7MM Rem Mag and popularity...

[IZZY]

I was thinking about getting a Nosler TGR in 300 WinMag, adding a muzzle break to it and learn to deal with the recoil when I read an article yesterday about the 7mm Rem Mag. Apparently it has about 25% less kick than the 300 winmag and still does the same job. That job being taking down elk and moose with ease at long distances 500 yds plus...Does anyone have any experience with this cartridge? Also most importantly, how easy is it to get the round? With things being the way it is today, one can only expect tighter restrictions on ammo in due time...so it is better to just stick with the rounds that are popular now and hope after the looming apocalyptical restrictions we can still get that ammo...any insight on this will be much appriciated.

 

[RosinBag]

Izzy, both will kill elk at 500 easy. If you want less recoil in a .300 shoot a bigger bullet. The 7mm will be an easier bullet to get than the .300. The military and law enforcement worldwide shoot the .30 caliber in many of their weapons system. If any shoot the .284 bullet that goes into the 7mm it will be few and far between. A 7mm can also have plenty of recoil if you shoot light bullets too. It is all about mating a good bullet to your particular weapon system.

 

[crumy]

I shoot a 300 win mag with a 180 grain bullet. The recoil isn't bad and honestly you don't even notice it when shooting at an animal. It is all a matter of perspective. After shooting it for a day practicing, yea, you will notice the recoil. Shoot a smaller caliber for a while then pick it up and shoot it, you will notice it. But all in all it is about what you are comfortable with. If you are going to jerk the trigger every time you shoot it, it doesn't matter how far it can shoot, you will never hit what you are aiming at.

 

[Stixshooter]

7mm Mag is a great rifle for Elk, Moose Mule Deer, Bear ...

Mine is no fun off the bench to be honest, a muzzle break would be welcome

For some reason my 300 WSM doesn't seem to be as harsh on the bench however I'm shooting 189s as above

Both will do any task I need

 

[Arrowslinger]

Izzy, i've been shooting a 7mm for 15 years and have no complaints. When i do my part, it kills'em dead. I sling Nosler Accubond 160's out of it, which is a very popular cartridge and availability has been a non-issue. Either works, flip a coin!

 

[Shrek]

Rosinbag , you are reversing the bullet weight and recoil relationship. For equal velocity the heavier bullet will kick more. There is no better family of bullets than the 7mm and the. 7mm rem mag is very common and an outstanding performer.

 

[Matt Cashell]

I killed a bull elk and bull moose with a 7 Rem Mag this year and have no complaints.

Recoil is pretty easy to take in a standard sporter weight rifle, IMO.

 

[shaun]

I know .30 caliber is out performed by 7mm at anything past I want to say 600 yards (someone correct me if im wrong I know it is something close to that) due to the BC's they are able to get with a .284 bullet. I know a .30 caliber can kick like a mule I shoot one. I also know a 7mm can do the same. There are alot of variables in there. Weight of gun, Size of bullet, Grains of powder behind it, Muzzle break or not etc. I have a weatherby 338-378 with a muzzel break that kicks less than my Tikka T-3 lite 300win. Again differend variables

 

[RosinBag]

I respectively disagree Dave. I shoot every week of the year for the last 21 years. Pushing a larger bullet out of the barrel will disperse felt recoil as it took more energy to get that heavier bullet down range. That is also comparing apple to heavier apple, all else being equal.

 

[RosinBag]

I hate typing on my phone so some of my responses are short. That being said.....

The 7 mag used to kick the .30 calibers but when Berger was the only one producing high B/C bullets. The 7 mag at 3100 with their 168g grain VLD had amazing ballistics and still does. But you can now build .30 caliber loads to be equal to the 7 mag and even better.

For example, I shoot a custom .300 Jarrett, which is basically an 8mm case necked down at the shoulder, at 35 degrees, to a .30 caliber. For a long time the best rounds available were 180 Nosler Ballistic Tips with a B/C of .507, but because they were being pushed at 3400 FPS, they were pretty damn good. Then along came the high B/C bullets by Berger and now even Nosler. Now I shoot a 210 grain bullet at 3100 FPS. The 210 has a tremendous B/C of .631 and it outruns and outperforms ballistically the old 180 by a ton and any 7 mag.

On the bullet weight and felt recoil. This is only noticeable at larger dispersions of weight of bullet. I base this on shooting, not science. I am on my third barrel of my .300 and without question the 180's at 3400 hammer me compared to the 210's at 3100. So the lighter faster bullet had more felt recoil than the heavier slower bullet. I only shoot this rifle about a dozen times a year.

My work rifle I shoot all the time. Our old issued ammunition was a 168 grain matched bullet shot at about 2700 FPS and I can't count the thousands of rounds I have shot out of it. Industry standard changed and we were forced to switch to a 155 grain bullet that shoots at about 2800 FPS. Even with the closer weights and speed, the 155's had more felt recoil and everyone one of us shooting the rifles complained, but like many, no one listened.

I am not looking to get into a pissing match about this, just going off of what I have experienced.

 

[TRIPLE]

Both rounds you mention are plenty capable of killing big game beyond 95% of shooters effective skill level. I have killed multiple animals beyond 700 yards with both 7 mag and .300. So, I believe cartrage is irrelevant, unless you're doing a complete build and you know exactly what you want. As far as recoil, neither is day and night from one to another. Most noticeable recoil differences will be noticed in the style of rifle, senderos kick (and jump) less than mountain rifles.

Also, I personally think any restrictions won't really effect hunting cartrages (except maybe prices)

 

[Shrek]

Drinking beer and watching my Noles play so don't want to get into it. There is a lot of variables that effect perceived recoil. I think we would agree that a guy who is asking about cartridges and not giving advice would be well served with a 7mm rem mag in a sporter weight rifle shooting factory Federal Premium with 160gr accubonds. If hunting antelope then 140gr and if hunting interior grizzly then 175gr partitions. The 7mm rem mag will do it all with aplomb.

 

[IZZY]

Folks thanks a lot for all the advice, I should have given a bit more information about my experience when it comes to shooting...I shoot about every other week when am home, I learned to shoot in the Marine Corps so shooting an M-16 out to 500 yds with iron sights is not a big deal for me, I still practice all the basic fundamentals I was thought 13 yrs ago, and am always looking for new tips from more experienced shooters to help me get better...now when it comes to the science of a round and what not, I am a total moron...ballistic coeeficients and all that is like speaking Swahili to me...I do understand the different grains in bullets will have different results due to drift and wind. And certain grains kick more than other (been my experience that heavier grains kick more...I might be wrong) I already have 2 Savage rifles chambered in .308, but am trying to start pushing my comfort range of shooting out a little bit more. Hence why I want a new hunting rifle that can reach out there. I plan on using this rifle for a wide array of things...shooting at the range, hunting in Alaska, hunting in Africa...As I said, I didn't know too much about the 7mm magnum until yesterday. And by the sounds of it, most folks on this forum support the 7mm more than the .300WM. And it looks like the availability of the round is not anything to worry about...so it looks like my decision is being made for me...please keep the tips coming...I appreciate it.

 

[wk93]

I personally prefer the 300WM for everything I do. I just personally have not cared for the 7MM. I will admit though, it is a great round and will do everythimg the 300WM will do. My uncle who is a huge gun freak (which is probably the reason I am to) says historically, the 7MM is a more accurate round compared to the 300WM, but nowadays accuracy is the same. It's all about preference. I like the 300WM while my uncle prefers the 7MM. You can also look at the thread 300 vs 7MM on this forum for more info if you want.

 

[wk93]

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?1130-7mm-vs-300

Here is the link.

 

[crumy]

I use my 300 for everything from antelope to elk. And hopefully a moose this year if I draw. Just a personal preference. I am comfortable with it and I know it will drop anything in North America and most anywhere else. That being said I know a guy who drops an elk about every year with a 25-06.

 

[HellsCanyon]

Do you reload?
Either round is great and will serve you well. With the great 30 cal and 7mm (284 cal) bullets we have available nowadays, you can pick and choose what you want to at will for every game animal out there. The 168 Bergers in 7mm have a .617 BC (for all intended purposes, we'll stick with the classic G1 Ballistic Coefficients), and the 30 caliber 210 Berger has a .631 BC.

Both of those BC's are outstanding, you'll get more speed out of a 7mm with the 168's vs. the 210's out of a 300 Winmag and speed does trump high BC's especially when they are this close. Really you can't go wrong. Guys are killing elk at 1000 yards with both calibers and bullets.

Mike

 

[jls]

I am on my third barrel of my .300 and without question the 180's at 3400 hammer me compared to the 210's at 3100. So the lighter faster bullet had more felt recoil than the heavier slower bullet. I only shoot this rifle about a dozen times a year.

Rosin I am confused at how you can be on your third barrel while only shooting the rifle about a dozen times a year? Surely the .300 Jarrett isn't such a flamethrower that goes through barrels that quickly is it? Perhaps you meant that you only shoot the 180gr load a dozen times a year? Would love to get some clarification and/or more info on this...

To the OP, you have been given some great advice and I feel that either the 7mm or 300 would serve you very well. As for me, I'd shoot an '06 and not feel undergunned! But I've never had the need to shoot at those distances FWIW

 

[Shrek]

Izzy , since you are familiar with the savages and are wanting to strech out look at their long range hunter line. They make the most accurate factory rifles today and and for less than $300 you can rebarrel it. I would also suggest you learn to hand load your own ammo. Unless you have some deep pockets it is going to be hard to shoot enough to become really proficient with your rifle. Hand loading can cut your cost in half and open a whole new world of options and much more accurate ammunition. You don't need to brake the bank to start loading. You can make reasonably good ammo with a lee , rcbs , or lyman kit. All the dies and tools I have gotten from hornady have been terrible but the rest of the pack have all performed fine. I'm partial to Lee for standard grade stuff. They are the least expensive and often perform better than the rest. The Forster co-ax press and dies are top of the line imo but expensive. You will get a great deal of satisfaction from really dialing in a rig. When it all comes together you won't be able to keep a grin from going ear to ear.

 

[RosinBag]

I agree 100% with Daveinjax on the Savage Long Range Hunter line. Super accurate out of the box for factory rifle.

jls, I have had my .300 Jarrett for about 15 years and only rifle hunted. I burned up a barrel about every 6 years give or take a month or so since I had it. I shot the $hit of it back then as I didn't bow hunt at all. About 3 years ago I nearly quit rifle hunting all together as I felt like I was becoming a shooter and not a hunter. I put the 3rd barrel on back in 2009 and since have shot it much less as I mentioned. Those first years with it I probably did way to much experimenting with load configurations trying to make it a long range tack driver. Between running so many different configurations of loads, it ate the barrels up much faster than standard use did. Now I just shoot my work rifle all the time because I don't pay for ammunition or the gun, plus they will not re-barrel it, they just buy us new ones. Any other questions....