Author Topic: Model 7's (Read 1423 times)

deerman12 · « **on:** February 12, 2005, 05:47:29 AM »

I love these little rifles. Let's here your favorite caliber of model 7 and what kind of groups you get out it.

beemanbeme · « **Reply #1 on:** February 12, 2005, 06:39:15 AM »

7-08. I've got three of them. One, with the 18" barrel, was used to make my son's longest shot on a mulie. 284 long steps -prone with a bi pod, one shot. He was using either a 140gr partition or a 145gr Grand Slam, I can't remember.
Since moving to WV, I have carried one for most of my white tail hunting. 7-08, 1.5x5 scope and hand loaded ammo using a 154gr ROUND NOSED bullet. Nice light rig that does a number on a deer. As you get older, those hills get steeper and every ounce counts.
The oldest one dates back to when a 7-08 was still a wildcat. I had a 7-08 Douglas barrel put on a .243 (one of my better decisions). It shot the first 10 shots to ever go thru the barrel into a 7/8" group. Needless to say, I've had a warm place in my heart for the 7-08 every since.

riddleofsteel · « **Reply #2 on:** February 12, 2005, 07:39:58 AM »

I bought a youth model Model 7 in .243 for my son, before he was born, on sale at Jumbo Sports. While I was waiting for him to grow up I decided to work up some loads for it. I was not impressed by the .243 18" barrel performance so I took the rifle to Henry Ball of Bill's custom Guns, Greensboro, N.C. He is the inventor of the smokeless powder muzzle loader that Savage has on the market and is a master rifle smith. He squared and trued the action, lapped the bolt lugs and installed a 20" McGowen super match grade chrome moly barrel chambered in 6.5-284. Then he installed steel pillars in a Bell and Carlson Carbalite stock and bedded the action and barrel to the stock.
The result......Now I can toss a 120 grain Sierra Game King at 3050 FPS out of a short action 20" barrel. I can push a 129 grain Hornady SP to 2950 all with sub MOA accuracy. I went to work up a load for a new bullet the other day. I loaded lots of 5 rounds in powder weights from minimum to maximum in .5 grain increments with the bullets .010 off of the lands. When I went to shoot them for groups only one group was over one inch at 100 yards. Most were .25" or less. For deer hunting I guess it really does not matter which load I use. It shoots that good.
My only problem is that my son has finally gotten to the age where he is hunting. He killed his first deer with it this fall. Now I have to build another one for me.

Will_C · « **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2005, 08:00:28 AM »

I have a pair, a 7mm-08 and a relatively rare one, a .222. The 7mm-08 has acounted for a dozen deer or so. and the .222 has earned its keep shooting woodchucks. The 7mm-08 will shoot 1" 3 shot groups with a number of loads, and the .222 is capable of .5" groups.
Will

De41mag · « **Reply #4 on:** February 12, 2005, 07:20:56 PM »

I've got one;

A Model 7FS, I've had since 1989. If my understanding is correct, they only made it in 89 and 90. It's got the fiberglass camo stock and I heard that those FS's came from the Custom Shop. Anyway, mine is the 7mm-08. And it sure is a tack driver. The first box of ammo I bought for it was the 120gr. HP. And it would group those in an inch at 100yds for 5.
I don't know how many deer it has shot with those 120's but all but two fell down in their tracks. The two that did run, one was a gut shot but found him about 35 yds. away. The other was a shoulder shot, passed through the shoulder then exited out the breast plate. That was about a 70yd. shot and found him about 50 yds. away.
Now I shoot a Speer 130gr. SPBT or a Sierra 120gr. Spitzer over IMR-4064. and it still groups 1" at 100yds. And I've shot more than a thousnad rounds through mine.
Best cartridge I've ever used.

Dennis

deerman12 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 15, 2005, 03:58:55 AM »

Thanks for your replys. I had a .243 several years ago that everyone in my family killed deer with. I got stupid and sold it when I got a 300 mag. one year. That little rifle would shoot anything I put in it around an inch.

fyrepowrx · « **Reply #6 on:** February 16, 2005, 06:32:31 PM »

I like the Sevens as well, and have a pair of them.

The first is my "bad weather" gun, its a stainless in .308. Had the whole action/barrel bead blasted to a matte finish, then dropped it into an MPI glass stock. It wears a Matte Leupold 2-7 Compact, and shoots like a dream. I bought it used, and the previous owner had installed a KDF brake, so its a joy to shoot, but a bit noisy.

The second my hunting buddies call "The Bambi Cannon", it is a custom shop .350 Mag with the Kevlar stock. Had it set up with a Leupold 2.5x Scout Scope mounted on a bridge mount in front of the reveiver. Absolutely is wonderful to carry, maybe 6 pounds scoped, and beats you to death when shooting off the bench... made my first kill with it this year, and would like to say it was the biggest buck of my life, but it was instead a doe that weighed about 80 pounds. The .350 mag is definitely a 1 shot stopper on small deer! :shock:

I like the model 7's ... a lot of gun in a small package..

deerman12 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 17, 2005, 04:42:54 AM »

I have one in the 300saum. I like it real well. I mainly whitetail hunt. All the ones thus far have been one shot, right where they stand, immediate kills. The kind, when you pull the trigger you say"WOW, I would have hate to been on the other end!" :wink:

kkeetr · « **Reply #8 on:** February 17, 2005, 05:56:36 PM »

I have two myself. One in 7-08 and one in 300 SAUM both stainless. I had a time with the 7-08. I bought it used and it wouldn't group under 5" with any load. Changed scopes, loads and shooters with no change. Plead my case to Remington and they put a new barrel on it and it has done well ever since. 145 gr speer hot-cors into 3/4" now. I haven't gotten to shoot any game with it yet but it is easy to carry! My SAUM has only been on two hunts. One elk hunt that lasted 2 hours and one oryx hunt that lasted 30 mins. Both one shot kills. The elk walked 10 paces after the shot and the oryx dropped in its tracks. The SAUM likes 180 gr partitions. The SAUM was also second hand and the previous owner used it to hunt SC whitetails with. That's a little overkill if you ask me!

deerman12 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 18, 2005, 12:42:42 PM »

Have any of you guys glass bedded your model 7's. If so, how much did it help your accuracy?

kkeetr · « **Reply #10 on:** February 19, 2005, 03:12:08 PM »

Other than the new barrel courtesy of Rem on my 7-08, I havn't done anything to mine. I did adjust the triggers but that's it. These aren't benchrest pieces, just keep that in mind. I am happy with minute of breadbasket with my model 7's.

kenscot · « **Reply #11 on:** February 25, 2005, 06:12:46 PM »

Wish they made one lefthanded! Till then it will be the browning
micro hunter in 7mm-08 for me