7mm Rem mag rifle: 1000 yds for $1K

[ccw9mm]

If you were to spend $1K and be staying with the 7mm Remington magnum chambering, what would you purchase to get reasonably accurate out to 1000 yds? I fully realize 1000yds is at the outer limit of the 7mm round. Ground rules for this exercise: must stay under $1K; must be 7mm Rem.Mag.

What would your shopping list look like, for the gun, scope and any rework (ie, bedding, trueing, accurizing)? Can be used/new, factory/rework, classic/modern equipment.

Goal: Strictly range work and fun between 300-1000yds; no competition; no hunting.

 

[dakotasin]

i would have one of my existing long action remington 700 adl's re-barrelled by lilja, stocked by mcmillan, then save pennies until i could get the nightforce scope i wanted, while squeeking by w/ a leupold vx-2 in 4-12x40.

should be able to come in for under 1k assuming you already have the donor rifle.

if you do not have the donor rifle, then scratch off the stock and scrounge a remington 700 adl/sps for $350-ish - everything else remains.

 

[trueblue1776]

7mm Rem is a light round, I'd spend the money on a new barrel for a heavier round. Unless you shoot in windless conditions.

 

[ccw9mm]

Yes, 7mm's at the outer range at 1000yds, but it gets there. Won't kill a deer at that range, but the goal is to stick to range "plinking" inside 1000yds in windless or near-windless conditions.

 

[Eat Beef]

Won't kill a deer at that range?????!!!!! It'll kill a whole lot more than a deer at that range.

For a grand you're not going to get much, but I'd send it to Bobby Hart and have him accurize it and install a match barrel. There went your grand, shoot the irons till you can afford another grand for a scope.

Seriously, you're going to need at least 6-800 bucks invested in your glass, which doesn't leave much room for a nice rifle. Maybe you could pick up a used scope and a beater 700 ADL in a pawn shop, and do your own trigger work?

 

[rbernie]

Savage long action; 26" barrel; SuperSniper 16x scope.

 

[Drifting Fate]

I would pick up a used Remington 700 or Browning, glass bed the action and free float the barrel yourself, re-crown the barrel if necessary, and put the rest of the money into the optics and mounts. I'm thinking GG&G or Warne mounts and a Leupold 6-18 VX-II.

It won't be the trick custom lots of people like, but it'll do more than enough to make you happy.

 

[Gordon]

Um I shot 168 grain Sierra Match bullets at 3000fps (with a case full of H870) from a 26" barrel with a 24 power scope(12x Leupold with Doubler and special stadia reticule) in some 1000 yard matches in the early 80s and did VERY well. Used a Lee Six stock and Shillen barrel on a prepped 700 action .Did NOT have the good badger rings with 20 MOA like you do today. As I remember it shoots twice as flat and twice as hard as a .308 Win match ammo at 1000 yards, which is also used. it was at least the equal of .300 mags with 200 Matchkings as I had less recoil in the class I shot which had a 12 pound limit (I think)

 

[LeonCarr]

Ditto what rbernie said as to rifle and optics. Great setup for the price, set the AccuTrigger to around 1.5 pounds and rock on.

Another good choice would be a used Remington 700 Sendero.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[George Hill]

Scrap the 7MM and go to a .300 RUM.
The Ultra Mag has the energy you need. Just hitting it at 1000 yards is only part of the problem. You still have the terminal ballistics to contend with.
NIB rifle with a decent scope, you can snake it in under a grand.

 

[ccw9mm]

No terminal ballistics issue, as this is range/target (no hunting) up to 1000yds. So, not crucial that ft-lbs energy delivered remain above ~800 ft-lbs or so. I'm trying to keep it relatively flat, and a quick 7mm should do that. Minus optics, $1K should do that, for weekend plinking.

Great ideas, so far. Keep 'em coming.

 

[Jim Watson]

rbernie is right, there is probably no other reliable way to get a rig that cheaply.

I don't know why you are dead set on 7mm R.M. but you better be a handloader or get to be one. I don't think there are any 7mm R.M. factory loads that you could count on at 1000 yards.

I just got back from a 1000 yard match and there were few if any cartridges with case capacity as large as 7mm R.M. being shot. The high man in F-class was shooting a 7mm RSAUM AI with 62 grain powder capacity (not necessarily his load today) and 180 gr bullets. It shot through the wind as well as or better than anything there. Of course he is also a very fine shot.

A high ballistic coefficient 6mm is fine and a really good .22 has a chance.

 

[bigcim]

This would be a good choice

 

[ccw9mm]

^^ And what is "this"? Looks like a custom-barreled Remington 700.

 

[bigcim]

Sako 75 synthetic stainless 7mm rem mag
Leupold VX-L 3.5-10X50mm boone and crockett

 

[Zak Smith]

7RM is an exemplary long-range cartridge, shooting the 160-180gr high-BC bullets at 2800-3000fps. At 1000 yards it's still trucking along at 1800-2000 fps (depending on altitude and temperature).

"Outer Range" describes a situation like shooting a 308 to 1300 yards (a very very far stretch for that cartridge, in ideal conditions), and does not characterize 7RM @ 1000.

Making hits at long-range is primarily a function of shooter skill, and that skill comes from the experience gained during regular practice. Large and/or Magnum cartridges are ill-suited to a high volume of practice due to cost (of ammunition and replacement barrels) and recoil (and they require more diligence during practice due to the tendency to develop a flinch). At the minimum, a 7RM that is shot regularly to develop LR skills needs to have an effective muzzle brake. A 308 shooter who can shoot 200 rounds a month @ 600-1000 yards will stomp all over a 7RM or 300RUM shooter who can only afford the ammo and pain of shooting 20 rounds a month. Anyway, I won't recommend other cartridges here because it's not the point of the thread.

7RM is a great LR cartridge. Once you get a rifle set up in a cartridge that performs at its level (0.64+ BC @ 2900+fps), it's hard to justify another rifle in that class because the performance is almost identical.

-z

 

[bigcim]

I agree. Its hard not to develop a flinch

 

[redneck2]

This is probably pretty close to what you're looking for. 700 Sendero in 7 Mag, Burris 8x32x44 in .020 offset rings. I use 162 A-Max, WW cases, RL-22, Federal Match primers. You can check your local prices, but this comes in at maybe $1,200.

Before you let the "experts" here try to talk you into a 105 Howitzer, go to the Hornady website and get the B.C for their 162 A-Max and run it on a ballistics program. You'll figure out that the 7mm is as good or better than a .30 cal without the extra noise and recoil. For the average guy, go smaller bore, not bigger. With a bigger bore, you need a lot of length and weight in the bullet to make up a larger frontal area that pushes more air.

I shoot some pretty heavy stuff...10 gauge for turkey hunting, 3" 12 gauge slugs for deer. That said, actually the above rifle is pretty mild. Two things that make a huge difference are the weight and the recoil pad. This is a pretty heavy gun. I could shoot 50-100 straight no problem.

 

[redneck2]

Look above...

Double Tap.

 

[ccw9mm]

Thanks, everyone.

While I'm not completely set on the 7mm, it surely should provide enough oomph to remain accurate in the 800-1000yd range. Suitable for hunting yet completely at home for LR fun. With a "stealth" type setup of a standard-style stock (well-bedded) mated to a custom barrel and tuned action, it should perform just fine. Am not into seriously-spendy custom hardware.

I have been considering the Remington 700 line. There are a few sub-$400 examples floating around from time to time, and a good example might be the base for a decent build-up. Might come in a tad over $1000. I've got a reasonable scope for the 300-500yd range, but beyond 600yds I'll need new glass. Might need to clear out a couple items from the safe, to make room for a good one.

Hadn't considered the Sako 75's.

No competition or hunting with this unit. It'll strictly be a range gun. The goal is to keep the price down for basic LR plinking, but still have a gun that can hit within a couple of hand-spans @ 1000yds.

 

[Jim Watson]

One way to keep the price down would be to use a caliber with a longer barrel life. A .308 will go 4000 or so - I saw a guy try to stretch one to 4700 and it wasn't pretty, it wouldn't hold the six-foot target backer at 1000. I don't know anybody shooting a 7mm Magnum, but I figure half that would be reasonable.

 

[Hemicuda]

I have a Remington 700 ADL in 7MM Rem mag...

I got a HECKUVA deal, buying used, with a one piece Redfield base and rings, and a LEupold Vari-X III on it... $400.00, hardcase and all...

IF I wanted to shoot 1000 yards accurately, it'd need a better scope (in the 6 to 7 hundred dollar range) and a better "bull profile" barrel... (accurizing and trigger job, I did myself...)

IF I were going for that kind of accuracy (or doing it all again) I would go for the Savage bull barrel/Accutrigger setup fight off the bat... (500 bucks or so) and have 500 more for optics... you MIGHT get close to accurate at 1000 yards with that package...

 

[berettashotgun]

Used rifle and ebay scope would get you there if you can properly "shop".
I came up with a spanking new Laredo w/boss in 7mag for all of $485.
Cascade ammo had a special on the newest/fanciest Leupold awhile back for 5 bills. There is your grand.
I shot 300's for years and really appreciate the perceived lack of recoil of a 7mag, the STW and RUM are another story.
I know nothing about Savage rifles, except a good friend and excellent marksman swears by them for hunting. And he has some serious toys.

 

[redneck2]

Just some more thoughts to help confuse you...

I have a friend that got his 1,000 yard certificate for a confirmed kill on a prarie dog with a Styer .308 and milsurp ball ammo

if you get a 7 mag and you do burn out the barrel, it can then be replaced with a custom one

I'd suggest taking up handloading. Way better ammo at way less cost.

Cruise e-bay for Burris scopes if that fits your plan. Their Black Diamond series is excellent.