Help with a deer load for my 7mm08 Remington Model 7

[christian1]

Purchased a Model 7 in 7mm08 a couple years ago after I went deer hunting with a buddy who loved his. Seemed like a perfect Northern Wisconsin deer rifle. Short, light, perfect caliber, etc. My problem has been that I have never been able to get the gun to shoot. I've been all over the board with this gun. I have tried different bullets, powder, put a Bell and Carlson stock on it, put a Timney trigger in it, etc. So far I haven't been able to really tighten up my groups. Sure, they are ok. I'm shooting 1.5" group at 100 yards, but with all the extras and custom loads I expect more out of this gun. I have had zero problems getting two 7mmMags to go well under sub MOA with my custom loads. So what gives? It's a short barrel that is very thin. Cartidge length tends to be limited by the box style mag. What load/bullet combo would you be trying or have tried to get this gun to shoot sub MOA?????

chris

 

[Pickettpuncher]

I would start by making sure the barrel is free floated. Might try bedding the action. Make sure everything is tight as it should be. Not sure what ammo you’ve tried, or even what reloading combos you’ve used, but a 120 nbt pushed by either rl15 or varget should shoot great, or maybe try the eldx pushed by big game powder.

 

[christian1]

I would start by making sure the barrel is free floated. Might try bedding the action. Make sure everything is tight as it should be. Not sure what ammo you’ve tried, or even what reloading combos you’ve used, but a 120 nbt pushed by either rl15 or varget should shoot great, or maybe try the eldx pushed by big game powder.

Putting the gun on the Bell and Carlson stock has made sure the barrel is free floated. I have checked with paper and it is free of obstructions. The orignal Remington stock I had no confidence in. Poor quality plastic. Both stocks have produced similar patterns/results.

I have tried Varget, IMR 4895 and IMR 4350 under a bunch of bullets (Hammer, Barnes, Accubond, Partition) from 120-150 grains.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

Have you tried loading close to the lands. I know they won’t fit in the box and you’ll essentially have a single shot, or maybe a 2 shot rifle.

 

[christian1]

Have you tried loading close to the lands. I know they won’t fit in the box and you’ll essentially have a single shot, or maybe a 2 shot rifle.

I have messed with seating depth some. I'm not gonna say I have covered all bases even with the stuff I have tried. I guess I am looking for others input. Is there a better powder/bullet combo people have used? Does the short barrel on the Model 7 lend itself to certain weight bullets? I'm basically looking for what others have found works for them with this type of short action, short barrel rifle.

chris

 

[N2TRKYS]

I’m loading for 3 different Remington Model Seven rifles and have had no difficulties with getting 1/2” or better groups with all of them. I’m using 120 and 140 grain bullets.

I’ve never found loading them mag length to be an issue or limiting.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

I have messed with seating depth some. I'm not gonna say I have covered all bases even with the stuff I have tried. I guess I am looking for others input. Is there a better powder/bullet combo people have used? Does the short barrel on the Model 7 lend itself to certain weight bullets? I'm basically looking for what others have found works for them with this type of short action, short barrel rifle.

chris

I had a 700 sps in 7-08. What I mentioned in my first thread produced my best results, but it wasnt much better than yours. It found a new home

 

[christian1]

I’m loading for 3 different Remington Model Seven rifles and have had no difficulties with getting 1/2” or better groups with all of them. I’m using 120 and 140 grain bullets.

Do you mind being more specific? Do you find a certain powder or primer or bullet or combo of all three make a difference?

 

[Rob5589]

For my Tikka T3, 120TTSX, R15, CCI BR2, Norma brass. I use a max powder load from Barnes.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Do you mind being more specific? Do you find a certain powder or primer or bullet or combo of all three make a difference?

Pm to you.

 

[Tmac]

Sometimes those skinny barrels shoot well with just a small pressure point against the bottom of the barrel near the end of the stock. If it is the 20” skinny barrel, it’s worth a try. Some Remington stocks used to come this way.

I’ve been known to use small pieces of expired credit cards, chunks of nylon washers, etc, anything inert you can stack there and secure temporarily with tape to apply pressure to see if it helps, then I go with something more permanent epoxied or JB welded in if it helped. There may be better ways to accomplish this, I’m no expert, but it helped me once upon a time with a M7. If you are near a TAP Plastics, they usually have a bin of odds and ends where a guy could find some material cheap should you need to make a permanent pressure point.

 

[EdP]

Pm to you.

Please copy me. I have a mid-80s wood stock M7 that I am trying to develop a load for.

 

[Dead eye BT]

How long are you waiting between shots at the range? I have several skinny barreled rifles that will shoot two inch groups at 100 yards, unless I let the barrel cool off completely between shots.

I have the exact same Model Seven SS 7-08 as the OP, but mine is still wearing the plastic factory stock. When allowed to cool off completely between shots, mine shoots half inch groups with a variety of hand loaded bullets.

 

[christian1]

How long are you waiting between shots at the range? I have several skinny barreled rifles that will shoot two inch groups at 100 yards, unless I let the barrel cool off completely between shots.

I have the exact same Model Seven SS 7-08 as the OP, but mine is still wearing the plastic factory stock. When allowed to cool off completely between shots, mine shoots half inch groups with a variety of hand loaded bullets.

3 minutes timed with a barrel cooling fan in the action.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I’ve never waited between shots to get good groups. I shoot 3, then wait. Never been an issue.

 

[HeavyForCaliber]

Do the groups have a pattern to them? Usually barrel heating looks like a consecuitive group of 3 and then flyers. Horizontal double grouping can be caused by the stock bedding, vertical grouping caused by the forend or rest location. Many polymer stocks are floppy in the forend and shoot more consistenly with the front rest all the way back in front of the magwell. BTW, when diagnosing issues it can help to use sandbags instead of bipods/rests.

 

[christian1]

Do the groups have a pattern to them? Usually barrel heating looks like a consecuitive group of 3 and then flyers. Horizontal double grouping can be caused by the stock bedding, vertical grouping caused by the forend or rest location. Many polymer stocks are floppy in the forend and shoot more consistenly with the front rest all the way back in front of the magwell. BTW, when diagnosing issues it can help to use sandbags instead of bipods/rests.

I have always used a lead sled. I moved and threw out the targets, but it's basically just a spread out group of 3 or 5 whichever I shoot. They don't seem to track up/down left/right in any pattern

 

[N2TRKYS]

Please copy me. I have a mid-80s wood stock M7 that I am trying to develop a load for.

Pm

 

[HeavyForCaliber]

Since you did the work I assume everything is tight - the stock to the action, bases to receiver, rings to bases, etc.

Unfortunately sounds like the barrel, and recent Savage/Rem factory barrels I've dealt with are a mixed bag. The copper fouling rate can tell you if break-in will help. First need to get all the copper out (Clean the powder out with hoppe's, then soak a patch in a copper solvent like Montana X-treme and run it through once with an aluminum jag (brass will show false positive blue). Let it sit a few minutes and then run another patch through until they come out white.)
Then take 1 shot and repeat. If the first patch after the soak has a little faint blue/green in the center, this isn't your issue. On the other hand, I've worked on a couple factory rifles whose barrels were so rough that a single shot made the first patch deep blue. To fix it shoot 1, clean, repeat until the first patch comes out light blue. Then 2 to 3 shots between cleanings. For a good but rough carbon barrel it should only take 5 to 10 of these break-in shots or so, stainless 10 to 15, really rough Melonite barrels have taken 20+. This has brought several rifles from 1.5-3 MOA down to 0.75 to 1.5 MOA with factory ammo. A couple still have needed to be fire lapped to sort them out but then shoot great.

 

[Newtosavage]

Purchased a Model 7 in 7mm08 a couple years ago after I went deer hunting with a buddy who loved his. Seemed like a perfect Northern Wisconsin deer rifle. Short, light, perfect caliber, etc. My problem has been that I have never been able to get the gun to shoot. I've been all over the board with this gun. I have tried different bullets, powder, put a Bell and Carlson stock on it, put a Timney trigger in it, etc. So far I haven't been able to really tighten up my groups. Sure, they are ok. I'm shooting 1.5" group at 100 yards, but with all the extras and custom loads I expect more out of this gun. I have had zero problems getting two 7mmMags to go well under sub MOA with my custom loads. So what gives? It's a short barrel that is very thin. Cartidge length tends to be limited by the box style mag. What load/bullet combo would you be trying or have tried to get this gun to shoot sub MOA?????

chris

I'm sorry to say that I also once had a model Seven in 7mm-08. Never could get it to shoot worth a darn. Free floated the barrel, bought a new stock, bedded the stock, etc. Finally got tired of messing with it and sold it. I've never missed it.