7mm SAW

[45-90]

Before making a decision on any 7mm caliber...
Check out the 7mm BC.

New rifle, 6 lb 7mm BC, 20" barrel shooting Federal factory ammo 170 gr terminal acent 3104 fps .166" group, no cleaning, no barrel break-in and this group shot after a box of 175 gr, the barrel still hot.

And the 175 gr tipped fusion from Federal was shooting 3040 fps with several 3 shot groups 1/4" or less.
Shot 20 rds in a row no waiting for barrel to cool.
An excellent hunting choice IMO, ...short light, powerful and accurate for at least 3 shots...but hung in there for 12 fast rounds.

 

[Jdowns0415]

43.5 of N550 with rem 7 1/2 at 2.940 in alpha brass for the 175 ELDX, 43.5 of varget with CCI 250 at 2.900 in hybrid cases for the 150 ELDX, I could probably get away with 44-44.5 of varget but I also feel like that might upset the bullet, I’ve found with the hybrid cases once you get up high the bullets start to get upset and throw flyers.

150 ELDX was 2950 sd of 10.7 and the 175’s were 2750 sd 6.2 over 20 shots. Again shot standing off a table. Shooting out to 1200 today and they did very well l, very happy with this cartridge and the Straight Jacket barrel. Recoil impulse feels like my 6.5 barrel since I shoot both with a can.

 

[45-90]

Reloading the 7mm BC 20" barrel 180 gr Berger max velocity was 3118 fps in 6 lb carbon fiber rifle. The good area for this powder is 3050 to 3075 fps area.
Why would you mess around with a 7 mm SAW when this kina of performance is available..
Don't need that much performance, use brass cases and load it down to less than 7mm-08 performance with 120 gr bullets for junior hunters.

So IMO Unless you are using it for some kind of accuracy competition, it just seems to double up on the 7mm-08 performance.
Not bad ...but no real performance increase either.
Redundant velocity performance like the 7 mm Rem mag and the 7 PRC, almost identical case capacity with almost the same real world velocities.
One might have better accuracy potential on target ...but in the game fields there is little difference.

 

[st1650]

Reloading the 7mm BC 20" barrel 180 gr Berger max velocity was 3118 fps in 6 lb carbon fiber rifle. The good area for this powder is 3050 to 3075 fps area.
Why would you mess around with a 7 mm SAW when this kina of performance is available..
Don't need that much performance, use brass cases and load it down to less than 7mm-08 performance with 120 gr bullets for junior hunters.

So IMO Unless you are using it for some kind of accuracy competition, it just seems to double up on the 7mm-08 performance.
Not bad ...but no real performance increase either.
Redundant velocity performance like the 7 mm Rem mag and the 7 PRC, almost identical case capacity with almost the same real world velocities.
One might have better accuracy potential on target ...but in the game fields there is little difference.

Fits a short action
Less recoil
You can reload
Arguably more barrel life

 

[Jdowns0415]

Reloading the 7mm BC 20" barrel 180 gr Berger max velocity was 3118 fps in 6 lb carbon fiber rifle. The good area for this powder is 3050 to 3075 fps area.
Why would you mess around with a 7 mm SAW when this kina of performance is available..
Don't need that much performance, use brass cases and load it down to less than 7mm-08 performance with 120 gr bullets for junior hunters.

So IMO Unless you are using it for some kind of accuracy competition, it just seems to double up on the 7mm-08 performance.
Not bad ...but no real performance increase either.
Redundant velocity performance like the 7 mm Rem mag and the 7 PRC, almost identical case capacity with almost the same real world velocities.
One might have better accuracy potential on target ...but in the game fields there is little difference.

Really just because it’s short action and I wanted a readily available pre fit and didn’t want to have to swap bolt faces out when I swapped barrels. After the success I had with making hybrid 6.5 cases thanks to your guidance I thought it would be worthwhile to get em going in 7mm to combat the winds here and it definitely works well. Also the SAW feels about the same recoil wise to a 6.5 creed. If I was gonna go long action I would just use a 300 PRC with heavy bergers. Whenever Seekins releases their long action short action switch barrel rifle and chassis I’ll probably have a 300 PRC and back country barrel spun up if the cases truly are reloadable because 80k PSI loads definitely put a smile on your face when you get a impact and watch those heavy steel plates dance around.

 

[45-90]

Really just because it’s short action and I wanted a readily available pre fit and didn’t want to have to swap bolt faces out when I swapped barrels. After the success I had with making hybrid 6.5 cases thanks to your guidance I thought it would be worthwhile to get em going in 7mm to combat the winds here and it definitely works well. Also the SAW feels about the same recoil wise to a 6.5 creed. If I was gonna go long action I would just use a 300 PRC with heavy bergers. Whenever Seekins releases their long action short action switch barrel rifle and chassis I’ll probably have a 300 PRC and back country barrel spun up if the cases truly are reloadable because 80k PSI loads definitely put a smile on your face when you get a impact and watch those heavy steel plates dance around.

The hybrid cases will definitely make a difference in your 7mm SAW.
I thought about just using the 6.8 x51 case as is and necking it to 7mm an easy task for real improvement. Similar to the SAW.
But never ordered a reamer.

And the 7mm BC came out I took more than a serious look at it.
So far I'm liking the all steel case over the hybrid case...except for forming to another caliber, shorting the case, neck turning, etc...cause it can't be annealed....as can be done with the hybrid case.
I like the idea of the competition to get stouter cases made, giving more choice to reloaders.
Just making sure people don't over look the performance offered by the new 7 mm BC for mostly hunting.
It may or may not fit into your shooting endeavors...but it's there, and prefit barrels are available for certain actions.
Problem is supporting it with reloading dies seems to be really slow... most aren't gonna make their own.

Have fun with your 7 SAW...hybrid cases will offer you more performance.

 

[Jdowns0415]

The hybrid cases will definitely make a difference in your 7mm SAW.
I thought about just using the 6.8 x51 case as is and necking it to 7mm an easy task for real improvement. Similar to the SAW.
But never ordered a reamer.

And the 7mm BC came out I took more than a serious look at it.
So far I'm liking the all steel case over the hybrid case...except for forming to another caliber, shorting the case, neck turning, etc...cause it can't be annealed....as can be done with the hybrid case.
I like the idea of the competition to get stouter cases made, giving more choice to reloaders.
Just making sure people don't over look the performance offered by the new 7 mm BC for mostly hunting.
It may or may not fit into your shooting endeavors...but it's there, and prefit barrels are available for certain actions.
Problem is supporting it with reloading dies seems to be really slow... most aren't gonna make their own.

Have fun with your 7 SAW...hybrid cases will offer you more performance.

I’m trying to just figure out what powder I want to use for the heavies. Stout loads of varget for the light bullets seem to be very accurate and I’m close to 3000 fps with the 150’s in a 24 inch barrel

 

[st1650]

So how do you resize a 6.8 hybrid case into a 7SAW?

 

[45-90]

I’m trying to just figure out what powder I want to use for the heavies. Stout loads of varget for the light bullets seem to be very accurate and I’m close to 3000 fps with the 150’s in a 24 inch barrel

Probably use existing data for 7mm-08 or 7mm-08 improved and ....Slowly work up
A couple of grains.
For 150 gr bullet powders like RL 17, H414 or Superformance will get higher velocities. A little lower on the chart would be RL 16, 2000MR, 6.5 Staball.
But you may not like any of these powders for temperature insensitivity.
Plus you'd have to see if they meet your needed accuracy standards.

 

[45-90]

So how do you resize a 6.8 hybrid case into a 7SAW?n

I haven't done the conversion but it's close already.

Mandrel up to 7mm cal, if needed to lessen stress on brass.

If the SAW has a 30° shoulder... try running it through the SAW die.

If it crushes or dents the shoulder use a 308 die to move the bulk of the shoulder back at 20° with a 308 Win die ...then run through the SAW die.

I usually neck turn, and anneal.

But now you have a hybrid cased SAW.
Becareful & work up loads.