Velo Dog
AH legend
Not sure the exact temperature here in Anchorage but lately the daytime feels like about +40 Fnht and it rained last night.
I have really come to like Aframes and Federal Trophy Bonded Bear Laws
Velo Dog... Thanks. My rifle easily shoots MOA, that's not a concern. I tried 175 Corelokt bullets years ago and I had some of them keyhole through the target. I stepped back to 160s and have had no misses or terminal failures in the years since. I may try 175s again - maybe Swifts.
I can shoot this rifle very well, but have never shot from (or even seen) shooting sticks. I'll see if I can locate a pair and see how that goes. If I don't like them I'll just tell my PH. "Please don't give me anything more to think about while I am shooting!"
Bruce... that would be 160 gr. Nosler Partitions, I have used them for years.
Many thanks to all for your advice.
Paul
My 7mm RM rifle has some history. It was originally made in 7 X 61 Sharpe and Hart with a 1-12" twist rate. I got tired of fussing with loading the double radius neck/shoulder case and had it re-barreled in 7mm RM by Bill Hobaugh and re-inletted by Gary Goudy. That was years ago and I have carried the rifle across Western Canada and the western U.S. since then. I expect that you are right - there is some variation from the norm in twist rate. I notice in Barnes' latest manual their 175 grn, TSX carries a note - "A 1 -9" or faster twist is recommended for the 175 grn, TSX" - in the 7mm RM section. For really long, high BC bullets this may be a problem when pushed at speeds of 3000 fps and above. I think my rifle is 1 - 9-1/2", but I am not sure. In any case, I am sticking with the 160 grainers.
Growing up and hunting in the Western US and reading way too many books/articles by luminaries of the arms world, I naturally developed a case of velocity myelitis. And, truthfully, reasonably high velocity provides a MPBR that is very helpful in the Western deserts and mountains. It can also, as you point out, be really tough on bullets (and game) at short range. I am planning on hunting desert country for Oryx and understand that the shooting may be much like some of the open country shooting I've done here.
I am trying to get over the 'velocity myelitis' and expect that the .404 Jeffery that I am having built will help a great deal. I was frankly surprised when I calculated the exterior ballistics on a 350 to 400 grain .423" bullet launched at 2350 fps. Better than I thought it would be.
Thanks much for taking time to provide a thoughtful response to my questions.
Mike
I am planning a trip to Namibia and will include plains game. The outfitter says that my 7mm Remington Magnum will be fine for plains game.
I have always used 160 grn. Nosler partition and Bitteroot bullets for elk and they work fine. Bitteroot is not making them anymore, and I am wondering if there are better choices than Nosler Partitions... Swift? Woodleigh? Nosler Accubonds? Nortfork? Other?
What has worked well for you on plains game (gemsbok, sable, etc.) and what do you recommend I load for the trip?
Meanwhile in Houston, it's a frigid 61º, with projected night time lows this week getting all the way down to 68º. I'm not sure how much more of this I can tolerate.- 22deg here in Minnesota with the windchill factor it was -54. The College I work for shut down for the first time in it's 100 year history
I've had good luck with Barnes 168g TSX in my 7RM on everything from zebra and blue wildebeest down to springbok. 1 shot kills.
High 50s, how do you deal with that