Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles The 7MM "Hit 'em Again"

It's Friday and I have to be home for most of the day and I remembered a very experienced poster here whom was an Alaskan Guide and an African PH and he wrote this............

This year we took quite a few animals and used a rather wide selection of guns and ammo. Here are a few things I found interesting to add to the data base.

I'm not a fan of the 7mm mag. Throughout my career I have seen this cartridge used often. It seems to have a lot of trouble keeping game down with one shot. Or finding it after the shot. It's probably why I prefer the calibers .308 and larger for big game. It's also refered to as the "hit em again 7" in Alaska by many of the guides there. Because of the need for multiple hits to stop bigger animals, especially bears and goats.

Food for thought or are your experiences different than JJ Hacks?

Jayco

What was his name? How does .024" make any difference in how critters die?

Oooooh Lordy

It sounds like he's trying to justify using .308 caliber bullets.

BTW, how many elephants did that African hunter kill with a 7x57???

That's too stupid to even respond to.

Better question is, do you want to compare trophy rooms? I've seen Jim's, for a single hunter, its impressive. I don't think I've killed as many "love" bugs whilst driving thru SE Texas on a hot summer night!

Sometimes pups should stay on the porch and learn .....

Jim who? I'm curious why I should stay on the porch?

OUTSTANDINGLY well put. And spot on.

I just had a long conversation with Jim on WED about this very matter as we ewere disscussing this years deer camp and bringing his 10 yr old son along this time. He notes that the 7mm's (and I have one, the Mashburn Super version) do kill stuff, but from 30 cal and UP is where game gets put down with noticeably more authority and better blood trails. Based on his haveing been in on the taking of some 900 plus bears and thousands of head of other big game, I tend to like to listen and learn, and I have taken a lot more game than 99% of the people on this board. Jim went further to state that the 338's are even better and I have heard this from more than one guide or outfitter in Alaska and the Rocky Mountain West. Not to mention PH's in Africa. Big holes, and two of them, are a GOOD thing.

Again, I have a very fast 7, but it is my deer rifle and nothing else.

YMMV

The question of 7mm to .30 was a serious one, it looks cynical in my first post and I should've asked it more seriously. The hunter's name is Jim Hack? If avagadro says he has a badazz trophy room, I won't question that at all

Did he find that the .30s expand better, retain weight, penetrate deeper, etc? Or maybe just the fact that you can shoot such heavy .308" bullets? I know that the 180gr TTSX I use at 2950-3k are very impressive.

Again, didn't mean to be smartazzed...

I think a person has to actually try a big 30 , 338 win or even better yet a 340 WBY to actually understand how well they perform on larger game.

No I'm not saying anything negative about the big 7's.

Nice how we have all these choices!

No worries young man. JJHack is short for Jim Hackwicz. If it were not already bear season he would probably be here in person more to explain his positions. Since he lives close and we hunt together a fair amount I sometimes throw out what I have heard form him. Jim has been a guide for Brown Bears and Black bears in AK, Black Bears in NW Washington state and has PH'ed extensively in Zimbabwe and South Africa for many years. I have been priviliged to hunt with hi in person some and he is one that any and all here could and should learn from as his expereince is that much more expansive than about anyone else here. He went to Universtiy in South Africa and learned his trade there from the locals, while earning his PH licenses.

His favorite bullet in 30 cal right now is the 168gr TTSX. I myself have dropped down form the 180gr Barnes that I had been using to that bullet based on his observations over a couple years of shooting and seeing shot many, many big game animals.

He had a nice 25/06 built at one time, it is now in my possesion to be taken to the guns show in Moscow Idaho for sale at my gun show table as it has not been used for a very long time and he quite honestly does not see any use for it. It is a REALLY NICE full on custom.

I have used both the 300 RUM and my wildcat 340 Tyrannosaur in Africa and they are WICKED killers. Lots of DRT/Bangflop type kills. no tracking required, or at least very little so more time for hunting and lots lower stress.

Really...

How does your hunting experiences compare to Jim Hackiewicz(JJHack) if you even know who he is?What can you report about several calibers used in one year and what you say from A-Z.

I doubt there is one person on this forum with the experience he has doing and seeing because,that is his job and was,Alaska wise.He only gave his opinion on what he saw that year and years before.

Sheesh...Take the post for what it was..One very experienced hunter/Guide and PH and his opinion on calibers for "Big Game" not Deer.

Jayco

As we all should with less experience...

Jayco

In my very limited personal experience, I've had much better fortune with the 30s than the 7s. It's to the point where I probably won't ever own a 7 again. Most likely it was my shooting or maybe my bullet choices. I only know that the 30s haven't given me any problems at all. I think perhaps I'm jinxed on the 7s and so I have no faith in them.

Here's an article on bear hunting that I enjoy reading pretty often.

http://www.z-hat.com/Stevenson.htm

Jesus Christ, sounds like every conversation I have with my family about any other hunting cartridge than a 30-06. I had to un-scientifically explain to my dear Uncle why a .270 WSM was "enough for Moose". He still thinks a 30-06 has more "knock down" so I asked him which had more knock down....a half ton Dodge or a half ton Chebby with a Light Bar.

Chebbies just bounce off .... ain't been worth a hoot since the gubbmint took'em over!

Bears on up I would agree. On medium and smaller soft skinned game not so much. But JJ probably sees in a couple years about as much game as I have shot in a lifetime. Then the other issue with some is do you shoot a .340 Weatherby as well as a 7 mag.? I don't.

I shoot mine (similar to the 340W wildcat) pretty well, but its stock fits me great, has a wonderful Limbsaver pad, and I have been shooting it for decades. Point taken, most are better off with a 30/06. Gee, I wonder where we have heard THAT line before... <G>