Long Range 7mm WSM

hbk

I was thinking about building a 7MM WSM with a Douglas barrel, a Savage action, an H&H prone stock,and a BSA Tactical 6-24 scope. I'm not going to shoot competition I just want a long range hunting gun and a gun to shoot at about 600 yard. Do you think this would be a good gun to build?

dfletcher

Definitely. But I think the caliber, the action and the barrel will produce positive results if you put a better scope on it than the BSA. Not saying you must get a $1K Leupold, but a nice Burris or Nikon or such would be better than the BSA.

jtmarine0831

Oh yes, a good scope is a must, especially with the recoil this little puppy has. A Nikon as mentioned is a great choice. I presently shoot one of Nikon's BuckMaster 6x-18x sidefocus( I picked it up for around $300) on my 7mm Rem. Mag. and it takes the recoil no prob. Don't get me wrong, there are many other scopes out there that will handle it, I was just using mine as an example.

JustC

Use at least a Burris signature or weaver T-series if not something better for that distance. The BSA is junk, don't buy it or use it.

Also,..you really need good mounts and bases for decent work at 600yds.

Use a 9 twist barrel at least,..and I would consider something in the 8 twist range depending on who makes one.

mrbruce

All's good except your scope choice, and that can be corrected if you choose a better one.
Like they say, a good scope that don't need a part time job to pay for it will be your best bet.
If by chance you have a part time job just call Nightforce and they will hook you up with the best..

sandwarrior

hbk

+5 on the better scope! When you start shooting long range, optics make a huge difference. BSA won't get you there. The ballistics on the 7WSM are outstanding. The Savage Action is a good one as are their barrels. Although, you should be getting a better barrel by going with a custom barrel.
I have a 7 WSM in the Win model 70 coyote. Once I got the barrel broke in and a good load found it shoots .5 MOA. The load I use stays supersonic out to 1600 yds. I put a muzzle brake on it so I could see where I hit. Recoil wasn't necessarily bad, unpleasant maybe, but not losing your target after you shoot is better. As far as optics on it I went with my one and only USO.

tsr1965,

I will just say here that weight for weight 7mm has better ballistics than .30 cal. You have to get very heavy in .308 before the efficiency starts to catch up to the 7mm. IOW a 168 Berger in 7mm has the same BC as a 208 gr. A-max in .30 cal. That takes a lot more pushing in the .30 cal to get equal velocity and equal range.

tsr1965

Two things to do better is the choice of chambering and the scope. I would personally opt for a 300 Win Mag, or the 300 WSM, just for the bullet selection of the 30 caliber. The next thing, is at least a Nikon Buckmaster scope, and go up from there to a Sightron, Burris, or Leupold.