beans
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Posts: 248
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Post by beans on Jul 3, 2016 15:54:37 GMT -5
So, I have been meaning to go to camp and do a little shooting for a few weeks but have gotten busy trying to fill the new firewood shed I built. Well that's done. My step son graduated last weekend and decided that since he was finally 18 he would go out and buy his own new gun. (I've gotten him a .17, 12 ga, and a .270) He decided on a Mini-14...Fantastic...and he paid for it with his own cash. Better yet. these are awesome guns and I once owned one when I was about his age.
We shot that a little bit. Some hand guns and then I broke out my .243 Mod 700 26" varmint and some 100 gr Pro-hunter reloads that the gun is sighted for. Haven't shot it since November when getting it ready as a spare deer gun. He broke out his .270 as well with some 130 gr Win power-point factory loads that he was sighted in for since the fall.
We each shot 3 shot groups at 100 and 200 yds which is as far as I can shoot around here with a good bench set-up. The .243 printed 3 shots at about 5/8" at 100 and 3 shots at 200 yds at 1.45". Not bad. Adam's not a great bench shooter/trigger squeezer but he still put 3 shots inside 4" at 200 yds, centered around the bull, that would have killed anything he shot at. His 100 yd group was about the same because he pulled the 1st shot bad. I have benched his gun a few times and it is a real tack driver. Rem 700, wood stock, medium sporter barrel. Beautiful gun.
It was good to get out. Next time I plan on doing the same with my Rem 700 7mm Mag. This gun is a 1st year production (1961 I think) 24" sporter. Not bedded, factory trigger...total stock gun and older than me. The rifle shoots as good or better then the .243 at the ranges I have shot. Many groups at 1/2" 5/8" at 100 yds and a few groups at 200 yds under an inch. Nothing worse than 2". Favorite handload is a 120 Barnes TTSX and 72 gr Re22 at a measured 3,425 fps. Backed WAY off the lands. 3.24 OAL. This load has never thrown a flyer and always impresses. Shot probably around 100 of these loads...only one at a deer. A doe at 160 yds that I thought I missed...but I didn't. Lung shot and short death run in a swamp.
Now I am an OK shot but I do not shoot a ton with these guns. I am a very good trigger squeezer and am not afraid of a good thumpin as long as it doesn't hurt.
It was fun to send some rounds down range.
After I do the 7mm action I'll break out the Marlin 336 30-30. This may have become my most prized rifle for what I do. It carries like a dream. Shoots 170 gr FP handloads extremely well out to 200 yds. I've killed 5 deer with 5 shots over the last 2 seasons with "pocket" shots. 30-100 yds. All deer ran at least 50 yds dead on their feet. All bullets were pass thrus and collateral damage is minimum. In the past 3-4 years I have become to LOVE the 30-30. It's about perfect for me. I have dedicated a lot of funds to make sure I can shoot this rifle a lot forever. Win 748 and speer 170 FP's are overly plentiful in my cabinet.
Enough rambling....been meaning to post on the rifle forum for a while.
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Post by keith on Jul 3, 2016 16:07:32 GMT -5
Glad you got out to shoot. Trivia time: what was different about those first 7mm Rem Mag guns from later models?
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Post by bowhunter836 on Jul 3, 2016 16:52:28 GMT -5
Sounds like fun! And not sure on the trivia question although im really interested in the answer because I have a 7mm from thoroughbred rifles that I expect to pick up in the next few weeks
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Post by keith on Jul 3, 2016 17:33:43 GMT -5
I'm sure you'll love it. The 7mm Rem Mag is an awesome cartridge and my go to hunting rifle for about 20 years now.
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Post by hillbill on Jul 4, 2016 6:28:09 GMT -5
it's good to get the time to get out and shoot.
My favorite memories when I was very small were with my grandfather and my old Winchester model 74 .22 auto loader, he said it was mine and it was my responsibility to keep it clean and take care of it until I got to take possession on my 12th birthday. looking back I see his thinking, he would keep ammo there and hidden where I couldn't find it but it kept me coming to visit on a very regular basis. On average we would go through a brick a month and sometimes in a week. His front porch had .22 cases lying around everywhere.
my bicycle would make the 1 1/2 mile trip there on a very regular basis and I was always greeted with "boy, you want to shoot", great memories those were. maybe some day I will have a grandson I can spoil in the same manner.
Those old 700s are shooters, I have had a few over the years, one in 6mm rem was particularly accurate, another 22-250 varmint special was a tac driver, both long gone.
I too am fond of the old levers, I have several Savage 99s, one in particular in .308 is very accurate, with 150 grn core lokts I have shot several clover leafs @ 100 with a 1.5x5 vari-x III sitting on top from the bench. those old guns are a dream to carry and will dispatch any deer walking at a reasonable distance.
I have shot less in the past 6 or 8 months than any time in recent memory, I have a new muzzleloader build waiting to be shot and several ARs with loads that need to be fine tuned but?
these days with 4 kids, (1 just graduated from UT and 2 still at home) there is little time to do anything but run to games and practices, with two older children I realize this will quickly pass and I need to make the most of it before they too go off on their own. Life passes quickly and at my age looking back I see a lot of things I could have done differently or done a better job at but I have never regretted time spend hunting with my son and shooting with the others. good memories!
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beans
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Posts: 248
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Post by beans on Jul 4, 2016 7:01:20 GMT -5
Keith,
I am not sure the answer to your trivia question but I would like to know. When I bought this gun, the guy selling it was a Lefty. He finally saved up and custom ordered a left hand brand new Rem 700 7mm Mag. He wanted to sell his old gun to finance a good scope. He brought it to work and let me take it home for the night to look it over. He was asking $325. As I put the gun in my truck I already knew it wouldn't be coming back. It's not in perfect shape but very functional. I got him down to $300 due to the scratched up stock and missing front sight (Which I would have removed anyway)
When looking up the serial number I was a little surprised that it was the 1st year they made them and thought it was pretty cool. I was not looking to get a 7mm Mag either, wasn't even on my radar. But, these days, when good guns are available, you just grab them regardless of caliber. That's my philosophy anyway.
I did a lot of experimenting with this gun. If you remember Keith, I bought (150) heads from you a few years ago. 175 gr Nosler partitions. Still have most of them. I have shot the following:
150 scirroco's - inconsistent but I didn't play around with the seating depth to much and only 2 powders
160 Partitions - This is the bullet I wanted to work out. Almost always puts 2 shots in the same hole and then prints another couple of shots in a different group 2 inches away. Did it several times and I am still scratching my head on that one???
175 Game Kings - These always shoot great with any powder. I may not be done with these just yet.
175 Partitions - Never found a combo that would do better than 1 1/2" (Keith you want these back? LOL)
120 Barnes TTSX - Glory combo (72 gr Re22) and for what I do and how much I shoot, I can't see experimenting anymore. These coppers, even light for caliber, are not stubby at all and I think their BC is stated around .36? Not bad for any shot I will ever take.
So, what's the answer to the trivia? I give up. I was going to try and figure it out on the net but I will just wait.
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Post by keith on Jul 4, 2016 9:11:25 GMT -5
I don't know that it is stamped on every one but most of them have Stainless Barrels and are stamped Stainless Steel even though they were blackened. The thought was that it was going to eat barrels and Stainless might improve barrel life.
I found this out when I worked at the gunshop. A guy had his house broken into and had an early model 7mm stolen. Insurance couldn't replace it with a like model since they don't have blackened Stainless guns with wood BDL stocks. As a result they paid us to build him one. We ordered a BDL and barreled it with a Stainless Lilja and Cerakote Graphite Black with a little extra hardener. Trued, bedded, etc. Dude made out like a bandit.
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Post by dannoboone on Jul 4, 2016 12:02:29 GMT -5
How well does that little rifle group? Is his a later model? Have read that the earlier productions had very thin barrels that needed something like an "Accu-Strut" mounted to keep the barrel from wondering. Seems like Ruger used heavier barrels later on. I'm thinking about getting one, but a little worried about accuracy. My oldest son brought out his AR, 9mm & .45 on Father's Day. That was a "blast", to say the least.  |
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beans
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Posts: 248
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Post by beans on Jul 4, 2016 12:40:27 GMT -5
It hasn't been truly tested yet. More off hand shooting at 50 yds with open sights. It's a brand new gun. I have heard the stories too. The one I bought 30+ years ago and wore a cheap 3 x 9 tasco on in and it shot very well. My friend son bought one 2 years ago and it was absolutely horrible. Like 4 - 5" groups at 100. He put that strut on there and it helps but it is not a tack driver.
I will say that if it's for close range self defense it shouldn't matter too much even though it's nice when a gun will shoot accurately. Mine never jammed once. Adam's has maybe 100 rds thru it. Std American Eagle 55 fmj's and Wolf steel case stuff. No failures of any kind.
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beans
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Posts: 248
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Post by beans on Jul 4, 2016 15:08:25 GMT -5
Keith, if this is not stamped on my barrel, how would I verify this? I have a serial number of course. Would that also help determine? If you can figure that out, PM me and I will give you the number. I guess it is only a quirky trivia thing but it would be cool to know. She is a great shooter no matter what the barrel is.
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Post by deadeye on Jul 4, 2016 17:48:36 GMT -5
7mm's are awesome & if I had only one caliber to hunt short & long from varmints to big game the 7mm would get the call.
loaded w/ 120gn v-max a much excellent long & short range varmint gun.
with usually retumbo & say 168gn plus class bullets in my set-ups it is very effective @ 1k plus.
keith's other handle 7mmfreak indicates his love for this caliber & can offer much more direction than I in this caliber.
have fun & good luck with your gun beans! |
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beans
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Posts: 248
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Post by beans on Jul 4, 2016 20:28:16 GMT -5
I have become fond of it even if I don't use it much. Nothing like touching it off under the eve of the hunting camp and having acorns, beechnuts and leaves rain down off the roof from the concussion. Only our hot loaded Savages seem able to raise that stuff. LOL
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Post by Richard on Jul 6, 2016 20:39:31 GMT -5
My first western mulie came with a commercial FN mauser barreled action I bedded in a Bishop stock in 7mm mag. Shot was 400 yards down hill at the buck facing me. Held on the top of the head and took him right thru the front of the neck. He is actually looking at now as I type this. 150 gr. Ballistic tip!  gif hosting |
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