Remington's Model Seven in 308 Winchester Part 1

I was looking at this little Model Seven and I realized how much of a firearm snob I’ve become… for the second time in two weeks. The first time was after review of an H&R Handi-Rifle chambered for the 500 S&W Magnum.

Rifles can bring about a cultural clash between firearm enthusiasts who appreciate firearms as a form of mechanical art and/or a representation of history and folks who need them as tools of the trade, so to speak; hunting, law enforcement and self defense. What is the difference?

When interested friends or family members ask what rifle I’ve selected for deer hunting, I pull out a CZ 550 with a fancy walnut full stock and bright, deep bluing. Then I go on for hours about the virtues of its 6.5 Swede cartridge, leaving out the parts where hunting can only take place on a day of clear skies, with temperatures between 68º-72º and relative humidity at or below 36%.  Additionally, hunting can only take place where there are no abrasive surfaces or scratching tree branches. A day of hunting that begins with pouring down rain or snow? That rifle is not leaving the house.

The Remington Model Seven is a very light, compact firearm that is about right size for woodland hills hunting. It has  durable and non-reflective black oxide finished hardware with a nice touch of a jeweled bolt. The bottom metal is matte finished aluminum, which contributes to the rifle’s light weight. The stock is fiber filled black synthetic, with pattered stippling at gripping surfaces. Basically, it is a “hose it off when you’re done” kind of rifle, but it is a good looking little rifle.

Coming into this project, I had shooting experience with personally owned Model Seven rifles chambered in 223 Rem, 243 Rem, 260 Rem, and 7mm-08 Rem. You may notice the changes in cartridges, but the rifle remains the same. The 223 Remington was used for varmint and small game, the 243 Winchester for deer and hogs. The 7mm-08 was an attempt at adding bullet weight and range for a bit more power, but the 260 Remington seems to do a better job, with less fuss, in that regard.

Through it all, I’ve found the Model Seven to be an ideal compact rifle to haul around, I just haven’t decided which cartridge is ideal for my circumstances.

The 308 Winchester and other short stories…

I don’t like the 308 Winchester. Never have and probably never will. It’s short and stubby and has no distinguishing features. Even in this line up to the left (300 Win Mag, 30-06 Springfield, 308 Winchester), the extent of an identification would be, “The little guy on the right”. For a guy like me, with a minimal bag full of adjectives to select from and unable to paint great visuals with words, excitement and interest has to emanate, maybe even radiate, directly from the subject.

There are many ways to express the origins of the 308 Winchester… which includes citing a NATO cartridge selection program that commenced in 1945 and milestones of iteration such as the: T65, T65E5, T65E4, Mr. T and M59. Ultimately, the 7.62x51mm cartridge was adopted by NATO in 1954 and put into service with the U.S. Army in 1957. Winchester introduced the 308 Winchester in 1952 as a sporting rifle cartridge and it persists as one of the most popular.

My point is that 60+ years as a successful NATO cartridge standard used throughout the world, and as an Internationally popular hunting cartridge, and as a highly successful competitive shooting cartridge does not mean we should jump to conclusions and assume the 308 Winchester is a good cartridge. Who knows, over the next fifty years it may prove to be just another flash in the pan as may its siblings, the: 243 Winchester, 260 Remington, 7mm-08 Remington, and 358 Winchester.

A quick check of online ammunition retailers identified the 308 Winchester as the near leader in regard to number of factory loads available at 173. The 223 Remington leads at 194, the 30-06 Springfield trails with 128. There is a 308 Winchester load to suit everyone.

Personality

I don’t want to get too wrapped up in the issue of recoil. Actual recoil is calculable at 19 ft-lbs, about the same as a more standard weight 30-06 Springfield. However, felt recoil can be quite subjective. The little Seven speaks with some authority and it does have moderate recoil one would expected of a lightweight 308 Winchester. That said, the term “hard kicker” would not be appropriate for anyone but a guy who thinks he needs to show a softer more vulnerable side… or who speaks French, “Une petite fille qui pleure”.

Before putting the rifle up to work up a good selection of handloads, I did take time to mount and zero a scope and shoot a few rounds of 150 grain Remington Core Lokt ammo. Over the chronograph the Model Seven’s 20″ barrel generated 2,721 fps of muzzle velocity from ammunition rated at 2,820 fps through a 24″ barrel. The thin barrel heated up a bit following 4 rounds, but groups held together. If there was anything that stood out initially, it was how comfortable and steady it was to shoot the Remington Model Seven from standing, kneeling, sitting, or prone positions and possibly how light it felt carrying out to the range. We’ll take a break and load up some ammo with a good selection of bullets, and finish the assessment in Part 2.

Remington’s Model Seven in 308 Winchester Part 1
Remington’s Model Seven in 308 Winchester Part 11