Whats the more versatile rifle 7 rem mag or 300 win mag for out west?

[grfox92]

At this point I would NEVER buy a magnum for any type of North American big game hunting. 280 AI would be the largest cartridge I would ever own at this point.

Watching guys shoot magnums since ive switched to smaller calibers really reinforces just how bad guy shoot magnums. If your buying a magnum, your not intending to shoot it a lot. If your not intending on shooting it a lot, your not going to shoot it well. Im not telling you to get a .223 or 6mm, but 7mm08, .308, 6.5cm are all killers out beyond 99% of hunters maximum range.

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[ScottinPA]

Ohh you done one upped me bro

I'll see your 7STW and raise you to 358STA .

Originally I was going to build a 300WM but came across the STA and decided to build it instead. 25yrs later I kinda wish I would've stayed with the original plan but I've found a good reduced load for the STA that's good for PA and can always go back to full strength if I go west.

 

[BradArnett]

At this point I would NEVER buy a magnum for any type of North American big game hunting. 280 AI would be the largest cartridge I would ever own at this point.

Watching guys shoot magnums since ive switched to smaller calibers really reinforces just how bad guy shoot magnums. If your buying a magnum, your not intending to shoot it a lot. If your not intending on shooting it a lot, your not going to shoot it well. Im not telling you to get a .223 or 6mm, but 7mm08, .308, 6.5cm are all killers out beyond 99% of hunters maximum range.

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Good points! But it seems like the farther guys get from home the bigger the rifle they think they need. Our last elk hunt there were 3 of us. I took a 6.5cm, because my 22-250ai wasn't legal there, my other friend whom I shoot with alot brought a 260, last guy felt like he needed to bring a 300wm.

Last bear hunt before that trip, 1 was killed with a 6.5, 1 was hit and not recovered.....by the guy with the 300wm.

 

[MT762]

Pick up a 7 rem mag for hunting out west. I know there's some debate on choice rounds whats yours 7 rem mag or 300 win mag? Orrrr... 300 rum

RUM aside...LOL...

With factory ammo and factory twists... not much difference between the 7 and the 300. Most factory 7 mags are 1:9.5 twist and you are not shooting any crazy high-BC bullets, that is for sure.

Some folks like being able to launch 200gr+ bullets from a 30 cal. There is way more factory ammo available at higher bullet weights, with a greater variety of bullets, with the 300 mag.

Recoil is the same, given the same bullet weight. Barely any wind drift difference with properly selected factory ammo.

Where the 7 would give a real advantage is if you built one with a 1:8 twist barrel and ran 175 or 180gr bullets. Manageable recoil and crazy slick bullets.

Otherwise it's a wash and I'd probably go 300 mag, but it's def Ford/Chevy.

As someone else mentioned, a 30-06 based cartridge (whether in .30 or .284) will do basically all the same things and your off-season round count will be double or possibly triple for the same $$$ expenditure.

But if you're on here...you probably aren't worried about that!

 

[23lions]

300 win mag will let you use heavier bullets, and shoot the same weight bullets faster. Most factory loads for 7 mag top out around 175 grain but .300 win mag had 220 grain options loaded from factory. It has a higher case capacity as well if you hand load. The big tradeoff is recoil. The .300 win mag has about 25% more recoil than a 7 mag.

 

[TheViking]

Why do people constantly suggest selecting a caliber based on cartridge popularity "in case you forget your ammo."

Come on man.

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This.
Who the hell goes on a hunting trip and plans to buy ammo when they get there?
I get the whole maybe an airline loses it, but all my shit will be lost with it, not just ammo.
Buy a handful of boxes at a time and plan ahead accordingly.

 

[eric1115]

Former 7mmRM guy here. My kill-everything-at-all-ranges rifle is now a .243AI. It keeps a heavy-ish 6mm bullet above upset velocity to further range than 99.8% of guys (including me) have any business shooting a hooved animal. No regrets, it's a better shooting and killing tool at both short and long range than my magnum was (and it was great, I shot 180 Bergers out of it and those things were deadly).

Consider smaller. Read the .223 and 6mm threads. Most of us recommending these smaller options have killed quite a few critters with magnums.

 

[akhunter3]

This.
Who the hell goes on a hunting trip and plans to buy ammo when they get there?
I get the whole maybe an airline loses it, but all my shit will be lost with it, not just ammo.
Buy a handful of boxes at a time and plan ahead accordingly.

You don't enjoy the excitement and adrenaline rush of *hoping* that the local gas station has your caliber after you flew several thousand miles with just the one rifle?!

 

[TheViking]

You don't enjoy the excitement and adrenaline rush of *hoping* that the local gas station has your caliber after you flew several thousand miles with just the one rifle?!

Sounds like my worst nightmare
I’m a huge planner and always have Plan A, B, C lined up. Backups of this, backups of that, etc. Often times I take way too much stuff with me.

 

[270-300]

Its a wash anyway you look at it.

300 win mag is typically heavier, and is wider so it makes a bigger hole before the bullet opens. With new high bc bullets this cartridge can have a great bc.

7mm rem mag has a inherently high bc. The slightly more narrow bullets make a slightly smaller hole on impact, however modern bullets open very well.

I believe your choice of bullet is going to make a bigger difference than either caliber over the other.

Im partial to hornady interlocks and speer hotcors. My old rifle loves high bc.

High bc doesnt matter at closer ranges.

Wider bullet matters less with the quality expanding bullets we have.

Both penetrate more than ever needed.

I shoot 300 win mag. Was the rifle available at the time I was buying.

Shot my first antelope at 487 yards. Heart shot.

The next year i shot a deer at 85 yards. Heart shot.

-A lot of animals in between-

Last year I shot a small antelope doe at 55 yards. Heart shot.

A month later i shot a deer at 180 yards. 270 win head shot.

2 weeks later i shot an elk at 140 yards. 270 win heart shot.

No effective difference between 270 win or 300 win mag on heart shots. Both juice the vital organs. 300 penetrates more the length of the animal. 270 ruins less meat if i shoot a quart. I try real hard not to hit quarters. 90% of my kills have been so close a 270 vs a 300 would not matter. I do have a larger scope on the 300 and use it for open land, while the 270 has a smaller scope and i tend to pick it for heavy cover.

7mm remington is much more similar to 300 win than any other cartridge. Anyone who claims they could tell the difference in tissue damage at the same ranges on the same heart shot angle on the same animal i would call a liar.

Anyone who thinks the bc difference between the two is the deciding factor, just doesnt want to hold high at 400 yards with a 200 yard zero.


If i had to make the decision again, i would again choose which rifles are available at the local place i buy rifles.

End conclusion, two of the best cartridges ever made. They both do everything so well, you wont ever be disappointed.

Only draw back is price of ammunition.

 

[Live_weighT34]

300. Winchester. Magnum.

 

[bnewt3]

6 one, half dozen the other. I cant imagine ever hunting anything so far away that my 6.5CM, 270, or 308 cant handle.

 

[rookieforever33]

This.
Who the hell goes on a hunting trip and plans to buy ammo when they get there?
I get the whole maybe an airline loses it, but all my shit will be lost with it, not just ammo.
Buy a handful of boxes at a time and plan ahead accordingly.

People dont plan to buy ammo when they get there. They burn it all up chasing zero after their rifle bounces it off zero traveling there and need to buy more.

 

[streamerfish]

The biggest elk I have ever harvested I took with a 7mm Rem Mag, sooo It's gotta be the 7 by default.

Personally I will never hunt with a rifle setup that has over 15ft/lbs of recoil ever again.

But out of your 2 choices, 7mm for the nostalgia.

 

[WCB]

IMO it makes ZERO difference. Also, I am not sure what exactly a versatile magnum rifle is. But I also pick the best shooting bullet with the performance characteristics I like and shoot it for everything.

There is literally nothing 1 will do or kill that the other will not.

 

[270-300]

6 one, half dozen the other. I cant imagine ever hunting anything so far away that my 6.5CM, 270, or 308 cant handle.

Im right there with you. I started hunting with 270 to have inexpensive ammunition. The one reason i like 300 win, or 7mm, is for making long shots in strong wind. There is a huge difference in drift between the belted magnums and 308 in strong wind.

 

[grfox92]

People dont plan to buy ammo when they get there. They burn it all up chasing zero after their rifle bounces it off zero traveling there and need to buy more.

Bring more ammo. They arent going to find the same lot anyway.

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