Which short action magnum?

I’m a big fan of the 7 saum but I Do prefer it throated long so it really shines in a med or long action. My next mag will be a 25 in a saum or prc case

7 or 300 WSM is tough to beat

Really hard to make a case against the 300wsm.

6.5 PRC is an amazing cartridge with very accurate factory ammo. It’s tough to beat. I don’t think I’d personally chase well with it. It’ll get the job done, there’s no doubt about it. I also own a 300wsm. I load for both of the cartridges and both aren’t to hard to loud for. I was amazed at how easy it was to load for my 300wsm. I shoot 185 bergers out of mine at 2900fps in a 20” barrel. Super handy rifle and will do a great job on an elk. If you’re really wanting to stretch it you’ll need to bump up to something like the 215 Berger to maximize the range of that cartridge. I would single feed if you went with a 215. The 147 eldm has done a great job for me as well and is a very efficient bullet. You can stuff a magazine full of loaded 147’s without the hassle of single feed.

Another vote for the .300 WSM, well suited for your dual-purpose application.

With you already having a 6.5cm I'd go with a 7saum if you reload or 300wsm if you want more factory options. The prc isn't that much of a jump over the CM.

If you’re getting a long action CDG in the future then 6.5 prc seems to make the most sense for your short action

In the future you can buy all of the barrels throated long to really maximize their potential

I try to make objective based decisions, and really define the purpose. You mention steel out to 1700 and hunting elk/deer in the PNW.

Two very different objectives.

6.5 PRC, 7 SAUM and 300 SAUM/WSM are good options, but the rifle configuration will determine how much you like the rifle.

An 8lb WSM will be great to pack in the woods and put the hurt on elk, but would be a pain to shoot on steel all day. Sure a few rounds, walking out to distance is doable, but it won't be pleasant all day.

If your goal is to shoot more steel, and occasionally hunt, then you could build something around 10lbs and shoot the 6.5 or 7mm. Mild mannered on the range but manageable in the field.

300 WSM - 2 loads, 1 mag length for hunting / steel <1K, and one seated long and single fed for steel beyond 1K. Agree with the caveat above though - if she's lightweight, just focus on your preferred hunting projectile and wait for your long action to build the long range hammer.

300 wsm.

300 WSM, 215 Bergers, medium action, 26” carbon fiber barrel

AMG04 said:

I try to make objective based decisions, and really define the purpose. You mention steel out to 1700 and hunting elk/deer in the PNW.

Two very different objectives.

6.5 PRC, 7 SAUM and 300 SAUM/WSM are good options, but the rifle configuration will determine how much you like the rifle.

An 8lb WSM will be great to pack in the woods and put the hurt on elk, but would be a pain to shoot on steel all day. Sure a few rounds, walking out to distance is doable, but it won't be pleasant all day.

If your goal is to shoot more steel, and occasionally hunt, then you could build something around 10lbs and shoot the 6.5 or 7mm. Mild mannered on the range but manageable in the field.

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^This^

I've got both a semi auto 6.5 PRC and 300 WSM. The PRC with 147gr ELDMs is very very smooth to shoot, I could easily shoot it all day without it beating me up. The 300 WSM with 190gr Bergers is a bit harder on the shoulder, but it's an elk killer. Since I do a lot of hunting, I'm shooting my WSM a lot more than the PRC, I like to keep practicing with the rifle I'm taking in the field. But if I was mostly putting rounds on steel and paper, the PRC is very mild with the recoil, and can spot hits easier too.

gac700 said:

300 WSM, 215 Bergers, medium action, 26” carbon fiber barrel

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Is it a custom barrel and do you know throat depth etc?

Action - Defiance right hand XM medium that has been black nitrided
Barrel - Proof CF 1-10 26" Sendero
Stock - McMillan A5 Carbon Fiber
Bottom Metal - Hawkins DBM with magazine
Trigger - TriggerTech Diamond Pro-curve
Break - Area 419 Hellfire
TS Customs chambering (received as barreled action) - 220 FB for 215 Bergers (or Similar)

I bought the rifle used from a SH member - specs in prior post. The linked artlcle inspired me to snag it. I duplicated the load in the article and everything worked perfectly. It was too easy once I secured primers and powder.

It’s a cool build and super accurate. There are updated medium actions that are more flexible with magazine choices.

Good luck and happy hunting for components…

gac700 said:

Action - Defiance right hand XM medium that has been black nitrided
Barrel - Proof CF 1-10 26" Sendero
Stock - McMillan A5 Carbon Fiber
Bottom Metal - Hawkins DBM with magazine
Trigger - TriggerTech Diamond Pro-curve
Break - Area 419 Hellfire
TS Customs chambering (received as barreled action) - 220 FB for 215 Bergers (or Similar)

Click to expand...

While that sounds nice and all, he's already got an action and it's a SA. My vote is prc, especially if freedbore is under saami .188, like .150. You can still mag load the best 6.5projo, where as a 300wsm is gonna run out of mag room if you want to use the better lr bullets. Steel won't care and 6.5 prc has plenty of power for it. I guess on the elk hunting, what range would be considered max for you? Loaded question as enviros limit that as much as anything. Plenty of elk have been dropped with 22creed, granted that seems a bit reckless, but a prc wouldn't have any issue inside 500 on an elk.

7 Sherman short mag ? Target/hunting bullets are vast. Doesn’t beat you up. Mile capable.

RampedRaptor said:

7 Sherman short mag ? Target/hunting bullets are vast. Doesn’t beat you up. Mile capable.

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How are they with the heavier bullets and short action(2.980" mag oal)?

At least 2 throat options available, maybe more now. I don’t recall the length on the top of my head.

Shorter of the two reamer options is fantastic for 180gr Bergers and magazine length. The second barrel I throated longer and used the Berger 184grs slightly past mag length. There wouldn’t be an issue running the 184gr mag length, just know the bt/bearing junction will be past the neck shoulder junction of the case.

25prc would be a solid option. The 135 bergers have a very solid BC. The lighter wieght will recoil less in a lighter rifle that might be geared a little more towards hunting. That being said. I just built a lightish 7-6.5prc throated to shoot 180s at sa mag length and really am liking it.

6brshooter said:

How are they with the heavier bullets and short action(2.980" mag oal)?

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They are designed specifically for it. It's why guys run it instead of a saum or 300wsm necked down to 7mm.

DeathBeforeDismount said:

They are designed specifically for it. It's why guys run it instead of a saum or 300wsm necked down to 7mm.

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Wrong.

Lack of good wsm brass is the main reason. That the reason the 7-6.5prc is taking off in popularity.

This is fun. You seem to put sticking your nose in all kinds of stuff that you don’t know what you’re talking about

Geno C. said:

Wrong.

Lack of good wsm brass is the main reason. That the reason the 7-6.5prc is taking off in popularity.

This is fun. You seem to put sticking your nose in all kinds of stuff that you don’t know what you’re talking about

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Oh lord, he vanished into thin air????

300wsm fan boy. First time I hit a mile was with a 300wsm shooting the same rifle and load I shot an elk a couple weeks later with at a bit over 500.....with the old melty tipped 208gr Amax.

Ole Nick is likely using his down time to turn a bunch of jerk socks inside out and chew the cum out of em.

Thats about as far as his expertise goes beyond flapping his cock holster via an keyboard.




As for SA magnums, my votes go…
300 wsm
6.5 PRC
And the 7-6.5 PRC

I own 270, 7mm, and 300 WSM's. @Geno C. is correct about brass availability being the challenge for the WSM's.

ADG makes runs of 300wsm brass. I thought I read that Lapua was going to start as well. BTW the 300wsm is my favorite hunting cartridge for larger then deer game.

Adg does in recent years. Lapua is supposed to be available 3rd quarter. Peterson teased us at SHOT a few years ago too. Only Lapua drops. You’re going to see a big jump in popularity

Geno C. said:

Adg does in recent years. Lapua is supposed to be available 3rd quarter. Peterson teased us at SHOT a few years ago too. Only Lapua drops. You’re going to see a big jump in popularity

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Wasn’t that place that went belly up teasing about a bunch of brass releases before they shut down? I can’t remember the name to save my life

6.5 Saum has been wildly overlooked in my opinion. 7 Saum is probably my favorite cartridge, and I’ve shot 3 barrels out of mine, but it’s definitely better in a long action.. short action I’d be hard pressed to not go 6.5 Saum with 144 bergers or 25 Saum with 135 lrht. But with elk on the table I’d lean 6.5

What was your coal with the 7saum in a long action? With the arthritis starting in my shoulder I was thinking about having my 300wsm rebarreled in 7saum. With the winchester I can run around 3.1" I think.

Forgive my ignorance but why all the recommendations for 300wsm?

The biggest issue with a short action magnum is the COAL limitations, so in theory the best cartridge will the the one with the shortest case length that also can utilize the heaviest/highest BC bullets for the shortest OAL.
The 300wsm (and 7wsm) both have a case length of 2.100" and 200gr + bullets are all over over 1.500" and many over 1.600".
The 6.5mm PRC and 7 saum both have 2.035" case lengths and the bullets in the 140-156 (6.5mm) and 160-180 (7mm) range are around 1.400-1.540 OAL.

I'd have thought the 6.5 PRC with 147 ELD Ms would give the best performance ballistics wise, being beaten out by something 7mm if energy is a consideration.

Is there something in practice that isn't obvious when just looking at the numbers?

A 7wsm with 190 atips crammed deep to fit a short action stomps on the 6.5prc with 147s. You don’t have to have all the bullet hanging out of the front of the case to make it work.

jbuck88 said:

What was your coal with the 7saum in a long action? With the arthritis starting in my shoulder I was thinking about having my 300wsm rebarreled in 7saum. With the winchester I can run around 3.1" I think.

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I’ll check this afternoon. I believe I’m closer to 3.2” with 180 hybrids

Geno C. said:

A 7wsm with 190 atips crammed deep to fit a short action stomps on the 6.5prc with 147s. You don’t have to have all the bullet hanging out of the front of the case to make it work.

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What about compared to the 7SAUM?
The case capacity on the 7WSM is 8gr higher but would you not end up loosing a reasonable bit of that to seating the projectile deeper?
I like the idea of the 7-6.5PRC for the brass availability but you are loosing a little more case capacity to the 7SAUM.

Now that 7 SAUM brass is readily available at a reasonable price, I don't understand the draw of the 7-6.5 PRC.

I'm in the exact quandary, I'm locked up trying to decide between .300 WSM, 6.5PRc, 7SAUM and 7mm PRC.
I have a .284 Win on Rem 700 LA that has similar ballistics to 6.5 PRC. I have an unoccupied CDG long action, an Archimedes SA and a Mausingfield SA.

Boatninja said:

I'm in the exact quandary, I'm locked up trying to decide between .300 WSM, 6.5PRc, and 7mm PRC.
I have a .284 Win on Rem 700 LA that has similar ballistics to 6.5 PRC. I have an unoccupied CDG long action, an Archimedes SA and a Mausingfield SA.

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I kinda got sick of hearing 6.5 anything a few years ago.

Boatninja said:

I'm in the exact quandary, I'm locked up trying to decide between .300 WSM, 6.5PRc, 7SAUM and 7mm PRC.
I have a .284 Win on Rem 700 LA that has similar ballistics to 6.5 PRC. I have an unoccupied CDG long action, an Archimedes SA and a Mausingfield SA.

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Long action 7 Saum, forget the prc. Not enough velocity gain to justify the larger case. Or if set on short action 25 prc/Saum is awesome too

A friend, champion shooter, gunshop owner that is very knowledgable said the amount of research that between the bullets and cartridges, Hornady had probably put more research into 6.5 PRC and 7MM PRC than any ever created.

One thing about all this is- the more I think I know about all this shit, the more I know I don't!

Boatninja said:

A friend, champion shooter, gunshop owner that is very knowledgable said the amount of research that between the bullets and cartridges, Hornady had probably put more research into 6.5 PRC and 7MM PRC than any ever created.

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I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with 7prc, just that the gain in velocity is very minimal considering the extra powder used. 7 Saum is a sweet spot for tunability, accuracy, and velocity in my book. 6.5 prc is awesome too. With the exception the the clicker issues with all the prc cases. Need a aw reamer to fix them.

Usaf197 said:

Can you elaborate on the clicker issue you mentioned?

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It’s a widely known issue with the prc. The .020 line on the chamber is too tight, and dies are not able to bring in down, causing a click at the top of the bolt cycle after a few firings. I’ve had it on both 6.5 and 7prc. Alex wheeler made a reamer to open chambers up and get rid of the issue, but with sammi reamers it’s extremely prevalent. That being said, most quality smiths these days have reamers that’ll avoid it. When they released the 7prc I assumed that would have fixed it but they did not.

I built a 20" 7-300WSM.

- I shoot and hunt this rifle with a TBAC Ultra 5, and the recoil impulse with the 7mm is considerably less than my 300's.
- I wanted the WSM case capacity to really push the many 7mm bullet choices that have the abilty to mag feed up to 165 grain bullets and stay above the donut zone at the neck-shoulder junction.
- I wanted the abilty to single feed the 180 - 195 weight pills up to 2800 fps for elk hunting and steel challenges.
- ADG 300WSM brass to neck down is available and excellent.
- Making ammo is as easy as it gets, with a single pass thru a bushing die, load and shoot.

7 Short Sherman

A large variety of bullet selection and slow to screaming speeds, if you wish.

Not to mention, loading 7SS is like loading Dasher. Easy.

Another vote for the 7 Sherman Short Magnum. Shoots flat and loads easy.

beetroot said:

What about compared to the 7SAUM?
The case capacity on the 7WSM is 8gr higher but would you not end up loosing a reasonable bit of that to seating the projectile deeper?
I like the idea of the 7-6.5PRC for the brass availability but you are loosing a little more case capacity to the 7SAUM.

Click to expand...

A wsm will hold more powder than the saum with the bullet seated to the same length.

My vote goes to the 7 saum, I have one and I adore it,