7mm rem mag vs 308

[Mattc1126]

Hey y'all! I'm a gun nut, but a new hunter. I recently caught the magnum cartridge bug, and was looking for a sub $500 300 win mag. I went down to a festival in a small town, and popped in the local gun store, and saw a used Tikka T3 for $450 chambered in 7mm rem mag. After reading so many great things about the cartridge, I bought it.
For some context, I currently own 3 .308s, a Ruger American with a vortex crossfire 3-9, a stag-10 18" heavy barrel with a leopauld vx-3i 3.5-10, and a lighter weight a2 profile barrel 18" with a SIG 1-6x LPVO.
What do I get out of 7mm rem mag that .308 doesn't offer me? What are the advantages of 300 win mag vs 7mm rem mag?
Thanks!

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

308 vs 7mm RM
More velocity and energy. 300+ yards additional reliable expansion.

 

[hereinaz]

7 rem mag gives you higher velocity, higher energy, flatter trajectory, and longer effective range.

300 mag just matches the 7 mag or adds a little more including recoil. I find diminishing returns with the recoil of a 300.

A 7mm 168 vld at 3000 fps is deadly further than a typical person is capable. The advantage inside 400 yards over a .308 win is flatter trajectory and less wind drift. The “point blank zero” for the 7 mm is better than the .308 so errors in range and wind estimation are reduced.

 

[Mattc1126]

7 rem mag gives you higher velocity, higher energy, flatter trajectory, and longer effective range.

300 mag just matches the 7 mag or adds a little more including recoil. I find diminishing returns with the recoil of a 300.

A 7mm 168 vld at 3000 fps is deadly further than a typical person is capable. The advantage inside 400 yards over a .308 win is flatter trajectory and less wind drift. The “point blank zero” for the 7 mm is better than the .308 so errors in range and wind estimation are reduced.

Thanks for the reply! That makes sense. So is the 7mm rem mag is not only flatter shooting and better at further ranges, but also capable of taking bigger game like the 300 win mag?

 

[Wyobohunter]

Thanks for the reply! That makes sense. So is the 7mm rem mag is not only flatter shooting and better at further ranges, but also capable of taking bigger game like the 300 win mag?

I wouldn’t say the 7mm rem is as capable on bigger game (depending on what specific game) but it’ll kill the same critters. Both are great elk rifles. I would use the 300 Win on big bears (brown/grizzly) but I personally wouldn’t use the 7mm Rem on them… though people do it.

 

[Jakeb]

I picked up a tikka 7 mag with intensions of eventually getting a new barrel and different caliber. After threading the barrel and putting a break on it I’m really having a hard time justifying a different caliber. The 7 mag just does everything i want pretty darn good. Recoil isn’t bad with the break, shoots better and further then i can. Factory ammo is relatively easy to come by and priced only a little more then the cheaper calibers, and shoots real flat.

I think it hits a pretty good sweet spot. If it came out right now with some fancy name and same ammo availability i have no doubt it would be way more popular. It’s just kinda old and boring I guess.

 

[Glockster26]

Nice find!

 

[Pony Soldier]

I find it interesting that the midwest and east coast have lot's of little guns. The 308 is a deer hunters magnum.

Growing up everyone had an 06. Granpa had a 30-30 as a truck gun on the ranch. In the late 60s to 70s, we saw a real influx of 7s and various magnums. My partner had the local gunsmith make him a super lightweight 300 win mag. Now he shoots his dad's rem 06 because the recoil on his 300 puts his back out. My other partner shot an 06 until his father gave him his 300 H and H mag which was a generational thing in the 50s and 60s.

I started with a winchester 06. It beat the hell out of me when I started and was really heavy. I got a husky 7mm RM for $100 and killed a ton of elk with it until I changed to a Browning when the Husky needed a new barrel.

I never heard of a 308 in Montana until the late 90s. The bottom line is shoot what works and you can be good with it. I really don't care but don't litter the countryside with wounded and dead critters.

 

[hereinaz]

I wouldn’t say the 7mm rem is as capable on bigger game (depending on what specific game) but it’ll kill the same critters. Both are great elk rifles. I would use the 300 Win on big bears (brown/grizzly) but I personally wouldn’t use the 7mm Rem on them… though people do it.

Common knowledge and sense is that a 30-06 is plenty on all US game. A 30-06 and 7mm shoot about the same weight bullet, but the 7mm is more efficient and faster.

I do not subscribe to the 300 WM is that much better than a 7mm. I see diminishing returns for the extra recoil that absolutely effects accuracy of a shooter.

I don’t begrudge a guy for upgrading to a 300 for the feeling of extra ooomph. And, they have good arguments that I can’t really beat with my arguments.

For me, I have run the numbers on a 7 vs a 300 and I am not convinced, but that is my opinion. I have confirmed my opinion with kills from 430 to 660 with a 7mm AI that is just slower than a 7mm and killed elk with one shot out to 1100 with my 7mm short mag shooting 180 grain bullets.

Many other long range shooters choose the 7mm for hunting as well. But, an equal share also choose big 300s. It’s up to you to choose, but it is a close call as far as I am concerned.

 

[Wyobohunter]

As I said. The 7mm is a great choice for elk. I’d just prefer a heavier bullet were I to pick a rifle for big bears. My personal choice would either be my 45-70 for close and my .338 RUM for out there a ways.

As it is I don’t actually own a 7mm rem mag or a 300 win. but the discussion was about those so I stuck to them in my initial reply. I don’t care for belted cartridges. Different debate though. My go to is a lightweight 30-06.

 

[Super tag]

The 7mm Mag is the all time most popular magnum caliber for several reasons, some don’t like the belted cartridge but other than that its pretty hard to beat for most hunting situations.

 

[Wyobohunter]

All time most popular? I’d argue the 30-06 for that title…Guess you’d have to define what years and it wouldn’t be a fair fight if you started in 1906.

 

[Super tag]

I would guess that the number of big game hunters since the inception of the 7 mag outnumbers the previous 50 years easily, I’ll stick with my opinion on the 7 mag

technically the 308 probably wins

 

[Tack Driver]

Just my two cents, but as a southerner I only ever saw one 7mm mag growing up. I did however, see literally hundreds of 30-06’s. I (anecdotally) know In my neck of the woods 30-06’s out number 7mmRM’s something like 300-1 or more in the field. The only gentlemen I ever saw with one bought it for a hunting trip to Canada, or Africa. I can’t remember which, but he hunted all over the place. May have known one other gentlemen that owned one but I never saw him carry it. We were gun folks before that was cool, and I had a penchant for drooling over all of the family friends’ gun collections. I could be way off base, though.


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[7MMMAG]

I think the 7mm mag is one of the most versatile rounds out there right up with 300 win, and 375 H&H. The 7mag will have less recoil but its going to shoot very flat. It is FAST small bullet. At close range you are going to have to load heavy rounds like the 160gr Barnes TSX, BT not TTSX. I find those barnes TSX work great around 50-150 yards as far as expansion. After 150 I'd probably switch to a Nosler Partition or Accubond. The partition is a great all around bullet. If you want to shoot long range look at Berger VLD's.
The 300 win mag will be a bigger bullet and able to shoot heavier bullets. IMO the benefits of the 300 don't overpower the 7mm unless you are shooting longer range. At this point you can probably tell the 308 isn't really in the same ball park.

 

[Mattc1126]

Nice find!

Thanks! After reading all the replies in this thread I'm even more stoked about it.

 

[Mattc1126]

I think the 7mm mag is one of the most versatile rounds out there right up with 300 win, and 375 H&H. The 7mag will have less recoil but its going to shoot very flat. It is FAST small bullet. At close range you are going to have to load heavy rounds like the 160gr Barnes TSX, BT not TTSX. I find those barnes TSX work great around 50-150 yards as far as expansion. After 150 I'd probably switch to a Nosler Partition or Accubond. The partition is a great all around bullet. If you want to shoot long range look at Berger VLD's.
The 300 win mag will be a bigger bullet and able to shoot heavier bullets. IMO the benefits of the 300 don't overpower the 7mm unless you are shooting longer range. At this point you can probably tell the 308 isn't really in the same ball park.

Thanks for the ammo advice!
Clearly not in the same ball park at all.

 

[menhaden_man]

Better BC in 284 bullets too. My newer 7RM with 1/8 throws 180 grain bullets over 3,050 FPS with Retumbo. Solid!

 

[Wyobohunter]

The 10 Best Selling Centerfire Rifle Cartridges

 

[Mattc1126]

The 10 Best Selling Centerfire Rifle Cartridges

That's good information.
How do you like your 338 RUM? What have you used it on?