Inspiration - 7mm rm needs rebarrel (or smolting…)

[Essexsussex]

If you don’t reload then it will be a step up from your 6.5x55 ammunition, if you were to reload your 6.5x55 to modern pressures then personally the 6.5 PRC is not enough of a step up, 100-150 fps increase.

The 7 mm gives a meaningful increase in bullet size and energy without a massive jump in recoil, unlike the 300….

I do reload but use a Lee loader rather than a press and I don’t load hot at all - and of course they don’t come in 7prc.

No reason I couldn’t get a press and dies, but a lot of the places I shoot stipulate factory only. I use rws factory in the 6.6x55 which I think is the hot end of factory, I need to work out what difference I’d get between the two.

Lots to ponder everyone has been very helpful. I’d never considered prc before this, assumed it was a nerdy target thing! Clearly it isn’t. Now convinced 7mm rm rebarrel isn’t the one.

Now to get a price from someone to re barrel and decide either way.

 

[Heym SR20]

That’s a helpful overview and your usual well thought out post, thank you - although I had it threaded and recrowned when I bought it and the grs bifrost eliminates a lot of the stock bolt issues, the fit is tight as it was on the original stock and the bifrost is comfortably free floated. And the fit is easily adapted with the bifrost. I thought that would be the fix but at least I can use the bifrost with my 6.5x55 or this if it is rebarrelled.

Cleaned and scrubbed with bore foam and brushes. Still did at best 4” and threw ridiculous flyers with and without a mod.

I’ve had someone else shoot it, and it wasn’t any better. The recoil isn’t nice after a few shots and getting frustrated as you say, you are absolutely right with that.

I’m now confident it’s shot out. I’ve been through this with a few secondhand rifles and mainly found them fine. This one isn’t or at least I’m not going to be putting more ammo and range time into it. So it’s rebarrel or give it away!

Thanks for your words. You have a good stock, a good action and clearly like the rifle, so a rebarrel will get you a rifle that you like with a good barrel that will probably shoot better than a factory rifle. Plenty of good barrel smiths on here who can opine on what and what etc

 

[Essexsussex]

If you don’t reload then it will be a step up from your 6.5x55 ammunition, if you were to reload your 6.5x55 to modern pressures then personally the 6.5 PRC is not enough of a step up, 100-150 fps increase.

The 7 mm gives a meaningful increase in bullet size and energy without a massive jump in recoil, unlike the 300….

So if google has converted ft/s and m/s correctly and I’ve understood two differently presented tables:

In factory the Hornady 6.5prc 143gr chart gives mv of 2960 ft/s from a 24” barrel

RWS 6.5x55 140gr chart gives mv of 2614 ft/s from a 25.6” barrel

thanks for pointing out that was a useful exercise

 

[25 Sharps]

So if google has converted ft/s and m/s correctly and I’ve understood two differently presented tables:

In factory the Hornady 6.5prc 143gr chart gives mv of 2960 ft/s from a 24” barrel

RWS 6.5x55 140gr chart gives mv of 2614 ft/s from a 25.6” barrel

thanks for pointing out that was a useful exercise

Yeah, as you can see below loading 6.5x55 lets it come alive, the top loads nudging 2800 fps. That’s loaded to a max of 55kpsi, some people (not saying you should) load to 60/62kpsi in modern actions to match cartridges like the creedmoor and .270. That closes the gap even further.

 

[25 Sharps]

I do reload but use a Lee loader rather than a press and I don’t load hot at all - and of course they don’t come in 7prc.

No reason I couldn’t get a press and dies, but a lot of the places I shoot stipulate factory only. I use rws factory in the 6.6x55 which I think is the hot end of factory, I need to work out what difference I’d get between the two.

Lots to ponder everyone has been very helpful. I’d never considered prc before this, assumed it was a nerdy target thing! Clearly it isn’t. Now convinced 7mm rm rebarrel isn’t the one.

Now to get a price from someone to re barrel and decide either way.

Getting over the factory ammunition is easy enough, lots of people just by factory, reload the brass so the head stamp matches the box and out the home loaded ammunition in the box.

Reloading with a press and dies will open up more options to you calibre wise and to get the most out of your cartridge and rifle.

Rebarrel is going to be around £700 to £1k depending on who you use and what barrel it is, plus extra to cerakote or blue.

 

[NullMac]

7 PRC is the only answer…..

Mind yer ring

 

[NullMac]

The 7 is a match for the 7 rem mag, the 6.5 PRC would sit between the 7 magnums and your 6.5x55. It’s quite low powered for a magnum.

Typical Hornady, they never put enough pooder in their cartridges.

Their 65CM loadings are pathetic. Being well versed in the corporate world the realist in me thinks they did it to make space for another cartridge ie the 65PRC. I mean the 120gr Match says 2900 on t'box but only does 2780 out of my 24" barrel. I thought I had a shite barrel until a mate with the same rifle told me he got the same mv. Handloaded I get 3000fps.

I gather their latest ammo for the 7 PRC still says 3000fps on the box but only does 2850fps as they changed pooder but didn't fess up until t'internet called them out.

Fancy a 7-65PRCW myself but that is defo a minority pursuit, for now at least.

 

[Ronin]

Just re barrel in 7 rem mag

Keep it close to original - the cartridge is superbly accurate and will kill anything in the UK with alacrity

 

[Selous]

I completely agree with Ronin, the rifle is already chambered in one of the best all round deer cartridges for UK use. Change the barrel and keep it as a 7mm Rem Mag. I shoot roe and red deer with mine all the time and it works beautifully. Ammo is widely available at sensible prices, reloading is easy and most importantly the rifle is already designed to feed perfectly from the magazine.

 

[Basil H]

7 mm RM seems to have a reputation for being a bit fierce - largely among folk who have not shot one. A bit like .270itis but more so. In the real world it's comparable for recoil with .30-06 rather than .300 WM etc. The comments above are spot-on.

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

You sound like you have resigned yourself to the conclusion its knackered
Personally I wouldnt scrub an old barrel to bare metal to get the best out of it
opening up the bore and removing all the fouling that allowed it to shoot usually requires dozens of rounds to settle down and foul it back up again!
especially overbore magnums
Ask me how I know!!
bought a used 300wm, was told it shot single holes
ignored the seller's advice, stripped it to components and scrubbed it to bare metal
shot a sideplate sized group that gradually decreased over 40 rounds to a ragged hole.
Only ever patched it out after that,


if you like the rifle then a rebarrel is not the biggest leap of faith
however you need to accept that you are putting £700-1000 of parts and labour on a £200-400 gun and will still have a £400 gun when you are done

I personally am not a fan of the 7RM.....
It may be more than anything in the UK needs to kill it but....
It doesnt throw bullets fast enough to justify the amount of powder it eats regardless of weight
If you drop into the 130-140gr range the velocity can be matched by all manner of short action or non magnum bolt face 7s
It runs out of steam at the 160+ grain range
The twist is too slow to accommodate the longer higher BC bullets I personally think a magnum is better suited to, and if it was in a faster twist the velocity drop is huge as you step up in bullet weight

Aside from my personal "meh" opinion of the cartridge, you have the bolt face, may as well run with it

If you want a more potent 7mm then the PRC is very good option
ammo and components will come flooding onto the market as the bigger brands start production
We already carry three flavours of ammo, numerous projectiles and brass is also available

 

[Selous]

You sound like you have resigned yourself to the conclusion its knackered
Personally I wouldnt scrub an old barrel to bare metal to get the best out of it
opening up the bore and removing all the fouling that allowed it to shoot usually requires dozens of rounds to settle down and foul it back up again!
especially overbore magnums
Ask me how I know!!
bought a used 300wm, was told it shot single holes
ignored the seller's advice, stripped it to components and scrubbed it to bare metal
shot a sideplate sized group that gradually decreased over 40 rounds to a ragged hole.
Only ever patched it out after that,


if you like the rifle then a rebarrel is not the biggest leap of faith
however you need to accept that you are putting £700-1000 of parts and labour on a £200-400 gun and will still have a £400 gun when you are done

I personally am not a fan of the 7RM.....
It may be more than anything in the UK needs to kill it but....
It doesnt throw bullets fast enough to justify the amount of powder it eats regardless of weight
If you drop into the 130-140gr range the velocity can be matched by all manner of short action or non magnum bolt face 7s
It runs out of steam at the 160+ grain range
The twist is too slow to accommodate the longer higher BC bullets I personally think a magnum is better suited to, and if it was in a faster twist the velocity drop is huge as you step up in bullet weight

Aside from my personal "meh" opinion of the cartridge, you have the bolt face, may as well run with it

If you want a more potent 7mm then the PRC is very good option
ammo and components will come flooding onto the market as the bigger brands start production
We already carry three flavours of ammo, numerous projectiles and brass is also available

How very dare you sir! The 7mm Rem Mag is Gods own cartridge!! Enough of the foppish PRC malarkey, you’ll be growing a goatee and a man bun next!!
Stone him immediately!!
I’ll probably get three year in clink for this so for the avoidance of doubt please use fake soft rubber lightweight stones in case Two Tier Kier is watching from on high

 

[Tim1989]

28 nosler

 

[njc110381]

I'd find it hard to justify the extra bother of changing cartridge. You could pop another 7rm barrel on there and not need to notify anyone or apply for anything. It's a fine cartridge, why mess with it?

 

[alberta boy]

The 7mmRM has always been a favourite cartridge of mine . I think it's arguably one of the best belted cartridges there is .I'd just rebarrel it in the same cartridge , if necessary . It's a lot less grief for a very useful , and versatile , chambering IMHO .

AB

 

[Scuffy]

I rebarreled from 7RM to 7PRC.
Absolutely love the PRC, would not go back to a belted magnum.

 

[Essexsussex]

Thanks everyone so far. I’m sold on
7mm prc (I think!)

What would be the right length (to be used with a mod) for hill stalking? It will be in the grs bifrost stock.

Thinking 24”. But then what about profile? It’s all a bit technical for me!!

 

[BE Precision]

I’m just planning build a 7mm RM for long range culling, it will be 25” 1:8 twist and varmint/sendero profile. The donor rifle is a magnum sendero SF. The new barrel wont be fluted.

 

[Dave_45]

28 nosler

Would love one
What’s brass availability like

 

[Ronin]

28 Nosler

Overbore and barrel life will be limited if used in higher cyclic situations often

Similar to 7STW ,,,,

Rem Mag ans PRC sensible compromises