.300 Win Mag vs. 7mm Mag

T

TVDean

New member
New Rifle, should it be 7mmRM or .300WM?

I'm gonna get a hunting rifle. I'm leaning towards a Remington 700 BDL-DM, but I'm on the fence as to what caliber to get it in.

Most will say that the 300WM is too much gun for deer, but I've got a 550B, can I not download the cartridge to an acceptable level of energy? Then I could always load max loads for elk or moose, right?

If you were going to get a new deer rifle, what caliber would it be and why?
 
If you're looking for just a "deer" rifle---I would look at getting one of the short action calibers----.243 Win---.260 Rem---7mm-08 Rem-- or .308 Win-----these are generally considered accurate calibers. Low-recoil---lighter/handier rifles----a stiffer short action and the barrels are usually shorter and stiffer too---ie--more accurate.

Why carry around a 10 pound beast that's going to beat you to death?? As I get older---lighter is better---and any of those calibers will drop a deer just fine.
 
I'd like to know that I could have the power to tackle larger game than deer if need be.

How bout the .300 Win Short Mag?
 
Just a word of advice. If you are thinking about BDL with the detachable magazine its best to avoid it. I have a Rem 700 BDL DM in 300 Win. After I had put about 40 rounds through it, the magazine started falling out under the recoil. It is a great rifle otherwise. I think very highly of Remingtons but in the future I will stick to the versions with the fixed magazines. I have talked to a lot of other Remington owners and they too have had trouble with the DMs.
 
Thanks for the info, that's exactly what I need to hear.
I guess the hinged mag model will suffice........
 
If you load your own ammo, I'd say a .300 maggie would be better than the 7mm, particularly for larger game. (Not that the 7mm won't work on elk or moose.)

Personally, I'd go the new .300 short magnum. Since RCBS will make dies for any specification you send them, they probably already have 300WSM dies available...

Art
 
Age old question. I will take the .30 cal bullet and knockdown power any day over the 7mm. Check the ballistics tables for energy. The .300 is possibly the best all around caliber for hunting in the US, with the possible exception of big bear in Alaska, for which some say is too light. I have shot a lot of mulies with my .300 and it is not the overkill most would have you believe. Also the choice of bullet weight and type is greater in the .300. Go with the .300 winmag and never look back.
 
The 7mm will give you a little flatter shooting rifle, but the 300 will give you a little more energy. It's kind of six of one half a dozen of the other. I like the 7mm. It's super flat with the lighter bullets (130 gr, 140 gr), super penetrating with the 175 gr, and just about perfect with the 150 gr!
 
why Magnum......? check out the ballistics on the 30-06 it has probably killed more living being than most of all the other cartridges combined except maybe the 8mm mauser.

it can be loaded up very hot in one of todays modern day gunsand the energy in some of these hot loads equal or come close to many Magnums

Ipersonally like the 7mm-08 for deer and mid sized "large game"

it has a great ballistic coefficient and fits in many light short actions. I have a Win Mod 70 classic compact in 7mm-08 that dooes not have a great amount of recoil or muzzle blast, even weighing in at 6.5 lbs with sling and 5 rounds. it shoots 3/4 moa all day.
 
I like both, but you will find 7MM Magnum a bit easier to shoot accurately.

A 150-165 Grain Bullet at 3000 FPS is about perfect for long range deer.

For the woods pick a Heavy Nosler ballistic tip say 175-180 at no more than 2800 FPS.

For power skip .30 and .338 magnums and go .375 H&H or better.

Still the GUN is more important than the Caliber anything from 6.5X55 Swedish Mauser on up will do the trick with the right bullet.
 
With folks drifting away a bit from the original question, lemme offer a bit from the FWIW department: The Federal Premium High Energy ammo for the .30-'06 sends a 165-grain bullet out the muzzle of a 26" barrel at 3,150 ft/sec. Say, at least 3,000 ft/sec from a 22" or 24" barrel.

Go check the data for 7mm Mag and 300 Win Mag...

:), Art
 
Golly, gee, Zorro! And here I've been walking around with a 26" barrelled rifle for over thirty years, now! My stoopid? :D (My duck gun is an old Model 12; 30" FC.)

I've tried some of the Federal HE stuff, after a guy in Australia emailed me about it. He uses a pre-64 Model 70, rebarrelled to 26" and does a bunch of chronographed load-testing. His data matches the claim on the Federal box.

About all to not like is the cost. However, for Bambi, my el cheapo handloads create DRT and I'll stay with them. Should I get into elk-hunting I'd go with the Federal. No need to buy a .300 WinMag or equivalent.

:), Art
 
I think you'll find the possibilities for taking game to be greater with the .30 caliber than the 7mm.

The .300 WM is just fine for Bambi, and it'll go on up in size pretty far from there.

And I would also steer you away from the detachable magazine variants, particularly with heavier recoil loads. Haven't met too many people who have nice things to say about them 40 or 50 rounds after they buy the rifle.

A 700 BDL in .300 WM sounds like a nice combo to me.
 
Well, I just sold my Browning 7mm Mag Abolt hunter on Monday. I received my Browning 300WM Abolt Medalion w/boss today. Reason for the change had more to do with the boss system than anything. I give a slight edge to the 300. If it is just for taking deer sized game...my .25-06 is up to the task.
 
Golly, gee, Zorro! And here I've been walking around with a 26" barrelled rifle for over thirty years, now! My stoopid? (My duck gun is an old Model 12; 30" FC.)

Zorro's Comment: And I have seen Federal Factory Loads blow out primers so they are STILL safe?

I've tried some of the Federal HE stuff, after a guy in Australia emailed me about it. He uses a pre-64 Model 70, rebarrelled to 26" and does a bunch of chronographed load-testing. His data matches the claim on the Federal box.

Zorro's Comment: Bull**** the gun is Outlawed in Australia! Slingshots are banned too!

About all to not like is the cost. However, for Bambi, my el cheapo handloads create DRT and I'll stay with them. Should I get into elk-hunting I'd go with the Federal. No need to buy a .300 WinMag or equivalent.
Click to expand...

Zorro's Comment: The 30-06 Isn't a 300 Weatherby Magnum!

3000 FPS with a 165 Grain Bullet is the SAFE Maximum from the 30-06.

26 inch barrels are a target range gun on all except singleshot guns.

Except for shooting ducks.

I like the taste of Quail better :) "Yum"
 
I have looked long and hard at the 7 Rem and the 300 Win & IMHO you can't lose with either one.

If you plan to hunt most everything under the sun with just one gun, then I think the 300 Win has the edge. I think that the 7 Rem would be fine on Brown Bears I know that I would feel better with a 300 (or 375) in my hands. Plus with the 300 you can use Alex Aux cartridge to shoot 32 acp or 32 H&R Mags in your rifle.

But if you plan to shoot mainly deer and paper with your rifle then the 7 Rem would probably be better, slightly less recoil and slightly more retained velocity with game bullets [thinking Gamekings & ballistic tips].

Art mentions Federal's HE ammo for the '06 but he didn't mention the HE ammo for the 300 IIRC the Federal HE 300 Win load with 180 bullets get around 3300 fps, or you can get Fed HE 300 win with 200 grain partitions @ 2900 fps.

I haven't used Federal's HE ammo yet but I have used Hornady's Light magnum loads. The 150 grain Light magnum loads went about 2750 or so from the 19" barrel of my Scout.

However if your looking for a Deer rifle I personally would pick a 6.5x55 Swede loaded with 140 nosler's and a 22-24" barrel or a 260 Rem in a Model 7, or custom light wt carbine, with a 20" barrel and 125 Nosler's. Though I would be content with a 257 Roberts or one of Art's 243's/6mm's.
 
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