30-06 or 7 Rem mag?

[GlennGTR]

If you were going to finally put serious money down on one rifle and had to choose between the two calibers which way would you go and why? This rifle would be used for everything the US has to offer with the exception of Brown or Kodiak bears. Yes barren ground grizzlies are in the mix. So...for deer, elk, sheep, goat, moose, caribou, blackbear, grizzly, antelope, and in all kinds of different terrain.

[chester]

Both good calibers and will do all of the above....flip a coin? 

[high country]

either one will be fine. 06' gives you one more down, 7mm gives you a bit more poop for long range bullets. my money would go to a quick twist 7 throated to wing the 180 vlds.....if I was building and if you handload, if not.....06' all the way.

[dscubame]

Pretty much the same just take your pick.

[Skyvalhunter]

Don't discount a 30-06 for Kodiak bears as my guide was packing his 06. He also has a .375 that he sometimes uses. I love my 7mm mag but your going t o get a guy who perfers an 06 for every one that prefers a 7mm. 06 seems to be the one if you want to be able to get ammo in most places.

[Jamieb]

7mm

[TheHunt]

I would pick the 7 mm Mag and shoot 168 grain Bergers.

[Bob33]

That's a tough call.  The 7mm is faster, the 30-06 shoots fatter bullets.  Unless you plan to shoot at distances past 400 yards, the faster 7mm offers little advantage in terms of trajectory.  If you plan to do a lot of long distance shooting I'd recommend a 300 Magnum anyway.  For all around versatility, factory ammunition availability and selection the 30-06 comes out ahead IMO.  My 9 year old shoots my 30-06...with reduced recoil 125 grain loads: factory ammo.  I killed an elk earlier this year out of the same gun with a 180 Nosler Partition that left the barrel at 2880 ft/second: factory ammo.  That's an amazing spread.  Your odds of finding a perfect factory load for a gun are higher with a 30-06.

If you handload the scale tips towards the 7mm.

[Phantom Gobbler]

I have both and I use the .30-06.  Why?  Not sure exactly............ however as was mentioned the .30-06 has a wider range of factory loads and bullet weights for starters.  Also a little less recoil, etc.

But as was also mentioned you can't really go wrong with either one.

[bobcat]

30-06

[Rgrady35]

I like my 7mm mag.

[ebusa]

easy...  .30-06 

[Hyde]

Ginger or Maryann?  If it were me, I'd take the 7mag, but if they were out of stock, I wouldn't hesitate to take the '06.  I say 7 mag because most of my hunting in the past included the real probability to poke out past 300 yards. 

[huntinhick]

I have had both and still have the 30.06  I have had better luck with the 30.06 on deer sized game,  the 7mm I had "seemed" to go through the deer sized critters without the knock down of the 30.06.  it has been about 10 years since I had my 7mm though so the new bullets out may have fixed that or it might just have been me. 

[Bob33]

Here is a trajectory comparison of two Federal loads from Federal's website: a 180 grain Nosler Accubond in 30-06, and a 160 Nosler Accubond in 7mm Remington Magnum.  Both zeroed at 200 yards.

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