Favorite 7mm?

[1948CJ2A]

The 7mm (.284") caliber is my favorite. My very first centerfire rifle was a custom built (mostly by me) 7x57 Mauser on an already sporterized WWII era German Mauser rifle. It was originally an 8x57 but my dad purchased an ER Shaw 7x57 barrel. One weekend, we drove over to a gunsmith friend's house and I watched him remove the old barrel using his vice, then install the new barrel, then using his lathe, reamers and gauges, cut the throat for the 7x57 chambering. I remember polishing all of the metal for hours before our attempt on a hot blue (Brownells kit). I then worked the stock to the best of my 14-year-old ability and under guidance of my father and uncle. A few months later I shot my first deer (small 8-point buck) with that rifle. I was smiling ear to ear. Over the years, that rifle has accounted for several more deer.

Today, my 7mm stable consists of my first rifle (7x57), a 7mm Rem Mag, a 7mm Weatherby Mag, a 28 Nosler, and most recently, a 7x57 Ackley Improved. In my 7x57, I really like the old 139 gr Hornady Interlocks (spire point). In my 7mm Mags, I'm using the 150gr Nosler partitions. I haven't worked up any loads for the 28 Nosler yet.

What is your favorite 7mm chambering? Similar to my 8mm post a week or so ago, I'm thinking in terms of hunting and/or target shooting... mostly in bolt-action applications but not exclusively.

 

[theotherwaldo]

What can I say?
I like milsurps.

 

[WestKentucky]

There’s really only 2 .284 cartridges that I would consider. Not that any are bad, I just am partial to .277 and since they are so close there are .277 varieties that I would prefer. Those are 7-30 waters which I have, and 7mm-08 which I would buy today in place of the .270 win I bought as a 15yr old kid if I were having to start over. I really need to just get a 7-08 but I haven’t figured out a good excuse to move it up the priority list. The 7-30 waters I have is a 10” contender barrel and I may strip it and sell it but replace it with a carbine barrel in the same caliber.

 

[WisBorn]

I have only owned 2 cartridges in 7mm/.284 caliber.

7mm-08 Rem in a Browning BLR.

7mm Remington Mag in a Weatherby MarkV ultra lightweight (Lefthand).

I like both rifles and cartridges. I only had the 7-08 for a season. The 7rm for over 20 years.
The 7rm cartridge can do everything the 7-08 can, but not the reverse. Of course addition recoil is the cost of the additional energy from the 7rm.

 

[InTheSwamp]

Don't own any, but if I were to buy, it'd be the PRC.

 

[Barnfixer]

For my Midwest hunting it’s the 7mm-08. I’m not a fan of recoil and like short actions. If I’d be a guy that headed out west often, i’d pick the 7mm REM Mag. Love my Hawkeye in 7mm-08!

 

[Legionnaire]

That's tough. I guess if I could only have one, it's the 7mm-08. If I can have one long action in addition, I'd add the .280 Ackley. I don't still own a 7x57, but there is an old 7mm Remington Magnum in the safe as well as a new 7mm PRC. I like 7s.

Here's the Model 7 in 7mm-08. It doesn't normally wear the bipod.

 

[1948CJ2A]

Adding 7mm PRC late to the game

 

[adcoch1]

I picked 7x57 since it was my first glimpse into the world of accuracy that 7mm can be, but the 7mm-08 I set up as an intermediate range rifle was probably the most accurate rifle I've ever shot. The old Chilean Mauser was fun, but a scope changed it for me on that savage 111 7mm-08. I stupidly sold both when tight on cash during a bout of unemployment, and I now have a Ruger m77 in 280 rem that I haven't shot yet. I hope it's one of the accurate ones like my previous m77 rifles have been. I also am in love with the 280 rem AI, just haven't owned one yet. Such a good balance on paper that I may rent a reamer for my m77...

 

[Space Ghost]

Yeah... I win. I voted for 7mm Mauser and it's in the lead. (at least for now)
Mine is a Remington 700 Classic.

 

[Peakbagger46]

I’m pretty partial to the 7mm-08 for what it is, loaded with a good bonded bullet of course. Not sure my ‘06 would have killed this mature cow any faster than the wife’s little 7 did.

 

[DM~]

I voted .280 Rem., mine just keeps on working over and over, year after year!

DM

 

[LoonWulf]

7 mag, my first and still my favorite......and i own or have owned 7 of the choices listed.
I've shot a pile of 280 out of my 280AI and dont really feel theres a huge difference, but i dont have a straight 280.

 

[Theinkman]

Only 7 I have ever owned 7RM. Over the years I've shot antelope, deer, elk and coyotes. Loaded up 120 gr, 139 gr, 162 gr and 175 grain bullets but I keep coming back to the 139s as my bullet of choice.

 

[Oldschool shooter]

10 years ago my vote would have been for 7mm RM. I'll be 64 at the end of the month, and while I still use the magnum, I find shooting the lighter recoil of the 7mm Mauser more enjoyable. Never had the chance, but I hear the 7mm-08 is also a fine cartridge.

 

[jmr40]

I've owned 7mm Rem Mag and 280 in the past. I have a ton of respect for anything 7mm. It might just be the perfect bore diameter for all around big game hunting if you leave out the really big stuff in Africa.

I don't currently own one though. I got started with 30-06 about 50 years ago and have messed around a bit with 300 WM and 300 WSM; a 308 is currently my go-to rifle. I'll concede that a comparable 7mm cartridge is better than the similar version in 30 caliber. But the difference is pretty small. The 30 caliber rifles I own have too much history to part with and I can't justify having both 7mm and 30 caliber cartridges. Too close in performance.

If there were a fire and I lost everything and I had to start over again I'd likely just buy a good quality 7-08 and call it good.

 

[JmacD]

I like 7s. I like 6s. I like quarter bores. I like thirty’s… you know, I think I actually like guns. I voted for the 7PRC. Mainly since it’s the first new cartridge in a VEEERY long time that has interested me. That said, I like the 7-08 and the ol 7 rem.

 

[cornfused]

I chose other: 7X57 Ackley 40°.

 

[JDeere]

Both of my hunting rifles are 7-08 and that's all I need for what I hunt. I have one in 7-08 that I put a heavy sporter on for range work. 120s,140s and 165s is all I need...

 

[sage5907]

I have never done anything the easy way and like everything else I tried every other caliber before I finally got to the 7MM. I had always been interested in a 280 Remington and about 5 years ago I finally made the wise decision to buy a 280 Remington barrel for one of my pre 64 Winchester 70 rifles. It was a good choice and after taking several large deer with the rifle I really like the results. Anyone who reloads knows that it costs about as much for the reloading gear and components as it does to purchase the rifle itself but even during the ammunition crisis I found what I needed. I found Nosler, Winchester and Remington brass. I like Nosler Partition and Sierra GameKing bullets and although I had to shop around I found what I needed. One rifle is never enough and I liked the original rifle so much that I am having another rifle built for the same cartridge. It will have a Bartlein barrel and McMillan stock and with the scope and sling it will weigh about 8 1/4 pounds. Bartlein is slow and I am getting impatient. They finished the barrel back in August and I have waited four months for them to install the barrel on the action. They told me I would have it by hunting season and I should have asked what year!

 

[rayatphonix]

i have a 7-08 and 280AI, and appreciate both. If i reduce my collection to one 7mm I would keep the Ackley. I’ve got 308’s and Creedmoors so my 7-08 doesn’t see much sunlight. I don’t really have anything comparable to my 280 Ackley and it gets a lot of use. I get over 3100 fps with 140 grain bullets with a moderate load. The Ackley has become one of my favorite hunting rifles.

 

[entropy]

7mm-08 by a hair over 7mm Mauser. Only because of loaded ammo availability, even though I'd handload for it anyway if I had one.

 

[Legionnaire]

Haven’t changed my vote (7mm-08) but should note I also had a 7 SAUM for a while. Decided I liked the .280 Ackley better.

Now a 7x57 Ackley would be cool …

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

I just bought my first 7mm last week, a FN Mexican M24 Mauser short rifle, so I guess 7x57 is my favorite by default. Before that, the closest I came to 7mm was my Husqvarna (FN Mauser 98 action) in .270 Winchester.

To keep California safe I'm not allowed to take my Mexican Mauser home until the 19th, otherwise I would include a photo.

 

[tark]

Hey! OP, you left out the 280 Ross! The original 7mm magnum and the first cartridge to exceed 3,000 FPS in 1907. It did, however, use a .287" dia. bullet. ( Is it still a true 7mm? )

A great long range hunting cartridge.

Not much good for lions, however...

Ask Mr. Grey... Or you could ask the lion that ate him, because a lightly constructed 145gr bullet at over 3,000FPS isn't the best thing for stopping a charging lion.

I own two 7mm rifles. A pristine 95 Chilean Mauser...with a mismatched bolt, and a 1902 Remington roller. The latter is also in excellent shape, with visible case hardening on the receiver. Both have very good bores. Both rifles are very accurate, which to me means I can hit an orange at fifty yards, with my old eyes.