Favorite 7mm?

[1948CJ2A]

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.

I really don't know much about the 280 Ross, other than I've heard of it. Honestly, I picked up my most recent reloading manual, which was Hornady 11th edition, and went through the 7mm/.284 caliber section. That's where the poll choices originated and then I put a misc/other 7mms catchall in there for anything else.

Thanks for the info and comments!

 

[1948CJ2A]

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 …

Agreed on the 7x57 Ackley! I just picked one up last week. As soon as I get it scoped, I'll post some pictures.

 

[Howland937]

I've had a few of the listed options and liked the plain old .280 Rem a lot and 7mm-08 is up near the top for me all time. I'm voting for the 7mm STW though.. for no other reason than I have dies for it. I've never really seen a rifle or the brass and it's probably better that way.

 

[1948CJ2A]

I've had a few of the listed options and liked the plain old .280 Rem a lot and 7mm-08 is up near the top for me all time. I'm voting for the 7mm STW though.. for no other reason than I have dies for it. I've never really seen a rifle or the brass and it's probably better that way.

I've always kinda been interested in finding an STW. I've got an 8mm Rem Mag, which is the parent cartridge. My 6.5-300 Weatherby Mag is very close to the 7mm STW ballistics. I remember when the STW was introduced commercially. I was blown away looking at the factory ammo published velocities in the Remington catalog that year.

 

[Howland937]

always kinda been interested in finding an STW. I've got an 8mm Rem Mag

I've got 8mmRemMag dies too and have seen the brass but never owned the rifle. I'd aspired years ago to own one and later the STW. Ran across dies and grabbed them just in case, but haven't needed them thus far. Truth is, I've never killed anything with a rifle bigger than .22 caliber nor more than about 30lbs. (Not counting muzzleloaders)

 

[.308 Norma]

I voted 7mm Mauser for purely nostalgic reasons. I don't even have a 7mm of any flavor (except for an oddball 7mm IHMSA XP-100 handgun), but as I've posted before, when I was a kid and just getting into big game hunting, when someone said they had a "7mm," they meant they had a 7mm Mauser (7X57) - because the mighty 7mm Remington Magnum wasn't even around back then.
Later on, during my working years, when someone said they had a "7mm," they usually meant they had a 7mm Remington Magnum. Nowadays, it seems like there's so many 7mms out there, I'm not sure what someone means when they say they have a "7mm." Heck, my own wife (of 52 years) has 3 of them - 2, 7mm-08s and 1, 7mm Remington Magnum.

 

[troy fairweather]

There isn't a bad 7mm out there but to pick one, 7x57 will be it.

 

[Bwana John]

.275 Rigby

 

[troy fairweather]

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!View attachment 1183740

The pre 64 action I got will be wearing a 280 or AI barrel someday, have not decided yet. Need to pick up a stock, floor plate and spring and follower to finish the rifle off. Great looking 70 btw.

 

[tark]

.275 Rigby

Which is British for... the 7X57 Mauser.

I really don't know much about the 280 Ross, other than I've heard of it. Honestly, I picked up my most recent reloading manual, which was Hornady 11th edition, and went through the 7mm/.284 caliber section. That's where the poll choices originated and then I put a misc/other 7mms catchall in there for anything else.

Thanks for the info and comments!

Here is a .280 Ross next to an AP 30-06 round. The 280 in the pic is made from a 300 H&H case. The actual Ross round is not belted. The 300 case fireforms and expands ahead of the belt. upon firing. It only does this once. I have gotten many reloads out of the brass fireformed in this manner. The Ross round has slightly less capacity than a 7mm Rem. Mag. With todays powders it can be loaded to about 90% of a 7 Rem. mag's performance.

When I attended the 2000 Shot Show at New Orleans, The booth next to ours ( Les Baer's booth ) was holding a gun writer's seminar. Every prominent gun writer from Mike Venturino to Clint Smith to Sheriff Jim Wilson to you name it ...was there. I interrupted the meeting and asked this question: "what was the first cartridge to exceed 3000 FPS?

They all said "The 250-3000" ( AKA the 250 Savage. They were all wrong. It was the 280 Ross in 1907.

 

[JmacD]

They all said "The 250-3000" ( AKA the 250 Savage. They were all wrong. It was the 280 Ross in 1907

I believe the proper application of the word “commercial” is what changes everything in that narrative. As obsolete and hard to find as the ol “250” is, it’s more prevalent than the Ross. I will certainly stand corrected if I’m wrong.

This thread is now making me want to go find an old 7x57 just for giggles….

 

[jmorris]

Not on your list but the 7mm BR with 139 grain partitions have always done what I needed them to do.

 

[EIB0879]

I had a 7mm Rem. Mag. In a BAR but sold it many years ago without buying another 7mm. But if I was it would be a 7mm-08 bolt action rifle.

 

[.45Coltguy]

I think I clicked 7-08, but, it should have been 7x57 as that is what I started my CF rifle loniness with. Whoever sporterized it, did a wonderful job.
It now resides at my bud's place in Idaho. It still gets used. It really dotes on the Hornady Interlock 139 and, I believe, IMR4350. Fantastic round.

 

[BreechFace]

MMMMMmmmmm....7mm's the best of the M&M's.

 

[hc18flyer]

In the 1980's I was reading a lot of hunting mags. I came across a Ruger M77 in .280, absolutely couldn`t go on living without it. It shoots fine, nothing spectacular with handloads. But I think now, a 7-08 would have been a better overall choice. That said, I still drool over a M70 in 7 x 57, and want to find one! hc18flyer

 

[Howland937]

In the 1980's I was reading a lot of hunting mags. I came across a Ruger M77 in .280, absolutely couldn`t go on living without it. It shoots fine, nothing spectacular with handloads. But I think now, a 7-08 would have been a better overall choice. That said, I still drool over a M70 in 7 x 57, and want to find one! hc18flyer

My first 7mm was a M77 MK2 in .280 Rem. Bought new on clearance at BPS in 2004 for $269. It stacked the Hornady Custom factory ammo so tight, I never ended up loading for it. Deer hunted in KY 3 times with it, never shot at a deer. Sold it about 5 years later with a box and a half left of the 2 boxes of ammo I bought with it.

 

[troy fairweather]

My ruger tang safety M77 in 7x57 is normally the first gun used each season, shoots bug holes to. Best sub $400 I've spent and came with a clean Leupold vari-xii.

 

[Piranha451]

My hunting rifle for the past few decades is a Ruger No. 1-A in 7x57. I also once owned a Remington Mountain Rifle in 7x57 and a Winchester Model 100 in .284 and foolishly sold both of them.

 

[.45Coltguy]

My hunting rifle for the past few decades is a Ruger No. 1-A in 7x57. I also once owned a Remington Mountain Rifle in 7x57 and a Winchester Model 100 in .284 and foolishly both of them.
View attachment 1184005

I put a like on your post, but, man, I'd sure would have liked to have that Mountain Rifle. Ohh whee! Beautiful No.1, btw.

 

[tark]

Here is my M-10 .280 Ross rifle, along with an original catalog. Note the price and the claim on the back cover of the catalog. The rifle is a straight pull. Notice the seven locking lugs on the bolt. The Ross sporting rifles, especially this model, earned high praise from none other than Jack O'Conner himself. The military version of this rifle had its problems, but that story has nothing to do with "favorite 7mms" They were .303s anyway. My rifle has the optional 28" barrel. In the catalog is a picture of a proud hunter holding his prized .280and sitting in the middle of three dead Grizzly bears. "Three shots, three bears anchored in less than a minute." ( they really liked that word, "anchored!" )

Uhhhh... no. I don't think so. And i'm guessing a 1500 pound Grizzly is a bit harder to kill than a 500 pound lion.

 

[tark]

I believe the proper application of the word “commercial” is what changes everything in that narrative. As obsolete and hard to find as the ol “250” is, it’s more prevalent than the Ross. I will certainly stand corrected if I’m wrong.

The .280 Ross was the first cartridge to exceed 3000 Fps. Doesn't matter where or who loaded it.

 

[LoonWulf]

haven't worked up any loads for the 28 Nosler yet.

I'm currently running 180 eldm's over RL 33..... Which I can't get anymore lol.

Probably be switching to something a little more common like retumbo or h1k ...... Going to lose some velocity though.....

Anyway hard to really beat the big 7s for long distance ballistics to recoil.
The 7prc and 7mag can both drive 180s at 3000ish if properly set up, and the 28Nosler and 7STW can crank out 3150+.....The even bigger ones ive not played with yet.

Course you pay for it in barrel life and powder consumption......

 

[1948CJ2A]

I'm currently running 180 eldm's over RL 33..... Which I can't get anymore lol.

Probably be switching to something a little more common like retumbo or h1k ...... Going to lose some velocity though.....

Anyway hard to really beat the big 7s for long distance ballistics to recoil.
The 7prc and 7mag can both drive 180s at 3000ish if properly set up, and the 28Nosler and 7STW can crank out 3150+.....The even bigger ones ive not played with yet.

Course you pay for it in barrel life and powder consumption......

Thanks for the info!

Only commercial offering bigger than the 28 Nosler and 7mm STW that comes to mind would be the 7mm RUM. I've been wondering if the folks over at Weatherby were going to try and do a 7mm-378 Wby Mag, which would be utterly ridiculous but at the same time I think I might need one, LOL. Of course, that wouldn't line-up with their "RPM" series, which I'm not super excited about myself.

 

[1948CJ2A]

The .280 Ross was the first cartridge to exceed 3000 Fps. Doesn't matter where or who loaded it.

I went and looked back in the "Shooting Times" magazine from Nov 2023 and found an article on "Forgotten 7s". The 280 Ross was in that article along with a handful of others. I really dig the H&H case taper and length.

I have a family member who has a 7x61 S&H and handloads to essentially the same ballistics as the 7mm Rem Mag. It's a cool rifle and cartridge.