Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 7mm or 300 win mag

Feel free to steal or use. It's not original w/me.

You are welcome to it.

Jerry

Thanks Jordan! That ain't bad... I guess!

Just a half-assed observation but there seems to be something linear about all this....that being as you drop down in caliber and bullet weight,but maintain the high BC,things like the 140 Berger from the 264, etc, look better than the (say) 208 gr 30 caliber because it's easier to drive them faster and takes less powder to do it.


Who says velocity doesn't count?

But really they are all dropping like soft balls lobbed underhanded at 1000.

Yup. An accurate LRF and repeatable turrets are requisite at that range, regardless of bullet or chambering. Wind drift is where we "separate the boys from the men".

That's why the 260 Rem and its ilk are so good, their trajectory is on par/better in most cases than a 300Win.

Well I am either crazy or I should get extra points for reading thru 23 pages of "my bullet is better than yours"....

The original question was which would you prefer on a sheep hunt - a 7mm or 300 mag?

My personal experience tells me it doesn't take a 300 mag to kill a sheep. Far from it. The 7mm depending on configuration would make a much better choice. Preferably in a light weight mountain rifle version. I also would not opt for one of the .284 choices in the magnum version. Anything from a .280 to the 7mm saum would do nicely.

It is also my experience that hunters that shoot various .284 cartridges and bullets spend more trigger time becoming a better shooter. Most of my friends and acquaintances that shoot 300 mags, shoot just enough ammo to make sure they are on paper. JMHO

Any good, well placed 140gr bullet like a Partition or Accubond will get the job done.

So you would not opt for 1 of the 7 magnums ?

What is the 7 S A U M ? Pray tell.

Sheep country is also BEAR country!

Soo?

Al ot of big bears have been and will be killed with 30-06 and 7mm rifles every year

rc,
Can you post the data at 400 yards instead of 1000 yards. I don't have a problem with skilled shooters going to 1000 yards but I don't. I've never shot anything beyond 400 and it is unlikely that I ever will. If I do, I'll buy another rifle.

Jwall,

No I would not opt for one of (6) 7mm magnums. Of the 7mm .284 cartridges I would choose one of the non- magnums such as the 7mm-08, 7x57, .280, .284, 280 AI up to the 7mm short action ultra mag, or 7 mm WSM. All would do nicely on a sheep hunt. I would definitely choose the one you shoot the best.

Yes, it is bear country but the OP didn't state he had a bear tag, and I wouldn't choose my sheep rifle based on the outside chance I see a bear.

DZG -

I know it doesn't take a big mag to kill sheep reliably.

I am NO LONGER able to climb mtns in sheep territory but IF I had gone I'd take an 06 at least or 7 RM. Call it insurance, JUST IN CASE.


Also I am well aware that 'recoil' is an individual thing. For me, I have a 7 RM that is my 3rd lightest rifle and I've killed quite a few deer and 1 coyote that was trotting @ 300 yds away. Some can't shoot mags well, EVERYBODY is better off shooting what they shoot well.

jwall,

Agreed

Bob,

The main issue I'd have with that reasoning for hunting is how much K.E. and Momentum is needed when a LR slug finally interacts with a live, walking piece of meat. The bigger slugs are going to have more wallop remaining to dispatch the targeted critter.

I guess that's always going to be a calculated guestimate based on type animals are being hunted.

DF

Dirtfarmer: I think your reasoning is sound and sometimes gets lost in the din of the conversations.

You read my mind!

I'd like to see a comparison for REASONABLE distances too.
We've had a thread or three and MOST big game is shot / shot at - inside 300yds.

So a 400 yd comparison would be more realistic for the majority of hunters.

So how about it?

THNX Jordan.

Out to 400 yds. @ 6" difference from best to worst ? if I estimate the line correctly.

Also that's w/a 100 yd. zero. Total drop is less w/a 200 or 250 yd. zero.

THNX again

Jerry

Thanks Jordan! Looks about right.

On my profile with a 200 yard zero, the 264 has less than 14" of drop at 400 yards. Hold on the top of the back and never come off of hair.

Laser Beam

Yup. That's the advantage to these small bore magnums is flat trajectory within 400-600 yards.

What jumps out at me from Jordan's charts is that velocity pretty much rules within 600 yards,even though all these cartridges /bullets are pretty tightly clustered.

You can manipulate this stuff to your advantage.

The 180 grain high BC bullet in the 300 mag would put the 300's best foot forward in the chart above at 3100 fps which is very doable

Any chance you can plug in the 155 grain Scenar .308 at 3250?