LipscitzWrath
New member
Alright guys, long time lurker here, need some expert advice. I have been wracking my brain for about 3 days straight, which usually means to me that I need some fresh perspectives from others. So here I go. And apologies if there is a better sub-forum that this should be posted in. Mods, please feel free to move.
I have a Model 7 chambered in 6mm Remington. Serial number indicates it is from the early 80's??? The gun holds serious sentimental value as it was given to me by my father as my first ever hunting rifle. His recent passing has only amplified this. Many mule deer and an occasional antelope fell prey to this gun, usually at short-intermediate ranges (150-350 yds). I used to be a very avid big game hunter but an engineering degree got in the way of that for 4 years and that absence from hunting continued for some time after that. It is only now that I am starting to get back into the big game hunting scene and have been faced with a dilemma.
I love the 6mm remington. I think if Remington had done some things differently, it may have enjoyed the same success that the .243 currently does. I handload, so I can take advantage of the 6mm's inherent case capacity. Problem is, this particular gun came factory equipped with an 18.5" barrel. I can't help but think I am leaving some velocity on the table for this cartridge.
My knee-jerk reaction was to take it to the precision rifle builder across town and have him fit a 24" tube. After initial discussions with him, he even suggested going to a 26" tube. I had heartburn with this for two reasons. First, the gun is incredibly light and handy in current form. It is only 2" longer than my AR15 with 16" barrel. Second, and perhaps more importantly, I loathed the thought of butchering such a prized family heirloom. This brought me to my next quest.
I began looking for a 700 BDL with 22"-24" barrel. To say that they are rare is probably exaggerating. However, I can say when I do find one, if it's in good condition they generally have it priced north of $700 (without optic). I can only surmise this is due to the fact no new rifles are chambered in 6mm remington from the factory.
If I were to spend that kind of dough on a rifle and then throw a suitable optic on it, I am looking at spending over $1,000 for basically a longer tubed 6mm.
My question to you is this - what do you think I should do? Am I overthinking how much velocity I am giving up with a 18.5" barrel? I was hoping for 3,000 FPS with 100gr bullets, which seems lofty given my short barrel. Why? Hell I don't know, because it's a nice round number. Which may be flawed from the starting line.
Should I continue my search for a longer barreled 700? I guess the way I looked at it was if I had a longer tube gun, I could relegate the 7 to varmint hunting with lighter bullets and leave the big game duties to the 700.
I plan to add several other calibers to my arsenal over the coming months including .260 rem, .280 rem, and possibly a 7 and/or 300 mag for the longer-range, heavier-bodied stuff. As you can see, I tend to root for the underdogs...
Gimme your guys' hard and fast honest opinions. Please bring sanity to my world!
I have a Model 7 chambered in 6mm Remington. Serial number indicates it is from the early 80's??? The gun holds serious sentimental value as it was given to me by my father as my first ever hunting rifle. His recent passing has only amplified this. Many mule deer and an occasional antelope fell prey to this gun, usually at short-intermediate ranges (150-350 yds). I used to be a very avid big game hunter but an engineering degree got in the way of that for 4 years and that absence from hunting continued for some time after that. It is only now that I am starting to get back into the big game hunting scene and have been faced with a dilemma.
I love the 6mm remington. I think if Remington had done some things differently, it may have enjoyed the same success that the .243 currently does. I handload, so I can take advantage of the 6mm's inherent case capacity. Problem is, this particular gun came factory equipped with an 18.5" barrel. I can't help but think I am leaving some velocity on the table for this cartridge.
My knee-jerk reaction was to take it to the precision rifle builder across town and have him fit a 24" tube. After initial discussions with him, he even suggested going to a 26" tube. I had heartburn with this for two reasons. First, the gun is incredibly light and handy in current form. It is only 2" longer than my AR15 with 16" barrel. Second, and perhaps more importantly, I loathed the thought of butchering such a prized family heirloom. This brought me to my next quest.
I began looking for a 700 BDL with 22"-24" barrel. To say that they are rare is probably exaggerating. However, I can say when I do find one, if it's in good condition they generally have it priced north of $700 (without optic). I can only surmise this is due to the fact no new rifles are chambered in 6mm remington from the factory.
If I were to spend that kind of dough on a rifle and then throw a suitable optic on it, I am looking at spending over $1,000 for basically a longer tubed 6mm.
My question to you is this - what do you think I should do? Am I overthinking how much velocity I am giving up with a 18.5" barrel? I was hoping for 3,000 FPS with 100gr bullets, which seems lofty given my short barrel. Why? Hell I don't know, because it's a nice round number. Which may be flawed from the starting line.
Should I continue my search for a longer barreled 700? I guess the way I looked at it was if I had a longer tube gun, I could relegate the 7 to varmint hunting with lighter bullets and leave the big game duties to the 700.
I plan to add several other calibers to my arsenal over the coming months including .260 rem, .280 rem, and possibly a 7 and/or 300 mag for the longer-range, heavier-bodied stuff. As you can see, I tend to root for the underdogs...
Gimme your guys' hard and fast honest opinions. Please bring sanity to my world!