7mm Rem mag - Love it, hate it, indifferent?

[Redstar]

I swear I wasn’t looking  , but a deal on a 7mm rem mag has come across my plate. I currently shoot a .30-06. From what I’ve read and what I remember when I was looking into buying rifles the two cartridges are pretty similar in ballistics. Not that I think anyone on here will actually talk another member out of a rifle purchase, but help me weigh some pro’s and con’s before I go and blow my gun budget for the year.

Cons
-Recoil – slightly more
-Ammo – more expensive, less selection than .30-06
-Rifle is heavier than my current rifle
-Will feel bad about accidentally dropping it in the dirt
-Blows my gun budget for the year

Pros
-Extends MPBR about 30 yards
-Box magazine (current rifle has a blind mag that I hate)
-Leupold optics
-I would have a backup rifle available at camp if one rifle fails.
-Rifle is very purdy

[wastickslinger]

Do it!!!

[Mike450r]

Get it,  I am of the opinion a person should own a rifle in every caliber from .22 to .50, at least thats how I justify each new rifle purchase and I am almost there

[Curly]

A guy always needs a backup rifle.   

[Huntnphish]

 I own more than a couple rifles in more than a couple makes and calibers, my go to hunting rifle is a 7mm RM, wonderful caliber.

[norsepeak]

Ooops, I have backups for my backups.. Love my 7 mag.

[huntandjeep]

i love my 7 mm

[True Sportsman]

Love it. I bought one big game rifle years ago. I still have it and shoot everything with it. Remington Sendero with the unfluted barrel. I put a Shilen trigger in it because the factory trigger blew.

[rtspring]

love the caliber, If I didn't have my current hunting  rifle in 300 RUM  I would go back to the 7MM.

[Bofire]

Buy it if you want it, but keep in mind, unless you get lucky, its gonna chrono at 7mm express/280 specs, if you are lucky. I had one for a few years, about 20, thought I knew something until I shot it thru a chrono. My 3100 fps load was a 2800 in real life. Some site I was on had a poll about "most often over rated cartridge" 7rem Mag won hands down!
Carl

[carpsniperg2]

I had one and all it did was sit. I always grabbed a 30-06 or a 300wm and never had much use for it. Traded it to member on here and he like it a lot

[Bean Counter]

Get it,  I am of the opinion a person should own a rifle in every caliber from .22 to .50, at least thats how I justify each new rifle purchase and I am almost there

I don't understand this perspective. Albeit, it is shared amongst quite afew members here. Not sure why in the heck you'd want a .257 Robers to fill in the gap between your .243 and your .270... and a .300 Win Mag to fill in the gap between your .30-06 and your .338 Remington Mag. 

I mean, if its a great deal, I'd buy it, mainly with resale in mind later down the line. but it with limited finances I think its far better to upgrade your optics than to have 'a gun in every caliber.' To each his own. 

PS, and yes, I bought a little extra ammo today, just for long term storage 

[hub]

Buy it. The 7 mag might become your primary before you can say lets go hunting. If I did not have a 300 mag I,d buy one in a heart beat. But, But, But for hunting elk in the thick timber my 30;06 savage 110 E with 200 grain partitions and the light weight of the rifle would remain my go to gun in such a situation. I do not mind the blind mag one bit. For long range elk I would jump on that 7 mag for sure. 

[Armadillo]

I dont really see the need to justify the expensive ammo, the weight, or recoil. I mean how many shots over 350 yards do you expect to make? If you practice with any gun it will be as deadly to whatever range you could ever acheive with the 7mm (in my opinion).. I think the magnum big boy toys are over rated

[BOWHUNTER45]

Get it,  I am of the opinion a person should own a rifle in every caliber from .22 to .50, at least thats how I justify each new rifle purchase and I am almost there

I don't understand this perspective. Albeit, it is shared amongst quite afew members here. Not sure why in the heck you'd want a .257 Robers to fill in the gap between your .243 and your .270... and a .300 Win Mag to fill in the gap between your .30-06 and your .338 Remington Mag. 

I mean, if its a great deal, I'd buy it, mainly with resale in mind later down the line. but it with limited finances I think its far better to upgrade your optics than to have 'a gun in every caliber.' To each his own. 

PS, and yes, I bought a little extra ammo today, just for long term storage 

  yeah that pretty much sums it up ...and the price of brass now makes me wish I WOULD OF BOUGHT ALOT MORE A FEW YEARS AGO ...

[Bean Counter]

I dont really see the need to justify the expensive ammo, the weight, or recoil. I mean how many shots over 350 yards do you expect to make? If you practice with any gun it will be as deadly to whatever range you could ever acheive with the 7mm (in my opinion).. I think the magnum big boy toys are over rated

I hunted with 'that guy' once...

He owned a .30-06 just like me... and had a $100 scope on it. Didn't even own a pair of binoculars. "What's wrong with the glass on my gun?"   

THEN... instead of buying a pair of binos, or at least a name-brand scope..he goes out and buys a .300 Win Mag.... "for the extra reach." On it will go another one of those $100 scopes.

Opening morning, when we spotted some deer at 1,000+ yards (with my spotting scope...and that I ranged with my rangefinder  ) I was kind enough to let him have first crack at 'em. Using my handheld radios, I was able to call him in to about 100 yards before he had to make several off hand shots... with his .300 Winny... no dead deer...

We regroup, and I get my turn.. I make a shot from 323 yards with my -06... BOOM.. dead deer 

[PA BEN]

Love my Ruger M77, 7mm REM. MAG. picked it up in '08. I put a limb saver recoil pad on it and it's like shooting a pop gun. Head shot a blacktail doe at 250yds w/it.

[GoldTip]

If you want the gun, buy it.  But don't buy it with believing there is truly any "real" benefit of the caliber over and above the 30-06, at least in the heavier for caliber bullets.  Once you pass 160gr bullets in the 7mm rem mag, it's just a heavier, harder ecoiling 30-06 from a ballistics standpoint.  If your talking purely as an elk gun, I've done best sticking with heavy for caliber bullets with elk, not that 160's out of a 7mag don't kill elk every year, because they do.  But I also know guys who hunt elk with a 243 or 130gr bullets from a 270, but just cuz it happens don't make it right.   

[brokenvet]

Got a Golden Eagle in 7mm Rem Mag  and I have not shot it in 15 years.  Its become my least favorite caliber.  I guess I am just getting older, I now mainly shot 7X57; 6.5X55 swede; 8X57; 30.06; 308Win & 338-06.

Most hunting in WA is short range shooting, 100 yards or less, on occasion over a hundred yards.  I have no need for Magnum that may hurt my shoulders and my pocket.  Yes it kicks like a mule and ammo is expensive.

Walter D.M. Bell shot and killed 1,011 Elephants with a 7X57 Mauser; its all about shot placement and good ammo.

[Woodchuck]

IMO buying any gun is a good investment. I am sure your '06 will kill critters just as dead as that 7mm but maybe you will grow to like the box mag and optics and give you a idea of the things you want/need for future "investments" besides with a 7mm you and "Cougar Bait" will be homies then. 

[Armadillo]

I dont really see the need to justify the expensive ammo, the weight, or recoil. I mean how many shots over 350 yards do you expect to make? If you practice with any gun it will be as deadly to whatever range you could ever acheive with the 7mm (in my opinion).. I think the magnum big boy toys are over rated

I hunted with 'that guy' once...

He owned a .30-06 just like me... and had a $100 scope on it. Didn't even own a pair of binoculars. "What's wrong with the glass on my gun?"   

THEN... instead of buying a pair of binos, or at least a name-brand scope..he goes out and buys a .300 Win Mag.... "for the extra reach." On it will go another one of those $100 scopes.

Opening morning, when we spotted some deer at 1,000+ yards (with my spotting scope...and that I ranged with my rangefinder  ) I was kind enough to let him have first crack at 'em. Using my handheld radios, I was able to call him in to about 100 yards before he had to make several off hand shots... with his .300 Winny... no dead deer...

We regroup, and I get my turn.. I make a shot from 323 yards with my -06... BOOM.. dead deer 

perfect example..

[Mike450r]

You know you want it so get it.  Don't listen to the people that say it won't do anything your .30-06 won't do.  This may be true but every cartridge has it's own unique qualities as well.  I have killed more animals with a .30-06 than anything else, but it is nice to be able to have that dilemma of "which rifle do I want to take on this hunt".

If you can afford it, get it.

Sure a Camry or Accord will go fast enough to get you where you're going in plenty of time and cost less doing it but sometimes you might rather get there in a Camaro SS?

[JColony]

  I have a TC Encore in 7mag and absolutely love it!  I did put a limbsaver recoil pad on it cause it did have a little pop to it.  Previous posts about ammo being expensive and less available is 100% true.  Easy cure for that, reload.  I started reloading shortly after I purchased my TC and have never had less than 100 rounds layin around.   

[h2ofowlr]

It doesn't really matter what you are using.  A .30-06 / .308 / .7mm / .300 win mag. are all great rounds.  You can run out and grab a .300 RUM if you like.   They all have the same common issue, the shooter at the other end.  Some pratice year around and are great shooter and proficient and some go and buy big calibers to make up for there bad shooting skills.  I guess they assume if they hit the animal somewhere in the body it's going down, vs. shot placement and a quick kill.  The benefit to shooting the non magnum calibers, is you don't get donkey kicked in the shoulder and get retinal detachment.  If you aren't well practice and able to slow your heart rate down and relax your only going to shoot as well as the next or your going to burn through a box of shells trying to hit the animal.  The best shooter will be the well practiced one and the one that doesn't have buck fever that can possibly secure a good rest.   

[D-Rock425]

Just buy it.

[Redstar]

Well, in the end I couldn't resist the temptation... thanks for all the input.

This keeps up I'll have to start looking for a new safe soon...

[uncoolperson]

get it, like you said, it's pretty.
if you don't like it when this fall rolls around, I know a certain starving student that has a birthday in october.

[bobcat]

Us hunters love to discuss the pros and cons of different cartridges, but in the end, they are all pretty much the same. The most important thing is the rifle itself. If you like it, buy it. And it sounds like you already did.

[Woodchuck]

Well, in the end I couldn't resist the temptation... thanks for all the input.

This keeps up I'll have to start looking for a new safe soon...

I have room in my safe, I would let you keep it there. 

[Redstar]

Well, in the end I couldn't resist the temptation... thanks for all the input.

This keeps up I'll have to start looking for a new safe soon...

I have room in my safe, I would let you keep it there. 

Lol, thanks for the offer. Wouldn't want to make that ruger of yours jealous though, so guess ill make room in mine

[Woodchuck]

Well, in the end I couldn't resist the temptation... thanks for all the input.

This keeps up I'll have to start looking for a new safe soon...

I have room in my safe, I would let you keep it there. 

Lol, thanks for the offer. Wouldn't want to make that ruger of yours jealous though, so guess ill make room in mine

Ol Mag got a facelift over the summer, maybe they will have to have a pageant this fall to see who is purdier 

[Buckmark]

Well, in the end I couldn't resist the temptation... thanks for all the input.

This keeps up I'll have to start looking for a new safe soon...

So what is it? Yes 7mm mag but we need the centerfold stats...