Talk to me about the 7mm rem mag please

[Prairiewolf]

My first big game rifle was a 7mm RM. My favorite chambering is the 7mm RM. I'm up to three of them.

The ammunition is expensive and sometimes hard to find what you want. They are heavy to carry, and the 24" barrel can be cumbersome, let alone ones with 26" barrels. They kick hard and will create a flinch if used for extended range sessions. Some question if 160 grain bullets have enough jam for larger game.

And I want nothing else once I hit the woods every fall.

I don't see enough difference between a 7 and your 30-06 to talk you into one technically, but if you want one you want one.

Giver - you'll love it.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

I’ve never owned a 7RM. Nothing against the cartridge but other than reduced recoil what advantage is there over a 300wm.

Absolutely none.

I’m carrying a dead azz accurate Bergara Wilderness Ridge in 6.5 PRC this fall and looking very much forward to it

[Smokinyotes]

Originally Posted by sns2

Absolutely none.

I’m carrying a dead azz accurate Bergara Wilderness Ridge in 6.5 PRC this fall and looking very much forward to it

I’ll be packing my Tikka CTR 6.5 PRC this fall. I wouldn’t be afraid to use it on a bull elk out to about 500 yards.

[W921]

Originally Posted by Sitting Bull

Guys I tried going the one gun and one caliber route. Didn’t work. I hunt deer and elk in wide open farm land where my target seems to always be at that 400-450 yard range. A friend of mine that has all this land swears by the 7mm for around there. Could you offer up your opinions and experiences with this caliber. I need a left handed rifle so this limits my choice. I do hand load. I currently shoot a 30-06.
Thanks. Any input is welcomed.

At those ranges I think you should be using a heavier 200 grain bullet for better performance. Not really any different between both calibers. Both underpowered for quarter of a mile shots on elk

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by W921

At those ranges I think you should be using a heavier 200 grain bullet for better performance. Not really any different between both calibers. Both underpowered for quarter of a mile shots on elk

Nonsense.

[Sitting Bull]

I'll have the opportunity this weekend to try out an older Savage 7mm. it's a right handed one so I'll be shooting it as a lefty.
I guess I just want another rifle. If you don't think the 7mm is enough of a jump from the 06, what else would be of interest from 50 to 450 yards?
Thanks guys
so far great comments,
Good night
Did I mention I just want another rifle?

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

Nonsense.

+1

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by Sitting Bull

I'll have the opportunity this weekend to try out an older Savage 7mm. it's a right handed one so I'll be shooting it as a lefty.
I guess I just want another rifle. If you don't think the 7mm is enough of a jump from the 06, what else would be of interest from 50 to 450 yards?
Thanks guys
so far great comments,
Good night
Did I mention I just want another rifle?

A zingy .30 cal would fit that bill

[DiabeticKripple]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

For flat out to 400 the 30-06 cannot compete. For flat out to 1000 the 30-06 can’t compete. If that stuff matters to you it matters. There is a difference.

RL26 really is magic in the 7RM. Wish I could find some to throw in mine and my 7 PRC

[C&C Outdoors]

Originally Posted by MountainTi

A zingy .30 cal would fit that bill

Absolutely!

[Duramaximos]

Originally Posted by Sitting Bull

I'll have the opportunity this weekend to try out an older Savage 7mm. it's a right handed one so I'll be shooting it as a lefty.
I guess I just want another rifle. If you don't think the 7mm is enough of a jump from the 06, what else would be of interest from 50 to 450 yards?
Thanks guys
so far great comments,
Good night
Did I mention I just want another rifle?

Skip past the 7rm and go to 300 wby. Launch 180 gr bullets at 3200 fps with ease. Your abilities will likely limit out before this cartridge will. I find it hammers elk beyond 400 yards.

[brewster29]

Originally Posted by Sitting Bull

I'll have the opportunity this weekend to try out an older Savage 7mm. it's a right handed one so I'll be shooting it as a lefty.
I guess I just want another rifle. If you don't think the 7mm is enough of a jump from the 06, what else would be of interest from 50 to 450 yards?
Thanks guys
so far great comments,
Good night
Did I mention I just want another rifle?

I have shot a boxcar load of bull elk and bucks with a 7 REM mag and several other 284 caliber rifles, but for truly long range there’s a better mousetrap out there- the 7 PRC. It has all the modern cartridge design advantages of the 6.5 PRC and 300 PRC, with more power than the 6.5 and less recoil and a standard action compared to the 300. I’m in the process of building one now, just waiting for the prefit barrel. I shoot left handed like you, so it’s going on a stainless lefty Tikka action.

[Smokinyotes]

Originally Posted by sns2

Absolutely none.

I’m carrying a dead azz accurate Bergara Wilderness Ridge in 6.5 PRC this fall and looking very much forward to it

That is a sweet rig. A few guys I know say they are really accurate and really easy to load for if you have a little experience.

[270person]

Originally Posted by Duramaximos

Skip past the 7rm and go to 300 wby. Launch 180 gr bullets at 3200 fps with ease. Your abilities will likely limit out before this cartridge will. I find it hammers elk beyond 400 yards.

Yep. Right after it hammers your shoulder into submission. Not a cartridge for the timid for sure. Roy didn't invent gentle cartridges.

[270person]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

Nonsense.

X roughly 9000 and you put it very politely.

[270person]

Originally Posted by Sitting Bull

I'll have the opportunity this weekend to try out an older Savage 7mm. it's a right handed one so I'll be shooting it as a lefty.
I guess I just want another rifle. If you don't think the 7mm is enough of a jump from the 06, what else would be of interest from 50 to 450 yards?
Thanks guys
so far great comments,
Good night
Did I mention I just want another rifle?

You'll likely feel that one. A lot. If you're ever near Edm area you can test my Christensen and Sako 75. My 12 yr old granddaughter could probably shoot the CA and they come threaded with brake and cap. I've never used it but I imagine that would take recoil to near .260 levels.

The Sako 75 in McMillan Hunter stock is heading out the door soon too.

[ghfalls]

I picked up an m70 in 7 mag with a drop mag that I will use this year for ground blind hunting on cold days. I put a higher powered scope on it. I have a 3006 as well that I will keep and use in tree stands in the bush with a lower powered scope. Recoil is very close on the two rifles but the 06 is a touch lighter. A former member killed a moose a year or two ago with a 7 mag at something like 800 yards, so the performance is there.

[Salavee]

..not to mention the forgotten .280 ai. Shouldn't be overlooked.

[W921]

Originally Posted by Sitting Bull

I'll have the opportunity this weekend to try out an older Savage 7mm. it's a right handed one so I'll be shooting it as a lefty.
I guess I just want another rifle. If you don't think the 7mm is enough of a jump from the 06, what else would be of interest from 50 to 450 yards?
Thanks guys
so far great comments,
Good night
Did I mention I just want another rifle?

Being fortunate enough to literally have a long range rifle range set up basically by my front door of my house. I used to do a lot of long range shooting.
I used to take game at longer ranges as well. Actually farther than quarter mile.
Some guns are more accurate than others.
Best caliber is biggest that you can shoot accurate.
Wind,humidity, temperature, snowing,clear skies,up hill or on level, etc all make a difference once you get out there.
Easier to be accurate at a range than on a hunt. Lot that can go wrong.
Most people always thought my range was longer or farther away than it really was. Most visitor friends that shot at my place at longer ranges couldn't hit anything without using a bench ,etc.
I'm not a big fan of long range shooting at big game like elk.

[dave99]

My 30.06 shooting 178 grain ELDX handloads has plenty of jam left to put down a deer or elk at 450-500yds.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t buy a 7rm, but your stable already has a capable horse.

Originally Posted by Sitting Bull

Guys I tried going the one gun and one caliber route. Didn’t work. I hunt deer and elk in wide open farm land where my target seems to always be at that 400-450 yard range. A friend of mine that has all this land swears by the 7mm for around there. Could you offer up your opinions and experiences with this caliber. I need a left handed rifle so this limits my choice. I do hand load. I currently shoot a 30-06.
Thanks. Any input is welcomed.

[W921]

With these small guns at long range.
Say you make a perfect shot but just as you press the trigger. The elk steps forward or to the left. Now you hit to far back. The elks skin moves over entrance hole. There is no exit hole because not enough power at that range. Elk takes off and you probable think you missed.

[dave99]

No question that there are innumerable variables that can go wrong, and that they compound at longer ranges.

Every hunter needs to become proficient with their tools, and make good judgements in the field.

That said, 450-500yd in my opinion is a high probability shot for many marksmen and hunters when conditions and setup are right.

As an example, I shot an antelope at 375 yds from a seated position off an extended bipod (the grass was too tall to lay prone) last month. That was about as far as I could reliably and accurately shoot from that position. Prone with support from a front and rear bag and I would more likely be out to 500-550yd on an antelope sized target. Add a 10mph wind and I’d be at 400yd probably.

Anyways… yes, you should buy a new gun. A braked 300PRC would be cool and a substantial upgrade.

Originally Posted by W921

With these small guns at long range.
Say you make a perfect shot but just as you press the trigger. The elk steps forward or to the left. Now you hit to far back. The elks skin moves over entrance hole. There is no exit hole because not enough power at that range. Elk takes off and you probable think you missed.

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by W921

With these small guns at long range.
Say you make a perfect shot but just as you press the trigger. The elk steps forward or to the left. Now you hit to far back. The elks skin moves over entrance hole. There is no exit hole because not enough power at that range. Elk takes off and you probable think you missed.

And what solves that at 400 yards?

[3blade]

Originally Posted by Sitting Bull

I'll have the opportunity this weekend to try out an older Savage 7mm. it's a right handed one so I'll be shooting it as a lefty.
I guess I just want another rifle. If you don't think the 7mm is enough of a jump from the 06, what else would be of interest from 50 to 450 yards?
Thanks guys
so far great comments,
Good night
Did I mention I just want another rifle?

The next jump, as far as actual ballistic and terminal performance improvement, is the big 300s - prc, wby, nosler.

But those can be nasty to shoot without a brake, will severely damage your hearing if you forget your ear pro, and require longer/heavier rifles than practical for most. Not to mention expensive.

If you only plan to shoot at elk across canyons, there’s a solid argument for such a rifle.

[fishnguy]

Why is the target always 400-450 away? Isn’t it easier to change your set up and close some distance if that is the concern? Nothing wrong with buying another gun, I am just wondering.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

Why is the target always 400-450 away? Isn’t it easier to change your set up and close some distance if that is the concern? Nothing wrong with buying another gun, I am just wondering.

Yeah, there is this. I dont stand hunt much, but when I do I generally dont expect to connect on my first setup. The first setup is generally just to watch how things play out from a safe distance, and then figure out how to get closer the next day.

My favorite Jack O'Connor quote, made in his later years on the subject of long shots "Any animal not shot at today, can generally be hunted tomorrow." Words to hunt by IMO.

[Ackleyman]

Originally Posted by Salavee

..not to mention the forgotten .280 ai. Shouldn't be overlooked.

4831SC add 145 gr LRX. Nice to shoot

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by W921

With these small guns at long range.
Say you make a perfect shot but just as you press the trigger. The elk steps forward or to the left. Now you hit to far back. The elks skin moves over entrance hole. There is no exit hole because not enough power at that range. Elk takes off and you probable think you missed.

If you use a Berger yes, if you use a TTSX. you will likely still get an exit hole at 400-500 yards. And the lower the impact velocity, the less rapid the expansion, the smaller the wound channel, so even more likely to be an exit hole.

[Sitting Bull]

Its not that I intend to do a lot of long distance stuff, its just that this year it seems every elk I saw was roughly at that 400 ish yards way out in the field and no real way to close the gap without getting busted. My 06 has had no problem on elk within that 300yrd. I was just thinking a bit flatter and more energy I could of had an elk that weekend. Plus the friend I have up north loved his old 7mm. He now shoots a 300RUM but says he would go back to the 7mm in a heart beat for hunting this farmland.

[W921]

Originally Posted by Sitting Bull

Its not that I intend to do a lot of long distance stuff, its just that this year it seems every elk I saw was roughly at that 400 ish yards way out in the field and no real way to close the gap without getting busted. My 06 has had no problem on elk within that 300yrd. I was just thinking a bit flatter and more energy I could of had an elk that weekend. Plus the friend I have up north loved his old 7mm. He now shoots a 300RUM but says he would go back to the 7mm in a heart beat for hunting this farmland.

Your 300 magnums like a Winchester would be your next jump that would give you bit more power and flatter trajectory. You also get more expense and recoil. Unless you reload and shoot a lot your better off with your old 30/06.
When I used to hunt I was always on basically land that anyone in the public could hunt on.
I eventually just changed hunting strategy so shots were a lot closer.