Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Which would you choose 300 wsm or 7mm rem mag for elk

My 7 mags have been predictably accurate with whatever load I punched through them. If they are unpredictable, then most likely anything that you load will be.

Jim, sounds like the same guy I used to work with in Idaho. His name wouldn't be morris by any chance?
He said the same crap....and seriously meant it.

No, his name wasn't Morris but apparently there at least two guys in Idaho who believe that.


Can't be too harsh on folks though. A very long time ago I used to believe a .243 bullet would blow up into little pieces if it so much as grazed a blade of grass or a leaf, while a .30-30 bullet would plow through 10 feet of brush and two pine trees and continue straight to the target.

Later on I learned it takes a .45-70 to do that....

.300 Wby,read it here on the 'fire that it's the best ever cartridge for elk.

Not the point of my comment.

Some cartridges have a reputation for unexpected changes in pressure or MV with changes in the load recipe. The 7mm Mag is one such cartridge.

It's nothing to do with accuracy.

I have had several 7mm Mags over the years that have come and gone. I bought a Kimber Montana in .300 WSM several years ago and after several successful elk hunts, it is still in my safe. I have never looked back.

donsm70

Can't be. I was informed over 30 years ago that those bullets expand as they fly through the air; there simply isn't enough time for them to expand after they hit something and they (Core-lokts) obviously must have expanded before impact otherwise they couldn't create the big craters they sometimes make on the entrance side. That fellow had much more hunting experience than I, and also a lot more education so I'm inclined to think he must have been right, but the internet hadn't yet gotten going, so who knows?

You guys are forgettin' about them plastic tips melting off...that can't be good.

7mm rem mag...

That's a pretty good answer right there...

I've killed at least 1 cow and 3 bull elk with the 300 WSM/180 2,950 combo. Maybe more, but can't remember. I prefer more compact rifles, so I'd take the SA 300 WSM with a 23" bbl. over the 7mm.

But the hard truth is I'd sooner pack a 308 Win

The correct answer is - YES.

They are same-same. Never personally shot an elk with the 7RM but have been in the presence of at least 2 (175 Corelokt, 160 NPT) and have killed 3 or so with the 300 WSM (180 NPT). All were dispatched appropriately.

I think it comes down to platform and whether you handload. 7RM factory can be a bit wimpy but can be found about anywhere.

At 500 yards you need a 338 Win Mag. Read that in a gun magazine.

It's a toss up. I have both. I really prefer a 338 win mag. Better all around for elk.

At 500 yards, you need to sneak a little closer........nice to get within a 1/4 mile or so.

Well sheeit, that stash of first generation 150 grain Ballistic Tips my 308 is blowing up ought to be just right for a 30-378 then!

In terms of external and terminal ballistics, I wouldn't expect a difference. I would just take whichever gun shouldered better and had less perceived recoil.

Personally I like the Swift A-frame in magnums that have the speed to make it work right. It's got a little less explosive expansion, and tends to guarantee an exit wound which I like. My 7mm mag elk load is the 175 A-Frame at 2950 ft/s. I used to use 175 partitions.

I am a big fan of the 300 WSM.

I rid myself of the 7mm Rem Mag's I tried through the years for the reason mentioned.

I best get rid if my 7 Rem mags too. I only have 5 of them. Poor old things

Yeah, we already answered that one.

This is for second place