Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 7 mm WSM or .30-06

Yep, 7 WSM.

Anything a 7 Mag can do, a 30-06 can do as well or better.

I've never liked the 7 Mags, so my vote is '06, of which I currently have 3 (one in Denver). And a 7X57.

The only place a 7 Mag might have an edge, begins about 400 yards out, IMO. But I'll put up my 27" heavy barreled '06 against a 7Mag even then, for accuracy, to the range I'm willing to shoot -500 yards.

The rifle is a 1,000 yarder, easily, but I'm not.

I've owned both and without question 30-06.

Not silly at all. The 7mm WSM has never been very popular and it isn’t gaining ground in that area. Regardless of current shortages, .30-06 ammo is available, at least locally, and in greater variety than 7mm WSM. The point was to show the huge discrepancy in the types generally available.

You are right that no one shoots 117 different types of ammo. With 117 types, though, non-reloaders are more likely to find ammo that meets their budgetary, ballistic and accuracy goals.

I have had a 30-06 of some flavor or two for almost 30 years. I havent killed anything with a 30-06 since 2006.

I killed an elk with my 7 WSM last year.

Been using Hornady 7 WSM brass for a couple years, no complaints, Grafs has it in stock right now.

I would take either chambering if forced to chose.

You have a point. Just like my original post says. The “ availability” argument is still silly in my opinion. The 7 WSM is one of the hardest modern chamberings to find ammo and components for. It’s the prime example. The fella that asked this question here went to the classifieds and within a day had multiple sources of ammo found. One being MidwayUSA that has way more 7 WSM ammo available than 30-06 currently. And since the rifle in question is a model 70, chances of it shooting any ammo accurately enough to hunt with are better than not.

I guess we’ll just have to disagree. Nothing at all wrong with the 30-06. Nothing at all wrong with a 7 WSM either.

Todd

Todd -

We agree there is nothing wrong with either the 7mm WSM or .30-06. The disagreement is whether it is "silly" to consider ammo availability in choosing a firearm - and particularly factory ammo.

To test the validity of an idea it is often useful to take it to the extremes. Would you choose a 45-120 for hunting if using factory ammo? How about a 28-30-120 Stevens? In either case you might be years searching for ammo. So we agree it is a valid concern.

How about silly? You posit the case of a guided African hunt in which you could just use the guide's rifle. What about unguided hunts away from but closer to home? It would be pretty silly for me to take my .375 Winchester thinking that if I left my ammo at home I could just pick some up somewhere. I've thought about selling or giving that rifle to a SIL who lives in Iowa as a deer rifle, but the limited factory ammo is a problem even if he hunts from home.

In "normal" times there is a much greater selection of .30-06 ammo on the shelves than you will find for 7mm WSM. In many places you might be lucky to find any 7mm WSM without driving to a larger metro area, even though the shelves are well stocked with .30-06. I contend that if a concern is "valid" it isn't "silly" to consider it. Whether it becomes a limiting or the deciding factor is something else entirely.

Easy choice, get both. But the 30-06 first.

Coyote Hunter well said couldn't have said it any better or more civil. Choosing the 7 wsm over the 30-06 without being being a handloader is plain stupid in my book this day and age. MB

The 30-06 is hardly ever the wrong choice. I sure do prefer it to most others.

30-06