Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters What Happened to the 7mm Rem Mag?

I think what happened is that there are way too many rifles available for the number of shooters out there, so the only thing that sells is something "new."

I see lots and lots of guys actually hunting with a 7RM still. New magnum guys are using 300WSM.

Yep.

Right after the .300 WSM appeared I noticed the appearance of far more used 7mm Remington Magnums in gun shops, as the boys traded off their rifles chambered for the In Cartridge of the 1960's and 70's for the first In Cartridge of the 21st century.

But I'm still seeing more 7mm RM's on used-rifle shelves, even though the .300 WSM's peak of hot selling passed years ago. I'm not saying the .300 WSM isn't a good cartridge, or that hunters don't buy them now, but it's not the super-hot bestseller it was from 2001-2005.

So why are old 7mm RM's still showing up on used racks? One guess is that the rifles hunters bought during the peak of it's popularity might be losing some of their accuracy. The 7mm RM isn't kind to throats, and a rifle that was new in, say, 1978 might be finally losing its accuracy edge. I picked up a used tang-safety 7mm RM about 10 years ago for a very low price, just for the action, and my bore-scope showed the throat was gator-skin for several inches. Never did shoot that barrel to find out if the erosion affected the accuracy, but my guess (based on some experience) was that it did, at least somewhat.

Another guess would be that the guys who firmly believed the 7mm Remington Magnum was a "big cartridge" back in the 1970's finally realized it wasn't. Back then it was promoted as doing anything a .300 magnum would do, with .30-06 recoil. This was mostly because of the original 175-grain factory load's advertised velocity of 3020 fps. The first Remington ammo was right around there, but within a few years it was found the velocity was too much, and the factory velocity was dropped to around 2850, which isn't all that much more than the 180-grain .30-06 load.

Then, as others have pointed out, chronographs became affordable to average shooters. And eventually laser rangefinders showed up, providing some reality to long-range shots.

I knew Montana guys back in the 1960's and 70's who firmly believed in the ultra-power of the 7mm RM, who when anybody asked what cartridge they used for elk would roll their shoulders like a weight-lifter and say, "I shoot a Big Seven." These guys all had tales of 700-yard kills, which for some reason was the typical range quoted. Maybe it was because many of them preferred "7&7" as their mixed drink, and a 7mm Magnum at 700 yards matched that perfectly.

The 7mm Remington Magnum would actually a darn good choice for the guys who like to make long shots these days. After all, John Burns uses it a lot, and the typical 7mm rifling twist stabilizeslong 162-180 grain spritzer boattails. But unfortunately, the Big Seven doesn't fit in a short bolt action, and has a belt, and long-action belted magnums are just as unfashionable right now as they were fashionable half a century ago.

Yes and yes!!!

Still lots of folks running them around here. I haven't used my 3 much the last few years as I've been tinkering with wildcats and 257Wbys, but the great 7 is still my favorite cartridge of all.

Yep, lots of gut shot and azz shot game hobbling around can testify to the magnum's prowess.

The New Has wore off

Awesome...simply awesome!

Like mine just fine belt and all. Along with 180 bergers over some Ramshot Magnum.Just got some Lapua 180 Scenars to try in the next week or two.However with turrets and rangefinders one can lob anything out there with great accuracy.
Hit steel at a 1000 with the "big 7" would not take that shot at a game animal.

I think it's the combination of factors. Many people thought it 's magnum label made it a legitimate large game rifle and there are legions of stories of bears being wounded and lost with 7 mags.

Let's face it, it's a fine deer rifle, but when push comes to shove a 7-08 will kill just as well on deer size game without as much muss and fuss, and if you need a legitimate bigger critter rifle the starting point is somewhere between 30 and 338 on up.

I have played with a bunch of cartridges over the years, trying to find a "perfect" all around cartridge for the range of typical applications that a western hunter faces (antelope to elk; longer ranges; often windy, etc.) Fads come and go, but I keep coming back to the 7 MM Rem as best suiting my needs. I can throw heavier bullets than the .270 Win, shoot flatter than a 30-06, and have less recoil than a 300 Win Mag.

Every time I read the cartridge profiles in the Nosler reloading book, the eloquent authors convince me that I need each and every one of them. When push comes to shove, more often than not I grab my Penrod/Legend long-throated 7 mag.

I'll play. The problem with a 7mmRM is theres little reason/excuse to need a second gun. Get something that needs 85-90 grains of 4831 to push a .284 bullet and its easy to say you need a 257/7-08/358 as well.

Sorry, but you don't count...You're left handed.

I don't see the 7mm Rem Mag's obituary coming anytime soon

And aoudad, elk, kudu, zebra, oryx, wildebeest, hartebeest......

7-MM Rem. Mag.: The Ladies Magnum.



Did I say that? No, It's what I've been told when using my 7-MM.

I haven't used that gun for about 12 years.

I guess it just too boringly gets the job done, it doesn't give the latest and greatest guys enough to elaborate on. I've done a bunch of the newest latest and greatest rounds, but still 98% of all the big game I've killed has been with a 7mm rem mag.

It just works

A friend and myself have built a nice shooting range, and have a get together for "church" there most sundays if we aint hunting.

Last sunday there were 5 of us, four 7 Rem's, one 7 WBY, 4 6.5 creed's, one 338 EDGE and two 338LM..

Every one us had an H&H based 7mm, where 5 years ago it would have been RUM's or 378 inspired weatherbys.

In this small part of the world, belted 7's are making a come back.

I'm not so much a latest and greatest use of stuff, as I have never shot a short magnum of any kind.
I've been running my 06, and my 308 mostly. I have been known to shoot a 338 once in a while.

What can it do that a .270 with a quality 150gr bullet can't or if a monometal guy 130gr TTSX?

Mike

I just bought three of them and sold my 270's. Bullets for the 7mm are great. 2 are Model 700's one is a 77. I'm bidding on another in stainless. I think I'll always like my 280 and 7x57 better though.