20" 7mm-08 ?

[FamilyMan]

What would I be losing by going down to 20" and would the gains in weight and mobility of it be over shadowed by the losses in performance?
My intentions are to build a compact Hunting rifle on a short action that I could also use for LR target at times. I already have a worked over 6.5CM for comp/target but have always been in love with the 7mm-08 and I need to retire my grandfathers 30-06 I hunt with now. So I have a Bartlein 1:9 sendero contour barrel on order and am going to have a 700 action trued up with it when they chamber it and I have a Manners GAT 90% mini chassis stock for it so barrel length is the next big question right now. It will be used for elk, deer, antelope, and anything else I can get a tag for and paper steel out to 1000 occasionally but mostly 600 and under

 

[DrewinTejas]

Re: 20" 7mm-08 ?

Yea that will work. A friend of mine is getting around 2700fps with 162amax in an 18" with varget.

 

[Cinch]

Re: 20" 7mm-08 ?

That will make a very nice hunting rifle! Post pics when its done...

 

[GLB]

Re: 20" 7mm-08 ?

I had one bult with a 20" #4 Kreiger barrel and very happy with this set up. It was bult for hunting and I wanted to use factory ammo. It will grp sub moa easily with Fed 140 grn tsx. The sub moa has been confirmed out to 400 yards with that ammo.

 

[trailrider121]

Re: 20" 7mm-08 ?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DrewinTejas</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yea that will work. A friend of mine is getting around 2700fps with 162amax in an 18" with varget. </div></div>

wow, that's pretty good speed with 18" barrel.

 

[FamilyMan]

Re: 20" 7mm-08 ?

Any other thoughts? What would you feel a realistic max distance would be out of a 20" barrel?

 

[trailrider121]

Re: 20" 7mm-08 ?

I bought a 20" 7mm-08 barrel from another hide member. I haven't shot it yet, but I have same plan as you for a nice handy rifle.

The guy claimed he was shooting 150's at 2600 fps and was banging steel out to 565 yards without any problems. How this helps you.

 

[Jointshooters]

Re: 20" 7mm-08 ?

500' ASL, 59°F, 7mm-08

175gr SMK @ 2600fps
1000yd: 9.7mil drop, 2.0mil drift, 1425fps, 789ft/lb

162gr Amax @ 2700fps
1000yd: 9.2mil drop, 2.0mil drift, 1432fps, 738ft/lb

 

[H_Talon]

Re: 20" 7mm-08 ?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DrewinTejas</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yea that will work. A friend of mine is getting around 2700fps with 162amax in an 18" with varget. </div></div>

I'd sure like the starting point for that load.
I'm looking to load with varget, and that bullet.

 

[Topstrap]

Re: 20" 7mm-08 ?

Why such a long barrel? .... JK, we used a 15" 7-08 barrel on one of our first LR pistols using 140 Bergers at 2720fps and did quite well at our 1000 yard matches. With the short barrel we decided the 140's gave us better ballistics on the far targets over a slower 162. The load was 44gr of IMR4064 and was very accurate. Tried other powders but this particular gun preferred that powder and got best accuracy in our barrel.

Topstrap

 

[Fletcher/AAC]

Re: 20" 7mm-08 ?

I get 2700 out of my 18" with the 162.

41grns RL-15