Hunting & Fishing My 7mm dilemma

[Dlewis89]

Hey folks, I was in the market for a new rifle, and decided I wanted atleast one bigger caliber than I already had in a modern firearm. I do own an 8mm mauser, however I did want something light to lug across the field, and something I can modify to me.

I chose a 7mm remington magnum, in savage 111 long action internal mag. The price was very right.

I know 7-08 has become a super popular choice, with good reason it's pretty effective, fits in short action which is popular aswell. But, I passed over it, and here's my reasoning.

I'm a reloader, so to me, I can make rounds as hot, or as *not* as I'd like. If I don't need the magnum power I can always use lighter loads. Now, one could say that's a waste of a magnum bullet, and it might be. But I can always load up, and you can't load up an 08 to rem mag level. Close, I guess, I've seen numbers as high as 400fps difference which to me, is quite significant. I'll be hunting alot of fields this season for deer, fields that can stretch well beyond 1500m. I'm not an idiot and would never take an unethical shot, however I think I'm quite proficient out to 500m if I had to be, so having a caliber that will be more forgiving in range estimation from point a, to point b.. Is another reason. Brass is easy enough to come by, and honestly 20 pieces is probably enough to last me for yeeeeears as this is just a set it and forget it til the season starts rifle.

I'm thinking that's a pretty sound reasoning, anyone have any bad experiences with a rem mag? I have heard close range a bullet may not want to expand but rather zip right through a deer, but alot of that is bullet choice.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

No its a really solid choice, I'd actually recommend 7 saum over the RM but if its factory your options are limited.
Total BS about bullets being so fast they zip through, the real issue is soft non bonded bullets impacting at closer ranges and blowing to bits.
I'd go with a good monolithic bullet or something like a 175 ABLR

 

[coldboremiracle]

Nothin wrong at all with a 7RM, you sound like your worrying too much about things you needn't. We shoot elk every year with 6.5CM's, 260's, and less with bullets in the 120-140 range, almost any 7mm bullet should work fine for whatever you are killing. I might suggest the 162 ELD, I killed a bunch of animals with its predecessor the 162 Amax. I currently shoot the 183 SMK which is also extremely flat and deadly.

 

[HMRamateur]

I shoot a 7RM for hunting. Might think its a little overkill for deer, but it does the trick. The last buck I shot with it at 160 yds did a face plant right where it was standing. The bullet exited, but it still did its job. Blew the shit out of the heart in the process. I shoot 168 vld's at 3000 fps.

 

[Totoro]

No flies in the 7RM.

Load whatever bullet fits into the confines of the magazine COAL and go from there.

Tons of load data/bullets to choose from.

My 7RM gets a steady diet of Hornie 162 ELDX.

 

[archangel485]

My very first precision rifle was chambered in 7RM, I still have it. As I type this I just realized it's actually pictured in my avatar if you look closely you can see the barrel holding the antelope's head up for the picture, so yeah I shoot antelope with it. Shot a buck this past Saturday at 700 yards as a matter of fact. Great cartridge, great caliber. I also would opt for one of the short mag 7mms if I were starting today, but I don't regret having it and I'll never change the barrel at this point. I don't shoot it a lot but when I need a rifle that I know will put a bullet right where I need it, it's the one I grab. I don't believe you'll regret your choice.

 

[Flatlanders shooter]

No its a really solid choice, I'd actually recommend 7 saum over the RM but if its factory your options are limited.
Total BS about bullets being so fast they zip through, the real issue is soft non bonded bullets impacting at closer ranges and blowing to bits.
I'd go with a good monolithic bullet or something like a 175 ABLR

I like to hear that BS too. What makes bullets expand? Speed and resistance. I have smiled and listened many times to guys talking about nosler partitions not expanding. Same size holes on both sides!!!! Well they didn,t pay attention to what happened inside.

 

[Baron85]

7rm was my first rifle, it was given to me by a family friend who won it at a raffle. It’s just a cheap Winchester model 70 with plastic stock but it is always dead on. Love the rifle and the round. I bought a Christensen arms ridge line last year and am having some issues with it being consistently accurate and I just don’t have faith in it yet so this past weekend I pulled out the trusty 7rm instead of the Christensen 6.5prc

 

[Wyzrd]

Love me some 7RM. My very first full custom rifle was a 7RM from Snowy Mtn Rifles. It loved the 168gr HVLD’s. If I were to do it again, I’d get a barrel with a faster twist rate (1-8” maybe) for the 175gr and heavier bullets.