Which 7mm caliber?

More expensive to feed, but worth it.
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Ken Green
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Which 7mm caliber?

Post by Ken Green »

We all know how well the 7mm-08 performs for silhouette.
What are your thoughts on the 7BR for silhouette since it is bascially a shortened 7mm-08? Thanks Ken
Joaquin B
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Re: Which 7mm caliber?

Post by Joaquin B »

While some people like it, I used it for a while and found-it to be marginal on rams with 162 and 168 bullets, pushed as fast as safe pressures allowed.
After losing a well hit pig with a 140 grain bullet from a 7 BR in a match in Mesa, Arizona, I had the 7mm BR barrel rechambered to 7mm-08 and never looked back.

If you want to go with a 7mm, keep it sweet, simple and successful with a 7mm-08.
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Ken Green
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Re: Which 7mm caliber?

Post by Ken Green »

I do have a Sako in 7mm-08 that I use as my silhouette match rifle. I have a .243 that I use on our 300 yard reduced swinger targets.

I haven't seen much talk about the 7 BR, so I was curious about them.

Joaquin B: How did you manage to ring a pig with a 140 grain bullet?

I am shooting the Nosler 120 BT for the short line and haven't rung any animal.
Jerry G
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Re: Which 7mm caliber?

Post by Jerry G »

A friend of mine rang a pig with a 7-08 but he was pushing his bullet a little over 1900 fps.
Ken Green
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Re: Which 7mm caliber?

Post by Ken Green »

Jerry G wrote: Fri Nov 02, 2018 3:58 pm A friend of mine rang a pig with a 7-08 but he was pushing his bullet a little over 1900 fps.
Jerry: WOW that is moving a little slow. Which bullet was it and what was the weight of the bullet?

My C,P,T load is the 120 grain Nosler BT pushed by 34 grains of Benchmark. I have never shot it over the chrony, and every pig that I managed to hit has went down without any problems.
Hawkeye7br
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Re: Which 7mm caliber?

Post by Hawkeye7br »

I'm new to this discipline, although I've shot handgun silo for 30+ years. Interesting thread, since I shoot a lot of 7br from the xp100. Hope others chime in, I'm partial to the 7mm's but understand the potential of the 6mm's for their lack of recoil in fast twist barrels. I have a rifle in 7x47 Helm (7mm x 222 mag) but it sounds like it may be a little weak on rams? or go with it?

Side note, for those contributors who don't hunt, this interests us crossover guys that live in states that allow us to use a silo rifle to hunt with. I don't have a 500m range readily available, but have so far enjoyed my (totally frustrating) forays into SB rifle.

While on subject, does anyone shoot a 6.5 br or a 6.5 Grendal in this sport? Kinda going on the hit targets at the short lines principle.....

Thanks!!
ywltzucanrknrl
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Re: Which 7mm caliber?

Post by ywltzucanrknrl »

Hawkeye, some folks use the 7mmTCU and do ok. Your 7x47 should have a bit more zip than the TCU. If I had it I would try it.

Limited experience, but I shot a 7BR two seasons---really liked it. I shot the old Nosler solid base 150 grain on rams, and 120 anything or even 115's on the other critters. It never left a pig standing, which I did see happen at the range I shot on with other various rifles. As far as rams go, I thought it was plenty effective especially with a high hit or a rump or head hit. Mild recoil and it was a very accurate rifle---Remington 700 with a Hart barrel. Thinking back on it now, I would just stick with a 7x08---a person can load it down and get the same as a 7BR recoil wise, but it has more potential whereas the BR is limited.
One downside I had with the 7BR was ignition issues and hang fires with some powder and primer combinations. H4895 seemed to solve that issue and produced good accuracy.

That rifle is gone, but I still have a Model 7 in 7BR that I hunt with and it's great on deer. It will over penetrate due to under expansion with bullets 140 grains and over, but works very well with various 120's.
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Phill Smyth
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Re: Which 7mm caliber?

Post by Phill Smyth »

Hi ken - I have a custom built Custom HP rifle - in 7mmBR - Love it !!!!
Spec's Remington 700 - Trued, 26" 1:8 twist barrel - Fluted -n a Bedded HS Precision Silhouette Stock - Custom Pesco trigger - Premier 18-40 Boosted Leupold - High see through Weaver mounts.

I molly all -
Rams - Remington BR small Primers - 31.5Grns of ADI2208 - Hodgkin's has an equivalent pushing 175Grn Sierra Match Kings - Firstly I used Finn Ram Kings a Double Jacketed 145 Grn looked very similar to the Sierra Match kings

Turkeys- Pigs, , chickens - 29.5 of ADI BM1 pushing - 145 grn Finns or Sierra match kings I have used - Fins 125 grn's

I have never had any of the three stand no mater where they were hit.

Positives - wonderful to shoot as far as comfort and minimal recoil in an 80 shot match - very accurate
using the Finn double jacketed 175 Grn Ram Kings I never had a ram stand,
when originally sighting it in, I got it to point of aim. Then aimed at the centre of the body belly at the pissil and it pushed it straight went straight back and fell forward the same 6' higher, canter and top -centre both fell back slowly- any where on the rump twisted back and rolled off and the same front of the shoulder- rolled off.

Negative - But when he stopped making then and went to the Sierra match Kings and being softer and less push - I have had a few stand if hit lower middle front shoulder leg line. With the Sierra Match king's - if centre front shoulder I have a some stand but the load were very old because I had not shot for a number of years and may have lost some velocity with the loaded round being 5 or 6 years old.

I am going to try a whisker more powder on a hot day to see if I can get a whisker more speed - but I think it is the projectile compressing loosing pushing power like the Double jacketed ram king made by Anthony Finn- ex world C/F Champ.

A mate of mine built a 7MM BR Improved that has just a little more powder and I think that is a whisker better than mine, but still great n comfy to shoot

regards Phill
Ken Green
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Re: Which 7mm caliber?

Post by Ken Green »

Thanks Phill for all of the information. I plan on staying with my 7-08 for a while.
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Phill Smyth
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Re: Which 7mm caliber?

Post by Phill Smyth »

Thanks ken enjoy I shoot a 7mm-08 in rem 700 for hunter class - use 168 grn Sierra match kings- and all go Ya Splat and that that ! Merry Christmas to allyoal in LA - My best mate grew up in Uptown New Orleans up by Tulane off Farrett- So I have spent a fair bit of Time in the south - barefoot water skiingin the 80's n 90's. and was there Aprils 2 years back.

I will have to come do some shooting now I am back into it a bit - had a force lull for the last 12 years as my son was right into golf and and worked him self up to the top 10 Amateurs in the world and has now gone pro 12 months ago - traveling the world living the dream.

He needs to win a big one to fill my bank again so I can go play with Allyoall - GO Saints No 8 - ?? tell who had that number besides - the one they gave me when I did tackle clinic for them in 1980 ???
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