My 7mmBR XP-100 center-grip will be here soon. So its time to start thinking again Do any of you see any problems with going to a 7mm SAUM ? Is it worth rechambering a factory 14.5" barrel or should I just goto a custom barrel and be done with it ? So far this is my line up of calibers to think about...

284 Win
7mm SAUM
7mm-08 AI

Would like to here you ideas on what to do. I don't have to stay with a 7mm bore I could re-barrel it.

T/C Nut,

Howdy! I am sure that whatever you pick, a lot of personal "soul searching," consideration of your own preferances, and thought will go into it.

For my part, if it were mine, I'd either stay with the 7mmBR as it is and hunt whitetail and varmints using that fine cartridge, or I'd rebarrel it in something either .22 caliber for Varmints or .30 caliber for deer.

You could go 22ppc or 22-250 for varmints and play with powders until you find one that burns right in your barrel length, or go with any of the neat 30 caliber offerings for deer etc, of course plain old 308win is so very efficient and so good out of short barrels, that to my personal thinking there really is not a lot to commend the other 30caliber offerings in a short barreled setup unless you really just like to play with your brass and size and fireform cartridge cases

The SAUM offerings might work out, depending upon the powder you use, though I'd have to know more about throat errosion in these chamberings to say much more.

T/C Nut,

Well, it will depend on what barrel you have on your 7mmBR. If it is like my two BRs with the factory sporter style barrel, the barrel contour tapers very dramatically and very quickly after the chamber area of the barrel.

For customers coming to me asking about rechambering these handguns into something longer like the three you list, I simply do not feel it is a good idea.

The reason, with a round like the 284 and 7mm SRUM especially, when the new chamber is cut, there is really not much barrel left between the chamber shoulder and the outside of the barrel. Not enough for a +50,000 psi round in my opinion.

If your getting a heavier barreled 7mm BR such as some of those from the custom shop, then your fine you could go with any of them but if its a light contoured barrel, either leave it as is or rebarrel it just to be on the safe side.

One other idea if it is a light weight barrel is to chamebr it to the 7mm WSSM. I have been thinking of having a reamer made for this round since the WSSM came out. It would give my customers an option to give their 7mm BR's some added Horsepower without the need for a new barrel.

Performance wise, it would be between the 7mm-08 and the 284 Win.

If your interested let me know and I will spit the cost of the reamer with you and chamber your barrel for you.

I personally feel the WSSM is a very interesting case for the handgun hunter. You can neck it up to anything up to a 475 very easily for a close range hammer.

In the 6.5, 7mm and 308 calibers, it would give better performance then the 308 win family of rounds and allow more usible barrel length as well. Plus it would just look cool!

Imagine, a 7mm BR Mag!

Good Shooting!!!

50

The older center grip XPs are renown as some of the most accurate firearms Remington has ever produced -- even with that pencil-thin barrel. I've had 4 of these in 7BR over the years, and it's no trick to get 5-shot, 200 yard groups inside 1.25" (and often much better).

With that being said, I'd leave it as-is. With the 120 grain Ballistic Tip atop 32 grains of H335, you'll get an honest 2,400+ fps along with a bullet that will expand to the outer limits of the cartridge's effective range. For whitetail, mulies or pronghorn, you simply do not need anything else inside of 250 yards. And if you prefer a projectile other than the BT, several powders are capable of launching the Sierra 130 grain SSP at 2350 fps. The Sierra bullet will expand adequately out to 225 yards or so -- and it'll get there with precision accuracy as well.

You have got a good gun there as it is and don't know if you would gain too much with that barrel length. I shoot a 7mm-08 Savage Striker and probably I'm only gaining a couple hundred feet per second on your 7BR at best (If even that). For a center grip, a Savage is available in 270WSM, 7WSM and 300WSM and it would cost less probably than a conversion. You could then have both.

Bobby Tomek,

I agree totally with your comments, I never said teh 7mm BR was not a quality hunting handgun round. This is why I have two of them just like the ones we are taling about.

I use 33.0 gr of H-335 in mine under a coated 120 gr Ballistic Tip and lit with a CCI-400 primer. Velocity is right at 2500 fps and 3/4moa groups are easy out to 250 yards as you say.

I was just answering the question presented, not bad talking the 7mm BR.

Fat is though that the light factory barrels are not of suitable diameter for rechambering to rounds such as teh 284 and teh short mags. Only the WSSM mag would be a usible case design for these barrels in my professional opinion.

The question was about rebarreling the factory 7mm BR barrel I believe.

Good Shooting!!!

50

Yes, 50 you are right!! I asked if you could rechamber a factory 7BR barrel. I didn't even think about the thin barrels. I'll play with it as is for deer hunting this year and see how it does. That WSSM case looks cool thats for sure! What velocity do you think it would push a 140 ?

Fiftydriver-I didn't mean to insinuate you were bad-mouthing the 7BR; I just had to give my take on the matter and state that if it would be me, I wouldn't rechamber it at all.

T/C Nut,

The 7mm08 will get a 140 up to between 2500 and 2600 fps from a 15" barrel.

The 7mm WSSM should be able to do a bit more.

Good Shooting!!!

50

One more thing to consider if you choose the 7mm-08: the chamber may not fully clean up. In fact, quite a few 'smiths will take a 7BR up to .284 but not 7mm-08 simply because of this. Should it not clean up fully, you'll get a fired case with cosmetic imperfections. This won't affect a thing, but I thought it's worth mentioning. (The 7mm-08 AI should be immune from this)



In fact, if memory serves, J.D. Jones used to even stress this point in his brochures and highly recommended the .284 Win. over the 7mm-08 in XP rechambers.

I got my 7mm BR today!! I'll post a picture soon. I loaded up a round but, it would not fit! To tight had to turn the neck just to chamber a round. Can't wait to shoot it!!

T/C,

Is this a custom barrel jod? I have never seen a factory BR need neck turning to chamber a round.

Good Shooting!!!

50

Neither have I...

I'm glad you guys started this thread. I just picked up two XP100's in 7BR. ONe with the fatory center grip stock, unfired according to the owner and the other has a Fajen thumbhole laminated stock w/an 2 extra Lilja 7BR barrels.I also got a walnut w/ebony nose cat thumbhole stock for this XP, unfinished but fitted.





Also got a 6.5x284 1" fluted stainless w/break barrel that he said was from an XP but there is no way. The threads are a different and not long enough.

I just got brass, dies and bullets for them. I was studying my reloading manuals to find out what powder would work. I will buy some H-335 and try it and IMR4895.

Good luck with your XP. I hope to have mine ready for deer season in a couple of months.



Mike