7mm Backcountry
BY Herschel Smith
2 weeks, 2 days ago
In the interest of being open and honest, I’ll embed some of the videos with links to others. However, I’ll say my piece before I do.
I don’t want to have my mind blown by a new cartridge.
I don’t want to run steel casing in my rifles.
I don’t want 85,000 psi in my barrel or anywhere around me, and certainly not that close to my eyes and face.
I don’t want to have reduced barrel life.
A bullet can only pass through game once and then it’s done. Hit where it counts like the scapula – don’t shoot through with 50% to spare. Generally, I don’t want a new cartridge. I’d rather see Marlin (Ruger) make a lever gun in .454 Casull and .41 magnum, and S&W make a lever gun in 500 S&W. But I guess Federal thinks some folks want a new cartridge, or they wouldn’t have come out with one.
Funny how the influences all come out with this video at about the same time, almost as if on cue. I’m sure they were paid something for it – I would have demanded to keep the rifle rather than send it back. I’m sure it was a custom rifle.
On January 7, 2025 at 9:11 pm, Dan said:
Yet another solution in search a problem….
On January 7, 2025 at 9:16 pm, Elmo said:
Remember Layne Simpson’s 7mm STW (Shooting Times Westerner)?
Yeah. Neither does anybody else.
The only thing it was good for was to help the smokeless powder companies sell lots of their product and to provide gunsmiths that specialize in re-barreling rifles with a new customer base.
But looking on the bright side, it did stroke Layne Simpson’s ego for a decade or so.
On January 7, 2025 at 9:35 pm, jrg said:
I have to agree – killing deer doesn’t require updated newly minted cartridges. The classics will continue accomplishing the task with no problem. I saw a deer this past Sunday that was killed with his Dad’s iron sighted Winchester 94.
On January 7, 2025 at 9:38 pm, Elmo said:
BTW Herschel, I’ve been hoping to see a Marlin (Ruger) 1894 in .41 Magnum ever since I heard about the Ruger/Marlin deal.
Full disclosure: I’m the proud owner of a JM roll marked Marlin 1894 in .41 Magnum and would love to see Ruger share the love of that rifle in this caliber with a whole new generation of shooters. Fingers crossed.
On January 7, 2025 at 9:45 pm, X said:
“I don’t want to have my mind blown by a new cartridge.
I don’t want to run steel casing in my rifles.
I don’t want 85,000 psi in my barrel or anywhere around me, and certainly not that close to my eyes and face.
I don’t want to have reduced barrel life.”
Ah, yes.
.308 Win is what you seek, Grasshopper…
On January 7, 2025 at 9:46 pm, X said:
“Funny how the influences all come out with this video at about the same time, almost as if on cue.”
That’s because it IS on cue. The SHOT Show is next month.
On January 7, 2025 at 10:13 pm, IA Brooks said:
My father took 18 elk in his life: eight with bow and arrow, seven with a Rem. 700 in .30-06, and three with a 7×57 Mauser. The latter rifle was brought back to the US after our war with Spain, sporterized (as they say) by a skilled Italian craftsman (married to an aunt of mine) and is one of the finest game-getting rifles I’ve ever touched. That caliber has taken everything up to and including elephant, and it’s all the 7mm anybody needs.
On January 7, 2025 at 11:20 pm, Grunt said:
30-06. Nuff said. Been killing big game and men for well over a century.
On January 8, 2025 at 6:08 am, jrg said:
My ideal .41 Magnum rifle would be a small single shot like a re-introduced Ruger #3 falling block. I would be satisfied with a single shot break open would be good enough for me. As a kid, I wondered if my .410 Savage 94Y would shoot it. The answer is NOPE – unfortunately. No, I didn’t blow up my gun trying it. Pity they don’t make a factory loaded single projectile for the .410.
Lever rifles – we already have tons of those flat receivered easy carrying guns.
On January 8, 2025 at 11:22 pm, Wyotana said:
Tough crowd.
“If Tonto’s grandaddy could kill elk with his smoothbore flintlock trade musket, it’s good enough for me!”
On January 12, 2025 at 6:52 am, Jon said:
Everyone making higher pressure cartridges has been missing big. Hornady has a huge hit with 6mm arc with the long range crowd.
25-222AI with a BUMP to 67000 psi.
25 sharps out of almost half barrel length, can take deer. 257 Robert’s out of a 16″. That would be useful to see.
On January 12, 2025 at 10:28 am, Ken said:
Wyotana, you are comparing apples to oranges. A trade musket to a modern Win 700 in 7mm08 is a huge difference. A 7mm08 to this new super duper photon torpedo not so much. Most people do not have the shooting skills to utilize that tiny bit of performance. Hunting equipment manufactures should stop trying to sell something new and focus on getting people back to hunting and shooting. Their market is shrinking so selling into that market will not help their cause. I had a Rem 788 in 243 and a 1909 Argentine Mauser in 06. I did just fine with those. I taught my nephews how to hunt and they are using those rifles now. One retired (me) and two new hunters-;that have bought rifles in the same or common calibers (270 and 223). See how that works? They both have bought rifles and they are teaching their sons and a couple of daughters how to shoot/hunt. That grows the market. I suspect their sales/marketing/advertising departments are MBAs that don’t understand what is going on, much like the NRA today. Long winded but gun/ammo companies should focus on increasing the market, not another soon forgetable varient.
On January 13, 2025 at 11:06 pm, Wyotana said:
Ken, I don’t want to belabor the point. I was obviously being a touch snarky. I’m not whipping out my credit card for this one just yet.
But I do think the thing might catch on. Not as an minor improvement in cartridge performance. Rather, as a significant improvement in barrel length. This level of performance has been attainable for a while. But you paid for it by lugging an obnoxiously long barrel along for the hunt. Add a can to the end, and things start to get stupid.
I don’t think this will make sense for most people. But for some, it might be pretty slick. Time will tell.