Thread: Question for the smiths

Originally Posted by 7mmsaum

Horihunter, a Sako 85 in 7mm rem mag has an internal magazine length of 3.736 inches.

A common Sako 85 162 A-Max load over all length is 3.460 with a 2 thou jam into the rifling lands.

The Sako magazine easily fits just touch loads with the 162 A-Max, 168 berger, 180 berger and no doubt the new 195 when it eventually gets here.


The rem mag is a formidable machine.

Thanks for that, very good to know, is yours completely standard? From memory you were getting very good accuracy from it - could replace my current rem mag with an 85 and then look at custom for an edge...

Its completely standard.

Shooting golf balls at 800yrds is a great way to "tune up" a rifle, and this one has hit plenty of them now. Although i'm happy to accept the hits could have been a series of flukes

When a rifle is extremely accurate a golf ball at 41-43mm (from memory), -is not too hard to hit.


Used one of my edges today, to shoot at golf ball sized rocks on a clay pan 1038yrds away, 7 degrees uphill shot angle, 27.55 InHG baro.

Initially ignoring the spin drift value, i fired to check it, then dialing in the .5 MOA i fired again. Dead rock. The 338 edge is a very usable LR bomber with the 300g OTM Gen 2 projectile.



Then i used my lightest 7mmsaum, 3000fps with the 140g Ballistic Tips/Accubond/TTSX/Partition. And thats with a 16 inch barrel.

Dialing the CDS on the light 7mm its great to achieve the same .2 moa accuracy it displays at 100yrds on targets out to 800yrds.









A new Hawkes Bay LR/bush hunter -young petree, is using a midland 270 and his accuracy with the 135smk is outstanding, he is becoming a very good shot, just missing a rock at 707yrds by 4 inches low.

At the end of the day if you have a very accurate rifle then LR shooting becomes fun, your projectile choice/velocity just needs to match the game you are harvesting with it.

It was a bad day to be a golf ball, or rock.