a well shooting rifle and ammo these days with the available components that it was 30-50 years ago.

RAIN...went to town...1 box 180 gr Berger VLD HUNTING and 2 cans Retumbo...out of RL-25, 33, 50 and 217...

Checked out a few U-Tubes on the 28...don't feel too bad my $300.00 barreled mucked together shooter doing the same group sizes as those Umpteen dollar, carbon stocked/barreled/Night Force scoped, fineazzed beauties were...of course just a bit of tuning and I get a red face...

Checked out EABCO...they have a 26", 28 Nosler chambered Savage barrel ready to screw on any 11 or 111 action for less than $300.00...that would be a quick way to get rid of a bunch of pounds on my rig...or just keep for a back-up by swapping out 7 RM barreled Savage 111. I'm thinking!!!! Easy to swap onto my Savage 375 Ruger or 338 Lapua Savage receivers...I'm REALLY THINKING hahahaha


Good Hunting



180 gr Berger VLD-H/Retumbo...That was quick 3-3 shot groups and I have a load...3175 fs isn't too bad.

Going out tomorrow to check what winter did to my markers and see if I still have a steel plate hidden in the weeds(if I can find it and no one else did) at my 1000 yard booney range now that I have 2 more rifles to test.