7mm Rem. Mag as a First Rifle Calibre?

I would say that it is too much for a first rifle and a 15 y/o, but it is right on as far as what you need to down a moose.

How often do you shoot, and what other calibers do you shoot?

Id say. go for it. If you are physically that big, the recoil is moot. Im 5 ft 8 in and 7mm RM is not too bad. Its like a souped up .3006. Besides its more flat shooting and reaches yonder .

Browning A Bolt is a really nice brand which even me will only dream to own one. Again, go for it. Technique is, dont condition your mind or anticipate the boom sound. Squeeze the trigger slowly and not jerk. Just concentrate on the target and hold rifle steady. Wear ear plugs an ear muff to have adequate protection and you will be fine. Now magnum s are not cheap ammo unless you are into reloading.

I would say to stick with a 30 06 if your Father already owns one, common ammunition is great and it will be cheaper to shoot unless you are reloading.

get the rifle that YOU want...however, would suggest that you get whatever rifle you want in .30-06, as that is plenty of gun for 99% of North American game, and you will have ammo commonality with your father, (not a bad plan logistically, or economically)

If you already shoot, get want you want. I would regret it if I wanted something bigger and could handle, and didn't. Now, if you think recoil would be a problem for accuracy, that's a whole other subject.

You'll find that 7mm remington magnum is just as available as 30-06 and 30-30. It's probably the #1 available magnum cartridge. It's everywhere. Also; as you noticed, it's not that much more money that 30-06 ammo.

The biggest advantage to the 7mm remington magnum is flatter and further distance shooting. Is that flatter and further distance "Significant"??? That's up to what you are shooting. For me, I have found the 300 yard marker to be the break even point. Many people say the 30-06 can shoot quite fine beyond 300 yards. Yes it can. But the 7mm magnum past 300 yards really starts to outshine the 30-06 with accuracy. So, if you plan on shooting past 300 yards; "We do here in Wyoming against elk, deer, antelope, sheep, etc..."; then I'd go with the 7mm magnum. If your shots are all going to be within the 300 yard range, I'd go with the 30-06. Why? Because it's an easier/softer gun to shoot and has many more different weight bullets/ammo to choose from. But here in Wyoming, if I'm going for an antelope, sheep, mountain lion, etc... around the 400 yard mark; I definitely want my 7mm magnum over my 30-06. Actually; I pretty much use my 7mm remington magnum for all my hunting that uses a rifle.

If you want more power to go through big game, .300 Win Mag is there . NOw dont go to the RUMs and .338s , that be another category to discuss...

Slap the word magnum onto a round and everyone runs and hides. To me the 7mag doesnt recoil anymore in a 24 inch gun then a 06 does in a 22. Most 7mags are made with a bit heavier coutoured barrels too and that adds weight that takes away from recoil. I was shooting my rem 7mag the other day along side my model 7 308 and thought the 308 was comming back more. I like the 7mag. Its shoots as flat as a 300 mag, granted with lighter bullets, and recoils more like an 06. Is it better then an o6. Well i wouldnt be without either. My o6s are for the most part lighter and easier to carry around all day and theres probalby nothing more versitile. But when doing crop damage shooting when shots are at 300 plus yards as a norm id take the 7mag hands down.

A 15 YEAR OLD WHO IS 6'3, 230lbs, FORGET HUNTIN, PLAY FOOTBALL!


All kidding aside, 7mm mag maybe a little much for a first rifle, however I knew a 12 year old who could handle one. But there is difference in handling something and enjoying using it. I would say .300WSM or 30/06 would be better for recoil management and the type of game you want to hunt.

Find someone thats has one and shoot it first. There a bit of a rifle so I would try one out first. Man I was hunting with my dad with an old Mauser 98 when I was 10. Damn thing kicked harder back then for some reason =]

I would normally agree that it's too much for a first rifle not only for a 15 year old, but for anyone. I would normally say get a 7x57 Mauser, a .270 Win., a .308 Winchester, or maybe even a 30-06. But if you're 6'3" and 230 pounds it's not going to kick you around and especially if you shoot a lot. It may take you some getting used to but for what you want it for there's not much better. A 7 mag is a wonderful caliber. One alternative though if you hand load, is a .280 Rem. Ackley Improved. It has less recoil and blast effect, but is almost the equal of its big brother the 7 mag. .in case you're not familiar, a .280 is a 7mm. A 7mag and a .280 both shoot a .284 Caliber bullet. A 7 mag will out do a .280 AI about 50-100 FPS depending on bullet weight. That's not enough difference to worry about when hunting. Even if you don't hand load, the beauty of an Ackley Improvement is you can shoot regular factory .280 rounds in it too because they will head space on the shoulder-neck juncture just fine. But when you shoot it, it will fire form the brass to the Ackley Improved case dimensions.

If you're 6 feet and 200+ lbs I wouldn't worry about it. I'm 6'2" 190 lbs and don't think my 7mm mag kicks any worse than my 30-06.

Wouldn't want to shoot either one all day at the bench, but neither are bad.


Personally I'd look at another platform though. Might take a look at a Ruger or maybe a Remington XCR. Ultimately get what fits you the best.

Factor in money for a decent scope and don't be afraid to look at the used market, especially Leupolds which have a great warranty if ever needed.



Good Luck

Its nothing a quality recoil pad or slip-on Limbsaver couldn't fix.

But then again, I'm 5'11" and 175lb and a recoil sissy...a stout 180gr 30-06 load doesn't bother me the least in the woods but I wouldn't want to send too many rounds in a single sitting while practicing with it.

If your dad already has a 30-06, then get the 7mm magnum. You can always "Borrow" the 30-06 if you know for a fact that you're going into dense woods where the shots won't need a 7mm magnum. That's the good thing about parents; you can borrow things. Why have 2 identical caliber guns/

GreatCanada22 said:

Thank you for that very knowledgable reply christcorp. Where i hunt in ontario, shots can range from 75 yards to +350. On two occasions with my dad, we shot 2 moose. One was a bull, at 80 yards. The next winter, a bull at 325 yards. With these numbers in mind, is the 7mm outclassed? That 30-06 keeps popping up in every conversation i have with my family and hunting friends. Which calibre is suited to my hunting needs?

Click to expand...

I have a 7mm and it's a bit too much for me (5'-8", 195). But, a couple of the reasons I bought it were:
a) I can use it on anything in NA-still hoping to find an elk in Missouri one day.
b) It shoots very flat and retains a lot of energy at long range.
c) I avoided a .30-06 for the same reason that I'll never buy an Accord; I didn't want to follow the herd.

Here's a ballistics chart from Hornady:http://www.hornady.com/assets/files/ballistics/metric-ballistics-chart-2010.pdf

7mm RM and .30-06 loads are on the 3rd page. You can directly compare the bullet drop and energy retention at range between similar bullet weights. If you zero the rifle at 200m, both cartridges have drops within 6 cm or so out to 400m, but the 7mm has about 10% more energy than the 06.

Basically, if you zero either caliber at 200m, you can aim at the boiler room of a moose within 350-400m and drop it.

If you get a 7mm, you and your dad can switch guns, or you can borrow his if you want. But, whomever forgets to pack their ammo will have a very boring hunting trip.

Buy it..! U will have no problem.Under huntin conditions u won't hardly know the gun went off.U have time behind the trigger of a 12 shootin waterfowl so your no stranger to recoil.Keep the gun/scope weight arond 8-9lbs you'll do just fine. Good luck with ur first rifle may u shoot it well and have many kills with it.

I had a 7mm RM in a model 70. Don't know where anyone got the idea that this cartridge has no more recoil then a .30-06 but mine kicked like a mule with 150 gr bullets. I ended up selling this gun and keeping a Remington 700 Classic in .300 H&H Mag. I swear this one kicks less then the 7mm RM and is more versatile.

I just read barrel life on a 7mm mag is about 800 rounds. That just plain sucks, especially for a kid looking for a life-long hunting rifle. A new barrel will be slightly different even on the same action... so as soon as you can say you really "know" that rifle it'll be time to basically start all over again.
If you are relying on the few extra yards a 7mm shoots flat for, my advice would be to work on becoming a better hunter and able to get closer to game.
Also consider the resale value if you ever want to sell the rifle. A .30-06 has a much wider market than a 7mm. There are guys that won't even consider buying a 7mm mag BECAUSE of the short barrel life and because it is completely unnecessary on North American game.
I wouldn't give even a great deal a second look- you might be able to GIVE me one, but I wouldn't offer you 1/10th of what it is probably worth.
No matter where you go you can find ammo for a .30-06 and you can find a better selection of bullets as well.
As far as kick goes, give me a break please... 100 pound girls I shoot with can shoulder our .300 mags, Weatherbys, etc. without complaint.
But WHY is the question? Believe me, a .30-06 will kill anything under 100 yards which is where you should be anyway.