Cartridge 7x65R: The measurement of 7 mm is considered the golden proportion of hunting media and Wilhelm Brenneke's studies dated to the early twentieth century had identified the proportions to achieve a balanced cartridge of excellent value on different prey.
di Emmanuel Tabasso
There are only three years left to the centenary of this superb creation of the great German inventor and the 7x65R, as well as the 7 × 64 sister for carbine, enjoys excellent health thanks to an original plant that has combined its prerogatives in the words balance and effectiveness. Without bothering the magnum, this cartridge case of a certain capacity, it is true, but not overflowing, lends itself well to managing a wide and functional range of bullets: if in bolt action rifles the caliber had undergone a considerable decline in the years after the II GM, now it has resumed share thanks to the greater knowledge of enthusiasts, more dedicated to study and experimentation and less prey to advertising.
On the other hand, observing the R version suitable for overhead doors, we will see how, together with the 6,5x57R, it has always been on the crest of the wave, chambering mixed shotguns and kipplaufs of Central European tradition to the full satisfaction of users. In the first decades of the last century the 7x65R was a multipurpose cartridge and tells the tradition that, in that period, many more deer under his blows of all the others put together: today it seems nice to use more prominent means and Germany itself with Otto Schuler had created the splendid 8x68S with that drier and more decisive blow, guaranteeing a greater operational arm and that usual comma in more than lethality on a not-so-perfect shot. The fact is that for a long time the 7 mm in question expressed the greatest energy conservation at 500 meters, beautifully surpassing sacred monsters such as the Super .30 from Holland.
Unfortunately we are often led to judge the charges by reading the numerical values at various distances, with speed, kinetic energy and trajectory drop; more difficult to penetrate into the less quantifiable values, but of considerable value, grouped in those Anglo-Saxon phrases of killing power, stopping power and so on. From time to time we too get caught up in these discussions by listing objective facts which, however, cannot be given a scientific follow-up. The idea, however, of an optimal ratio between speed, mass and straight area of the bullet, therefore sectional density, form factor, energy transfer and whatever else there must be and, in our subdued opinion, this cartridge fits perfectly.
The adoption of a narrow rifling pitch allows the use of heavy bullets and the 11,2g bullets will not have the flat trajectory of a 7 Rem. Mag. But where they arrive they do their job without too much noise. Always to remain within the scope of the same designer and going down to the minimum weight, the 6,7 g Teil Mantel bullets prove to be suitable for effectively tense shots from chamois to roe deer, trusting that even on larger-sized game, if well placed, they are equally lethal: perhaps just to see the hair in the egg the mantle is a bit hard and if it does not meet consistent masses it can pass through with little energy transfer. These are exceptional cases and certainly do not make sense. To our taste for small and medium sized prey we prefer for this one cartridge an average bullet weight of around 7,8 - 9,1g (120 - 140 grains) and various reloads reassure the results, also favored by the barrel length of a Merkel drilling still with the traditional and respectable 65 cm.
A successful recipe by the Maestro sees the Sierra Pro Hunter ball or the 140 grs Game King spin at a V / 2 around 902 - 905 m / sec with excellent precision of the first two shots, those that are needed, and the same effect is achieved. if the ball is a Nosler Accubond always 140 grs. The availability of original fillers is very wide, especially from European manufacturers with RWS, Norma, Sellier & Bellot, Geco, the same Brenneke who for some years has been setting up excellent complete cartridges, and recently also our Fiocchi with interesting yield and price proposals. . To highlight the stopping power on tough animals and medium-short distances, the Norma proposes its Oryx ball of 156 or 170 grs: a strong blow to settle the issues in an exciting hunt. A cartridge for many situations therefore decidedly advantageous even in rifles with two rifled barrels both in the wild boar post as in the hunting looking in the woods.