308 win vs 7mm rem mag

[-JR-]

If I would be going on a two week trip ,I would bring both .
I am a firm believer on bring a back up gun .
Either gun will work .
I would pick the gun that is stainless and that fits you best .

[Arty]

Originally Posted by Brbpuppy

Just curious; which caliber would you choose and why? I have a 2 week long hunting trip coming up for white tail, hopefully find elk, and am torn between which rifle I should bring. I prefer shooting the 308 win, and find its much lighter and more maneuverable, but at the same time I am aware of the extra power the 7mm rem mag can provide... The areas I hunt, I normally never get a shot outside 300 yards.

So under 300 yards...Is the 7mm rem mag really going to have much benefit, or not? I know at longer distances it has the obvious advantage.

Appreciate any feedback, thanks guys.

If you have both, bring both as mutual backups. Realize they're not interchangeable however and have very different trajectories and terminal effects. You do have range cards prepared for each, from measured muzzle velocity in increments of density altitude don't you?

I've long since decided there's no such thing as too much gun, if you have practiced with it and can shoot it. Years ago I nearly got skewered by an outraged whitetail buck chasing a couple of does at about 80 meters. Popped him once with a fast .338 cartridge broadside, behind the shoulder and he turned and came at me fast. Took me a second or two to figure that's not supposed to happen so I hit him twice more in the chest then he dropped at 15 yards. Breathing through a football-sized hole in the ribcage with eyes full of hate. A fourth shot behind the head and that was all she wrote.

Decades ago in Banff town park, I was reading a book one day and heard a weird tearing sound behind be. Turned around and saw a particularly irritated bull elk rooting the lawn up with it's antlers. Put the book down and that really set him off. He climbed up front hooves on the table snorting and shaking antlers about 5 feet away. A pretty darned big animal. Although there's probably stories out there with people killing them with a popsicle stick or .22, that's just not realistic.

For farmland whitetails the smallest I'll go is 280AI, preferably 300WM. For everywhere else, especially in the foothills, it's a fast .338 of some kind or maybe a 375HH. Maybe a .45-70 SBL in thick stuff, but I don't have one of those. So 7RM with 160 bullet is not bad, but almost duplicates the 300WM trajectory with a 180.

[graybeard]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

The 308 seems to be what you are more leaning towards…..and if you do your part you are not under gunned!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

100% agree....Out to 325 yards no problem.....

[Pathfinder76]

Ones a kids gun and ones a mans. :-)

[obsessed1]

Originally Posted by chuck

Ones a kids gun and ones a mans. :-)

Lol, I'll take the kids gun for 80% of my hunting. Longer barrel cannons sure have thier place and uses but the way I hunt they are just cumbersome. Nice looking rifles by the way

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by obsessed1

Lol, I'll take the kids gun for 80% of my hunting. Longer barrel cannons sure have thier place and uses but the way I hunt they are just cumbersome. Nice looking rifles by the way

Laughing. Yes, I agree. That little 18” Kimber 308 is some kind of handy. But I think it will get a 22” barrel come December.

[Brbpuppy]

Originally Posted by Arty

If you have both, bring both as mutual backups. Realize they're not interchangeable however and have very different trajectories and terminal effects. You do have range cards prepared for each, from measured muzzle velocity in increments of density altitude don't you?

I've long since decided there's no such thing as too much gun, if you have practiced with it and can shoot it. Years ago I nearly got skewered by an outraged whitetail buck chasing a couple of does at about 80 meters. Popped him once with a fast .338 cartridge broadside, behind the shoulder and he turned and came at me fast. Took me a second or two to figure that's not supposed to happen so I hit him twice more in the chest then he dropped at 15 yards. Breathing through a football-sized hole in the ribcage with eyes full of hate. A fourth shot behind the head and that was all she wrote.

Decades ago in Banff town park, I was reading a book one day and heard a weird tearing sound behind be. Turned around and saw a particularly irritated bull elk rooting the lawn up with it's antlers. Put the book down and that really set him off. He climbed up front hooves on the table snorting and shaking antlers about 5 feet away. A pretty darned big animal. Although there's probably stories out there with people killing them with a popsicle stick or .22, that's just not realistic.

For farmland whitetails the smallest I'll go is 280AI, preferably 300WM. For everywhere else, especially in the foothills, it's a fast .338 of some kind or maybe a 375HH. Maybe a .45-70 SBL in thick stuff, but I don't have one of those. So 7RM with 160 bullet is not bad, but almost duplicates the 300WM trajectory with a 180.

Appreciate you sharing the great stories. Thank you for the reply.

[Positrac]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

Ha!
I wonder what stinky is up to these days?

Start a thread asking who shoots a 6.5 Grendel and I’m sure you’ll see Stinky show up.

Banned members seldom go away and they are like the turds that won’t flush. Mods pull the handle on them but they just circle the bowl and then pop right back up under another name….

[jayquiver]

Originally Posted by Positrac

Start a thread asking who shoots a 6.5 Grendel and I’m sure you’ll see Stinky show up.



Banned members seldom go away and they are like the turds that won’t flush. Mods pull the handle on them but they just circle the bowl and then pop right back up under another name….

Haha. That's funny

Sent from my SM-G781W using Tapatalk

[Steyr Luxus]

7mm Rem Mag with 190s and never look back. This is of course a hand loaded round.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Positrac

Start a thread asking who shoots a 6.5 Grendel and I’m sure you’ll see Stinky show up.

Banned members seldom go away and they are like the turds that won’t flush. Mods pull the handle on them but they just circle the bowl and then pop right back up under another name….

Yep. Just called one out on another thread. It’s like whack a mole.

[marlin1]

revisiting this thread as I sighted in the 308 and I have to say its much more comfortable to shoot than my 7 . I may shoot a whitey with it . I took a mule doe with the 7 though already and as usual it performed well . I put a good recoil pad on the model 70 and I can shoot it all day . If I could afford it . lol

[6.5 shooter]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

I prefer the smaller capacity cartridges as opposed to the bigger ones because if recoil.
The 308 size of case works perfectly for my needs, which are animals under 400 meters.
A 308 does just fine as does my .303 chambered Ruger which I run at 308 velocities .
Cat

My experience is totally different. To my shoulder the 7mm a milder kicking cartridge then the .308. Everyone experiences things differently. So for that reason I would go 7mm

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by 6.5 shooter

My experience is totally different. To my shoulder the 7mm a milder kicking cartridge then the .308. Everyone experiences things differently. So for that reason I would go 7mm

That is a rifle issue, not a cartridge issue. The 308 does not recoil more than the 7mm Rem Mag.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by chuck

That is a rifle issue, not a cartridge issue. The 308 does not recoil more than the 7mm Rem Mag.

Chuck

Usually I agree with you but in this case it isn't just about the rifle. Two guns, both 8 lbs scoped, one in 308, one in 7 Rem Mag.

180 grain 308 load at 2800 fps 21.07 ft. lbs.
140 grain 7 Mag at 3000 fps 21.42 ft. lbs.

I don't think my shoulder could differentiate .4 of a pound. To your point about rifle difference, if the 308 only weighs 7 lbs, it would produce 24.08 lbs of recoil.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Chuck

Usually I agree with you but in this case it isn't just about the rifle. Two guns, both 8 lbs scoped, one in 308, one in 7 Rem Mag.

180 grain 308 load at 2800 fps 21.07 ft. lbs.
140 grain 7 Mag at 3000 fps 21.42 ft. lbs.

I don't think my shoulder could differentiate .4 of a pound. To your point about rifle difference, if the 308 only weighs 7 lbs, it would produce 24.08 lbs of recoil.

I probably wouldn't be able to feel the difference, but then again , I have never run a 7mmremmag that slow with 140gr bullets. Running the 140gr at 3200fps, as I typically do, the recoil is over 24 ft lbs. And 2800fps is a stout load for the 180gr out of a 308win, so the comparison is purposely skewed by not loading both cartridges to normal velocities.I have fired some harsh 308win rifles, but they were lightweight rifles. One of the nastiest rifles that I have fired was a Ruger Ultralight in 270win, a friend bought it for his wife, because it was so light to carry, but after he fired the first shot sighting it in, we knew she would never fire it.

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Chuck

Usually I agree with you but in this case it isn't just about the rifle. Two guns, both 8 lbs scoped, one in 308, one in 7 Rem Mag.

180 grain 308 load at 2800 fps 21.07 ft. lbs.
140 grain 7 Mag at 3000 fps 21.42 ft. lbs.

I don't think my shoulder could differentiate .4 of a pound. To your point about rifle difference, if the 308 only weighs 7 lbs, it would produce 24.08 lbs of recoil.

Dean, no one is loading 140’s in the 7mag at 3000 fps. I’m shooting 168’s at that velocity. And very few people are shooting 180’s in the 308. Especially at 2800 fps.

[catnthehat]

I shoot Barnes 150 TSX's in my .303 at 2770 FPS.
I have never shot a 7 mag that is as soft on recoil as that rifle, (nor as slow) with a 150 .
Cat

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by chuck

Dean, no one is loading 140’s in the 7mag at 3000 fps. I’m shooting 168’s at that velocity. And very few people are shooting 180’s in the 308. Especially at 2800 fps.

Okay

Factory Rem Corelock ammo using their published velocities and the same 8 LB gun.

140 grain 7 Mag, 3175 FPS 22.87 Lbs
180 grain 308 Win 2620 FPS 20.1 Lbs

Still not a very big difference.

[Pathfinder76]

What I’m running in my house. Assuming a 7.5lb rifle

7mm 168’s at 3020 is 30 ft lbs

308 150’s at 2900 is is 19 ft lbs

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by chuck

What I’m running in my house. Assuming a 7.5lb rifle

7mm 168’s at 3020 is 30 ft lbs

308 150’s at 2900 is is 19 ft lbs

That is a difference you will feel for sure.

[270person]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

I probably wouldn't be able to feel the difference, but then again , I have never run a 7mmremmag that slow with 140gr bullets. Running the 140gr at 3200fps, as I typically do, the recoil is over 24 ft lbs. And 2800fps is a stout load for the 180gr out of a 308win, so the comparison is purposely skewed by not loading both cartridges to normal velocities.I have fired some harsh 308win rifles, but they were lightweight rifles. One of the nastiest rifles that I have fired was a Ruger Ultralight in 270win, a friend bought it for his wife, because it was so light to carry, but after he fired the first shot sighting it in, we knew she would never fire it.

That's substantial recoil with 140's elk. I'm running 150's decently warm I think and I wouldn't be close to 24 lbs. That's getting into 300wm territory I believe and I'd notice that being no huge fan of getting pounded . Fairly light rifle too as you know. In fairness I don't feel any difference between it and the much heavier Sako.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by 270person

That's substantial recoil with 140's elk. I'm running 150's decently warm I think and I wouldn't be close to 24 lbs. That's getting into 300wm territory I believe and I'd notice that being no huge fan of getting pounded . Fairly light rifle too as you know. In fairness I don't feel any difference between it and the much heavier Sako.

When I run the numbers, I get 26ftlbs with the load I made up for the 150TTSX and R-25, at 3100fps.That is assuming 8lbs rifle,/scope.

[270person]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

When I run the numbers, I get 26ftlbs with the load I made up for the 150TTSX and R-25, at 3100fps.That is assuming 8lbs rifle,/scope.

Maybe I'm getting tougher as I get older. 65.7 gr RL22. Not throwing flames by any stretch but stiffer than the factory 150 TTSX for sure. I'd be surprised if I was over 21lbs.

Don't tell me it's the Limbsaver ok? I'm a big fan of Pachmayrs.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by 270person

Maybe I'm getting tougher as I get older. 65.7 gr RL22. Not throwing flames by any stretch but stiffer than the factory 150 TTSX for sure. I'd be surprised if I was over 21lbs.

Don't tell me it's the Limbsaver ok? I'm a big fan of Pachmayrs.

If your rifle/scope weigh 8lbs, and that load produces 3100fps in your rifle, two different calculators come up with 24.3, and 25.5. Ftlbs.

[270person]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

If your rifle/scope weigh 8lbs, and that load produces 3100fps in your rifle, two different calculators come up with 24.3, and 25.5. Ftlbs.

Closer to 3025 -3035 and rifle/scope at 7.6 lbs. No way for me to measure recoil but I think it'd be around 21. Certainly not a tough rifle to shoot.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by 270person

Closer to 3025 -3035 and rifle/scope at 7.6 lbs. No way for me to measure recoil but I think it'd be around 21. Certainly not a tough rifle to shoot.

http://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmrecoil-5.1.cgi

[270person]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

http://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmrecoil-5.1.cgi

That's interesting. Thanks.

[sns2]

What I will say is stock fit makes a helluva difference in felt recoil. That darn Mesa just is a real smooth shooter. My 18 year old thinks it’s mild. Combination of a good stock that fits well and a great recoil pad. My Tikka kicks considerably more.

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by sns2

What I will say is stock fit makes a helluva difference in felt recoil. That darn Mesa just is a real smooth shooter. My 18 year old thinks it’s mild. Combination of a good stock that fits well and a great recoil pad. My Tikka kicks considerably more.

I totally agree