7x65r anyone?

ian-bradley

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Well I picked up a early Merkel combo gun last weekend. It is a 16ga over a 7x65r, it really is a slim well balanced gun. My thought process was it would make a great southern whitetail rifle and as far as Africa is concerned, the 16ga with buckshot would be handy on up close tiny ten but the rifle conveniently there if a big kudu stepped out. Anyway I am brand new to the 7x65r and have no experience with it, what experience do you all have with it?
 
Well I picked up a early Merkel combo gun last weekend. It is a 16ga over a 7x65r, it really is a slim well balanced gun. My thought process was it would make a great southern whitetail rifle and as far as Africa is concerned, the 16ga with buckshot would be handy on up close tiny ten but the rifle conveniently there if a big kudu stepped out. Anyway I am brand new to the 7x65r and have no experience with it, what experience do you all have with it?
I have a 7x65R in a Blaser K95.
Excellent calibre in my experience.
I live in NZ and use the rifle on all our game including Red deer and Thar in the mountains.
I’ve never once thought it has come up short on performance.
 
Great caliber, make use of the extra velocity and SD of the 7mm by using heavier bullets(160-175 gr).

16ga available in Africa but not all over.

I have a Belgium one 7x65R/12ga with QD scope, my son uses it for bush pigs and warthogs as well as general hunting.

Looking at a Heym 7x57R/16ga I can get hands on for my daughter but the 16ga is putting me off a bit at the moment....
 
I too have a Blaser K95 in 7x65R. I use 160gr projectiles and have good kills from about 70yds to 390yds on Red deer.
 
I shoot the 7x64 (The bolt action equivalent). I've shot everything from muntjac to Red deer and wild boar with it. Works a treat. You will often find that the twist is quite fast (1:~8.7") and the chambers tend to be throated for long, heavy bullets so 160gr and up tend to be your friend.

Great chambering I reckon and enjoy it!
 
Great caliber, make use of the extra velocity and SD of the 7mm by using heavier bullets(160-175 gr).

16ga available in Africa but not all over.

I have a Belgium one 7x65R/12ga with QD scope, my son uses it for bush pigs and warthogs as well as general hunting.

Looking at a Heym 7x57R/16ga I can get hands on for my daughter but the 16ga is putting me off a bit at the moment....

A buddy of mine has a beautiful 16 bore side by side that he finds difficult to find ammo for (or at least reasonably priced ammo). He bought a couple of 16bore to 20 bore adapters (Think he got them from Italy). So he hunts with his 16 bore and practices on clays with 20b shells.

Scrummy
 
I purchased a pre-owned Zastava M70 (SL) 7X64mm rifle recently but plan on making modifications before I shoot it.

1. Replace the current"pig back" stock with a Monte Carlo stock.

2. Replace the current rough modified "beat to fit" modified military bolt (with non-functional wing safety) with a standard Zastava M70 bolt.

3. Add scope bases and a scope. I have never participated in a driven game hunt nor do I ever plan to participate in a driven game hunt, and my eyes are not as sharp as they were 30 years ago.

FWIW, one of the site sponsors is Safariammo.net, and they carry Geco brand 7X65R ammunition. Plus you can get a discount code for 20% off your first purchase to board members by clicking on their banner ad on this site.

http://www.safariammo.net/index.php/7x65r.html

I purchased some 7X64mm Geco ammo to try out in my rifle once I get it modified. There are other brands such as Norma and Sellier & Bellot 7X65R ammo available from other internet retailers. It's not a cartridge you can find factory loaded ammo in at Academy Sports & Outdoors.

Reed's Ammunition and Research, which specializes in more obscure and obsolete cartridges offers loaded 173 grain softpoint 7X65R ammunition at a very reasonable price plus you can inquire about other options.

https://shop.reedsammo.com/7x65R_c97.htm
 

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I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by Geco ammo. My previous 7x64 certainly liked it and found it to work well on game.

You might be able to get the wing safety from Sarco to fit if you want to keep that:

http://www.e-sarcoinc.com/dumoulin-mauser-98-bolt-sleeve.aspx

Forgot to add, you used to be able to get Federal Premium in 160gr Accubond but not sure if you still can.

Scrummy
 

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I have 6 or 7 combination guns, drillings and over/unders chambered in 7X65R, and a couple of bolt guns in 7 X64. I agree with the comments thus far, use heavier bullets. I also reload and have RCBS dies, great caliber.
 
Great caliber, a rimmed 7x64 Brenneke!

My son uses a 7x64 and has taken many impressive shots.

I think I have half a box of 7x65r for sale in the classifieds if you need high quality brass/ammo.
 
A great cartridge,perfect in a combined weapon.
Unfortunately the combined ones are here no longer modern, since our hunteryouth does not get along any more without R 8 and similar :A Bonk:.
What a nonsense.

IMG_0001.jpg
 
Foxi, right you are. My "affair" with this cartridge started when I was living and hunting in Germany. It started with a merkel drilling and this was the rifle barrel, kugel. Since then, I have it in other drillings and bockbuchsflinte (BBF) , over/under rifle shotgun combos from merkel and heym. Among others with 6.5X57R, 7X57R, 8X57JR, 8X57JRS, 9.3X72R, 9.3X74R and during my visit to Mainz in May, I found some dies for 5,6X50R Magnum.
 
A great cartridge,perfect in a combined weapon.
Unfortunately the combined ones are here no longer modern, since our hunteryouth does not get along any more without R 8 and similar :A Bonk:.
What a nonsense.

View attachment 302709
It’s a shame when people don’t appreciate traditional guns I’m only 28 years old but do most of my hunting with vintage guns and even iron sights
 
ian-bradley, Good on you. Unfortunately, every day I think it gets harder for me to see iron sights. Thanks somebody for transitional trifocals. Of course, this also requires a good glasses retainer strap. Don't want recoil to dislodge the glasses, they are on the ground, then when you see that black locomotive coming toward you, and your brain is asking does it say "Union Pacific" or "Norfolk Southern" - too late at that point.
 
Among others with 6.5X57R, 7X57R, 8X57JR, 8X57JRS, 9.3X72R, 9.3X74R and during my visit to Mainz in May, I found some dies for 5,6X50R Magnum.

Wow and respect!
 
I have several drilling and combination rifles in 7x65R it is a great round that will take down just about anything. My Heym O/U gun is regulated for Geco Ammo and works very well. You can take just about anything in NA with this round
 
I have a good friend in Germany who hunts with a 7x65R and has enjoyed consistent success. I have personally used a few different 7x64 rifles and like the cartridge for its versatility and capability. I agree that both 7x64 and 7x65R do their best work with mid to heavy weight bullets. You have chosen well. Go forth and slay beasts with confidence!
 
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by Geco ammo. My previous 7x64 certainly liked it and found it to work well on game.

You might be able to get the wing safety from Sarco to fit if you want to keep that:

http://www.e-sarcoinc.com/dumoulin-mauser-98-bolt-sleeve.aspx

Forgot to add, you used to be able to get Federal Premium in 160gr Accubond but not sure if you still can.

Scrummy

Thanks Scrummy.

I'm looking forward to taking the Geco ammo I purchased for a test drive. I have a Plan B available if I'm unhappy but so far I only found one post of a board member having an unsatisfactory experience with Geco hunting ammo, with no details of the event.

Federal Premium 7X64mm 160 grain NP is now vintage ammo as well as Federal Premium 7X57mm 140 grain NP ammo. The 7X57 load has reached truly unobtanium status in the USA based on my curiosity search results. There is some NOS resale of the Federal 7X64mm load sporadically, for instance this internet auction which once you factor in shipping it's better to have a boutique ammo manufacturer develop a custom load for you using the 160 grain NP projectile.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/828962647

I would also have to pay Texas sales tax if I purchased from this seller.

Remington is the only US based major brand offering factory 7X64mm ammo currently, and only in 140 grain Core-Lokt soft point.

I have high hopes for the Geco Plus projectile, but I found one needs to be careful with checking published muzzle velocity reference test barrel length with Geco ammo. For instance, the Geco 7X64mm flight ballistics data uses a test barrel length of 650mm (25.6"). This is minor when comparison shopping for my 7X64mm rifle with 600mm (23.6") barrel length but could be significant for a 7X64mm rifle with 18" to 20" (460mm to 510mm) barrel length (or perhaps not).

For the same projectile in 7X65R Geco ammo, Geco references a test barrel length of 600mm. Go figure.:E Shrug:
 

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Looking at a Heym 7x57R/16ga I can get hands on for my daughter but the 16ga is putting me off a bit at the moment....

I have a 16g drilling. Ammunition isn't easy to come by (it has an 8x60R rifle barrel which is even worse!) but once you've sourced ammunition for it you can hold a decent stock of it so you don't have to worry about feeding it. Just buy ammunition when you see it, or order it ahead of a trip if for some reason you can't take it with you.
 

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