I shot my friend's Remington 700 7 mmRem Mag

[nathan]

last Sunday using Winchester Powr Point 150 gr SP at 100 yds. Three shots almost 3/4 in center to center. Im amazed and the kick isnt too bad . thanks to the butt pad .

Now im thinking of having a magnum caliber in my collection and the 7 mm R M seems to be very popular . I read on the performance and ammo selection, they seem to be very much available in stores. The 7 mm RM could rival the .30 06 , what do you think ? Is it a barrel burner as well ?

 

[unwise11]

Most all magnum calibers are barrel burners, and yes, it rivals the 30-06 and shoots a bit flatter.
If you want the Ballistic Coefficiency, and barrel life I'd take a look at .260 rem and 7mm-08, All the magnums are going to erode throats quickly, Sniper central, if I'm right said the .300 WM erodes a throat in 1000 rounds.

 

[Gator 23]

7 mag trajectory is a bit flatter than 30-06. Yes, ammo is readily available. My Remmy 700 BDL chambered in 7 mag has sub minute of angle accuracy. Recoil is tolerable. Agree a quality recoil pad should negate any recoil issues. It is highly effective on large game (e.g. elk and bear from experience). Experts regard it as one of the quintessential elk cartridges. Had mine over a decade...number of rounds to this point leave me with no concerns of barrel burnout in my lifetime. Hunting buddies with '06 and .280 rifles tease me about the 7mag in good fun...must be the "magnum" word that bothers them a bit . Will admit, when I go deer or antelope hunting, the 7 Mag stays home and the .270 or .243 goes with. Hope some of this info helps.

 

[coug]

the 7 mag may well be the most versatile round out there. it is a good elk gun and if you choose the right bullet its a good white tail round. I have owned one most of my life. I will probably always own one. it actually makes the good old 30-06 look like a puppy with the same grn bullets. It actually hits harder than the 30-378 @ a thousand yds and beond with 180grn bullets. check out the savage weather warrior its a great rifle for the money and you may just like it better than the Remington.

 

[joed]

I owned a Winchester 70 laminate in 7mm Rem Mag. I have nothing against the 7mm, it is a good cartridge. The reason I sold the gun was I also have a Remington 700 Classic in .300 H&H Mag. To me I couldn't tell the difference in the recoil between the two and the .300 was just more versatile having lots of bullet choices.

Odd that I shot 150 gr bullets from the 7mm and 180 gr bullets from the .300 H&H yet recoil seemed equal.

As much as I like the 7mm RM I'm a bigger fan of the .300 H&H.

 

[MtnCreek]

I've had bad luck with a 7mm RM. I've shot 2 deer at very close range that I could not fine; there was very little blood. I have heard from several people that problems like that are common in 7mm RM at very close range. It was explained to me the bullet may not expand in deer size game at that range / speed. I can't tell you that is true, so decide for yourself.

I would go with a .300 WM. If that's more than you need, can't go wrong with a .270.

 

[336A]

The 7mm Rem mag is a very capable, potent, and popular cartridge. I took one deer with mine. I was using a handloaded 150gr Sierra Gameking and shot a doe at 50yd, yeah I know it was overkill. The bullet passed completely through and the doe did a back flip at the shot and died in place. As far as being a brrel burner goes that depends on you. The 7mm is not a cartridge that you sit down at the bench with and shoot 20 rounds as fast as you can, as you probably already know.

A good regimen to follow is shoot 3 rounds and let the barrel cool for at least 10 minutes before shooting again, this really applies to all rifles. If you follow that and take care of the rifle you should get about 2k -3k rounds out of the barrel.

 

[Casefull]

A great rifle and caliber. Mine has shot quite a few deer, elk, coyotes, etc. I now hunt with a 300 win mag. Many of my friends have bought 7 mags based on the performance of mine. My sons use it now.