7mm Rem. Mag vs 300 Win. Mag

[Stgraves260]

Yes sir the dif between the 7mm RM and the 300 WM is minimal. I did find on Hodgons reloadin book that with 81gr of Retumbo powder and a 24" barrel 2800 fps is achieved.So if the barrel is 28" long 2900 FPS is posable. The BC of the 215gn target bullet is .696 very good BC. If my 7 Mag had a 28" barrel instead of the 26" 3200 FPS is possable. 300 WM 215gr VLD 2900FPS 1000yrds 1700 FPS & 1375 Ft-LBS. The 7mm RM @ 1000yrds 168gn = 1775 FPS and 1175 Ft-LBS. These 2 rifles are very close. Its just the 7 Mag has 30% less recoil. Ill Take the 7 Mag. Now the 7 Mag with the 180gn VLD has a BC of .674 Muzzle FPS 3050. @ 1000yrds & 1250 Ft-LBS. There is only 75 Ft-LBS dif between the 168gn & the 180gn. Thats why I like the 168gn better than the 180grn. Either of these great rifles can do the job at long range. Its just the 7 Mag can do it with much less recoil and hit just as hard. I would have to try the Target bullets on game for myself. It would be interested to see how they work. But for now ill keep useing my 260 Rem 140 VLDs as my 1100yrd Deer rifle. 1100yrds = 1400FPS and 600 Ft-LBS. When and if this gun ever lets me down ill pull out my 7 Mag.

 

[Stgraves260]

The Barrel is 26" long. On my 7 Mag

 

[Stgraves260]

Sir im sorry this got way out of hand. If you are only lookin at killin deer at 700 yrds a 243 Win with a 95 grn -108 grn bullet will do the trick. If you do dont hand load use the HSM 95gn VLD Black box or the 95grn Hornady Supperformane Match. These 2 rounds will do the trick just fine. You do not need a 7mag or a 300mag to kill deer at that range. This I guarantee!!! My 260 Rem is a 243 necked up to a 6.5 cal. 243 ammo is more avaiable. I would buy the " Rem Model 700 SPS Varmint 243 " its around $650. GREAT RIFLE!!!! Im buildin my girfriend 1 right now. 26" Heavy Barrel 1-9.25 Twist. Twist rate is very important when shootin long range. The bullet and berrel have to match. I can tell you this. I have around $3500 in my 260. That is scope and all. This gun has out shot $15,000 rifles. Im not big on how much I spend but on the quallity!!! If there is anythang I can help you with Ill do my best.

 

[mountainman56]

700 yds is a chip shot for either caliber. If that's the max range that you are going to be working in, then I would shoot the 7 mag for the high bc bullets, flatter trajectory, and about 30% less recoil, not to mention less powder consumed. You will be happy with the 7.

ditto............again. Just trying to stick to the original post.

 

[captacademy]

My Rbros 7 mag sends 180 VLD's at 3050 fps and is super accurate! Love the 300 as well, but the 7 mag is just fun to shoot!

 

[MontanaRifleman]

My Rbros 7 mag sends 180 VLD's at 3050 fps and is super accurate! Love the 300 as well, but the 7 mag is just fun to shoot!

What powder and how long is the barrel that you are getting 3050 with 180 bullets out of a 7 RM?

FWIW, my 300 RUM is also fun to shoot as it has a brake on it... like your 7 mag. "Fun to shoot" is not applicable. You put a brake on any rifle and it is fun to shoot. I have two 7 mags and burned out the barrel in one of them. Neither have/had brakes. After less than 20 rounds they were no longer fun to shoot. The 7 mag without brake has a good kick to it. It is by no means a pleasant rifle to shoot without a brake, especially when shooting max loads with the heavier bullets.

 

[captacademy]

What powder and how long is the barrel that you are getting 3050 with 180 bullets out of a 7 RM?

FWIW, my 300 RUM is also fun to shoot as it has a brake on it... like your 7 mag. "Fun to shoot" is not applicable. You put a brake on any rifle and it is fun to shoot. I have two 7 mags and burned out the barrel in one of them. Neither have/had brakes. After less than 20 rounds they were no longer fun to shoot. The 7 mag without brake has a good kick to it. It is by no means a pleasant rifle to shoot without a brake, especially when shooting max loads with the heavier bullets.

Shooting 71 grains of retumbo out of a 27" barrel.

Look, I am not trying to get in a debate here, but the 300 RUM with a break has a lot more recoil than a 7 mag shooting 180's. I have both and shoot them all on a regular basis. I even use to own a few Wby 30-378's and Wby 338-378's, now those recoil even with a break! I also shoot a 416 Rem mag and 375 h& H with no break, not fun!!!! Not fun even with a break, but that's my opinion.... In addition, my Allen Precision 338 Lapua or my 338 RUM are braked, not near as fun to shoot over 60 plus rounds in a day, but I still enjoy them and shoot them often.

Just saying, I enjoy my 7 mm a lot more out of all my BIG rifles and I have all to shoot when I like! A bit less recoil makes a difference, even braked! Over all, it gives me the best of everything in one rifle. Now, is it my always my go to gun, not at all! Just depends on what I am hunting and how far I plan to shot, if it's large game, elk at over 900 yards I go to the big 338's, I won't even consider my 7 mag or 300 even though they are capable.

Heck for that matter, my 223's, 6 Creedmoors, and 260 have muzzle breaks and are also a blast to shoot with, but much less recoil than the 7 mag and far less than the 300 RUM. It's all a matter of opinion and what you enjoy shooting and for the length of time and rounds you shoot in a given day. The below pictured rifles are not by any means hard recoiling rifles, but the breaks and suppressors just help my trigger control that much more, but that's just me and my two cents!


There are several different opinions out there and it doesn't make any of them wrong, because everyone has varying levels of experience with firearms.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Yes sir the dif between the 7mm RM and the 300 WM is minimal. I did find on Hodgons reloadin book that with 81gr of Retumbo powder and a 24" barrel 2800 fps is achieved.So if the barrel is 28" long 2900 FPS is posable. The BC of the 215gn target bullet is .696 very good BC. If my 7 Mag had a 28" barrel instead of the 26" 3200 FPS is possable. 300 WM 215gr VLD 2900FPS 1000yrds 1700 FPS & 1375 Ft-LBS. The 7mm RM @ 1000yrds 168gn = 1775 FPS and 1175 Ft-LBS. These 2 rifles are very close. Its just the 7 Mag has 30% less recoil. Ill Take the 7 Mag. Now the 7 Mag with the 180gn VLD has a BC of .674 Muzzle FPS 3050. @ 1000yrds & 1250 Ft-LBS. There is only 75 Ft-LBS dif between the 168gn & the 180gn. Thats why I like the 168gn better than the 180grn. Either of these great rifles can do the job at long range. Its just the 7 Mag can do it with much less recoil and hit just as hard. I would have to try the Target bullets on game for myself. It would be interested to see how they work. But for now ill keep useing my 260 Rem 140 VLDs as my 1100yrd Deer rifle. 1100yrds = 1400FPS and 600 Ft-LBS. When and if this gun ever lets me down ill pull out my 7 Mag.

You do realize the main subject of this thread has been dead for 3 years prior to this guy (1-post wonder) dredging it back up from the depths... I'm pretty sure the OP has figured out which rifle he wants by now. If not, then he doesn't need to be owning a gun in the first place...

I am new to big game hunting. I went to Shilen Rifles for tour Sat. I asked the venders there,if there was a rifle I could buy that I could shoot in compititions, long distance and hunt with. I was given .30-.378 Sako. My DSC friends I e mail this to said NOOOO. So ,what I found out at Shilen, there barrels are like a blue printed engine. The bullet go through with out any gas going pass. The rifle I will buy at Cables, where it is rem.,Ruger,Weatherby, .300 mag. It chatters down the barrel, I interpret this as slop?? So,how many here have after market barrels vs original barrels?? Doed it matter??

 

[Greyfox]

Both are good rounds for the purpose you describe, and out to 1000 yards, and the deer certainly will not be able to tell the difference. It will boil down to your own personal preference, and more importantly how you hunt. Being exclusively a deer/antelope hunter and having used both cartridges, I ended up going to a 6.5-284. I prefer the lighter carry weight and recoil, while still having a stable long range platform that can put deer down very effectively at long range. While keeping a solid platform for long range shooting, each time I in increased in caliber, I increased mass and recoil. Depending on how you hunt, this should be taken into consideration. IMO

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Shooting 71 grains of retumbo out of a 27" barrel.

Look, I am not trying to get in a debate here, but the 300 RUM with a break has a lot more recoil than a 7 mag shooting 180's. I have both and shoot them all on a regular basis. I even use to own a few Wby 30-378's and Wby 338-378's, now those recoil even with a break! I also shoot a 416 Rem mag and 375 h& H with no break, not fun!!!! Not fun even with a break, but that's my opinion.... In addition, my Allen Precision 338 Lapua or my 338 RUM are braked, not near as fun to shoot over 60 plus rounds in a day, but I still enjoy them and shoot them often.

Just saying, I enjoy my 7 mm a lot more out of all my BIG rifles and I have all to shoot when I like! A bit less recoil makes a difference, even braked! Over all, it gives me the best of everything in one rifle. Now, is it my always my go to gun, not at all! Just depends on what I am hunting and how far I plan to shot, if it's large game, elk at over 900 yards I go to the big 338's, I won't even consider my 7 mag or 300 even though they are capable.

Heck for that matter, my 223's, 6 Creedmoors, and 260 have muzzle breaks and are also a blast to shoot with, but much less recoil than the 7 mag and far less than the 300 RUM. It's all a matter of opinion and what you enjoy shooting and for the length of time and rounds you shoot in a given day. The below pictured rifles are not by any means hard recoiling rifles, but the breaks and suppressors just help my trigger control that much more, but that's just me and my two cents!


There are several different opinions out there and it doesn't make any of them wrong, because everyone has varying levels of experience with firearms.

I agree if you're using the same brake on both rifles. My 300 RUM shooting 230's has a good bit of recoil, but not uncomfortable at all. I have shot another members 338 Terminator LRKM rifle by Shawn Carlock with his large Defensive EDGE brake pushing 300 gr bullets at 3200 fps and it had less recoil than my RUM. Very nice to shoot.

The title of the thread is 7 RM vs 300 WM. The 300 WM wins hands down. A 300 WM can be made to shoot with less recoil than a 243 with the right brake, so IMO recoil is not a factor. If someone wants a rifle without a brake, the 300 WM will have more recoil but neither rifle will be pleasant to shoot for any significant number of rounds.

My 1st 300 RUM (Sendero) did not have a brake. I shot it with a slip on recoil pad and could shoot it all day. One afternoon I put 50 rounds through it. I shot it on a few occasions without the slip on recoil pad and survived. It was fun to shoot in a sadistic sort of way I decided to brake my 2nd 300 RUM to make it more "pleasant" to shoot and to be able to get back on target quicker. It was a good choice.

Bottom line is, recoil is not a factor in comparing the 7 with the 300. Both are not pleasant without a brake and both are pleasant with a brake.

 

[MarkCav]

It was suggested I go to long range shooting school. I have already contacted one around where I live. My friend told me to go Shoot different rifles, for some experience. What does OP mean?
Mark

 

[MarkCav]

I have almost made up my mind on .300WM. Reading and tring to learn as much about the different caliber,s. Learned a lot from this site already, just found it. So, let me have it !!

 

[MontanaRifleman]

It was suggested I go to long range shooting school. I have already contacted one around where I live. My friend told me to go Shoot different rifles, for some experience. What does OP mean?
Mark

Original Post or Original Poster

 

[captacademy]

Both are good rounds for the purpose you describe, and out to 1000 yards, and the deer certainly will not be able to tell the difference. It will boil down to your own personal preference, and more importantly how you hunt. Being exclusively a deer/antelope hunter and having used both cartridges, I ended up going to a 6.5-284. I prefer the lighter carry weight and recoil, while still having a stable long range platform that can put deer down very effectively at long range. While keeping a solid platform for long range shooting, each time I in increased in caliber, I increased mass and recoil. Depending on how you hunt, this should be taken into consideration. IMO

Greyfox, I've been looking at the 6.5x284 and think that will be my next rifle build for deer and antelope! I really like everything I have read on the ballistics in addition to every thing you pointed out!!!