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Jake Carey

Hi all, and Merry Christmas.

I'm planning a savage rebarrel using a prefit. I'll be placing some of the orders this week but am still looking for advice on a few things. Some background first. I've got a good little model 10 action on a 6.5 barrel I'm tired of, and I'm ready to step into something a little more interesting. (I can load up to 2.98 COAL with 30 thou left in the detachable mag.) For a bunch of reasons I think I'd like to keep the same action and improve it rather than selling it and buying a long action. People around me are essentially flushing their belted mags lately but 65+ grains of powder is not the level I am at yet. The next one will be a grownup 7. Right now I'm trying to decide between a 7mm-08, a .284 win., and a 7 SAUM. I think the abandonment of the 7mm bore here in America is kind of a stupid shame. Nathan's already been very kind with some advice, and I've read everything he's got in print on the matter a dozen times or so now, but I keep learning details that freeze and reset my decision programming.

Why was I considering a 284? Because part of me is a really irritating hipster and I'd love a good discovery project. Also because dies, go gauges, and brass are currently in stock. Why not a 7mm-08 automatically? partially because I'd like a full step up in power from the 6.5 creed, not just a partial move. And also because I think I'd rather have a 308 when I find the right one and play with the original. And because I'd like to try 7mm 175grain and 180 grain Hornadys. Why? Because they exist, because I could plausibly hunt elk, and because they are about the only thing on the shelf right now. I know the ELDM is not a velocity dependent round, but partitions and ABLR are and I want to see what I can do with them eventually. Why am I not just going with a saum then? Most of the few over-the-counter dies are backordered, go gauges are special order, only 2-shot mags are available without lots of tinkering. Also, I have a perception of it as a real "gun bro" round. As in it's a favorite boutique chambering for the guys building out their heap-o-shit chassis guns. You know, the ones with the bright red fetish knobs.

More than that though is the fact that I can find NO information about light loading the SAUM. It looks like the most accurate loads are 96-102% case fill, and I am just not chasing that amount of power. I really want long brass life, and I only want to shoot the 175-180 class pills 2650-2750. With those BCs at a mile or more above sea level that's shooting pretty far out on the horizon. But when I ask around about doing anything other than maxing the saum it's basically like I've switched to Japanese.

If you've made it this far without clicking away my questions are these: 1. At 3" long can the 7-08 fire the heavies at speeds that are more stimulating than I realize? I'm seeing low 2400s with any kind of brass life. 2. Can the 7 saum be reliably loaded down low without getting large groups and ES? My feeling is that it must be possible, even if it requires higher tension neck and a powder that likes to be choked a little.

Nathan, if you read this and you've developed the sudden urge to redo your own fillings I apologize, and good memory. I'm not ignoring your advice, I just keep turning over new nests of questions. I'm enjoying my books immensely. I've got 5 bookmarks and in the evenings I'm usually bouncing book to book every 15 minutes or so as something crosses my mind.

Best wishes everyone, and happy new year.