So I was visiting a barrelmaking friend the other day and in his scrap bin was a 7mm sporter barrel that the CNC lathe took a bit of a plunge into it at the 18 1/2" mark. I looked it over and we figured we might be able to save it. Turned it into a Rem Mountain Rifle contour and it cleaned everything up. I have a Model 7 action, a custom shop walnut stock, and I'm trying to pin down an ideal caliber for this little package. Figuring on a 22" finish, muzzle diameter is very small, .5...something. 7mm-08 is just too much for this one I think. What rounds would you consider? Right now I'm really thinking about a 6.5X47 lapua necked up to 7mm. Others were the Creedmoor or the 7mm IHMSA (based off the 250 Savage I believe). With the Lapua I'd just use a 6.5 reamer and a neck/throater for the 7mm portion so that would be $ saved, but the dies would be the issue. Is there anything else you would consider? Side by side, the 47 Lapua looks like it would have the better neck length/shoulder location for 2.850 mag length.

Any thoughts??

A 7mmx47 Lapua would be very close to the 7mm IHMSA.

The 6.5x47 Lapua uses small rifle primers. The advantage is that you have 6.5x47 brass now, which is of very high quality.

I have owned a 6.5x47 Lapua built on a Tikka with a #7 barrel. It shot very well.

Already have a 6X47 Lapua and the 6.5, might as well go with the 7 also! Side by side with a 22-250 and the 6.5X47 Lapua, the shoulder location and neck length on the Lapua looks to be perfect really. Better get a set of dies ordered.... I'll bush the bolt face to .070 instead of the .078 as I have had issues with primer flow and the small rifle primer, but that won't be a big deal.

Was gonna say 7mmBR but might as well go longer.

if the taper can take it, a 708 is the "only" choice for a model 7 ...

i had a striker in 708 ...

any 7mm on a .500 barrel is likely to be fine...

load the 708 down.. use barnes tsx bullets... this saves a fortune

I did consider the BR case, but didn't know about feeding. Available brass the lapua wins that race, I just have to solve the reloading dies. As for the barrel taper, the rear taper is certainly robust enough, but it is mighty skinny from the forend tip on out. Figured if I ended up shortening to 20" or so the Lapua case would just be 'better' if for no other reason than efficiency. Was also wondering if I could take a 6.5X47 bushing fl die and ream out the end of the shoulder to clear for 7mm bushings. Wouldn't be 'perfect' but I could make a seater easy enough and have a full-length sizing die for it. I have other projects right now so there's time to mull over a few things....

My 7X41 wildcat would be perfect. Made from 06 Dia. cases. At 100 yards = it surpasses the energy level of the 30-30.
The reamer I have has a long throat facilitating the long for caliber bullets.
I would be willing to loan you the reamer and we could work something out for using my dies. Just a thought. roger

Bartsche, sounds like a hell of a shoulder set-back, neck turning, fireforming...? I'm thinking that 47 Lapua case is where this one is going but thanks for the offer.

quote:

Originally posted by matt salm:
Bartsche, sounds like a hell of a shoulder set-back, neck turning, fireforming...? I'm thinking that 47 Lapua case is where this one is going but thanks for the offer.

OK roger

Matt, you are talking about a wildcat anyway, so why not go look at the .277 Wolverine on the Mad Dog Weapons Systems website, see what those guys are doing, and neck that one up to .284"?

The parent case is a 5.56/.223 chopped at just a hair less than 39 mm, then run through a sizer and blown out during first firing. If memory serves, they are getting about 2700 with a 90-grain pull down Gold Dot.

Kind of a cute little plinker. These are being run pretty much out of the ARs; might show some better numbers in a bolt action.

There is a group of guys that have developed a 7mm based on a shortened 6.5 x47 case for use in the AR-15 that you might look at. It's called the 7 VAR or 7mm Valkyrie.

Rhys, the only problem with the 7 VAR is that it uses a .473" bolt face case. There is no ready supply of bolts or extensions to fit that in the AR-15. The AR-10 is another matter entirely, but there is no justification for that small a cartridge on the large AR-10 case. Additionally, one would probably have trouble finding a mag that would work in the AR-10.

For the bolts and extensions Eisenach Arms is sourcing them, and to the best of my knowledge availability hasn't been a problem. The owner of Eisenach is a friend and neighbor of mine. Plans were that I would have been doing the barrel work for them. However I moved from the area and put my equipment in storage for the time being.

Strange that there really aren't more choices in cartridges in that size...must be that the 7mm-08 just fills the niche well enough. I'm going to chamber this one with a 6.5X47 with a 7mm pilot, use a neck and throater for the rest, and see if I can't re-work a 6.5X47 bushing die to size the case well enough along and do the same for the seater. Really I could just machine an insert for a hornady seater with the chamber reamer and it would work pretty well I imagine.

quote:

Originally posted by Rhys:
For the bolts and extensions Eisenach Arms is sourcing them, and to the best of my knowledge availability hasn't been a problem. The owner of Eisenach is a friend and neighbor of mine. Plans were that I would have been doing the barrel work for them. However I moved from the area and put my equipment in storage for the time being.

For whatever it is worth, I looked earlier today and the only mention of a .473" bolt was with their 7VAR kit. They state the bolt is an ARP 800 and is proprietary, which to me means they are having to buy them from ARP. If you look under AR products, there is no mention of an '06 sixed bolt OR the extension.

The late and great Tony Barnes of Twin Falls, Id. built some. 6x45s, .284x45 and a 308x45 and used them on deer, elk, and moose effectively in his custom sako L-461 rifles and pistols with 18" and 16.5 inch barrels..I shot them a bit and had no problem and off a bench they were as accurate as any rifle and all shot sub one inch groups..I witnessed him shoot one Mule deer with the 7mm and it was impressive at 125 yards with a 130 gr. Speer as I recall...Bob Milic and Steve Herret were big on Tonys pistols.

That would certainly be the easiest as the Model Seven actions I have are all the .223 bolt face (300 AAC) but I really wanted something more capable than that. The 47 Lapua case would be pretty dangled nice on this I'm thinking. Also, it just might be a great first deer rifle for my son (9 years from now). I did build a 6.5 Grendal on a CZ 527 carbine for my daughter who ended up being left eye dominant, so she ended up with a Pre-81 BLR barreled up in 250 Savage. This will be similar I'm thinking in recoil and capability with the 6.5x47 Lapua case necked up a half millimeter.

Hard to beat a 250 Savage..I have never seen one that would not shoot exceptionally well. Recoil is mild and can be loaded down to as mild as one could wish then loaded up as the child grew...I have spent a lifetime with the 250-3000 in mod. 99s and Mausers, even had a pre 64 mod. 70 and a Mauser 98 Kurtz at one time. I have shot a half dozen elk with one and a pickup load or two of deer. It never failed me with either the 87, 100 or 117 gr. bullets..Its an awesome caliber. I am prejudice, make no mistake about that, but the old girl made a beliver out of me.

edit...didn't even read my previous post about the 250 Savage... Looking at cases side by side, that Lapua case with the shoulder location and neck length really looks ideal for a short barreled lightweight 7mm with good performance as well...we'll see how it goes.

My approach smaller, light rifle is a G33-40 Mauser action with a 22" a no. 1 Douglas barrel, the stock will be a skinny schnable or 8.5 inch English style with ebony tip. Using Brno mod 22 bottom metal, being built to weigh 6 lbs. give or take an ounce or two. Topped wth a 3X Leupold in Talley QDs with irons and barrel band swivel..It is a long throated 7x57. Its not quite finished as we speak, but its getting there, metal by Jack Belk and stock by me on a very dark, almost black, well figured piece of Russian Circasian walnut..I am staring at another barrel right now of the same #1 configuration, Its 30-06 and Im having second thoughts, which one or do a switch barrel and have a rifle for anything out there, but the 7x57 pretty well fills that bill without any help...We'll see.

7 TCU, 7-30 Waters, 7 mm Bellm. I shoot all of these from the little contender and it's right around 5# depending on the barrel I choose. Right sweet shooter. The .284 is a slick spot on the B.C. scale.