new gun - 7mm mag

[mainer2013]

Hey all, I'm new to this forum so I hope this is the right place for this post.

So I've decided to get a new gun. I have settled for the 7mm mag for hunting long distances on power lines (whitetail) and general target shooting with friends. Presently I'm looking at the T/C Venture (good price and comes with a MOA guarantee), but since it is a newer rifle, I haven't seen enough reviews about it, and also no one locally carries it so I cannot actually feel the rifle to see how I like it. So I was wondering if anyone hear has any thoughts on it, or any other guns in that $450ish price range.

For optics, I plan on selling my SR9c and use all the proceeds from that to buy a scope (hoping to find a good used one online) and the reloading dies (my friend will reload for me). So any suggestions? Again, I'm using it for deer hunting (maybe coyote) and general long range plinking with friends.

Thank you for the help!

 

[MtnCreek]

It's a great rifle IMO. Accurate and handles well. Mine is .270win. VX3 is my choice for hunting, but if you're going to try to stretch out further at targets, you may want to look into something with a means to hold over (mil dot or BDC).

 

[Arkansas Paul]

7 Rem Mag is as versatile as they come for deer hunting IMO.
That's a great rifle too. I bought a Weatherby Vanguard and while I'm pleased with it, I would take a longer look at the T/C Venture. Especially since they now chamber it in my favorite round, the .280 Remington.

 

[mainer2013]

Thank you!

One last thing, is the "weather shield" coating worth the extra $60? Or should I just put the money towards a better scope/accessories?

 

[akodo]

7mm Remington Mag is said to 'Shoot as flat as a 270, hit as hard as a 30-06'

You don't need a 7mm RemMag. You are going to be better off with a 270 and probably even better off with a 25-06.

I say this as an owner of a 7mm Rem Mag. It sits and my 7mm-08 gets all my shooting

 

[mainer2013]

But how far out do you reckon a -08 or 270 can, humanely, kill a deer?

 

[yuppiejr]

7mm rem mag carries the magic 1k of energy for deer to 700 ish while the 30-06 and 270 are good to 500 running common commercial loads. The 7 mm rem mag is about as stout in the recoil department as most people will tolerate without flinching. All are good cartridges but if you can stand the recoil and ammo cost why not take something with the extra headroom if you can accurately shoot that far?

 

[beatledog7]

I have matching rifles in 7mm Rem Mag and .257 Roberts. The Bob is a lot more fun to shoot, but the Big 7 is the one I'd choose for a must make shot over 250 yds or so.

 

[MtnCreek]

One last thing, is the "weather shield" coating worth the extra $60? Or should I just put the money towards a better scope/accessories?

If your scope budget is limited, put the saving toward glass. The weather shield is some type of coating, not SS. I guess it works, but I can't really say since I keep mine wipped down.

Buying used glass has saved me a lot of money on several purchases, a couple of them have been here.

Edit: The venture is a light rifle and in 7mag it won't be fun to shoot for any length of time. A .270, .260, 7-08, ... are plenty for whitetail and will be more fun on the target range. Just something to consider.

 

[Sav .250]

Great round. If you`ve never shot one before.........it`s exciting. Guys that own them know what I mean.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

But how far out do you reckon a -08 or 270 can, humanely, kill a deer?

Twice as far as the average hunter has any business shooting.
However, with that being said, there's still nothing wrong with getting a 7-mag if that's what you want.

 

[nastynatesfish]

You can do all the comparing of the 7mag to the 270 or 30-06 you want. A 7mm is a better round for longer shots. It handles wind better and moves faster. Ive shot my 7 mag since 2005. I load for mine and I don't load for blazing speed I load for accuracy. If you want to do a comparison look load info up for am270,30-06 and a 270 all with a 150gr hunting bullet and compare them to a given range. To get a 30 cal to shoot as flat as a 7mm you have to increase recoil 30 percent. I love the 7 mag. It will do anything you want it to. As far as a 25-06 goes. I have one too, but load them both with a 120gr Barnes bullet or like and see what happens.

 

[yuppiejr]

I've never regretted getting stainless or a durable finish on my firearms, BUT I agree that on a budget rifle you are probably better putting $60 into glass OR a better rifle. I've dragged some blued/wood guns through god awful rain-snow in deep brush and the stock tends to end up worse for wear than the metal bits as long as I do my part and properly oil/grease the exposed bits in advance of the hunt and properly maintain/clean the guns when I head in for the day.

I am less familiar with the Thompson Center Venture rifle than some others out there (I've owned one, sold it)... this time of year there are a lot of good deals on rifles to be had and I don't actually know of many factory bolt action rifles that are not 1 MOA capable out of the box with the right ammo (look closely at the T/C guarantee, while reassuring it's also unqualified in terms of what ammo/conditions were involved, etc..). If you have upgrade-itis and want some configuration flexibility you might want to look at a Remington 700, Weatherby Vanguard, Savage or Browning A-Bolt stalker or even a Howa 1500 - with some shopping you should be able to snag one in the $450-$500 range as hunting season and black Friday are upon us.

Also, 1 MOA is less important in a hunting rifle than it is a target/benchrest model... there are a lot of other variables in play that will impact POI downrange (ammo, temperature, wind, shooting skill). It's good to know what the equipment is capable of under ideal conditions but a 2-3 MOA rifle is still perfectly capable of humanely taking deer at 400-500 yards if the shooter does their part.

7mm-08 is to the .308 what the .270 is to the 30-06 and, to some extent, what the 7mm Rem Mag is to the 300 Win Mag (the last is not the same in terms of parent-child cartridge relationship). The 7mm-08, .270 and 7mm RM are all flatter shooting by comparison and usually generate less recoil but don't carry the same energy as the .30 caliber counterparts (though due to the higher bullet BC may carry the energy farther where the .30's will roll off sooner as they lose speed at range).

As for glass, budget does not mean you have to settle for cheap optics - there are a lot of affordable options in the 3-9x40mm range including my personal favorite, the Nikon Monarch UCC BDC 3-9x40mm that can be had for right around $200 this time of year at Dick's sporting goods <also check eBay>. The Burris Fullfield II, Zeis Conquest, Leupold VX II and Bushnell Elite line also offer good value in the $200-$300 range, though the price goes up significantly beyond the 3-9 magnification range.

I like the Talley integrated rings and bases (2-pc set) particularly in non-magazine fed rifles where a 1-pc base can impede reloading, not sure if they are offered for the T/C venture or not though.

Final thought in what has become a really long winded reply... If you haven't done a lot of long range shooting (300-500 yards at least which is a BIG stretch for most hunters) I'd strongly consider factoring ammo price into your shopping to allow more practice. While I think the 7mm Rem Mag is a great caliber I would consider the 30-06 a compelling alternative that will cost you a LOT less to shoot even factoring in the savings from reloading. Practice = better, more confident shooting... another good use for that $60 (actually $80 but who's counting) would be a weekend at an Appleseed event, it WILL make you a better and more confident shooter on any rifle.

 

[nastynatesfish]

Some comparison between my 7mag and my ex brother in laws 270 win from my I snipe
7mag

270win

7mag

270 win

This is the load I use for deer. I also have one set for a
And the 7 mag doesn't tear meat up as bad as most 270 bullets either. I shot this buck yesterday at 385 yards
Entrance

Exit

Bullet hit a rib on entrance and split one on exit

 

[MtnCreek]

And the 7 mag doesn't tear meat up as bad as most 270 bullets either.

That’s a pretty broad statement and it’s not consistent with what I’ve seen. Bullet type, impact velocity and what the bullet hits will make a huge difference. I’ve ruined both shoulders, the neck and half the backstraps with a 7mm. I’ve also punched a little hole in/out with the same. The .270 has given me a little more consistent results, but that may have just been the luck of the draw.

As far as being a better long range shooter; yep, the 7mm mag wins over the .270 and a lot of others hands down.

 

[Dr. Sandman]

I love my Weatherby Vanguard in 7mm Rem Mag! It is common for a man to have a 7mm mag and love it. It is rare for a man to have a 7mm mag and dislike it. Haters gonna hate...

 

[akodo]

But how far out do you reckon a -08 or 270 can, humanely, kill a deer?

Both can humanely kill a deer at 3 times the range that 90% of hunters can actually humanely hit.

Someone mentioned the 'magic 1k to kill a deer'

I've never heard of a 1k energy threshold for whitetail.

I have heard 'energy threshold for a humane kill' talked about in elk...because elk are bigger and the shots are often longer. It just isn't a concern with whitetail because all the conventional cartridges have got the power to drop it humanely in spades well past any reasonable hunting range.

But, for elk, I have heard the 'magic threshold' placed at 1200 and at 1500.

But the 270 and 7mm-08 will deliver 1000 ft-lbs of energy at 500 yards. Contrary to what they tell you VERY few people can hit a paper plate at 500 yards.

Those that can have spent a LOT of time shooting. If they are hitting a paper plate at 500 yards with a heavy recoiling rifle, it's because they fired a heck of a lot of something with a lot less recoil to develop that skill.

Here's something else to think about, the 270 and 7mm-08 can deliver plenty of deer killing energy out to 500 yards and a bit beyond for whitetail. Take a look at the scopes with ballistic drop reticle, most stop at 500 yards. Take a look at the ballistics info and tables on most manufacturer's websites. Most stop at 500 yards. Why? Because the number of people who have the skill to take a shot beyond that are remarkably small, or use extremely specialized equipment, and hunt in some very specific terrain, or some combo of the three.

It varies from state to state but I saw a recent study where 90% of whitetails were taken at 100 yards or less with just over 50% taken at 50 yards or less.