Mild Recoiling 7mm (preferably) Ideas

[collbenn]

I'm looking for cartridge suggestions for a mild recoiling 7mm (preferably). I've used a 7 mag for a few years, but I'm looking to change for the following reasons:

• Recoil, the recoil of my 7 mag with a suppressor isn't that bad, but I do recognize the benefits of lighter recoil. It's difficult to spot shots. I also have a 6.5 CM that I definitely shoot better, and the only real difference between those two rifles, both Tikkas, is the cartridge.
• I want a shorter barrel. I hunt with a suppressor, which gets looong on an already long barrel.
• The heat produced by the magnum cartridge makes practicing more difficult. I can get 3 shots down range before I start getting fliers due to heat.
• I kind of just want something new.

What I'm looking for:

• Effective on elk sized game out to 650 yards.
• Works well in a 20 inch barrel.
• Recoils less than a 7 mag.
• The less gunsmithing required the better outside of installing a new barrel.
• I would prefer a 7mm. I like the BC of 7mms and the weight over smaller calibers.

This all sounds like the description of a 6.5 prc, but I'm just not totally sold on the bullet offerings for the 6.5 prc on elk.

Side note, I don't currently reload, but I would be open to reloading.

 

[collbenn]

Forgot to clearly describe my usage. This will be a western hunting rifle used primarily for elk in backpack hunting situations.

 

[180ls1]

6.5 PRC with 156 EOL. I can't think of a better tradeoff (all things considered) that fits your needs.

Just realize you're going to have to "give up" somewhere given the parameters you outlined.

 

[bigunit]

280 ackley is quite possibly your best option for those parameters. I recently built one based on a tikka action with a 22" barrel and a stockys carbon stock. All in its right at 8lbs and recoil is very manageable even without a brake. It's quite a bit less than the 7mm mag I had in a tikka previously. You could also go 7saum which would be quite similar but I already had the .473 bolt face action.
284 win would have been my next choice.
I went 280 due to brass availability and ease of finding load data. I have no regrets.

 

[wind gypsy]

284 win. But really your 6.5 is fine.

Edit to add: If'n i were you I'd back into what kind of velocity you need with the 160 class bullets to be happy and look at what each cartridge will push them (without max pressure) in a 20" tube. Going lighter than the 160 class pills negates your desire for a 7mm on account of BC because you're getting close to 6.5 bullet weights and will have bullets with lower BC than their 6.5 counterparts. 280AI and 7 SAUM are cool cartridges but its not that big step down from 7 RM recoil. Get much below 284 win and you're not going to get much for velocity in a 20" tube with 160 class bullets. Long and short of it is if you want to push high BC 7mm bullets at decent speed in a light rifle without a brake, there's going to be some recoil.

 

[Alg22]

I just posted add for a Bergara 30-06 that is super mild shooting, would work great if you walk 200 yards closer.

 

[wildwilderness]

7mm Saum has worked really well, that's what I have. Nothing wrong with a 7mm-08 either, I have one as well...

 

[ResearchinStuff]

just cut your creed to 20" and go hunt, you'll have 650 yards of terminal range and then some. larger bullets have more mass for the same bc, so to get the same starting velocity in a larger diameter, i.e. same external ballistics, you have to endure more recoil. if you give up starting velocity, then you're intentionally giving up external ballistics, i.e. hit rate, in preference for frontal diameter, which is not a logically defensible decision.

 

[fisherman983]

A 6.5 prc with 147s will do everything you would ever ask of it.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[IrkedCitizen]

If you decide to reload you can do the 7PRCW which is 6.5prc necked up to 7mm. Pretty sure ADG is coming out with headstamped brass. Or go with the 6UM. Both would just be a barrel swap on your 7RM Tikka.

 

[collbenn]

280 ackley is quite possibly your best option for those parameters. I recently built one based on a tikka action with a 22" barrel and a stockys carbon stock. All in its right at 8lbs and recoil is very manageable even without a brake. It's quite a bit less than the 7mm mag I had in a tikka previously. You could also go 7saum which would be quite similar but I already had the .473 bolt face action.
284 win would have been my next choice.
I went 280 due to brass availability and ease of finding load data. I have no regrets.

Do you have limitations with COL? The looking around I've done so far seems to say that you're limited to 160s for 280ai in a Tikka. The 280ai has always been attractive to me though.

 

[JohnJohnson]

• I want a shorter barrel. I hunt with a suppressor, which gets looong on an already long barrel.
• The heat produced by the magnum cartridge makes practicing more difficult. I can get 3 shots down range

I agree with @wind gypsy on cutting the barrel. Also I assume from the 3 shot thing that you don't use a suppressor cover? Get one.

 

[wind gypsy]

Do you have limitations with COL? The looking around I've done so far seems to say that you're limited to 160s for 280ai in a Tikka. The 280ai has always been attractive to me though.

Depends how you're limiting yourself. You can seat a 175 EH or 180 VLD to under 3.34" in a 280 AI without the front of the bearing surface being inside the front of the case neck but its going to be seated deep and likely jumping a good bit. I'd prefer a 284 though in a tikka.

 

[bigunit]

Do you have limitations with COL? The looking around I've done so far seems to say that you're limited to 160s for 280ai in a Tikka. The 280ai has always been attractive to me though.

No not really. My chamber doesn't have a ton of freebore so I couldn't seat much longer than mag length anyway. I'd have to look at my notes to say for sure but the 180 eldm hits the rifling at around 3.400" coal anyway so even with the 3.350 tikka mag length I'm only jumping it 50 thou. I guess i lose a bit of powder capacity but I'm getting good velocity as well as accuracy so I can't complain. I'm shooting the 180s at 2820 and 162-165 right around 2900 fps.

 

[collbenn]

I agree with @wind gypsy on cutting the barrel. Also I assume from the 3 shot thing that you don't use a suppressor cover? Get one.

I do have a suppressor cover for use at the range. My issue isn't with mirage from the suppressor. After the first couple strings of shooting I can only get about 3 shots until the barrel gets too hot and I get fliers. I probably could wait a long time for the barrel to cool between strings and get a little more than 3 shots, but that goes back to it just being a pain to practice with.

 

[TaperPin]

Rather than using the 7 mag for practice, maybe keep it as it is and get a 223 for a trainer. More guns must be better than fewer guns?!

The 6.5 PRC isn’t far behind the 7 mag as far as recoil.

 

[Bbell12]

7 SAW checks most of those boxes.

 

[TheViking]

Rather than using the 7 mag for practice, maybe keep it as it is and get a 223 for a trainer. More guns must be better than fewer guns?!

The 6.5 PRC isn’t far behind the 7 mag as far as recoil.

I disagree with that...my 6.5 PRC with a brake is a kid's gun on recoil.
7 mag isn't a hammer, but it's noticeably more.

 

[Harvey_NW]

Do you have limitations with COL? The looking around I've done so far seems to say that you're limited to 160s for 280ai in a Tikka. The 280ai has always been attractive to me though.

@wind gypsy is spot on. With a 162 in a Tikka mag I was jumping .120" on my 280AI, and smashing polymer tips from recoil loaded at functional mag length. Had it rechambered to 284 Win and throated for 165's to be .050" off when seated with boat tail edge at bottom of the neck, and now have plenty of room and getting the same speeds with 6gr less powder.

 

[collbenn]

Rather than using the 7 mag for practice, maybe keep it as it is and get a 223 for a trainer. More guns must be better than fewer guns?!

The 6.5 PRC isn’t far behind the 7 mag as far as recoil.

I'm working on setting up my 6.5 CM exactly the same as my western hunting rifle for this reason. The 6.5 will be my primary practice rifle once that's done, but I'll still put in some sessions with whatever the other rifle end up being.