7 Rem Mag Rebarrel

Based on recent performance, I believe my trusty old 7 Rem Mag is nearing the end of it's barrel life. Plus I want a heavier contour to help with heat related issues when I'm shooting steel with it. So what brand, contour, and twist do I need? Here's the criteria that I can think of:

Primary use - target shooting on steel out to 1000+ yards
Secondary use - hunting from a stand
Likely bullet selection - 175 ELD-X for hunting and maybe targets, or possibly 175 or 183 SMK on the targets

The rifle is a Savage 116 so I would prefer to buy a factory finished/chambered barrel and install it myself.
In the past I've used the Douglas Air Gauged barrels twice - one shoots excellent, the other just average. I've also used one EA Brown Accuracy barrel and it shoots greats. I don't have any personal experience with any of the other brands.

ER Shaw makes savage barrels that I’ve read a lot of good stuff about.

Plenty of good brands to choose from. My gunsmith recommended a Lilja for 7mm, and that’s worked out quite well.

You could probably get by with a 1:9 twist, but I would definitely go a little tighter to be sure, for those 175’s. For a proper stability factor, 1:9 starts to fade as you approach sea level. If you can get 1:8.75 or 1:8.5, you would be covered at any level.

As for contour, I would say something in the Sendero range, whatever number that may be for that particular make, but that’s just my preference.

The specs on my 7 Rem Mag barrel, and it has performed excellent!"

Rock Creek, Light Palma contour, stainless, 26" finish, 1:8.5 twist, Kampfield spiral flutes, loaded with 180 gr Berger VLD-Hunting, and a whole bunch of H-Retumbo.

They'll leave at 3000 fps out of my muzzle. It is a sight to see them hit steel and hide.

I'd stay in, or real close to that bullet weight. Certainly give Berger and Hornady a look. The Hornady 180 gr ELD-M is what I would buy, if it weren't that I've got more Berger 180's than I have barrel life, left.

Hornady 7mm 180 gr ELD-M
G-1 .796
G-7 .401

^^That's bad to the bone, right there!! So much so that 1000 yards is no biggie. Run em a mile if you get the chance.

Those are beautiful numbers.

Hornady continues to impress. Those BC's are monster. And the old 7 Rem Mag can drive them damn fast, and consistent.

Oh yeah.

Agree with the fast twist. These are made in Ennis Tx. great barrels.
http://www.shilen.com/savageBarrels.html

If you are going to spend the money to get a new barrel and want top accuracy, I would not be going with a cheaper barrel, like the ER shaw barrels. They make decent barrels for the money, but they are not a custom barrel or one I would put in the "match grade" category.

I haven't really priced anything yet. Off the top of my head, I'd planned to spend around $500 or so. Will that get me into something decent, or should I up that figure?

$350 for a cut rifled blank. But a choice of some of the finest barrels in the world. Bartlein, Brux, Obermeyer, Rock Creek, Krieger.

$350 to the gunsmith.

It's worth spending the extra 100 or so to get a premium barrel and have a good smith chamber it. Buying a drop in Shaw or the like vs having something like a bartlein chambered by someone doing it right is kinda comparing a ls engine out of a truck to one out of a corvette. There basicaly the same.. but not really.

Get a Shilen Stainless Select Match barrel. $449 and you can install it on a savage yourself with a set of Headspace gauges.
http://www.shilen.com/savageBarrels.html

Shilen barrels are cheaper at NSS. A select match barrel is $339 plus shipping. That’s stainless.

I have installed 2 of them after attending Youtube University

I assume NSS is Natchez shooters supply? Or is it somewhere else, couldn't find them on their site?

Proof Research or forget about it