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

[christian1]

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.

I have a bunch of money into it plus i really like the caliber and platform. What would cause it to not shoot? I don't want to give up on it. I really want to make something work.

 

[Newtosavage]

I have a bunch of money into it plus i really like the caliber and platform. What would cause it to not shoot? I don't want to give up on it. I really want to make something work.

If I knew, I would have kept the one I had.

If I had another model Seven like that, I'd pull the barrel and order a Remage pre-fit for it.

That 2.80" magazine box is rather limiting however. I like my 3.00" Savage boxes.

 

[HeavyForCaliber]

I have a bunch of money into it plus i really like the caliber and platform. What would cause it to not shoot? I don't want to give up on it. I really want to make something work.

Like Newtosavage and I said, the factory Rem barrel is probably the issue from what you've written. His approach seems similar to mine. I actually bought a cheap used 7mm-08 Savage expecting to throw the barrel away and install a pre-fit. However, after shortening and fire lapping the barrel, bedding, and lapping the lugs it shoots <0.5 MOA 3-shot groups with 162 gr A-Max/ELD-M over 39.5 gr of Varget loaded to 2.805", so I kept it. That load will smoke whitetails past any range I will shoot. BTW the 7mm-08 like the 308 has a long free-bore so no need to chase the lands, your magazine length should work for this caliber.

If you don't want to give up on your barrel, the most common issues I come across with factory barrels are 1. many are rough out of the box and foul quickly. See previous comment for fix. and/or 2. the interior barrel dimensions. The bore should be slightly wider at the breech tapering slightly to the muzzle, any tight or loose spots degrade accuracy. You can check this by slugging the barrel (tapping a very soft lead fishing weight down it, Beartooth Bullets has instructions). I've had good results with Beartooth's low speed fire lapping as it doesn't wear down the lands like full power lapping. 3.5 gr of Trail Boss behind 1/2 sheet of Scott toilet paper and their 140 gr lapping bullet will get you about 550 fps and sort out dimensional issues if you follow their instructions.

 

[Kimber7man]

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

That could be your problem. Lead sleds are notorious for causing problems with optics. How many different scopes have you tried? Scope mounts?

 

[christian1]

That could be your problem. Lead sleds are notorious for causing problems with optics. How many different scopes have you tried? Scope mounts?

I have just stayed with the Vortex Viper 2-10 that I had put on originally.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Have you put any factory rounds through it, if yes, are they shooting the same groups as your hand loads?

What's the distance your shots will be in Northern Wisconsin where you hunt?

 

[Kimber7man]

I have just stayed with the Vortex Viper 2-10 that I had put on originally.

10-4. Might try a different scope just to eliminate that variable.

 

[christian1]

Like Newtosavage and I said, the factory Rem barrel is probably the issue from what you've written. His approach seems similar to mine. I actually bought a cheap used 7mm-08 Savage expecting to throw the barrel away and install a pre-fit. However, after shortening and fire lapping the barrel, bedding, and lapping the lugs it shoots <0.5 MOA 3-shot groups with 162 gr A-Max/ELD-M over 39.5 gr of Varget loaded to 2.805", so I kept it. That load will smoke whitetails past any range I will shoot. BTW the 7mm-08 like the 308 has a long free-bore so no need to chase the lands, your magazine length should work for this caliber.

If you don't want to give up on your barrel, the most common issues I come across with factory barrels are 1. many are rough out of the box and foul quickly. See previous comment for fix. and/or 2. the interior barrel dimensions. The bore should be slightly wider at the breech tapering slightly to the muzzle, any tight or loose spots degrade accuracy. You can check this by slugging the barrel (tapping a very soft lead fishing weight down it, Beartooth Bullets has instructions). I've had good results with Beartooth's low speed fire lapping as it doesn't wear down the lands like full power lapping. 3.5 gr of Trail Boss behind 1/2 sheet of Scott toilet paper and their 140 gr lapping bullet will get you about 550 fps and sort out dimensional issues if you follow their instructions.

From what I have read Beartooth is not in business any longer.

What would it cost to rebarrel that gun and what companies out there do that well?

chris

 

[N2TRKYS]

 

[HeavyForCaliber]

From what I have read Beartooth is not in business any longer.

What would it cost to rebarrel that gun and what companies out there do that well?

chris

Oh no, Beartooth is gone? Well any unsized very soft (BN 10?) lead bullets embedded with Clover lapping compound will work. I'll have to see if someone published his instructions somewhere as they work great.

If you want a rebarrel a Remington 700/7 there are two main options. 1. To rebarrel the factory way you'll need a lathe/reamer or a gunsmith to headspace it properly. You can ask around in your area for a good one.

2. Do a "Rem/age" conversion yourself. Uses a Savage-style barrel net threaded for a Remington action, there are lots of articles about it. Some people don't like the way a barrel nut looks but it's very easy to work on, especially when you do things that change your headspace like lap bolt lugs. You'll need a "Remage" barrel ($300-450), barrel nut ($30), recoil lug ($20), action wrench/barrel vise ($65~200), barrel nut wrench ($20), and go/no-go gauges ($20~80). You can get some/all of it at Northland Shooting Supply/Criterion, McGowen, X-Caliber, Ragged Hole, Pac-Nor, Preferred Barrel Blanks/MGM, etc. MidwayUSA & Brownells have also have some.

 

[Calbuck]

I think for hunting purposes within 250 yards, a 1.5" group isn't the end of the world. You have tried a lot of things it sounds like, but have you tried one thing at a time and ruled it out before moving to the next?

 

[HeavyForCaliber]

That could be your problem. Lead sleds are notorious for causing problems with optics. How many different scopes have you tried? Scope mounts?

Yup wasted hundreds of dollars on shooting aids just to get the best groups from sandbags made from the legs of an old pair of jeans.

 

[FLS]

I’ve had several. They’re not target rifles, they’re compact, light weight hunting rifles, and more than accurate enough for that task. A couple of them shot well , around an inch and the rest were 1.5 -2” rifles at best. They’re not built for accuracy. Thin barrels with long throats in cheap stocks. I have one left, and old wood stocked 308 that’s been bedded, and the trigger replaced with a Timney, that will stack 165 TGKs over 8208. Before I reloaded, I shot 180 grain Winchester Silvertip ( not ballistic) factory ammo. It was an MOA rifle with that ammo. I’ve had it almost 30 years and killed a ton of game with it. I had a 7 SAUM that I put in an HS Precision stock, that shot factory 160 ABs pretty well. I think the heavier barrel helped. I wouldn’t spend a lot of time or money trying to make one shoot.

 

[Kimber7man]

It’s not my rifle or money; BUT, you may wish to try another scope before spending a bunch of money on a barrel.

 

[35WhelenAI]

It’s not my rifle or money; BUT, you may wish to try another scope before spending a bunch of money on a barrel.

Good idea. It's a Vortex and we know the warranty on that. Send it back, if there's nothing wrong with it then proceed with the rifle.

Has the Bell and Carlson stock, the Timney trigger, and whatever other things you have done reduced group size from what it was stock?

Still interested what is the maximum range you will be shooting the rifle at game and have you shot factory loads through it to see what level of accuracy you get?

I agree the nature of that rifle is to be lightweight and compact. 1.5 inch groups are nothing to walk away from or spend the cost of the rifle trying to bring down to 1 inch, for example.

 

[christian1]

Good idea. It's a Vortex and we know the warranty on that. Send it back, if there's nothing wrong with it then proceed with the rifle.

Has the Bell and Carlson stock, the Timney trigger, and whatever other things you have done reduced group size from what it was stock?

Still interested what is the maximum range you will be shooting the rifle at game and have you shot factory loads through it to see what level of accuracy you get?

I agree the nature of that rifle is to be lightweight and compact. 1.5 inch groups are nothing to walk away from or spend the cost of the rifle trying to bring down to 1 inch, for example.

Hasn't changed anything.

Max range is gonna be 200 yards. I have yet to shoot any factory ammo through the gun.

I have heard from many others that 1.5" isn't bad, but with all the money that is put into that gun, all the effort to reload, all the time spent.....I think that I can justify wanting to see some better results. If it simply isn't possilbe, thats one thing. I am just not convinced that it isn't possible for this gun.

chris

 

[Rob5589]

If the gun shoots consistent 1.5" groups, how does the scope come into play? If it was all over the place then it's a consideration. It's a lightweight compact rifle that shoots 1.5 moa. Go hunt with it and stop worrying about how close together the holes in the paper are.

 

[christian1]

If the gun shoots consistent 1.5" groups, how does the scope come into play? If it was all over the place then it's a consideration. It's a lightweight compact rifle that shoots 1.5 moa. Go hunt with it and stop worrying about how close together the holes in the paper are.

That's why I reload though, right?????

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Hasn't changed anything.

Max range is gonna be 200 yards. I have yet to shoot any factory ammo through the gun.

I have heard from many others that 1.5" isn't bad, but with all the money that is put into that gun, all the effort to reload, all the time spent.....I think that I can justify wanting to see some better results. If it simply isn't possilbe, thats one thing. I am just not convinced that it isn't possible for this gun.

chris

How much more time and money are you wanting to spend? What is your threshold in dollars and hours before you will part ways with it? Include all costs to date.

There’s a point where folks are better off cutting their losses and move on.

 

[HeavyForCaliber]

Hasn't changed anything.

Max range is gonna be 200 yards. I have yet to shoot any factory ammo through the gun.

I have heard from many others that 1.5" isn't bad, but with all the money that is put into that gun, all the effort to reload, all the time spent.....I think that I can justify wanting to see some better results. If it simply isn't possilbe, thats one thing. I am just not convinced that it isn't possible for this gun.

chris

My first hunting rifle had a poltergeist, sometimes would shoot ok, sometimes all over the place. I dumped a ton of time and money and frustration into it over several years, so I can relate. I put the time and money into the wrong things first and wound up with parts for two guns before I got it where I wanted. It is definitely possible to make it shoot better, but as others have mentioned it may not be worth it.

Right now you have a compact lightweight hunting rifle that's 2X more accurate than you need for your purposes. 1. You can leave it alone and hunt. With a sporter barrel it's a poor choice for target shooting anyway due to barrel heating. 2. You can put the stock parts back on and sell everything, and get something that you like better. In today's market you may not lose too much on a stock & trigger. 3. Spend the time to learn how to accurize your rifle. A couple generations ago it was common to buy a beat-up military surplus rifle and hotrod/wildcat it. 4. Throw more money/parts at it. You'll probably never get the money back, but it may be worth it to you.