7x61 Sharpe & Hart

History

Released in 1953, Americans Phil Sharpe and Richard Hart designed the 7x61 S&H cartridge. Danish firm Shultz and Larson were contracted to build rifles while the Norma ammunition company produced loadings stamped 7x61 S&H.

The 7x61 enjoyed a brief period of popularity until Remington released their 7mm Remington Magnum in 1962. After this, sales of 7x61 S&H rifles and ammunition gradually declined to a point in which Norma was forced to discontinue loadings, only producing the occasional run of loaded ammunition and brass for reloaders. During the early 1990’s, Norma cases were stamped 7x61 S&H ‘Super’. Norma’s last remaining load featured their 154 grain soft point at an advertised 3060fps however this has since been discontinued. Norma continue to produce brass in small runs, as demand requires.

Having similar power to the 7mm Remington Magnum, the 7x61 was in its day, held in high regard as a powerful medium game cartridge. The Shultz and Larson rifles featured a rear locking bolt design and while this is usually regarded as counterproductive to optimum accuracy, these rifles were very carefully machined to close tolerances, resulting in excellent accuracy.

Today, the 7x61 is a classic cartridge and much like the muscle cars of the 1950’s, this cartridge and the original rifles are sought after by not only collectors, but by those who simply enjoy unique designs.

Performance

Base diameter of the 7x61 S&H Super is identical to the 7mm Rem Mag however body dimensions are slightly smaller throughout. Shultz and Larson utilized 26” barrels which duplicate the velocities of a 24” barreled 7mm Remington Magnum. That said, during the 7x61’s heyday, it was common for hunters to have their smith dock 2” off the 26” barrel resulting in a loss in velocity of around 70fps and a slight increase in recoil.

Twist rate for the Shultz and Larson rifles was 1:10” which in theory at least, dictates that best accuracy is achieved with 120 to 154 grain bullets. Using bullets weighing between 140 and 154 grains, the 7x61 is an excellent all around medium game cartridge, adequate for both woods hunting and long range shooting, doing its best work on game weighing up to, approximately, 320kg (700lb).

Factory ammunition

Norma do not currently list a factory load for the 7x61. This cartridge must be hand loaded.

Hand loading

From a 26” barrel using slow burning powders, especially H4831sc, hand loads achieve realistic velocities of 3200fps with 140 grain bullets, 3100fps with 150 grain bullets and 3000fps using 160-162 grain bullets. 24” barrels stand to lose 70fps. Brass must be sourced from a Norma distributor and is normally (at this time of writing) not difficult to obtain.

Due to the fact that this cartridge very closely matches the velocities of the 7mm Remington Magnum, bullet performance is discussed within the latter text. A few words of advice however, the 139 grain Hornady SST and InterBond bullets work extremely well on lighter medium game at 7x61 velocities while producing reasonably mild recoil. The 154 grain SST and InterBond combination is very effective on larger bodied medium game. A last mention must go to the 160 grain Nosler Partition, this projectile requires little experimentation during load development, important for those trying to maximize barrel life of their collectible. Performance of the Partition on all game up to 320kg (700lb) is outstanding. The flat base design of the Partition aids stability when using a 1:10 twist barrel.

Closing comments

The Shultz and Larson rifles that house the 7x61 are the same rifles that Roy Weatherby initially utilized when developing his magnums. With the ability to throw 160 grain bullets at a true 2900 to 3000fps, the 7x61 could have fulfilled the needs of most hunters worldwide, however hunters were looking for a standardized, commonly available cartridge from one of the major American companies. Convenience and economy are big issues to hunters and Remington answered these needs by producing the 7mm Remington Magnum.

Suggested loads: 7x61 S & H					Barrel length:26”
No	ID		Sectional density	Ballistic coefficient	Observed MV Fps	ME Ft-lb’s
1	HL	139gr SST/IB/AB	.246	.486	3200	3160
2	HL	154gr SST/IB	.273	.525	3050	3180
3	HL	160gr Partition	.283	.475	3000	3197

Suggested sight settings and bullet paths
1	Yards	100	175	300	342	375	400	425	450
	Bt. path	+3	+3.9	0	-3	-6.1	-8.8	-11.9	-15.4
2	Yards	100	160	284	325	350	375	400	425
	Bt. path	+3	+3.8	0	-3	-5.3	-8	-11	-14.4
3	Yards	100	150	275	315	350	375	400	425
	Bt. path	+3	+3.7	0	-3	-6.4	-9.3	-12.6	-16.4

No	At yards	10mphXwind	Velocity	Ft-lb’s
1	300	5.3	2613	2106
2	300	5.2	2521	2173
3	300	6	2425	2089

	Imperial	Metric
A	.532	13.51
B	.532	13.51
C	44 deg
D	.473	12.01
E	.313	7.95
F	1.97	50.00
G	.300	7.62
H	2.40	61.0
Max Case	2.40	61.0
Trim length	2.39	60.7