Your Model 7 groups?

[Varmintnut260]

I have a stainless model 7 in a 260rem. I'm wondering what kind of groups other model 7 shooters out there are getting. I'm also curious what caliber, weather conditions, temp, and how frequently you can shoot these groups?

[Graybeard]

The oldest an original 18.5" barrel in 7-08 made shortly after they began making them usually always shot 1.5"-2" groups until I tried Hornady Light Mag ammo. It then became an MOA rifle like magic.

Most other 7-08, .308 and .260 Model Sevens have shot around an inch or less with loads they like for three shots at 100 yards.

My M7 Predator in .17 Fireball shoots half inch 100 yard groups with factory ammo. I've not even bothered to load for it yet as I bought a huge stash of factory ammo which I've not yet shot all of it up.

My M7 Predator .223 I've loaded for a good deal tho mostly I've been trying to find a load with Barnes bullets that shoots accurately enough to justify trying on deer. With Barnes bullets (53 grain TSX) I'm getting groups around 1.25" to 1.5" but with more convential bullets it too stays under an inch but so far isn't matching the .17 Fireball.

I have owned or currently still own probably a dozen or more of them and the old original one was the least accurate of them and yet with three of us using it for at least 25 years hunting both in state and out it has never missed and never required a second shot on any game taken with it beginning with a sassy squirrel at around 75-80 yards the day it was sighted in for the first time. It's taken deer, hogs, exotics and even a feral goat roaming thru the woods I was hunting at least ten miles from the nearest house. It accounted for the second largest buck I've taken at around 200 yards.

I love those Model Sevens.

[hillbill]

i only have one mod 7, its a older short skinny barrel one. in 243. it groups about like GB's but it will only do it on a totally cold barrel. with 2 shots your good but better let it cool for 10 min or so for the third shot.its just really fussy about the barrel temp. shoot 5 or 10 rnds thru it quick and it will make yu pull yur hair out lol!mine is blued, havnt had any exsperience with the stainless ones.

[charles p]

Took four rifles to the range yesterday.  Three were mine.  The only rifle that shot a cold barrel shot right where it was a year ago was a Mod 7 stainless in .308.

My Mod 700 in 7mm-08 needed adjusting as did a my Mod 700 in 270.   A friends Browning x-bolt was off considerably but I have no idea who last touched it.

I have a blue printed Mod 700 in 284 Ackley with a Shilen match barrel that will not shoot as well as my stainless Mod 7 in .308.  go figure.

[Buck-Ridge]

I used to have one of the older model ones 2nd or third year they made them in .223. Mine would shoot dime size groups from 100 yards. I sold it to a coworker to buy something I needed more. But his children have been using it for years for a deer rifle. He reloads for it and he gets sub MOA groups.
He e-mailed the pictures of the deer they killed with it last year. He told me they have never made a bad shot with it yet on a deer.

[scootrd]

my mod 7 in 7mm-08 shoots exactly as described by GB 120gr , 140gr 1 inch or less groups at 100yrds,  22"tube , 9 1/4 twist.

I want to try Hornady 139gr but can never find them on the shelf. My mod 7 hates 150Gr no matter the manufacturer.
don't group worth a darn 3 shot groups. I noticed last year Temp played an interesting role  I was trying to tighten 150
Grainers over a period of a few weeks and noticed the 30 degree Autumn temp fluctuations we were experiencing at the time did indeed help improve or diminish the groups spreads depending on the temp of the day.  

In the end I gave up on the heavier bullets. But the 140's are dead on accurate out of my mod 7.

[Varmintnut260]

I noticed GB stated he had a 260 in a model 7, what grain bullets did you use? Ive gotten some good groups with 120 nosler BT and 130 accubonds, although the accubonds arent as consistant (highly possible its me).

[Swampman]

I had one of the stainless versions in 7mm-08.  About the best I could get it to do was 1 1/2" to 2" at 100 yards.

I liked the gun..........

[Graybeard]

I noticed GB stated he had a 260 in a model 7, what grain bullets did you use? Ive gotten some good groups with 120 nosler BT and 130 accubonds, although the accubonds arent as consistant (highly possible its me).

Just going on recollection without looking back over records I specifically remember using Nosler 100 PT and Nosler 120 BT. I'm sure I used others but both those were sub MOA from the rifle and both were Nosler factory loads. I don't recall what hand loads I put together for it or the Rem 700 LSS Mtn. Rifle I had in .260 either.

[PawPaw]

Back in '91 when I got back from Desert Storm, I picked up a Model 7 in 7mm-08 for general use in the deer woods.  We lived in the country at that time and I would routinely use it to shoot varmints in the pasture.  I can't tell you what kind of groups I was getting because I didn't keep targets back in those days.  I can tell you that I made some fantastic shots with that rifle and the crows learned to stay at least 250 yards from the house.

I had it scoped with a Burris 3X9 scope and never reloaded for that rifle.  It liked the green-box Remington cartridges with the 139 grain Core-Lokt.  I lost that rifle during a subsequent divorce and the resultant financial carnage.  While I don't miss the ex-wife, I sure do miss that rifle.

[AtlLaw]

I have 2 M7's, a 7-08 and a 260.  Both are the old 18.5 inch barrel models.
I got the 7-08 a lonnnnng time ago, and it didn't shoot very well at first.  That old stock style was terrible!  I put a synthetic stock on it, still the only rifle I own that has one, and bedded the action.  After that it shot amazingly well!     It shot factory loads so well in fact, that I never felt the need to handload 140 gr. bullets for it.

I bought the 260 a few years ago and it was well used and abused.  But I wanted a M7 action for a 250 Savage I've hungered for and the price was very reasonable.

The 260's accuracy wasn't steller either, but then I haven't spent much time on load development for it since it will be rebarreled.  120 gr. bullets at around 2600 fps group into about 1 3/4 + inches at 100.  I believe some of the reason was the poor fit of the youth stock it came with.  I have since replaced that with a factory classic stock which is a big improvement in fit.  I won't bed it since I will use that stock with the rebarreled action, but I just feel it will be an improvement over the original!   

I'll know for sure after my next trip to the range!   

Gotta love those M7's!

[mrbigtexan]

i have a stainless model 7 in 7mm saum and love it. it shoots under an inch with 139gr interlocks and h1000 powder. clocks at 2880 fps. its a keeper!

[wyohandi]

I have a stainless 300 SAUM it shoots 150s 165s and 180s all under 1 1/2". The only thing I did to it was remove
the pressure point on the forend, that took care of the heat issue. I never really tried to work up a load for it, its a
hunting rifle and I promise you I can't shoot 1 1/2" without a good rest so it will outshoot me thats all that matters.
Off a bipod I can ring the 8" gong 3 for 3 at 500yds (thank you Ballistic-plex)
A nice light, weather resistant package what more could ya want, and 180gr bullet at 2900FPS will do about anything
I need to do.