love/hate 7mm rem mag

[ID_shooting]

I want a new deer/elk rifle this year, I am thinking 7mm rem mag. My local shop has three that are in my price range (< $400) barely used Ruger m77 mk II, like new Rem 700 ADL synth, and a well used Win m70. (they have a bit of a 7mm surplus right now so the prices are good) none have optics but have the mounting hardware (factory on the Ruger and Leupold on the others) They have a used VXII 3-9 for $125.00 I plan to mount up on whichever I go with.

Between the three, what are your likes, dislikes, advantages/disadvantages?

As for recoil, I have never shot a 7mm before, don't know anyone who has one. I have expirience with a 338 WM, 300 WM, 30-06, 270, and 308. Where would a 7mm fall in the range?

And lastly, this will be my only bolt gun to use from long range varminting, lope, sheep, deer, elk, and maybe a moose if I get a once-in-a-lifetime draw. IYHO - Is this a good path to take?

EDITIED FOR ANOTHER QUESTION...

I do hand load, what are some "real world" ranges/ballistics you folks have with 7mm RM.

 

[meathammer]

I have a Rem 700 ADL in 7mm Mag. As far as recoil goes, I would say it's a little more than a .30-06 and a little less than a .300 Win Mag.

I have been very happy with mine. It's used primarily for Whitetail hunting. The deer I have shot with it have dropped like a load of bricks.

When I take it to the range, I shoot maybe 20-30 rds. Recoil starts to get a little old after awhile, like any magnum. Expensive too. (I don't handload) Very fun to caliber to shoot though.

 

[dakotasin]

love the 7 rem mag. excellent do-it-all-well cartridge. accurate, hard hitting, and flat shooting. in fact, i like it so much, i have two.

the scope you are looking at (vx-2 for $125) is excellent, and for that money, i'd buy it up now, before someone else sees it and does, regardless of whether or not you buy the gun now.

for the rifle, you are getting into highly personal likes. i am a huge remington fan, so without question, that is what i would do.

i don't like the 3-position safety rugers at all, and ruger has a nasty habit of not putting long enough tubes on their guns. i'm not a fan of winchester, either. again, rifle likes and dislikes are personal...

recoil... the 7 rem mag doesn't recoil that hard. it offers far less recoil than the 338 win mag, and the 300 mag, both. it will kick about the same as a 30-06, a touch more than the 270, and harder than the 308.

the 7 rem mag is amazing in the hands of a handloader... i get 3100 f/s w/ 162 hornadys in mine. i've heard of some getting more, but this is the velocity window i like to be in, so there she sits.

rl-25, win cases, federal mag primer, hornady 162 btsp. kill whatever you want at whatever range you want.

 

[tex_n_cal]

It's a very good round - you can find ammo a lot of different places, and it is plenty on anything short of big bears. The fact that it's so popular makes it that much easier to find good used rifles in the caliber, at reasonable prices.

I already have a .270, a couple '06's, a .308, and a .300 win mag, so I don't see much point in my buying a 7mag. If I did so it would be because I found an exceptional rifle in the caliber, one that I really liked.

I may at some point get a .270 Weatherby, or a 7mm Dakota, but I accept the fact that they'll be a lot harder to find, and more expensive than a good 'ol 7mm Rem mag.

Reloader 22 and 25 would also be my choices for handloading - use caution and work up slowly - apparently other folks have found that there is a lot of chamber variation between 7 mags, which affects safe max loads.