243 to 7MM-08

[Fuj']

I have many deer/elk guns and as many varmint guns and even a few African game guns.
My go to is currently a hurters Mauser in 6mm rem, but for 35 years it was a cheep savage in 243.
Literally tens of thousands of shell went through her. 400 shot Pdogs days it is easy to blast away. I have killed GOBS of deer and plenty of elk and a few bear with it. I NEVER felt under gunned. A 75 gr speer for coyote/P dogs and a 85 gr speer for the rest. Push them as fast as you feel comfortable and still keep the group under a 1/2 inch. Just saying.
PS: It's still shoots as good now as when we worked up the loads 35 years ago.

About how many barrels did you go through for tens of thousands of shells ??

[8mm RUM]

How many shells does a person go through in over 3 decades?
5,000, 10,000 I think over but I'm on the same cheep savage barrel.

[Newtosavage]

If you have the smooth barrel nut and are planning on replacing it, then a good old pipe wrench will take it off. If you're going to invest in the action wrench (barrel nut wrench) then I suggest getting the slotted wrench to match the new barrel nut you are going to get.

I recommend Criterion or Shilen barrels from Northland shooter supply.

https://northlandshooterssupply.com/barrels/criterion-savage/

Agree 100%. I spent a lot of time screwing with the "wrench" for the smooth barrel nuts. I'm done with them. If I ever remove another, I'm going straight to the pipe wrench and replacing it with another type of barrel nut.

[Newtosavage]

Is a sporter barrel as good as a heavy barrel for accuracy? I know a heavy barrel doesn't heat up as fast and usually are longer, giving more velocity but other than that are there advantages?

Believe it or not, the ultra-thin 20" pencil barrel on my stainless 7mm-08 Lighweight Storm might be the most accurate Savage barrel I've shot, and I've shot a bunch now. But that's as long as I let it cool between shots.

Lightweight barrels can be just as accurate as heavy barrels if you're willing/able to let them cool.

[Txhillbilly]

As for choosing the 7-08 ?? it's a decent cartridge no doubt. If me,
I'd do a 6.5 Creedmoor and have a wider spread of utility. I've been shooting
one for some time. It can get it done. And one of the easiest to tune of any
rifle I have shot.

Fuji, I don't know where you get the 6.5 CM has more utility than a 7mm-08. Educate me, please!
I've been shooting the Creedmoor for over 10 years. It's a good cartridge, but there are plenty other's that are as good if not better.
I have two 6.5 CM's as well as a 7mm-08, given that if the gun's are shooting equal length barrel's the Creedmoor only has an advantage shooting 10 grain lighter weight bullet's than you can get in 7mm.

The 7mm-08 has the advantage when it comes to shooting heavier bullets with higher BC's than the heaviest 6.5mm bullets.
The velocity differences between the two cartridges really doesn't matter that much, both cartridges will shoot accurately a very long distance



QUOTE=Mr.Snerdly;483111]Is a sporter barrel as good as a heavy barrel for accuracy? I know a heavy barrel doesn't heat up as fast and usually are longer, giving more velocity but other than that are there advantages?[/QUOTE]

For target shooting, I'd choose a varmint contour barrel. For Hunting I'd go with a Sporter or Magnum contour barrel.
A Sporter barrel usually starts walking shots when the barrel heats up in 3-4 shots. Varmint barrel's with let you shoot several more shots back to back before they do it.

[Txhillbilly]

How many shells does a person go through in over 3 decades?
5,000, 10,000 I think over but I'm on the same cheep savage barrel.

I'd like to see a picture of the bore in a 243 Winchester barrel that has had 10k rounds shot out of it. Most 243 caliber barrels are toast after 2000 - 2500 rounds. I'm lucky to get 3000 rounds out of my 6.5 Creedmoor or 260 Remington barrel's.
My big burner is my 22 Creedmoor, the barrel last for 800 - 1200 rounds before accuracy falls off.

[8mm RUM]

HUMM.
Luckier then most.:eagerness:

[Mr.Snerdly]

^^^What type of velocity would a 22 Creedmoore reach, assuming commonly used weights of 22 caliber bullets?

[Txhillbilly]

^^^What type of velocity would a 22 Creedmoore reach, assuming commonly used weights of 22 caliber bullets?

I'm getting right at 3500 fps with 75 gr Amax bullet's out of a 20" barrel

[PhilC]

I saw similar velocities with my 22CM using 77gr Nosler CC and Sierra MKs.

[yobuck]

I'm getting right at 3500 fps with 75 gr Amax bullet's out of a 20" barrel
And here i always heard everything was bigger and better in Texas?
Where i come from we get that much velocity from 30x378s with 200 gr. bullets. lol

[8mm RUM]

​Montana is smaller then Texas we only get 3200fps with a 200 gr in a 8mmrem mag.

[shaffe48]

Lightweight barrels can be just as accurate as heavy barrels if you're willing/able to let them cool.

I believe heavier barrels are also stiffer and more accurate on average. What's more, they are somewhat easier to hold steady and have less recoil.

That said I was recently reading that a hunting length sporter barrel can be as stiff as a heavy longer target barrel where competitors are trying to sqeeze out every fps. Im not sure on the 'formula' though to compare barrel length and contour for 'stiffness'

[futurerider103]

Agree 100%. I spent a lot of time screwing with the "wrench" for the smooth barrel nuts. I'm done with them. If I ever remove another, I'm going straight to the pipe wrench and replacing it with another type of barrel nut.If you take a dremel and cut off wheel make a small shallow cut in the bottom of the but and use a chisle and light hammer.
Also when I took my 7mm-08 LWH barrel off I went with an X-Caliber 7.62x39 and after shooting it today for the first time since I started the build about 5yrs ago I couldn't be happier.

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[Newtosavage]

If you take a dremel and cut off wheel make a small shallow cut in the bottom of the but and use a chisle and light hammer.
Also when I took my 7mm-08 LWH barrel off I went with an X-Caliber 7.62x39 and after shooting it today for the first time since I started the build about 5yrs ago I couldn't be happier.

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I've enjoyed following along with your build. That said, I've bought and sold three 7.62x39 bolt action rifles in the time you've been working on that one, taking about 20 deer and pigs along the way. :D

[futurerider103]

I've enjoyed following along with your build. That said, I've bought and sold three 7.62x39 bolt action rifles in the time you've been working on that one, taking about 20 deer and pigs along the way. :DI know it's taken forever lol. I moved to Texas where we didn't know anyone and it got put on the back burner really but now I have ambition to finish it.

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