7mm project done...

[BuzzH]

A couple months ago, with the help of a buddy of mine, we completely reworked my 7mm.

Went from this:

To this:

Changed just about everything...trigger, stock, bedding, mounts, and installed turrets on a 3x9 leupold scope I've been using for a long time.

I've spent the last month trying a bunch of different loads (around 25), all with IMR4831 and with both accu-bonds and partitions but changing charge weights and OAL.

Went out yesterday and shot this group at 100 yards with the 160 accu-bonds, the last of the 4 test loads I tried yesterday...sighted 2.5 inches high at 100.

Last night I ran a ballistic table for a 250 yard zero, which I was sighted in for being 2.5 inches high at 100.

I also loaded up some more accubonds with that load and headed to the range this morning to see how close the ballistic chart was. At 300 yards, the chart said a 1 MOA adjustment was needed. I made the turret adjustment and shot 3 shots at 300 yards.

Next I tried the 400 meter chicken silhouette...spun up the adjustment and center punched it. Since that worked so well, decided to try the ram silhouette at 500 meters. Spun up the adjustment and drilled it dead center behind the shoulder. The last thing I did was spin everything to zero and took one last shot at 100 yards...right back to exactly 2.5 inches high.

The scope is tracking perfectly and load development is done...now its just down to the fun of shooting it and gaining confidence.

 

[wyoming556]

Looks good, shoots even better. Also looks like anything you want to shoot within a half mile is dead for sure.

 

[elk_hunter]

Wow, that's awesome Buzz! Congrats on an awesome rifle!

 

[noharleyyet]

Pretty fair gun noodling right there Buzz. Well done.

 

[Big Fin]

Damn, as if that thing had no killed enoug critters. Great shooting, Buzz.

 

[Drake4]

Very nice Buzz. Great shooting.

Just think how tight those groups would have been with Bergers!

 

[Goldtip]

Great shooting and good looking rifle there Buzz. Not sure if you've killed much with the Acuubonds or not in the past, but my experience is that you will be pleased with their performance.

 

[highmountian]

BuzzH that sounds like alot of fun to me. Great job and better shootn! How much do you think you have into doing that if you don't mind me asking? Thinks about doing the same to a remington 700.

 

[BuzzH]

The stock was $203, the timney trigger/safety was $109. The Talley LW rings/bases were around $40, and the steel bed kit was like $50. The scope I sent into leupold and to install both the elevation and windage turrets was a total of $129.

Looks to be around $500 all up.


If I were to do it again I'd likely only get the elevation turret installed, but I've never monkied with turrets and wanted to try both on this project.

Havent shot anything but paper with the accu-bonds and those are the first I ever shot.

 

[Bambistew]

Sweet looking rig. I want to do something similar to my 7mag.

What powder/weight are you shooting?

 

[BuzzH]

I'm shooting 62.0 grains IMR4831 with COAL of 3.852 and 160 grain bullets.

Velocity through the chrony...2970 fps.

I tried 1/2 grain increments from 62 up to 64.5 with no pressure signs at all. None shot as well as the 62 grain load. Both the partitions and the accu-bonds shot best .005 off the lands. I tried everything from a very slight soft seat to .030 off.

I could get 1.5 inches from just about every load.

IMO, accuracy trumps velocity and I'll be sticking with the 62 grain load for now.

 

[highmountian]

Thanks BuzzH. I have used both the accu-bond and ballistic tip on game. WOW, what a good accurate round and they both DISTROY what they hit!!!!! Not as expensive as some of the others also. Great job on the riffle.

 

[noharleyyet]

Good equipment is only part of the equation, takes skill and practice to punch those groups.

 

[jmp3006]

That has to be the cleanest brass I have ever seen you shoot! Looks like it is going to be a shootin' SOB!

 

[BuzzH]

I dont own a single piece of brass anymore that doesnt shine...about wore out the tumbler doing it though.

Thanks for all the help on the rifle...

 

[----]

I`ve been using the same bullet at the same speed for seven years now, and don`t think I`ll ever mess with it. It`s worked awesome for me.

 

[Bambistew]

Thats the exact load I shoot as well.. Accubonds, Gamekings, Btips, Partitions... all same POI in my rifle

I found 63gr RL22 to be equal to the IMR in velocity and accuracy, it tends to drift to the left about an inch from the IMR, but I manage...

 

[Southwind]

Great job. I love projects!

 

[justdada]

Buzz, that first photo looks like alaska... nice
I've worked up a lot of loads for the 7 with nosler products and have not had much luck with 4831. It seems to burn durty and not as consistant as 4350 on the crono.
How much improvement did you see after all the improvements?

 

[Ben Lamb]

Nicely done Buzz. Are you Full Length resizing or just neck sizing?