I'd like your opinions on the following question.

I can get a 7mm Rem Mag rifle with either a 24 or a 26 inch barrel. With the 24 inch length, the bare gun weighs 6.75 pounds. It is equippped with a McMillan stock, straight comb, 1/2 inch drop at heel.

The gun will be used for a variety of hunting, and isn't intended strictly as a mountain rifle, a plains game rifle, etc. In other words, I expect to use it in a wide range of situations.

Which would be a better option, 24 inches at 6.75 lbs, or 26 inches with a bit more weight?

Thanks in advance.

Is this exactly the same model rifle with a choice of barrel lengths or two different guns?

Your questions has many directions the answer can go. As far benfit from the extra two inches, there is not a great deal to be gained velocity-wise. At least nothing useable in a hunting situation.

It really boils down to whether or not you like or dislike a light rifle. Some people think a heavier rifle is more steady to hold, some trade off that for ease of carrying.

I would probably take 26" if most of my hunting was from stands, 24" for multi-purpose and even 22" for a walk-about gun.

My Colt Light Rifle is about that weight, 300 Win Mag and easy to carry. Recoil seems fine even at that weight because the stock is well shaped for the task. It is more pleasant to shoot than a 8.5 lb Interarms MKX 7 Mag I own. At 24 inches, I get all the velocity I can utilize in the field.

Tiggertale,
Thanks for the feedback. In reply to your question, this is a barrel choice I have for the exact same gun. I should also point out that the maker's "standard" configuration is a "24 inch magnum contour barrel".

You will probably give up about 40 to 60 feet per second with a 24 inch barrel. Hardly noticable in a hunting situation. It just comes down to personal preference. As long as you're not walking through the extra thick stuff, I think I would go with the 26 inch barrel for the 7 REM MAG.

I have two 7MM Remington Mags one with the 24" barrel the other a custom Model 70 with a 26" barrel the differance MV wise is right near 6o fps as GA DEER Hunter stated. But if that much barrel makes a differance weight wise to you well you better stay out of the woods you won't be packing much deer.

Jay,
The weight factor doesn't concern me at all with respect to actually carrying the gun. The point about weight is that, when fully set-up (scope, mounts, rings, etc.) the gun will only weigh about 8 pounds even. I am wondering whether that's too light for a 7mm mag, that's all. 2 additional inches of barrel would probably bring the weight up to about 8.25 pounds, and I'm curious whether that would make any difference in portability, balance, felt recoil, etc.

In the two guns that I mentioned above the actual feel of the rifles in the field is so close that I'd say no to the questions of portability, balance and felt recoil. I doubt there is more the 4 oz difference in weight in the guns. Both have number 4 contours.

Thanks again, Jay.

Muggles,
As a 7mmRM shooter myself, I have gone through some soul-searching as to what barrel length I wanted in that caliber. To me, a 7mmRM is sort of an all-purpose, do it all rifle, like many envisage a 30-06. I do have several rifles with 26" barrels, in 264WM, 7mmSTW, 300 Weatherby and 300 RUM. While a 26" barrel is not much of a handicap where and how I normally hunt, I still thought a 7mmRM didn't need a 26" bbl. and a shorter and handier 24" bbl. would be what I needed. I had an extremely accurate 7mmRM with a 26" bbl. which I foolishly traded. Now I shoot a 7mmRM with a 24" bbl., which is a fine rifle in it's own right, but I still miss the other one!

The right barrel length for you, depends on how you are going to hunt with it and what you already have in your battery. The velocity loss from a 26" down to a 24" isn't of much concern, individual rifles vary more than that! The few ounces difference in weight is also negligible, in my opinion. But, a 24" rifle is a handier rifle, and if you intend to use it as a general purpose hunting rifle, I think a 24" is more appropriate. Good luck however you proceed!

P.S. If you do plains hunting, any accurate 7mmRM is easily capable of 450 yard shots, regardless of barrel length, if the shooter is capable!

When I had my 7mag built, I kept the bbl to 24" and have no regrets. 24" Shilen #4.

I have both 24 and 26 inch barrels on 7mmRemMag and much prefer the 26 just to minimize muzzle blast and benefit ballistics.
I will get rid of the 24 inch gun. Weight difference is de minimus.

you asked for opinions!!!!!

24" is mine.

I think that the matter is dependent upon how tall you are and whether you can carry the longer rifle comfortably, ie, without it bumping into things.

I am 5'11", or was when I was younger, and I have a 30-338 that has a 26" barrel. I took it on one hunt and came home and had a barrel band added to the barrel to drop the barrel down about 6" so it would be constantly in the tree tops.

I don't think the weight or the added bullet performance will outweigh the convenience and handiness issues which depend on where and how you hunt. Kudude

For me it would depend more so on the hunting situation than anything else.

Do you hunt from a box blind alot? If so, the longer the barrel the more of a pain it can become.

Same holds true if you do alot of walking through dense cover. The shorter barrel can be much more user friendly.

If you do alot of stalking, hunting from tree stands, or from the ground, the 26"er shouldn't bother you a bit.

I'd say buy the 26 and if you just can't stand it, have it cut back an inch or two. You can always take off some but, can never add any back

Good Luck

Reloader