7mm or 300 win mag

[lol@haha]

theres too many choices.... ugh lol

[north american hunter]

What about optics?

[afranzky]

Depends on your budget. Plastic stock, stainless barrelled action, trigger is better than the Winchester, good choice for a young guy. Tikkas tend to be very accurate, as long as you don't flinch, and accuracy + bullet construction are more important than the difference between 7mm and 30 cal. Don't get me wrong, I love my Sako Bavaria in 300WSM, but it requires more TLC than most 18year olds are willing to give.

[Smokinyotes]

My son started shooting a tikka t3 243 when he was 11. He is now 15 and I bought him a T3 hunter in a 300wm last year. He shot his first moose with it last fall. Now he only wants to shoot the 300.
If my dad was buying me a new Rifle it would be a T3 in a 300wm with a limbsaver on it.

[flyguyd]

Originally Posted by lol@haha

theres too many choices.... ugh lol

If your stuck on the 7mm , just get a 7mm-08. Recoil is minimal and it kill kill anything you point it at. A rifle thats pleasant to shoot will get you alot more trigger time than one thats not.

[JD848]

THE T3 is a little light and may kick more than you like, in the sako a7 there is not the a big price change from the T3,with a good limb saver pad you can take away a lot off the recoil in the a7 in the 7mm and if you know someone who reloads all the better.Recoil can be managed by bringing down the energy that might make you feel not right shooting a mag , a little bit slower the bullet the more accurate you will become and then slowly move the load up to your comfort zone.This way you well feel and shot the 7mm like it was a rifle designed for you and their is plenty off 284 bullet sizes to keep you busy for a long time,160 accubonds,bergers,partitions,162 sst,it's a beautiful caliber and when done right you will never look back.The only big difference I find besides a few plastic parts in the a7 compared to the 75s or 85s is the clip and being able to top load, and longer neck bullets other than that all sako rifles I have shot are great shooters.

[lol@haha]

what is the difference between a 7mm and a 7mm-08

[rottie]

Both use .284 diameter bullets , but the 7mag has more case capacity,more recoil,shoots faster and flater. The 7-08 is based o the 308,mild shooting,flat enough for most shooters and easier on the shoulder.
Game killed with either will never know the difference

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by lol@haha

what is the difference between a 7mm and a 7mm-08

7nm-08 designates an actual cartridge whereas 7mm does not. 7mm only indicates that it uses .284" bullets. There are many cartridges that use .284" bullets, and several are referred to as magnums.

[lol@haha]

oh ok. thanks for all the feedback, very much appreciated !

[Speckle55]

Hey just a few points

Recoil = 7mm Rem Mag
Bullet cost = 7mm Mag
Bullet weight = 300 mag but 175 grain 7mm will put a big hole and fly true
Distance =300 but Secret Service in US use 7mm Rem Mag on the sniper team


Cartridge Maximum effective range[35]
7.62×39mm 600 m
5.56×45mm 600 m [36]
7.62×51mm (.308 Winchester) 800 m
7.62×54mm R 800 m
.30-06 Springfield 800 m
7 mm Remington Magnum 900–1,100 m
.300 Winchester Magnum 900–1,200 m
.338 Lapua Magnum 1,200-1,500 m
.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
12.7×108mm (Russian) 1,500–2,000 m
14.5×114mm 1,800–2,300


I am a little bias though my main gun is a Rem 700 BDL 7mm Mag and shoot a 175 grain PP at 2830fps (1980's still in love with it) ps 5000000 shooters can,t be wrong
http://remington.com/pages/hunting-s.../big-game.aspx

http://www.chuckhawks.com/7mmRemMag.htm

Food for Thought

David

[Big Sky]

Winchester m70 Extreme weather would get my vote. I prefer it to my Tikka.
It's a bit more money, but worth the couple hundred extra.

If you insist on the 300mag, the m70 extreme is a bit heavier and will tame the recoil a bit. That said, you're getting some good advice wrt calibre choice. 308Win would be my choice of cartridge for a first gun.

[toddjler]

if you like the stainless synthetic you should check out the browning xbolt and the weatherby vanguard 2, both are just as accurate and well built but with much less recoil, good luck on your choice. I hunt with a bunch of guys with t3`s and after 3 shots you`ll be looking for a bottle of t3`s

[rembo]

If you are stuck on a the T3 get it in 270 Win. With 130's or 140's it's only 200-300 fps behind the 7 Rem Mag but with a lot less recoil and it uses the full length of the T3 action , unlike the 7-08. Any animal shot with the 7-08, 270 or 7 Mag won't know the difference, nor will the hunter. Assuming good shot placement and bullet construction. You can add the 270WSM in there also.

But differences of opinion are what makes a horse race and everyone will jump up to defend their favorite so they don't appear to have made the "wrong" choice themselves. But the reality is that any one of the four mentioned above will work just fine out to the range where most average shooters should be shooting. I think 400 yards is a very long shot in that regard. Most average shooters should stick to 300-350 yards in the field in which case accuracy and shooter ability is much more important than cartridge selection.

[Ice Fishing Maniac]

Originally Posted by lol@haha

ooh ok I've been looking at reviews and I've heard the clips on the sako's are plastic and the spring inside them are too lose. thats why i decided to go with tikka, i want something that looks very nice and performs well for long distance shooting but also having that light weight feature.

You are thinking of the Sako A7 model. The m75 or m85 are all metal.

Me I prefer my m75 Sakos. I have had a couple of Tikka T3's but they were in the LS model...no issues with plastic mag or bolt shroud and hunted with at -30 and colder

Price of a new Sako A7 with Burris scope combo pretty good deal. Recently picked a SS A7 in 270WSM for my nephew at WSS as P & D didn't have one available. P&D does have a 300WM set up ready to go for $1199

As for the 2 calibers you listed, I am a 300WM fan. I have had my Sako m75ss 300WM new since 1997 and had a 300WM previous.

[dmcbride]

Originally Posted by toddjler

if you like the stainless synthetic you should check out the browning xbolt and the weatherby vanguard 2, both are just as accurate and well built but with much less recoil, good luck on your choice. I hunt with a bunch of guys with t3`s and after 3 shots you`ll be looking for a bottle of t3`s

X2 I have a browning Xbolt 300 win mag. I'm only 150 lbs and I don't find the recoil to be bad. More of a thump then a sharp kick. I have shot lots of other guns (T3's) in non magnum and they seem to kick harder.(sharp kick)

What ever you decide to get make sure the gun fits you. A good fitting gun will give you less felt recoil.

[CaberTosser]

People seem to be overlooking that Tikka's can be had with walnut andlaminate stocks as well; the weight of the laminate would soak up some recoil. That being said I agree that more suitable calibres could be chosen, I'll make a comparison as food for thought: lol@haha is young, which generally coincides with not having much disposable income; the ammunition in these magnum cartridges is more expensive, and thus he'd not be able to afford shooting in as much volume as with a more economical chambering. Making the automotive comparison, a highly tuned performance car is fun to drive, but keeping it fuelled is downright painful; having a car that handles and brakes well, but with an engine that isn't so thirsty is enjoyable without all the accompanying punishment (add excessive recoil into that comparison too)

[sns2]

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

People seem to be overlooking that Tikka's can be had with walnut andlaminate stocks as well; the weight of the laminate would soak up some recoil. That being said I agree that more suitable calibres could be chosen, I'll make a comparison as food for thought: lol@haha is young, which generally coincides with not having much disposable income; the ammunition in these magnum cartridges is more expensive, and thus he'd not be able to afford shooting in as much volume as with a more economical chambering. Making the automotive comparison, a highly tuned performance car is fun to drive, but keeping it fuelled is downright painful; having a car that handles and brakes well, but with an engine that isn't so thirsty is enjoyable without all the accompanying punishment (add excessive recoil into that comparison too)

Yep. That's why he should be looking at a 270 or 308.

He should go stainless / synthetic. Young dudes often don't look after their guns too well. Just look at how they keep their bedrooms and that will be an indicator as to what type of rifle they should get

[diamonddave]

Win Model 70, stainless synthetic, 7mm hands down.
It was my first rifle and it will be with me to the end. I have bought and sold a lot of other guns, but I will never get rid of it. Point, Shoot, Dead. Deer, elk, moose,sheep, bear, it doesn't care.


And even with good glass it isn't going to break the bank, just another plus!

[100zero]

I'm a 300WM sucker. I'm also a bigger guy and the recoil doesn't bother me. I was going for the T3 in 300WM till I found my X-bolt. Just fit me better. Get the gun and the caliber you want, shoot it, if you don't like it after that someone on the forum will gladly take it off your hands and you can fine a new set up. Repeat till you are happy. Or just keep buying guns.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by marxman

both of them are too much recoil for your only gun especially a t3 but 7 mil if you insist

Sort of my thoughts. Take that rifle in a 30-06 max. Will kill everything you want it to. It would be a real nice .270win rig.

[eric2381]

If you can, invest in a good quality scope. 3-9x40. Keep it simple, don't need AO or high magnification, good quality 3-9x40 with good Burris rings with inserts.

My vote goes to a Tikka SS with laminate and chambered in 270 win.

Good luck

[qwert]

Originally Posted by eric2381

If you can, invest in a good quality scope. 3-9x40. Keep it simple, don't need AO or high magnification,

I agree with the good quality part, and think the optical quality is a lot more important than the rifle, as most current rifles shoot very well, but I will never buy another scope that does not have side focus to adjust parallax. I would also recommend mounting a Picatinny rail, preferably one with a 20moa taper.

JMHO, Good Luck, YMMV

[243 wild cat]

Originally Posted by lol@haha

hey guys i just recently graduated high school and my dad said he will buy me any gun that i please (within reason of course), i narrowed my choices down to the tikka t3 however i can't decided between a 7mm or a 300 win mag. any feedback would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

7MM all day. Have had 3 kinds of 300 Mags and you must get one in the future my suggestion would be a 300WSM. But for the gun you should go to now would be the 7mm for what i have seen and done with my gun i wish i had one sooner then i did. Good luck on your pick both geat calibers. And if you think for some reason the Big Magnums dont have some kick think again they do LOL. There is days i just like to shoot my 243 win & 243 Ackley wild cat by far the most go to gun's in my arsenal just cant leave them home on a hunt or shoot.

[diamonddave]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

Sort of my thoughts. Take that rifle in a 30-06 max. Will kill everything you want it to. It would be a real nice .270win rig.

pffhht..... he knows not of what he speaks..... my 14 year old shoots my 7 no problem.

[north american hunter]

My son has been shooting a 7mm since he was 13. No problem at all.

[diamonddave]

[eric2381]

Originally Posted by qwert

I agree with the good quality part, and think the optical quality is a lot more important than the rifle, as most current rifles shoot very well, but I will never buy another scope that does not have side focus to adjust parallax. I would also recommend mounting a Picatinny rail, preferably one with a 20moa taper.

JMHO, Good Luck, YMMV

Well, I highly disagree for a hunting rifle. But I did see them say that on best of the west......




Congrats to OP for getting thru school and enjoy that rifle for the rest of your life, hunting with your Dad. Now it's time for the real world, head down ass up and work hard always.

[Westy]

To start out with you will find that they are two vigorously compared cartridges, you will find that most (not all) people are one side or the other, I too had the same decision and searched every forum I could come across comparing the two and finally made my decision on the 300 Wm, this was not my first rifle however, I started off shooting in this order (243 win - 7mm08 - 30-06 - 300 Wm). My 30-06 is a savage axis and is very light (nice for packing around) but the felt recoil matches that of my 300 Wm which is a savage model 111, which is why (it pains me to say this because I am a 300 Wm lover) if you are dead set on a rifle as light as a tikka I would go with the 7mm as it (like my peers before me have said) has noticeably less recoil. Both cartridges are more than adequate for killing anything in North America. The 300 will have a little more hitting power but the 7mm will have a little better trajectory

[twofifty]

Originally Posted by Westy

To start out with you will find that they are two vigorously compared cartridges, you will find that most (not all) people are one side or the other, I too had the same decision and searched every forum I could come across comparing the two and finally made my decision on the 300 Wm, ....

Agreed. It seems the closer cartridges are in real world performance, the more determined we are to argue that one is markedly superior to the other.