7mm Mag: Improve or buy new

[Killbox Alpha]

Gentlemen,
I am looking for some outside opinions here. Not looking to discussion pro's and con's on the caliber but more on creative ideas on how to improve the existing rifle or if I am to buy new, what options are out there in 7mm mag. Let me start out by saying this is a hunting rifle. I don't usually shoot it over 300yds but I have every intention of doing so in the near future. As it sits today, it is a Remington 700, stainless, hunting barrel, standard black hunting stock. It is roughly 15 yrs old, and it is my first centerfire rifle. I am unsure of what direction I'd like to go with this. My dilemina is, I want to shoot this rifle suppressed but because of it being a standard hunting barrel, the OD of the barrel does not allow enough material for threads and a shoulder to be cut. My thought was to rebarrel it but by the time I'm done with that, I have more in the rifle than what I paid for it. Looking for suggestions on creative ways to "modifiy" or ideas on what I could buy that will allow a break/suppressor. Thanks in advance.

 

[Trevor300wsm]

Re: 7mm Mag: Improve or buy new

Kill box, I'm going to send you a PM.

 

[SigsauerP229]

Re: 7mm Mag: Improve or buy new

It will be cheaper to modify since you already own it. If you were looking to buy/build a 7mm mag I'd say go with a Stiller action to build or find a used 7mm Rem Police but since you already own the action you'd be hard pressed to come out ahead by starting over.

 

[Shootnjunky]

Re: 7mm Mag: Improve or buy new

My buddy and i have been discussing the same thing. He has a ruger m77 in 7mm and i have been trying to get him to dump it for a 700 in .308 so we can build our guns at the same time.

I am curious what you decide killbox

 

[fdkay]

Re: 7mm Mag: Improve or buy new

A couple of things:

What are you hunting?
If you wish to rebarrel, then yes, you'll have more into the work than the original cost. But you'll have a much better rifle because of it.

If your shots are less than 500 yards, then the 7mm mag is a bit of overkill for most game. Not that overkill is a bad thing.

If you are hunting Texas deer and hogs, you can do with a lot less and still have gas in the tank at extended ranges.

Texas deer are quite small, you can just about take them with a slingshot at close range. The pigs, however, can be bruisers.

The 7mm Mag is an excellent cartridge. Accurate, hard hitting, a plethora of high BC bullets available. One of the very best belted magnums ever created. The problem is, it is a barrel burner.

If you wish to keep it as a 7mm Mag and don't expect to shoot more than 300 or so rounds a year, by all means, rebarrel and true the action.
If you don't wish to spend 650 for a match barrel install and you only wish to have an accurate hunting rifle, this is my suggestion:
Send your barreled action to ER Shaw
Have a Remington Varmint/Sendero Contour 7mm RM barrel installed with a new recoil lug and action truing.
With a stainless steel barrel, this will set you back about 450 bucks. Add another 60 for lapping the lugs if you wish. Have them thread the barrel for a suppressor, not sure of the cost for that.

Install said barreled action in a B&C long action M40 stock.
You will now have an accurate, suppressor ready long range hunting rifle.

ER Shaw barrels are not the equivalent of the higher end match barrels, but they are better than a factory tube, and the price is very reasonable.

 

[mdesign]

Re: 7mm Mag: Improve or buy new

Maybe you could find a take-off sendero barrel in 7RM and put it in a Manners stock. The Shaw recommendation above is not a bad one.

 

[UNCIVILIZED]

Re: 7mm Mag: Improve or buy new

Have you looked into any of the clamp on brakes? And this next idea is only hypothetical. But could you have a clamp on threaded adapter made, & then when you're clamping the adapter on, secure it in place with Loctite Black Max. Then you could run whatever brakes, or cans on the rifle that you desired.

One example of a clamp on brake is HERE

A big role in what you do/wind up with is how much $ you want to spend. At a certain point it'd be cheaper to rebarrel, with a tube setup from the outset to handle cans & such.

PS: What's the OD of the barrel @ the muzzle? They can thread some pretty dang skinny tubes for brakes.

 

[Trevor300wsm]

Re: 7mm Mag: Improve or buy new

He doesn't have smaller caliber options with his current rifle. He has a long action magnum bolt face.....he's limited unless be buys a new bolt. The 7Mag is fine. Load it down light for deer/hogs. Load it up heavy with 180's for elk and such. It's very versatile.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.....and mine is, I'd stay clear of ER Shaw barrels and work. I'm not going to mudslig by going into details, so don't ask. It's a gamble what you'll get from Shaw.

 

[Killbox Alpha]

Re: 7mm Mag: Improve or buy new

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Uncivilized</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Have you looked into any of the clamp on brakes? And this next idea is only hypothetical. But could you have a clamp on threaded adapter made, & then when you're clamping the adapter on, secure it in place with Loctite Black Max. Then you could run whatever brakes, or cans on the rifle that you desired.

One example of a clamp on brake is HERE


A big role in what you do/wind up with is how much $ you want to spend. At a certain point it'd be cheaper to rebarrel, with a tube setup from the outset to handle cans & such.

PS: What's the OD of the barrel @ the muzzle? They can thread some pretty dang skinny tubes for brakes.</div></div>

Uncivilized,
I should clarify, the break I am wanting to attach is made for my Thunderbeast suppressor. The real issue here is that there is not enough material left once I cut the threads, there must be a shoulder for the break to tighten against.

 

[JB02]

Re: 7mm Mag: Improve or buy new

Kill box, I realize this would be more on the expensive side, but bugholes has a 7mm Bartlein w/ Rem Varmint contour in stock. From your posts, it seems you already know that you probably cannot thread your sporter barrel for your suppressor.

If a Rem Varmint contour is too heavy and won't fit in your stock, there were a few sporter barrels too. You'd have to look on the contours to see if there's enough material after you thread for a suppressor. Perhaps you may be willing to have a gunsmith open up your stock to receive the heavier barrel (I don't believe that service costs too much).

 

[Killbox Alpha]

Re: 7mm Mag: Improve or buy new

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LCDR JGB</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Kill box, I realize this would be more on the expensive side, but bugholes has a 7mm Bartlein w/ Rem Varmint contour in stock. From your posts, it seems you already know that you probably cannot thread your sporter barrel for your suppressor.

If a Rem Varmint contour is too heavy and won't fit in your stock, there were a few sporter barrels too. You'd have to look on the contours to see if there's enough material after you thread for a suppressor. Perhaps you may be willing to have a gunsmith open up your stock to receive the heavier barrel (I don't believe that service costs too much).</div></div>

LCDR JGB,
I appreciate the info. I will give it a look and see what they have. I'm not opposed to having the stock opened up but since this is a nothing fancy stock, I may go with more of a HS Precision style with the wide palm swell.

 

[JB02]

Re: 7mm Mag: Improve or buy new

I would probably do that too.

 

[JeffP40]

Re: 7mm Mag: Improve or buy new

My suggestion is to find a take-off barrel from a Sendero, have that installed, and change stocks. You choice of H-S is a good one, you can usually find a used one for $2-250. That will probably give you the most bag for your buck.