7mm Mag

[ozstriker22]

I found a very good condition Remington 700BDL from the late 80's or 90's with a beautiful stock in 7mm at another store today. It's either very well maintained or very little used. The price is right around $550.

Is the 7mm a little overkill for deer and hog?

Is it hard to find ammo at reasonable prices to practice and hunt with?

How does it compare to the 30-06, .308, and .270?

How mainstream a round is it? If I'm out of state and need to buy ammo from the one store in town, will they have any?

Hopefully this will be my last thread on rifle options for a while... hopefully...


Jesse

 

[Rancho Loco]

You'll find 7mm mag ammo just about anywhere. As for cheep practice ammo, you'll prolly have to start reloading.

It'll kill just about anything you want to hunt....As for comparisons, I'll let others go there.

A couple of things about the rifle, though - $550 seems to be a bit proud for a used BDL..Also, there's been some trigger issues with that rifle that should be checked out by a good smith...Improper maintenence and adjustment of the trigger can lead to an unsafe situation.

My advice? Get a '06, and have a blast.

 

[hicntry]

Hey Jesse, how many threads away is the thread on the 7x57 going to be? I think I will hold further comment till you get to that one.LOL

 

[prohunter]

the 7mm will out shoot all those rounds you listed hands down on PAPER. But can you shoot it is what the real question is? The Remington is a great rifle, but like anything used check it out first. I have one and used it for 10 years. it is a real heavy gun! i now am using a lighter gun. and it is a very popular round found just about everywhere.

 

[prohunter]

after reading my last post i think i need to go take an English class back at school. where did i learn to right like that?

 

[hicntry]

"I have one and used it for 10 years. it is a real heavy gun! i now am using a lighter gun."

I put posts up late at night or early on the morning and they scare me to. Even Hemmingway had bad days.

 

[SDHNTR]

The 7mm is a great round. You can take anything in the lower 48 wth it. It will shoot just a bit flatter than the others, but like already mentioned, that only matters on paper. It will also kick harder and ammo will be more expensive. For your first rifle, get a 30-06 and be done with it. It will also take everything in the lower 48, recoil is relatively mild, ammo is cheap and easy to find, it is very versatile with everything from 125 gr to 220 gr bullets available in factory ammo. With a 30-06 you will never have to question if you have the right gun. Its the right gun for almost everything you will ever point it at. It may be boring, but it just plain works. I also think $550 is a bit much. You could almost buy new for that much.

http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=16797443

I have argued that the best value in todays production rifles is in a Ruger. Remember they also come with scope rings and an integral mount. That saves $40-50 right there.

http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=16550671

I know the Savages are great shooters. I just can't get over the ugly fit and finish. No animal will ever know the difference but I do.

 

[wmidbrook]

yeah, me two {sic} I need to change my bad habit of not proofing/previewing my postings.


....back to the topic at hand~!


My take is that anything bigger than a .30-06, like the 7mmRemMag is just not as fun to shoot. The vibrations (regardless of how thick your ear protection is) are enough to throw those three bones located in your inner ear out of whack a bit. Groups open up when that happens.

I view these magnum cannons as tools more than 'fun to shoot'.

I'd say buy a used Chuck O'Conner book or two from Powells up in Oregon or Amazon. You'll then want to buy a .270 and you'll feel good about your purchase. They're fun to shoot, very flat, and an effective cartridge for the game you've mentioned you want to hunt.

If Jeff Cooper resonates the most with you, buy a .308 in scout model. (if the .308 cartridge's NATO roots don't bug you)

If Col. Boddington resonates with you more than Cooper, be careful cause your safe will soon overflow with various cal. (but, he's a big .270 fan too).

Western tradition leans towards a .270, because, well, it's slightly more 'western'.

If you stick to reading current magazines only, you'll want a WSM of some flavor or another.

The .30-06 is arguably the most versatile big game cartridge that's still a whole lot of fun to shoot and there are a whole slew of writers who proclaim it the best all-around cartridge.

Once settled on a cartridge, shoulder as many different makes/models as possible and get an idea of what fits most comfortably to you. Then haunt all the auction sites 'til you find the most suitable deal for you.

***editing to ad this quote from the chuck hawks site*** (sounds to me like you're looking for that 'mystical cartridge')
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

There is no magic caliber, and no magic bullet. But if there were I would be inclined to nominate the .270 caliber and the 130 grain bullet for the honors. Perhaps no other caliber has compiled, with a single bullet weight, such an outstanding record on such a variety of animals at all ranges. The key to the success of all four of the principal .270 calibers is a blend of flat trajectory coupled with versatility and manageable recoil that is pretty hard to match, let alone beat.[/b]

 

[Speckmisser]

The 7mm mag is a popular round, and can be used for everything from antelope to elk (and probably moose). You shouldn't have too much trouble finding ammo.

The 700 BDL is listed at 7 1/2 pounds, which shouldn't be unbearable. They did use some nice wood on the higher end stocks, though, so they're generally pretty guns.

I'm not for sure, but I kinda agree with Rancho that $550 seems a little steep for a used rifle. Another $100-$150 should get you a brand new one.

 

[Arrowslinger]

Had an '06, now have a 7mm....both great rounds w/ the 7 being alittle more versatile for North American big game. There's no bad choice here, so go with the gun that feels/looks/weighs/costs the best. I however prefer the 7.

 

[F350]

MMMMMMM,

RRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGER [Homer Voice]
I love my Rugers.