7mm Remington Magnum – Plenty of Power

7mm Remington Magnum: Timeless big game cartridge!

Good Ol’ Days

When I was a boy, I only knew the 7mm Remington Magnum as a man’s rifle. Conversation around the 7mm magnum always seemed to turn to bloody eyebrows or pain from recoil. Only a few of my Dad’s friends were “brave enough” to own 7-mags, from my point of view. In today’s world of 338 Lapuas and 300 Ultra Magnums, some hunters actually consider the 7-mag under-powered for elk and other larger game. Here, let’s discuss why the venerable 7-mag is more than enough rifle.

In the 1970s and 1980s, when I was growing up, factory bullet selection was pathetic. We generally had power-points and core-lokt and that seemed to be about the extent in factory ammunition. The invention of the Nosler Partition some years earlier did, however set the stage for a later arms-race in bullets. This race to the top has had a profound impact on our hunting success today. These bullets have breathed new life into old calibers and cartridges.

Forty years ago, bullet performance wasn’t generally what it is today. While the 338 Win Mag might be the quintessential elk round form the latter half of the last century, modern bullet performance now gives us more options. Using a 100-grain Barnes copper bullet in my 25-06, I was able to take a mature cow elk at 360 yards and get both complete penetration and devastating wound channel. This doesn’t make the 25-06 a perfect elk rifle, but the bullet extended that rifle’s usefulness.

In Favor of the 7mm Magnum

The 7mm is a powerful cartridge. Launching a 150 grain bullet at just north of 3,200 feet per second is not trivial. There are faster cartridges, but you need to be careful about that. That same cartridge can send a 175 grain bullet down range at just a bit less than 3,000 fps. The 175 grain bullet has such an aerodynamic profile that it retains velocity and energy on par with the big 338 Lapua Scenars.

Importantly, the 7mm doesn’t smack you as hard as the bigger magnums. This rifle kicks a bit more than the 30-06, and quite a bit more than say a 270; however, it is noticeably milder than even a 300 WSM. It is far less threatening to fillings and retinas than the 300 RUM or bigger. With the 7-mag, recoil can be managed in sporter-weight rifles without having to resort to muzzle brakes and other gadgetry.

The 7mm is a legitimate rocket. You could squeeze another 100 or maybe even 200 fps out of 7mm RUM or 28 Nosler, true. The tradeoffs are accuracy-damaging recoil and reduced barrel life. There comes a point when too much is too much, for most situations. The key is to find the balance of power and recoil that suits the shooter and still does the job. The 7-mag strikes a balance between “standard” 7mm cartridges like the 7×57, 7mm-08 and ultras like the 7mm RUM and 28 Nosler.

Goldilocks: Just Right or Too Hot?

Speed kills. Too much speed kills barrels…fast. Also, bullets perform best in a specific range of velocities. Bullets that perform well at very high velocities will not do so well at moderate velocities, and vice versa. The 7mm loads stay right in that 2900 to 3100 fps starting point, which is well within the performance window of most modern expanding hunting bullets. When your 7mm bullet hits a critter inside of 800 yards, it will be traveling between 3100 and 2100 feet per second. This is a very good range for optimal bullet performance.

I do not believe you get enough extra performance in either trajectory or on-target energy transfer with faster 7mms to justify the extra recoil. You do get enough extra performance over the 7mm-08 or 7mmx57 or similar rounds to add a distinct advantage in windy conditions or at longer ranges. The 7mm Remington Magnum opens up a wide range of bullet selection and performance. However, if you are hunting most of the time inside of 300 yards, recognize the 7mm-08 or 7×57 may just suit your needs better!

Recoil Sucks

Importantly, the 175 grain Nosler Accubond Long Range (ABLR), or 178 grain Hornady ELD-X are both going to give you higher ballistic coefficients and sectional density than a comparably-weighted .308 caliber bullet. Again, this is a bit of a sweet spot. To reach similar B.C. in the 300s, you have to bump toward the 200 or 210 grain bullets. This means that you will need a lot more powder and recoil to get the same starting velocity, which translates to more energy down range and more recoil.

Everything in life is a tradeoff they say. I agree, and it is surely true in hunting rifles. For every bump in “numbers” you get on paper, you tend to take the tradeoff in recoil. Recoil absolutely destroys field accuracy. Almost any honest shooter will tell you that recoil is a very bad thing. I can also tell you from experience it is easy to focus on tight field groups with a 22 long rifle; while most shooters will struggle to get decent groups out of a 300 Weatherby magnum.

I’m a huge fan of using enough rifle for the job, but never more than you can handle accurately. For most hunters, the 7-mag represents a fairly stiff recoil. I would never recommend to a new hunter to buy a 300 magnum over a 7mm. I cannot think of a situation that would reverse these two for a beginning to intermediate shooter.

Convenience

7mm brass is easy to come by, as is the loaded ammunition. This is not true for the RUM or the 28 Nosler. The bullet selection is legion. The powder selection is likewise extremely broad. You can always find some 7-mag ammunition just about anywhere you are. Likewise, nearly every bolt action rifle manufacturer offers 7-mags. In fact, I’d be surprised if any manufacturer that makes a 30-06 would neglect to chamber a 7-mag!

Comparisons

When it comes to down-range energy on North American big game, consider the following table:

Table 1: Comparison of Cartridges at 5,000 feet amsl.

The first thing to notice is that the 300 Win Mag starts off with a lot more energy, but gradually loses ground to the slicker 7mm bullet. Granted, at every range out to 900 yards, the 300 bullet is packing more energy, but it is dropping faster and bucking the wind less. Also, it is carrying a lot of extra energy at the muzzle and that generally means more recoil. If you consider elk-killing power to be 2,000 foot pounds, both are good to about 600 yards. If you consider 1500 foot pounds to be elk-killing power, then both are good to 900 yards. By that same measure, the 270 Win and 30-06 Spr. are no slouches out to 500 yards and the 270 gives you a lot less recoil.

The 7-mag Sweet Spot

The point I hope you take is the 7-mag is by no means under-powered for elk, moose, and other similar-sized game, let alone deer, sheep, or antelope! The 7-mag adds enough performance over the 270 and 30-06 to be worth some extra recoil; however, the significant jump in recoil to the 300 doesn’t impart all that much of an advantage. Honestly, I’d just as soon pack the 270 Win into the field after elk, because I rarely take a shot out to 500 yards and it is the mildest recoiling of the four mentioned here. Elk seem to be the same amount of dead when I hit them with the 270 or 300 WSM. The 7-mag does undoubtedly impart some advantages over the 270. Flatter shooting and with less wind-drift, this can matter on very windy days!

I believe the venerable 7-mag is truly a timeless cartridge. It is so flat-shooting, with a wide range of bullets and phenomenal long-range potential. The 140 grain bullets can be launched at over 3,300 fps and the big 175 grain bullets can start at around 2,900 fps with a super-efficient bullet profile. All of this in a rifle most men and women can shoot with confidence. This is super elk medicine and frankly more than you need to humanely harvest deer, antelope, and sheep. If you only wanted one gun to do all of these things, the 7-mag is a choice worth considering!