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> 7mm rem mag
7mm rem mag
@ 09:01 pm (GMT) |
Steven SandersI am looking at getting a 7mm rem mag but am debating which manufacture may be best for my needs. I intend to use it for hunting as well as distance shooting. I have been looking at several brands Christensen Arms, Remington, Tikka, Savage. Money is a consideration looking around the $800 area. Any feed aback will be helpfull.[b] |
Replies
@ 12:09 pm (GMT) |
Paul CartyRe: 7mm rem magWhat Country are you in Steven? Is second hand acceptable? |
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@ 12:43 pm (GMT) |
Steven SandersRe: 7mm rem magUSA, second hand may be an option I would need hands on before purchase however |
@ 04:08 pm (GMT) |
Bryan WebsterRe: 7mm rem magI doubt you will find a Christensen Arms rifle used for even double your $800. Around here in Canada they start new around $3,000.As to the others, some of Remington's quality control issues have resulted in less than satisfactory results in the past year or so, but seem to be improving again lately. I would save some cash then double your price objective on the rifle and go for a used Remington Sendero in 7mm Rem Mag or 300 Win mag. Then optics are another issue all together and the old adage that optic prices are best considered the same cost as the rifle for quality as well as mechanical functioning. |
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@ 07:01 pm (GMT) |
Steven SandersRe: 7mm rem magBryan, ya the christensen I was looking at was 2300 way above my budget but I liked it.Thanks for the advice |
@ 08:39 pm (GMT) |
Ryan NafeRe: 7mm rem magI have no experience with 7mm Remington, but Savage makes some of the most accurate rifles for the money. I think they're one of the best rifles for the money, period. |
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@ 10:26 pm (GMT) |
Steven SandersRe: 7mm rem magRyan what is your choice of optics |
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@ 01:09 am (GMT) |
Ryan NafeRe: 7mm rem magI don't have a lot of first-hand knowledge here, but I have a Redfield Revolution 3-9x40mm (made by Leupold, essentially a rebranded VX-1), a Leupold FX-II 4x33mm, and a Simmons 3-9x40. The Simmons came on my Savage, and it worked alright, but the Redfield was a very noticeable improvement in pretty much all categories of optical performance. The Leupold is, again, noticeably better than the Redfield, but the difference is not as stark or obvious as the difference between the Simmons and the Redfield. Optics, I think, are one of the products that really do hold to the "you get what you pay for" saying. Any of the major brands will be very similar to eachother when you're comparing similar price points. If you're in America, I think Leupold is a great scope for the money and they have an excellent warranty and custom shop. I went with a Leupold because I wanted a high-quality fixed power scope with a specific reticle, their custom shop provided one for a decent price.One thing I would say is that you should try to be realistic about how much magnification you actually need. I would also caution against 30mm main tubes if you're not hunting in extremely low light. The weight of the larger diameter tube is pretty substantial and it's not often needed. Same goes for a 50mm objective lense, they raise the center of gravity and add a lot of weight. A lot of the guys around here seem to like Sightron, Nightforce, etcetera, but I don't have any experience with using those or even looking through one at the store. All of the Nikon scopes I've examined in the same price category as a Leupold VX-2 or VX-3 looked very nice, certainly on par with the Leupolds if not a bit better as far as I could tell at the store. Chuck Hawks has a decent article on scopes: http://www.chuckhawks.com/optical_sights.htm |
@ 02:19 am (GMT) |
Jonathan KittermanRe: 7mm rem magIf you are either buying ammo or loading to SAMMI specs for COAL, I would say take a look at the Tikkas. The magazines and action can't really take much longer cartridges.You could get a T3x or T3 under your budget to get you started with. They have a good reputation for accuracy. The T3x version would give you the option of changing the grip and/or forend. You can look at the Tikka website to see the examples / features on this newer model. If you don't like the plastic stock, you can save up and change it later. You can go to Tikkaperformance or Tikkashooters for ideas. Mountain Tactical does barrels if you wanted a heavier version. Another good place to look around is the Longrangehunting forum. Snipercentral has custom rifle packages you can look at to get some ideas also. A basic, entry package of rifle, scope, stock and bipod. They currently have Howa, Remington and Tikka. That will give you some ideas of scope options, rifle stocks etc. You didn't mention what type of game or how you hunt so I wasn't sure if you were talking light weight and back packing or sitting in one place and a heavy rifle. Remington does make ADL rifles for select retailers that are a cheap way to get an action. These are blind magazine / no floorplate models but if you are planning on dropping in in a stock with AICS mags or a chassis system, this may be the way to go. The SPS models have a floorplate. Both share the same material for the stock, plastic. |
@ 02:49 am (GMT) |
john feyereisnRe: 7mm rem magSavage makes a great rifle for the money, i have an older mod 110 in 7 rem mag with a wood stock just a standard 110 blind mag, it is one of my favorite rifles it is just a bit heavier thaan a rem 700 in 270 that i have, light enough for general hunting but heavy enough to eat up some of the recoil. One negative is there is not as much selection for aftermarket parts stocks ect. Barrels are easy to find and change, triggers, magazines and stocks are somewhat limited though there are a few options out there and you should be able to find what you want or need.One option i would consider is the tikka with a laminate stock, you do t see many laminate stock tikkas bit i would think the laminate would be a bit stiffer, more solid than the plastic. |
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@ 03:31 am (GMT) |
Steven SandersRe: 7mm rem magLots of good advice glad I asked. I plan to hunt antilope to elk and bear and in between and I am will hunt both spot and stalk and from blinds or stands. I may save up for after market parts but generally shoot stock. What abouf adding a muzzle break any opinions here |
@ 09:31 am (GMT) |
Hamish GibbsRe: 7mm rem magHi Steven, my advice is to do yourself and hunted game a favour and go to the store section on this website and have a browse at the reading material on offer, I do not know the foster family so just coming from somebody who has learnt the hard/expensive way before I bought Nathans books. You will save yourself money I guarantee it and be alot wiser for it. Its bloody hard to sum up what an eye opener these books are to someone like myself who was fishing forums to find what I wanted to hear.Ryan. I believe alot of guys round here(including myself from experience)like sightron and the likes because of the repeatability of the turrets or zero which even some high end sport optics are not great at, this is covered in the books and is essential for long range. Also I'm not sure how much 30mm tube has much to do with low light performance but mainly adjustment range, again important for long range. I think you will find all your answers and plenty more in these books Steven, you will not regret it |
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@ 09:40 pm (GMT) |
Ryan NafeRe: 7mm rem mag[quote hamish]Ryan. I believe alot of guys round here(including myself from experience)like sightron and the likes because of the repeatability of the turrets or zero which even some high end sport optics are not great at, this is covered in the books and is essential for long range. Also I'm not sure how much 30mm tube has much to do with low light performance but mainly adjustment range, again important for long range...[/quote] If you're doing really long range shooting (500+ yards) then the adjustment increase would be nice and the weight wouldn't be an issue for prone shooting either, unless you're hiking a lot and want reduced weight for that. The larger tube does have better internal light transmission but it's not necessary for most hunting conditions. Same goes for the 50mm+ objective lenses, they're not necessary for most hunting conditions and simply add weight and negatively impact the handling. |
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@ 10:28 pm (GMT) |
Hamish GibbsRe: 7mm rem magHi thanks Ryan I guess what's missing here is Stevens thoughts when he says distance shooting, you and I may have totally different translations of this which would in turn have completely different ideal solutions such as ideal scope power which would affect which tube diameter and objective was suitable? I certainly am no expert and have questions myself about suitable scope power for what id like to achieve, its not shooting to the moon but will have a 30mm tube. Steven seems to have some good rifles in his lineup, just think the books will help him go on with eyes wide open, not getting told what to buy but knowing the pros and cons of each and then working out what was most suitable for his needs as only he knows the true intended use. |
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@ 11:34 pm (GMT) |
Ryan NafeRe: 7mm rem magQuote: ...I guess what's missing here is Stevens thoughts when he says distance shooting...
This is true. I get what you're saying, and I'm sure the books would be tremendously helpful, especially if the website could be taken as an indication of the nature of the books. All I'm essentially saying is that someone (literally anyone) should think long and seriously about what exactly they are looking for the optic to be able to do, research as much as they can, and go from there. A lot of people nowadays seem to be gravitating towards 30mm, high magnification, and large objective lenses, doing so almost by default. They then end up with a huge and heavy optic that unbalances the rifle. Ordinarily, the drawbacks I just mentioned would be offset by the advantages that the features in question give for long range or low light shooting. The problem is that not very many people shoot big game at ranges where 14x magnification or 100+ MOA of adjustment is needed. |
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@ 02:44 am (GMT) |
Jonathan KittermanRe: 7mm rem magSteven, what did you end up with? It looks like you posted in Long Range concerning ammo. |
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@ 08:33 am (GMT) |
Hamish GibbsRe: 7mm rem magRyan I think we are agreed on that one, just went back to the rifles text today and main mentions for 30mm tube are robustness and positive click adjustments but will stop there because ill only get it wrong anyhow, these books are not just for the newbie's incase you got me wrong.Just a point to ponder, the scope I currently have on my rifle is a weaver superslam 3-15 50 with 25mm tube, think it tips in at around 30oz(please forgive me for not researching exact facts but comp down so on phone), this scope does not feel right on the rifle as you mentioned about balance, I own a 6-24 50 scope with 30 mm tube that comes in lighter. Possible replacements are a vx6 3-18 with 30mm(very light but out of my budget), or a sightron stac 3-16 42 or 4-20 50, both have 30mm tube but the specs I read show round the same weight as each other??? All these scopes are far lighter than the weaver 25mm tube so guess there's no strict rules?? One could ask what is lighter or stronger, a thin 30mm tube or a thick 25mm tube(all else being equal). I am not actually shy of putting a little weight on this rifle as long as is balanced as hoping it will help tame recoil a little. Anyhow it's pretty painful typing on phone so happy hunting. |
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@ 12:46 pm (GMT) |
Ryan NafeRe: 7mm rem mag"Possible replacements are a vx6 3-18 with 30mm(very light but out of my budget), or a sightron stac 3-16 42 or 4-20 50, both have 30mm tube but the specs I read show round the same weight as each other??? All these scopes are far lighter than the weaver 25mm tube so guess there's no strict rules??"Obviously there will be some variation in scope weights between different manufacturers and sizes, however, all of those scopes you mentioned (not sure which Weaver you mean, they currently make a 3-15x42 or a 4-20x50) are around the same weight (19oz. - 25oz.). All of them are significantly heavier than most 1" scopes with similar magnification and objective lenses, though nothing in that size/magnification category are particularly light weight anyway. It also doesn't make much sense to say that it's only the tube diameter and thickness that are influencing weight, as all the internal components will be larger diameter as well in correspondence to the larger main tube. As an example of this: Leupold VX-2 1-4x20mm (1" tube) - 8.10oz. Leupold VX-6 1-6x24mm (30mm tube) - 13.4oz. The only other justification I see for 50mm+ objective lenses is if you really are shooting at high magnification, as the larger exit pupil would be nice. Again, if you're really reaching way out there, then you don't have much choice anyway and the weight/bulk isn't likely to be a big deal. But if you're hunting out of blinds, tree stands, etc. at normal hunting ranges, you're going to get tired of having a 1.5lb. tube sitting 1.5 inches above the bore, especially if the rifle isn't particularly heavy. The question is really just "what range will I encounter game at, and where can I practice shooting at the same range?" Then you pick the appropriate optic. |
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@ 07:34 pm (GMT) |
Steven SandersRe: 7mm rem magMy final purchase was a savage 11/111 fcns 7mm rem mag I purchased a Sightron 624-50 lrmoa 2. I also took the advice and am reading practical guide to long range shooting and plan to read some of the others also. I appreciate all the advice and friendly banter it is very helpful |
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@ 02:39 am (GMT) |
Hamish GibbsRe: 7mm rem magOn ya Steven, those SIII are awsome value, Lotta scope for the money. The books are gold too, as you'll find out.GLHF |
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@ 03:10 am (GMT) |
Hamish GibbsRe: 7mm rem magOh, and Ryan I understand and agree with your point about different manufacturers and weight's I was just trying to put up an objective view towards the idea that a certain tube diameter was always necessarily heavier than another, although commonly......The scope I was mainly referring to is a weaver superslam 3-15x50 with those heavy pop up turrets and illuminated duplex, still thinking it's around the 30oz? Might be discontinued?(probably had to pull an extreme example out of my ar#*) |
@ 08:18 pm (GMT) |
Martin TaylorRe: 7mm rem magI use both the SIII 6-24 & the Weaver 4-20 mentioned, equally great scopes with there own strengths. That SIII will sit nicely on the 7mm, helping tame the recoil and has the most eye relief of the two.As mentioned they can make things feel a little top heavy especially with the plastic stock on the rifle in the link. You will be glad of the weight for accuracy/LR work, possibly also looking at adding weight into the stock cavities to balance the rifle in the hands. I often use the TBR stock stab kit to stiffen the front and add a little weight then add wrapped up lead weight to the rear. |
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