.280 Rem. vs. 7mm Rem. Mag.?

[SADshooter]

I have a SIG SHR970 chambered in 7mm Rem. Mag. I bought it from a good friend, now deceased (RIP, Ray), in a cash crunch. I really like the rifle, but I think I'm a recoil sissy. Factory 7mms (e.g. Winchester 140gr. Ballistic Silvertips) cause me to flinch. Not horribly, but enough to cause concern for my offhand hunting accuracy, which is the rifle's purpose. I put a Leupold on it, intending this to be my primary hunting rifle for small/medium game out to medium ranges.

I've thought about a caliber swap in this rifle, but accessories are hard to find. So, I find that CDNN has non-magnum bolts and magazines, and .280 Rem. barrels at what seem like reasonable prices, but I haven't found barrels in any other calibers.

So, would a .280 offer a sufficiently substantial recoil reduction to make the whole exercise worthwhile? I know the cartridge is based on the '06, and is respectable in its own right. Is it a significantly softer-shooting 7mm?

Thanks,

 

[Mike128]

What kind of recoil pad does it have on it? Getting a good recoil pad can help a lot. I recommend Sims or a Pachmyer Decelerator.
If you want a 280 it's pretty much like an 30-06 in recoil with same weight bullets. If you can handle a 30-06 with 180 grain you should be able to handle a 7 rem mag in 140 grains. (At least they seem similiar to me.) A 280 with 140 grains bullets should be a OK. With my 7 rem mag I do need to step back every few rounds to keep myself from flinching. Recoil is subjective so take my advice with a grain of salt. If you don't already have a good recoil pad that would be my first step.

 

[roo_ster]

How about 7mm Mauser? You can load it mild or wild.

 

[BusMaster007]

Try Remington's reduced recoil ammuniton before you spend money on anything else.
It could be that this ammo will be enough of a reduction in recoil to make you love that 7mm Mag you got from your friend.
I LOVE my Remington 700 / 7mm Rem.Mag.!
Good Luck.
Think of your buddy next time you're out shooting!

 

[rbernie]

Why drop down in case capacity when you can just download what you've got (but maintain the ability to use the full-power stuff)? Sounds like it's time to start handloading.....

 

[Vern Humphrey]

A .280 Remington max load will give you almost exactly the same velocity as a 7mm Magnum starting load.

The simplest and cheapest way to solve your problem is to get a handloading set (the Lee Handpress Set is a good buy, and very versatile) and load 7mm Mags to starting load levels.

 

[SADshooter]

Thanks, guys.

The rifle is stock, with SIG's synthetic stock/rubber buttpad. A little more info: I've got rifles in .223 (AR), .243 (Rem. 700) .308(M1A/FR8) and .44 Mag. (Rossi 92). I don't find any of those problematic re: recoil. Just something about blast & thump in that 7mm. My wife has a Rem.700 in 7mm Mauser which is pleasant to shoot (but she'll be hunting with that this season )

My vision is not so good (the Leupold 3x9x40 on my .243 wouldn't let me tell spike from doe at 125 yds.) so I seriously up-scoped the SIG to a 6.5x20, which works for me.

I have a single-stage press & dies (inherited after Ray's passing) but I haven't had the space/nerve to try reloading.

I'll try the reduced recoil stuff BusMaster007 suggested, or possibly put the scope on my M1A to get by with. It just seemed like having 2 rifles in 1 was a neat idea, I just can't find a suitable caliber barrel.