Did somebody say "7mm Rimmed International"?
Hee-hee!
That round, also known as the "7-R', is the parent of the later 7-30 Waters. Elgin Gates came up with the 7-R as a more reliable means of knocking over the 200 meter steel rams, which weigh around 54 pounds. This was also before the "overhang" rule of IHMSA came into effect, so one really needed a cartridge with some "oomph" to knock those rams over, regardless of where they were hit.
To make the 7-R, you run standard .30-30 Winchester brass through the 7-R dies, then call it done. You end up with a 40-degree shoulder and long neck to seat 140gr or heavier bullets. Once you fire the reformed brass, you also get less case taper and sharper shoulder angles.
Standard .30-30 brass tends to be on the thin side for full-house 7-R loadings, and I get between 5-8 reloadings before I get a neck split. If you want to go full-tilt-boogie with the 7-R, form your cases from .375 Winchester brass. It's more work, but the results are well worth it.
I run a 139gr Hornady 7mm flat-base spitzer to 2000fps from my 10" Wichita Silhouette Pistol. The gun is a real boomer, and I've flinched on occasion while trying to knock down those 200 meter rams. It was embarrassing, especially the one time the round skipped off the hardpan ground in front of the ram and still knocked it down on the ricochet.
IHMSA isn't as popular as it once was, now that Elgin Gates passed away. I've since used the 7-R to good effect, both in wild pig and whitetail hunting. As a .30-30 based wildcat, it's a real sweetheart.
Hee-hee!
That round, also known as the "7-R', is the parent of the later 7-30 Waters. Elgin Gates came up with the 7-R as a more reliable means of knocking over the 200 meter steel rams, which weigh around 54 pounds. This was also before the "overhang" rule of IHMSA came into effect, so one really needed a cartridge with some "oomph" to knock those rams over, regardless of where they were hit.
To make the 7-R, you run standard .30-30 Winchester brass through the 7-R dies, then call it done. You end up with a 40-degree shoulder and long neck to seat 140gr or heavier bullets. Once you fire the reformed brass, you also get less case taper and sharper shoulder angles.
Standard .30-30 brass tends to be on the thin side for full-house 7-R loadings, and I get between 5-8 reloadings before I get a neck split. If you want to go full-tilt-boogie with the 7-R, form your cases from .375 Winchester brass. It's more work, but the results are well worth it.
I run a 139gr Hornady 7mm flat-base spitzer to 2000fps from my 10" Wichita Silhouette Pistol. The gun is a real boomer, and I've flinched on occasion while trying to knock down those 200 meter rams. It was embarrassing, especially the one time the round skipped off the hardpan ground in front of the ram and still knocked it down on the ricochet.
IHMSA isn't as popular as it once was, now that Elgin Gates passed away. I've since used the 7-R to good effect, both in wild pig and whitetail hunting. As a .30-30 based wildcat, it's a real sweetheart.
