Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 7 Rem mag as good as it gets

When you consider power, availability of ammunition, it’s chambered by every manufacturer, is there is a better Norh American cartridge? If loaded with 120 or 140 grain bullets, it’s great for deer. If loaded with heavy bullets it will take any other North American game, even the big bears in a pinch. I don’t think there is a better cartridge unless it’s a 300 Win Mag or 338 Win mag, but some people can’t take the recoil. I’m a big fan, I have four of them.

I agree except for the recoil. It does not bother me but it can be a bit much for some shooters.

I'm not a gunwriter, but Couldn't agree more....

BIL had an older Mod 700, that I reloaded for, he was not pleased with the performance, on mostly FL Whitetails and Hogs....... I suggested heavier bullets, and loaded up a box of 175 grainers for him..... he never asked for anything else again!

Agree that it is not for the softshouldered.

SADLY, the 7 Rem Mag is now mine.

I’ve never thought the 7 mag to have much recoil. I shoot 140’s with a max load of IMR 4350. It kills deer and pigs really well.

muffin

My condolences.

Jerry

It certainly occupies a useful performance niche. There's just not much reason for that much oomph around here, and lighter rounds in lighter rifles make more sense.

My late brother had a very high-tech (for the 80s) 7 RM built by Brown. Kevlar stock, Shilen SS barrel, S&B 1.5-6 scope, on a Mark X action; the metal all electroless nickeled. Very nice indeed, and a real shooter, but a good bit heavier than the pre-64 .270 I lugged around. I borrowed it once because my son was using my rifle and killed a buck with one of his hot 150gr BT loads. That buck bucked at the shot, then continued on with a doe for about 50 yards, then stopped. I had worked the bolt quietly for a second shot, thinking I'd missed, then just as I was about to poke him again, he fell over dead. That freaked his lady friend out and she took off. That deer had a golf ball-sized exit hole and his innards were mush. Amazing how much they can take sometimes and keep going.

No idea where that rifle or his other guns went when he died. His wife never discussed them, although she did give me all his loading stuff when he died, as he had instructed her. Their son doesn't hunt or shoot, so far as I know.

Sorry about the ramble.

Pappy, your experience is the same that my BIL saw, apparently a lot. After the 175s he said they didn't do that!

# 1: I have a SAKO 7mm Rem MAg and a room full of heads, and all the animals except 1 has fallen to the same rifle, I shoot 150's because that's what my rifle likes.

#2 Recoil?? Maybe I'm missing something but, to me, the recoil of the 7 mag is not a back kicker, period.

#3 270/? REALLY, when you shoot over a chrony, and really get into it, there's not a nickle's worth of difference between a 270 and a 7 Mag, until you shoot the 175's and I've NEVER found a load of 175's that my rifle likes. SHooting 150s vs 130s in a 270, No difference. Just more barrel, less rounds in the mag, more powder, slightly more recoil, and blast, all for a (Almost) theoretical "advantage" on extreme shots,
If the 7 Mag was TRULY all that, (Again, I have one and LOVE the rifle and cartridge) why didn't the major manufacturers chamber all the new long range precision guns in it and be done with it?

Both my 7.5 pound 22" .280 Ackley and 9 pound 26" 7mm Remington shoot 140's to 3200fps so I don't seen any advantage in the mag for the lower weights but again, the 175grain Partition is in another class, as I can get 3000fps in the Remmy case and lose 200fps + with the smaller case.

Those that can't find a load for 175's with the 7mm Remington need to try Rel 26.
Those that prefer 160's with 7mm caliber will also see a lift with the Remmy case.
My Oehler 35P has much praise for the cartridge.
John

For pure sweetness, give me a 7-08

My load is with RL25............

Sample of one, and with original BTs, so not a criticism of cart or bullet, just "one of those things".

When I carry a .270 these days, it's stuffed with 160gr NPs, at least until I run out. At about 2700, only one of three deer has made it as far as 20 yards. Not much room for improvement.

His was a sampling of 'scores'.........

I've killed 90% of my deer with a model 70 XTR 7 mag with a Leupold 2-7 Vari X II. That gun still fits me great and is about the perfect weight. I have bought several since that gun and killed deer with them all but that model 70 7mag was my first real deer rifle and will always be a favorite. BTW,I never had a deer run out of sight with that gun.

I did fave several 150 factory loads fail to exit on broadside shots,but all the deer fell within just a few yards.

If I had to cut down to one deer rifle it would be a Kleinguenther 7 Mag.

It hurt me to say cut down!!

would rather use my 30/06 than a 7 mag, I've had 4 and the 06 just works better for me than the mags do

Likely because of bullet weight and speed. I think a 7mm mag would do better with heavier bullets,even loaded down for whitetails.

I was reading about the birth of the 7mmRM... Les Bowman, a .270 fan, convinced Mike Walker to bring out this caliber out... Les had been using a ,275 H & H Mag. in his guiding business and loved it for elk.. But the cases were tough to get.. When the 264 hit the market Les necked it up to 7and called his a .280 magnum. He got Mike interested and the rest his history..

the 30/06 with 220 gr round nose has probably killed more deer and elk ,moose, than anything else, just saying

Seems like everyone responding uses the 7mm RM on deer??? There’s a few more animals that it’s capable of.

If I had only one rifle, I think a 7mm RM would be a good choice. Way back when I thought my ‘06 worked pretty well, but I never had the opportunity to try it on “big” game.

I dearly want to hunt Cape Buffalo and using a 7mm RM might be ‘small’.

I’m glad I don’t have to use only one rifle. With today’s bullets the 7mm might be more than sufficient, maybe it has been for a long time.

I like shooting cast bullets and I prefer larger diameter bullets than .284 for cast. But I do have a ~~ 170+ grain mold for .284.

If I was down to one rifle and cast bullets, the diameter would be at least .358, maybe 375.

Isn’t life good when you have more than a couple centerfires in the safe?