Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 7mm Remington Magnum?

A friend got a Tikka T3 light in 300 WSM and the recoil was too much for him and he went through Marine sniper training. He got it ported but I didn't care for it either way. The 7RM might have just enough of a reduction in recoil it might be alright. Might want to try one first if you can.

I am new to the 7mm Reminton Magnum.....less than a year.

It is an OLD blued Savage 110 with a wood stock that was an old truck gun. The blue is worn on the high spots all over it and the anodizing on the scope was worn from front to back. I got it for $250 at a pawnshop with the intention to change the barrel to another caliber. The handloader in me said "try it".........I am glad I did. It is the most accurate high intensity cartridge I load for at the bench. It was also the easiest to find an accurate load for from the first moment I fired it.

I have never shot a cartridge at 300 yards, with a witness, that grouped 2 inches. When we were done I wondered how or why I avoided it for so long. I answered my own question, I was happy with the .243 and know what it and I could do. I know I do not have the hunting experience nor the marksmanship skills as others, but this "IS'" a cartridge that lends itself to helping a shooter realize accurate shooting without a lot of fuss. I have only accomplished the same accuracy with a .243 Winchester. I never expected the same from a belted magnum and me behind the bolt. I have seen others shoot it and they always did very well and I felt it was because they had used it for many years and knew how to "handle" its strength. I am now a part of that group and could not be happier.

The load it likes is:
IMR 4831...61.7 GRAINS
Speer 145 BTSP
Federal brass with Winchester Large Rifle primers. I tried Federal 215's it made no difference only a 13 fps change.
Choronoed: 3080 fps
This load produced the group at 300 yds on that day.

Forgive my rambling JB (Mule Deer), I just enjoy shooting it. When I sat down and compared it to other cartridges and especially their bullets its rather difficult to "not like it".
It offers alot and then some. It will be the cartridge I use this hunting season.
Do I like it? Yes I do, very much so.


I am 50 years old.

Best

Heavy

I kinda forgot about it but you're right, I bought a couple of Kirt's books during the 80s before his reputation went down the tubes, and his praise of the 7mm Remington Magnum was a major influence on my decision to purchase one.

My first rifle was a 7RM, strictly b/c I could not find a 270, it was in the 80s, a well used 700 ADL, but the old SS OEM barrel, coated black. It had the trigger tuned as I recall, and had been floated and bedded in the recoil lug. My first loads were a 145 BTSP on deer, a large 8pt at 30 whopping yds, destroyed the on shoulder, wrecked the lungs, never exited, bullet exploded, nothing but shrapnel. My load was SUPPOSED to mimic 280 speeds, but the Speer manual was revised, as it had been I believe a Savage and later a new test gun which showed the pressures were much higher and speeds, in normal rifles.

Had fun shooting a few 115 HPs at 3375 chrono'd - heavy recoil so later dropped down around 3 - 3,100, dumped a coyote - saw the feet all 4 straight up as he went upside down the instant I pulled the trigger, yes via a 3-9 Leupold...he stopped going away, and turned his head, shoulder/neck shot. Later went on a diet of 160 Sierra and 162 Hornady BTSP as I recall, 4831, about 2850 as I recall. They shot much better than the lighter 145 above and 140 BT. Loaned it to someone who dumped plenty deer. I sold it to enjoy a milder 243 ADL.

Years later bought a 700 BDL SS on sale, NIB, it doted on 150 BTs, 1/2" was common at 100 yds for 3, using a 3-9x40 4200. Sold it, just never felt I needed it. Did shoot a Sako wood stock once, in 7RM, recoil was bad, something about that stock angle....

Later, I went to 7/08s and now many 6.5s and even 6BR and 243s. I did a 7 MIDGET for quite some time.......a Model 7 in 7BR, a Pac-Nor job, very accurate, mild, and deadly. Finn Aaggard did a write up on the BR in a few mags like American Rifleman/Hunter and maybe Guns and Ammo or Shooting Times.

I still view the 7RM as a no non-sense round that when fed 150-162s has a lot of utility for someone needing reach. It is not that much more in practicality over say a 270, 280, or '06, IMHO, but the slight edge in trajectory and ammo that performs if one buys it, seems to be there. I prefer a belt-less round for headspacing, less recoil, and an extra round in the same rifle / mag capacity.

For me, it's more recoil than I want at this point of my life. I was 21 when I bought that first one....nowadays I'd just as soon use a mild 6.5 or perhaps try that PRC.

IME, the 150 BT and 160-162s seemed to GEL better than the 140 class.......those 115s were not stellar, but did drop some critters - some way out there, and that MV made it flat to 250-300 yds that I was shooting.

Looking forward to your article and results.

My earlier couple of comments were not to make light of Rem’s 7 but I primarily took deer with it in the ‘80’s. It’s interesting because I had R BDLs in both the 270 and the 7 Mag and while the Mag had a 24” barrel and the 270, a 22”, and the Mag was bit heavier, there were no differences down range on antelope or deer that I could tell of.

I was using 130’s of various flavors in the 270 and 150’s in the Mag so mv’s might have been very close.

I don’t even remember noticing a difference in recoil. It’s a very good cartridge. We’re I thirty again, I’d build one.

i should mention this my good friend who was a sniper in the army for Desert Storm and was one of the 1st over there in that mess , his age early 50 `s i think ? 7 Rem. mag. is his favorite cartridge and just purchased from me a new Long Range Remington and a new Ruger #1 both in a 7 Rem.mag. and he is still a Schmidt & Bender ,mil dot scope man.

Yes, I was very disappointed and sad to find that about him. Too bad.

Jerry

I'm soon to be 58, got my first Big 7 at around 42. Bought to flip through the gun shop but took it to deer camp. Killed a deer with it and decided I wouldn't be without one. Don't really know why, just an above average doe at less than 100 yds, but something clicked I guess. I'm on my 4th 7 Mag, a Tikka super light, just got it last year. I had a Tikka Hunter for over 10 years. Funny thing, I took 7's to Colorado, Wisconsin even Africa (well the ammo made it there even though the airline saw fit to not include my rifle case and rifles), I've only killed 4-5 deer with a 7 in those 15 years.

I am a fan, although I can't say why. Of course, maybe it's because we were both born in the same year.

KC

Switch - As I mentioned I have a T3 X in 7mm RM and it is pleasant to shoot....to me.

Don't know where you live but I'd be glad to donate some rounds for you to shoot mine. For real.
The T3 X Lite 7 RM weighs just 3 oz more than my T3 Lite 270 Both carrying the same scope.

I live in SW Ark. PM if you're interested.


Jerry

67. I have 5. Bought first in 73, owned at least a dozen

3 - Sakos
1-Kleinguenther
1- 798 Mauser

73, I still use -my go to gun- I got in 1962. Remington 700 ADL. About 30 years ago I put a BDL Bell and Carlson stock on it and made it clip fed instead of a blind magazine. Some guy in Ohio made them in his garage long before Remington offered them. It is one of the original stainless steel barrels and still shoots minute of deer for me. I use 63 gr of IMR 4350 and 150 gr NBTs. Long case life and good accuracy. About 15 years ago I realized I didn't need 3000fps mv to kill a deer. I haven't shot my 7mmSTW since lol.

Mike

54 yrs old.
I bought my 7MM RM in mid 80's. It's my hunting partner every fall.
150gr Nosler Partition Federal Premiums were my go to round until they became very difficult to find over the counter so I have been using 160gr Nosler Partition Federal Premiums for at least the last ten to fifteen years.
Early on it would have been chit house luck to find 7MM ammo in a small town in Montana. They seem to be more readily available now though.
The 7MM will be in the breaks again this year and with a little luck I hope to be dragging/packing more home to the dinner table.

After having rifles in 6 mm Rem and 7x57, I came into some money in 1988 and had Brown Precision build me a rifle in 7 mm Rem. I shot it for a couple of years and then had it reamed to 7 Mashburn. I like it more as a Mashburn and have since had a another rifle made in Mashburn. I had the second rifle stocked with a Brown pound'r and shoot 175 gr Sierras and Noslers in it. Finshed weight is 7 3/4 lbs. 73 gr H1000 gives me 3075 fps and avg groups of 5 shots at about .75". The Mashburn is what the Remington was supposed to be from the factory before the unexpected pressure excursions reared their ugly head.

Using 162 gr. Hornady interlocks in the original gun after Mashburn conversion I have killed deer out to about 475 yds with some regularity using a 2.5x10 Swavorski Prohunter.

I have a light weight Rem 700 30-06 for guests who come to hunt. I load 150 gr. Barnes bullets in the 06. I'm 69 and think some version of big 7 at 7.5 to 8 lbs of weight is a really great combination of sectional density, velocity, portability, and recoil.

YMMV.

I was wondering if anyone would bring up the pressure excursion issue.

If you knew.... I don't know how many hundred rounds of 7 RM I've CHRONOGRAPHED... they're all recorded.....

I've seen NO spikes in velocities that would catch your attention. The 'fastest' burning powder I EVER put in a 7 mag
case is IMR 4350 > then IMR 4831 > then Surplus 4831 > Now Rl 26.

I have NO idea of 'what' powders gave the pressure spikes..... I did not find one.


Jerry

ps: M D, I'm listening, seriously.

nice post Jordan.... not long winded at all...

48 years old.

Longest kill to date on a whitetail was with my buddy's 7Mag at 635yds. I currently own 2, an M77 Express and an M77 MarkII boat paddle. Never taken a deer with either of them, but the boat paddle is one of the most accurate rifles in my safe. Great round but mine rarely get used since I got my 7mm-08.

Got a Ruger in the early 70s, killed lots of deer with it. I'm headed toward 71 fast. Didn't hunt it last year but will this year..

I believe as I’d last heard, ol Chuck Mawhinney used a 7 Rem Mag and a Nightforce to keep them Oregon elk and deer at bay.. MD may have better details but I thought he was a Ruger man and just hammered with factory ammo as well.

Fella did a lot of serious work in the 60’s.

beretz,

You got it right, except the scope. When I interviewed him, Chuck was using a Vortex. His wife had bought him the Ruger 77 as a gift quite a while before, and he did use factory ammo. As I recall he was using a 175-grain factory load that he found shot very well, so bought a bunch. May have to look it up the story to refresh my memory....