If you had the following extra parts just gathing dust, what would you do with them?

-trued Remingonton M700 long action
-H.S. Precision stock
-7mm Krieger 27" unfinished #4 taper bbl, 1:9 twist

Lean towards hunting big game in N.A.

Wish away!

I'd put together a 7mm ultramag and hope it liked 175 partitions.

I'd send it off to my smith and have it punched to 7 Mashburn Super.

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

You should email me for my address and send em to me. I promise they'll go to good use.

I'd build a 7mmRemmag,wearing a 24.5" barrel,in a #3 contour. My preference would be for a throating geometry,that put the 140XLC and 120XBT,to great use.

I'd dump it in McMillan Classic patterned stock and sell the HS to help defray that expense.

Then I'd roll up my sleeves and go Huntin'............

Big Stick is a wise man. For the time, trouble, and recoil it dosn't get any better then the 7mm Rem. mag.
Mark, You'll have to tell me sometime what it takes to form the Mashburn brass.
One thing I never see mentioned it that Warren Page shot his out of a 22in. barrel, still got over 3000fps. with the 175Nosler. If I wasn't such a chicken I like to try it on mine. Come to think of it I know a guy that shortened his 7Rem mag to 22ins. Maybe I can barrow it and shoot it through my chronograph. Pete

Pete--it's pretty easy and simple, 2 stage form dies, use 300 Win brass and take it down and fire form it.

I just got back from the range and shot some 175's thru it. I generally use the 160 Nozler and have my scope set up with Premier dotz to 700 with it. However, this is a new tube and I am thinking about setting it up with the 175's. I have about a half a world supply of the 175 Noz, of course the old style like Page and Hagle used. This new tube is just broken in it'll shoot into the .6's consistently, it's new and I need to see what I can do to get it consistently into the sub .5's.
Stick has me about tempted to try the 120 and 140 X's but my experience with the x's accuracy has been less than steller so am trying to stay away from the time, effort and expense. I'd be all giggles if it would shoot them though. Of course I'll never know till I try. Now that's real rocket science isn't it!

I got into using the 7 Mashburn because of reading Page/Hagle. I always thought the world of them. And of course Les Bowman had wonderful things to say about the big 7's and I thought the world of him as well. I never met Page or Bowman although I wish to heck I would of been able to. However I was very fortunate to spend some time with Hagle and he did nothing but fuel my love affair with the big 7's. I'm on my third Mashburn tube, this one is the 2nd on my old 700 (Brown stock,Jewell, and a 4-14 Leo). My other is on what I call my "Dog" rifle a wonderful Mauser with the most spectacular piece of wood I've ever seen.

I've used 23" tubes and 25" tubes, 4.5 weight Schneider's.

For powders I use 7828/R22 or R25

215's

and either fed cases or W-W

I love the big 7's, now is this cartridge a lot more than the others , I don't think so. But, I am a sentimental and nostalgic fart and as Brad would say a contrarian. Guess that's why I like the "catz", and 23" tubes instead of 22 or 24-grins.

Gotta run Amigo hope your health is good.

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

(this old 700 is my favorite this is my 7th tube on it-it's been one of my two mainstay hunting and chuckin and yote guns for years-you'd love the old gun)

Just when I thought the choices would become easier...

I like all of your ideas so far. Thanks.

Does anyone have any more votes for the Ultra Mag? That's the most pressure I'm gettting from my friends.

However, can someone tell me if the magazine length would be okay with this choice? Also, would the gunsmith charge much to open up the bolt face? (originally it was a .270) I've never had that done before.

Mark:

I agree with the post above that I should do something else with the HS Precision stock. I think they're over rated. McMillan would be my top choice. Tell me though, is the Brown stock "soft?" I mean; does it dent easily. I've heard that before, but I don't know. Some said it is also lighter than the McMillan. True?

Thanks everyone!

Kenati

[ 08-05-2002, 00:33: Message edited by: Kenati ]

In a standard(.473")boltface 700 long,I'd opt differently. I'd build a 23" long,#1 contour 280Ackley and poke it in a McMillan Mountain Rifle stock of light fill. Great cartridge.

I'm of the opinion that the 7Ultra requires more barrel,to really shine. 32" or so,would eek the goody out of it,but your blank isn't that long or heavy enough. Besides a rifle like that,is of little versatility.

Your magazine is long enough,it's the same as the Factory issued Ultra's,in all diameters. However you'll have to do the bolt mod you mention($100)and replace the mag box and follower,as a minimum. Tweaking and tuning may be required and you'll be billed accordingly.

The Brown stock can be made much lighter than a McMillan,but you trade strength,when you whittle away weight. You gotta weigh what you want.

You could build a 7.5lb all up 280Ackley on a McMillan stock,by going a light contour and moderate barrel length and Leupold scope.

I'd definately stay with the 280AI................

I would go with the 7mm Rem Mag also in 24". Although I would leave it in the HS precision stock, nothing wrong with it other than the fiber.... fibergl ........ sytheti...... just a moment, let me clear my biases here. Cough, choke, sputter, Synthetic stock, there that wasn't so tough.

It will kill anything you would want to kill with a 7mm in north america with ammo off the shelf and a few in Africa. Howard H made a one shot kill on a very nice Eland in June of this year.

Chic

hmmm.... use it as a tent peg...?

or chamber it in 7mm super-duper-ultra-mag or something like that so you can burn out the barrel in about 500 shots then use it as tent pegs...

Well, you have some good responses here, but I will put in my opinion since that is what you asked for.

I would keep the H-S stock, I happen to like them and just ordered another one last week. I own Bell and Carlson, H-S, and McMillan(more than one of each), so it is not like I have not tried anything else.

I would opt for the 280 Ackley Improved and make the barrel finish up at 25 inches if you did not want to open the bolt face. This is a very usefull cartridge that gives awfully good performance out of a "standard" case.

If you choose to go with a "magnum" case, I would whole heartedly recommend building a 7mm Weatherby Magnum. Yeah, I know it is not much different than a 7mm Rem Mag and the brass is expensive, etc. etc. But, having shot a bunch of 7mm magnums including the 7 X 300 Win Mag, 7 X 300 WBY Mag, 7 STW, 7mm Rem Mag, 7mm WBY Mag, and on and on, I just think the 7mm WBY is much overlooked.

I get better performance out of the WBY cartridge than the Remington version and get nearly as much speed out of it as I have some of the big wildcats while burning lots less powder. I have been especially dissapointed in the 7mm STW rifles that I have chronographed.

I would finish the barrel at 26 inches if you do not dislike a long tube and go for it. I happen to have a 24 inch barrel on my 7mm WBY Mag and still get a good deal more velocity than any 7mm Rem Mag I have chronographed.

Just my opinion, and worth just what you are paying for it.

R F

If sending it priority mail to my address in Troy Montana is out of the question, then Id put it all together, finish the barrel at 26" and chamber it for 7mm STW or the good ole 7mm Rem Mag. Work up a load with 160 gr Partition Gold Moly-Free. Top it with a nice Leupold 6.5-20 or 4.5-14 scope.

This is getting very interesting!

Since I already have a big .338 for Alaska and the elk only hunts in the lower 48, do you really think I should build a big 7mm?

All of your ideas sound great, but a lightweight "deer sized" cartridge like the .280 Ackley is tempting.

The catch is... I HAVE ONE ALREADY!!

Guess a second one can't hurt any...

Nutoy and Boren:

I guess we'll have to flip a coin and see who gets them. My therapist and my psychic said this level of confusion over a rifle is contradicting my medications and spiritual mojo.

It doesn't sound like you have a 7x57m m Mauser and virtually everybody needs one of those. Wont' burn your barrel out. Won't burn your shoulder out. Is a classic cartridge. Has enough whollop for most any big game in North America. And when you are sitting around a campfire at night and all the other folks are talking about their newfangled 7 superduper you can tell them "Yeah, but I have the oldfangled "7" that started it all. That barrel twist ought to be great with the 160 grain bullets. The Hornady 162 gr. SST is a real tackdriver in my CZ 550 American with a 23.5 inch tube. Tom Purdom

Keep it simple and classic, go with a 7x57 Ackley. It is one of the better and more efficient of the so called "improved" catridges. No belt to mess with, no trick case forming, just fireform and you got it. I did this some years back on an FN Mauser and haven't regretted it one bit. One thing though, the dies are a bit pricey nowadays.

A question, which bolt face do you have? If the bolt face is .473", the .280 Ackley might be a good choice, or the .284 Winchester. If it has the magnum bolt face, I'd think hard about the 7mm Remington. There are faster rounds, the Dakota and Lazzeroni come to mind, that might be fun if you already have a 7mm Remington...

Tom

Try something new and exciting. I think either of the new 7mm mags from Win or Rem would be fun. I like old classic cartridges more then anything, but I have been taking a strong look at the classic featherweight in 300WSM. Sometimes new and old are best.

So my final vote is what you really want...

TomP-

Ever shot at the shooting range in Redlands off Orange, past the trapshoting range on the left once you dip down into the river bed?

Buell

Since you have a standard bolt face, and don't want another 280 (which would've been my choice), I'd look to trade it for a different action. By the time you go through the trouble & expense of opening the bolt face, you will find it easier to just swap actions.

Then, if I got a magnum action, I'd build a 7mm Rem Mag.

Or swap for a short action & build a 7mm-08, my personal favorite.

Hearing about that bolt face deal here are my thoughts-ready for this-grins.

Sell the 7 Krieger tube to me and then use the money to buy a 4 weight 243 tube from Schneider or Krieger.

Send it off to get it cut to 25" and punch it to are you ready for this-the 6/06. (one of my all time other fav's)

Speed for the 6/06 are as follows:

55 Noz=4400
70 Noz=4000
95 Noz=3500-3600

Just my thoughts

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

it feeds like a dream, is accurate!

Hey Dobrenski:

Interesting hearing about your 7mm Masburn. My dad - who lived in Silver Star Mt - know that place do ya? - Hunted with a Mashburn for 30 years - he actually had the gun - and one other - made by Masburn himself in Oklahoma City - he was a pilot and flew in there regularly - in the 50's. I shot my first dear with it - and several other animals - big fan of the 175 gr Nosler semi-spitzer when it was available. I gave the gun to my son who shot one of the biggest bull elk I have ever seen - a Turner refugee - he now lives in Bozeman. He busted the stock but a gun smith in Gallatin Gateway built him a new one. He does not reload and I'm stuck in Alabama (will be home soon) so I had a gunsmith in Belgrade turn the barrel down a thread or two and recut for the Remington Mag. The Masburn is a classic - I was so surprised to learn that it still has a following.

Personally - if you already have a 7mm mag I'd op for building the 284Win - a well balance cartridge - and no bolt face alteration - can push a 160 gr near 3000 fps. Heck I may convert my 270 to a 284. Take care

Tell your son to call me if he likes, or needs anything.

Yeah I do like the Mashburns

The Gallatin Gateway smith would be Ralph Payne-a neat old fella.

If you need a 284 barrel I've got one on a M700, it's been shot enough to break it in and it is a 1.5 weight Shilen, all electroless nickled. E-mail me if you have any interest. I have the dies to.

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

Kenati, or better yet swap it for a Douglas .338 and I have in my shop and chamber it for Mark's beloved .338/06.

Dump the stock and have that Customstox guy build you a beautiful wood one, sell the action to get a G33/40 action, and have the barrell chambered in 7X57. And after all that, you can give the gun to me and I'll put it to good use for you.

The best suggestion I can make (since you already have a 280 AI and to avoid future confusion) Is to rid yourself of this burden, I hate to see a guys medication become imballanced. If you e-mail me I can help you dispose of the bothersome stumbling blocks cluttering up your home..

Or if you want to have something "different" you could make it a 7X61 Sharps..

[ 08-08-2002, 08:04: Message edited by: Wstrnhuntr ]

Chic's idea of an OKH (338/06) is an excellent idea!

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

7 ultra

Kenati,
If you want to go with a magnum boltface then I can help you. A 'smith I know will swap you bolts for $75.00. He has plenty of spare 700 bolts on hand, you do not need any rail work. This is less risky than opening up a boltface and may be less costly. The gentleman will also thread and chamber your barrel for you. He has a large collection of floating pilot custom reamers to choose from including wildcats. He is very busy as his work is first class. E-mail me for more info. MtnHtr

SEND it to the Coyote Control in Washington - he can make very good use out of it.

Thanks,
Waiting for your reply,

Coyote control

Hey Mark, I see Jon Sundra dropped your name in his latest article in Rifle Shooter (on the Lazzeroni rifles). How does it feel to be famous? - Dan

7mm WSM in a lightweight rifle would be cool. 3-10 scope.

Dan -famous never but I am notorius--grins

"GET TO THE HILL
"

Dog

(fyi it was Holt Boddison that wrote it-he and John Lazz were in camp at the same time I was guiding there-this camp is in my opinion my idea of heaven!

[ 08-11-2002, 04:59: Message edited by: Mark R Dobrenski ]

Whoops. Anyway, it sounded like a good time. - Dan

Since it is a std. bolt face, I think I would go w/ one of the imp. .280, either an AI or the.280 JRS by Sundra. IT would be a great antelope rig!

7X57 cause who needs the rest? Make up a light general purpose rifle and never look back.

[ 08-12-2002, 00:23: Message edited by: rickt300 ]