7mm Rem Mag
BY Herschel Smith
5 months, 3 weeks ago
If you have the time for it, these are two interesting videos. There are an awful lot of devotees to the 7mm Rem Mag. For those who have a rifle chambered in this cartridge, what are your thoughts on it?
On November 13, 2023 at 1:14 pm, Dirk said:
I’ve got a Remington 700 tricked out, 7Mag. 26 in Krieger barrel, Tom Manners custom fiber stock, and a Schmidt and Bender PMII on top. I recently put “Calvin straight triggers” in both the 7 mag and a 300wm, by far the best trigger I’ve ever pressed, think they’re down to like 7 ounces, something scary lite!
This is a deadly tool, sadly I don’t shoot it as much as the300 WM’s,,, but I think it’s a better rifle. I do not have a PRC, over the years I’ve discovered/ learned these different flavors are money traps.
If I built one of every flavor of the month well, I try and not fall into that trap.
I’m feel qualified to state, the 7M is a hell of a round, deadly accurate with the right bullets. 2ks easy with the right glass. Buy with confidence.
I fell for the 6.5 creedmore trap years ago. Swore I’d never have one, built a .243 around the 115 detac bullet. High end build. There is nothing the .243 can’t do out to 2k, that the 6.5 can.
Then I went to gas sniper rigs, first being a Wilson Super Sniper with a 22in barrel, ar10. I wanted a 24 barrel, Wilson would not top my custom build with anything bigger then the 22 in.
Then had a Wilson ar10 in 308 built, Wilson would only put a 20 in barrel on it. I don’t recall the reasons behind that. Anyway both with the right rounds are sub 1 MOA shooters. I put matching Schmidt and Bender PMII MRADS on them.
I know I’m queer for anything Schmidt and Bender!
I’ve got a friend hunting out of state using I thought the 300 prc. Elk.
Dirk
On November 13, 2023 at 1:48 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:
7mm Rem-Mag is a great cartridge for a variety of uses. Punches way above its weight in terms of ballistic efficiency and other performance metrics.
Especially at the medium-to-upper end of the weight/length scale for .284-caliber projectiles, 7mm bullets can have ridiculously good BC and SD numbers. Hornady’s 162-grain ELD-M has a G1 B.C. of .670 and an SD in the .28-.29 range. The ELD-X (their hunting equivalent to the match load) has similar numbers.
Moving up in weight, the 180-grain ELD-M clocks in with a G1 B.C. of .796, but requires a twist rate of 1:8.5 or faster to stabilize. Their 190-grain A-Tip Match aluminum projectile notches an impressive G1 B.C. of .838, but requires a twist of 1:8 or faster.
The vast majority of factory 7mm Rem-Mag rifles out there have barrels with 1:9 or 1:9.5 twist rates, which are adequate most of the time for projectiles up to 162-grains or so – which has historically been near the upper limit of the cartridge. If memory serves, 175-gr. loads are about as heavy as most factory loads go.
There’s really nothing that the 7mm PRC can do that the 7mm Rem-Mag cannot, in principle. However, since the bulk of the older 7mm RM rifles out there have twist rates too slow for the new long and heavy-for-caliber projectiles, this is one area where getting the new kid on the block may make sense, since many 7mm PRC rifles come with faster rate barrels in the 1:8 range or faster. But beware, some manufacturers have continued to use slower rates on their barrels, even though the rifle is chambered in the PRC. Know before you buy…
The 7mm PRC is being marketed to specialist users, primarily long-range target/precision shooters (whether pros or amateurs) and long-range hunters. For the ordinary hunter or target shooter, it is a mixed-bag whether or not to jump into the 7mm PRC pool. It offers a few tangible benefits in comparison to its older brother, the 7mm Rem-Mag, but whether those are important to you or not is definitely a judgment call.
Another option is to have an existing rifle with the correct bolt-face (whether 7mm RM or something else) rebarreled in a faster twist suitable to the new bullet designs.
The 7mm Rem-Mag has historically been successful as a medium-range hunting cartridge, which is what most factory loads cater to in terms of their customer base. A few companies, Hornady and Berger come to mind, market loads designed for long-range hunting or precision target or other use. The U.S. Secret Service has used 7mm RM rifles for years to equip their over-watch teams providing security for various officials and dignitaries.
Using a high-quality load with a premium bullet and placed properly, there isn’t too much in terms of big/dangerous game in North America that the 7mm Rem-Mag can’t handle. And it is a proven combination for elk hunting, and other situations where a longer shot may be needed.
There are faster 7mm rounds out there, such as Weatherby and some other newer magnums, but one reason the 7mm RM remains a winner so many years after its introduction is that it hits hard, but still has recoil which is tolerable for most hunters.
On November 13, 2023 at 9:39 pm, Latigo Morgan said:
Wife’s uncle gave me a Remington 700 in 7mm Rem Mag. I had a Remington in .300 Win Mag at the time.
I sold the .300 WM and kept the 7mm RM. I load it with Nosler Partitions of 150 gr. and 170 gr. variety. One of the recipes for the 150 gr. Partitions warns the user to shoot deer sized and smaller animals in the neck.
On November 14, 2023 at 10:08 am, NOG said:
The makers need to sell more rifles. The buyers need an excuse to buy new rifles. Some buyers want to buy “skills” they cannot or will not develop…..Gonna show my age here. The only “new fangled” cartridge I have is a 243 in a little Rem 788 bought back in the early 1970s. Great lightweight rifle I use for whitetails and hogs. My mulie/elk rifle is a old 1909 Argentine Mauser re-chambered to the 06. Both rifles can shoot better than me, and I am a pretty fair shot. All that said, people should buy what they want.
On November 18, 2023 at 8:08 pm, Ned said:
I’ve shot elk and mule deer with a 7mm RUM – but honestly, nothing I couldn’t have killed at the same range with my 30-06.
On November 19, 2023 at 8:29 pm, Gern Blanston said:
I have used it for Blacktail, Mule, and Roosevelts and the 7mm Rem. does the trick.
Great all around gun and freakishly accurate.