There was nothing better to do anyway. Why not go to the gun
show in July, where they run the air conditioning to lure folks
with interests like you and me out of the Phoenix heat! ‘Herr
Oberst’ and I succumbed to that temptation, paid the steep
admission fee, and entered what you could label either the
danger zone, or paradise. Whatever your emotions might be
when so many big boy gadgets are compactly arranged in such a
small area that you can not even check them all out.
Sure enough, after some strolling, I found trouble. Hidden in
an array of racks full of long guns stood this homely little
rifle, a bland Remington Model 7, handicapped with a cheap tube
some guys actually refer to as a scope, chambered in 7-08. The
trouble was printed on a little piece of cardboard dangling from
its trigger guard. Its asking price was way low for a Mod 7.
I summoned the Oberst over for a “what’s wrong with this thing”
evaluation. After thoroughly checking out its bright spots, as
in barrel wall and locking lug engagement areas, and testing the
trigger, we gave this poor thing a clean bill of health. I then
had the nerve to offer even less without the scope, and in
amazement received acceptance. Little ugly went home for less
than three bills.
The 7-08 falls between two very successful contenders from
Winchester, the .243 and the .308. I see it as a modern version
of the 7mm Mauser, and who could argue with that oldtimer! As
such, the 7-08 is a strong member in the ‘ideal for deer’ family.
It would have little margin on elk.
True for all critters, hit ‘em where it counts, and none would
know if the diameter of that lethal chunk of jacket and lead was
designated in millimeters or inches, or if it was traveling a
couple of hundred feet per second slower than the latest magnum
number. 7-08 data will not set the ballistics charts on fire.
So, just get a little closer. I’d prefer the .308, but one can’t
have it all.
Remington 700’s are cool! What makes them the best bargains to
go after (if you want functionality, reliability and strength) is
the ability to adjust the trigger yourself, and easily. No matter
how tight the tolerances are, and therefore how accurate a firearm
could be, you won’t be able to harvest that in real use if the
trigger sucks. Soon this shortie endured the same treatment I dish
out to most newcomers: adjust the trigger from lawyer to hunter
domain, free-float the barrel, and lap in the locking lugs.
With a Nikon three by nine on top, bullets landed in about an inch
and a half. There was no real effort on my part to try for the
spectacular sub-inch result. I’m convinced the rifle can do that,
but I didn’t want to spend too much time at the bench.
This lightweight allows some of the 7-08 power to escape rearward,
for the shoulder to deal with. Our shoulders much prefer that we
shoot offhand, where they easily give way to any kicking or shoving.
Besides, the real treat with a new gun is to take it for a spin, to
learn it. That’s also the best way to prepare for hunting. So,
once the scope was dialed in, it was time to get onto the hind legs.
To fully load its magazine, to bring it from the carrying position
into action, to make quick follow-up shots, to fire with the scope
set at 3X, then at 6X, then at 9X, to guess holdover at longer
ranges - those are the elements of joy, of blasting away a bunch of
reloads.
This compact is more of a challenge to fire unsupported, simply
because its short barrel makes it so dynamic. But that was the fun
of it, to tame the little beast. There’s just something neat about
this Remington. It’s not specialized, the basic Model 700 roots
are undeniable. The Model 7 seems a successful compromise. It is
a meat gun, and onepointfive inches give or take is plenty deadly.
In the fall of 2003 the compact Remington drove that point home.
There used to be two mule deer bucks near Prescott that can no
longer argue about it.
The Model 7 is not the tool to perforate a jack rabbit’s brain
several football fields away. It could, but that would take
considerably more effort than what its bigger varmint sister
requires in such a situation. I see this small weapon as an
improvement to a lever action. It’s at home in the woods, yet
can easily reach across a considerable canyon.
I prefer to carry rifles over my left shoulder, scope upside down,
barrel pointing forward and down. In that position the left hand
rests naturally on the same piece of stock it’ll be grabbing when
firing the thing. When carrying the Model 7 that way I can get it
on target quicker than with a sidearm yanked out of a holster. The
small Remington is ideal here because of its short barrel. In
uneven terrain the muzzle stays way clear of any obstructions,
therefore it won’t accidentally fill with nature’s offerings. A
short tube also allows swinging the gun at game faster, and easy
operation around trees or through brush. The rifle is simply a joy
to maneuver through the woods with.
You pay for this handiness somewhat during off-hand shooting, where
some balance is robbed. But since we carry our darn rifles all
season long, and only fire (hopefully) once, it’s a really appealing
compromise.
|
Loads,
left to right:
150 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip,
110 gr. Speer HP,
experimental 78 gr. Sako SP
|
Off-hand, by the way, it shoots rather pleasantly. Three ladies,
all fairly or totally new to centerfire rifles, uttered zero
complaints when unleashing 110 grains of Speer metal propelled by
35 grains of IMR 4198. A low-power load, yes, but with 2830 fps
brutal enough to bust head-sized rocks. And those ladies hit ‘em.
No problems with bolt operation, either.
That then, is the bottom line. I do not like the way it looks,
BUT the Model 7 is simply fun. Easy to carry, easy and very fun
to shoot, easy to hit with, easy to maneuver through brush and
timber, fast on game, a favorite with the ladies. It is enjoyable
to shoot standing up, but I don’t get to shoot it much. You’ve
been warned.
In 2004, we are blessed with fall turkey tags. I’m tempted. I’d
mix up a mild load to confidently hit either the neck-body junction,
or go for a ‘high in the back’ placement. Then, if the bullet
should unintentionally find breast meat anyway, may it leave most
on the bone. The load I came up with is a Remington 140 grain
softpoint over 15 grains of IMR 4227, for a sedate 1490 fps.
The 7 may also see deer action in 2004, even though this will be
out of the woods. In the challenging desert hills in area 31 those
whitetails are known to escape from ‘ditch’ to ‘ditch’, where
quickness with the rifle could be just as important as sniping one
from across a sizeable canyon. Nosler Ballistic Tips, 150 grainers,
would be called for this job. Propelled by Reloader19, they exit
18.5 inches of barrel at 2620 fps. God willing, you’ll hear the
rest of the story.
