7mm or 30 cal? Just for curiosity’s sake

[jimwest]

Looking for load data for 7mm mag, I have a Tikka 3 in 7mag and shooting Barnes GMX 150 gr. I see several load data from Barnes Book however the new online data is different from the 2008 book and then I look at Hodgeon's data and the loads start out at what Barnes top out at. H1000 shows 67.2 start 73.8 max any body have any input it would be great.
Gaviota Mike

go with the most recent data, and check other resources like Lyman, Hodgson etc.

 

[Sending156s]

Jut curious what the average weight for one of those old school 300s might have been. I know the Tikka T3 I used to have in 300WM really put a pounding on my shoulder to the point I sold it. Just couldn't get past the jolt each year I'd recheck my zero. I also am not the biggest fan of muzzle brakes, so the 7 is the best of everything for my needs - lighter recoil included.

They were ~9 to 9-1/2 #'s with McMillian stock & fixed 10x scope

Edit: i guess they felt lighter when young. I looked it up & they were ~ 14 #'s

 

[Coyote01]

Question says it all. The 22s, 6mm, 6.5, and .338 bore are all pretty common here but it I think it's safe to say the big 7mms and 30s are the unchallenged all range all purpose hunting versatility kings. I bet pretty much everyone on here has at least one 7mm or 30 caliber rifle.

im a 30 guy myself, .300 win mag being my favourite cartridge to play with, .30-30 being what I learned to shoot centerfire rifle with.

but I only bought my first .300 because my other rifle was a .270 win and I wanted a more significant difference in performance than what a 7 would gain. No regrets. But if I didn't already have a 270 I may have gone 7mm mag and had no reason for a .300 or a 270, who knows?

the 7mms are objectively the best of all worlds for long range hit probability. The 180 eld m for example has a bc of .79. There are no similar bc bullets of lesser diameter that I'm aware of and to exceed this bc significantly starts at the 250 atip or such. That's a huge jump. Not to many 30s, if any, will be launching a 225-250 grain at comprable speeds to a 7stw or 28 Nosler with that 180, and if they do it won't be in as portable or pleasant to shoot package.

that said, I maintain the big 30s hit and affect big game very noticeably harder than the 6.5, .270, and 7mm cartridges so they get the nod from me

Now for the just for fun question. If you could only own and shoot either a 7mm or a .30, not both, which would you choose?

Hands down I'd take the 7 any day.

 

[xsn10s]

I'd really like to switch to 7mm but since there is a component shortage I'll stick with 30 cal. They are both great calibers.

 

[jlostrander]

Given our world, the answer is one of each. You never know what will be available. Sorry if this was said already.

 

[Julie]

Question says it all. The 22s, 6mm, 6.5, and .338 bore are all pretty common here but it I think it's safe to say the big 7mms and 30s are the unchallenged all range all purpose hunting versatility kings. I bet pretty much everyone on here has at least one 7mm or 30 caliber rifle.

im a 30 guy myself, .300 win mag being my favourite cartridge to play with, .30-30 being what I learned to shoot centerfire rifle with.

but I only bought my first .300 because my other rifle was a .270 win and I wanted a more significant difference in performance than what a 7 would gain. No regrets. But if I didn't already have a 270 I may have gone 7mm mag and had no reason for a .300 or a 270, who knows?

the 7mms are objectively the best of all worlds for long range hit probability. The 180 eld m for example has a bc of .79. There are no similar bc bullets of lesser diameter that I'm aware of and to exceed this bc significantly starts at the 250 atip or such. That's a huge jump. Not to many 30s, if any, will be launching a 225-250 grain at comprable speeds to a 7stw or 28 Nosler with that 180, and if they do it won't be in as portable or pleasant to shoot package.

that said, I maintain the big 30s hit and affect big game very noticeably harder than the 6.5, .270, and 7mm cartridges so they get the nod from me

Now for the just for fun question. If you could only own and shoot either a 7mm or a .30, not both, which would you choose?

If I could only have 1, it would be the .30, hands down. The bullet selection is, IMO, the largest, the heavier (est) bullets can be adequate for big bears and even the biggest of African plains game.

 

[Sanford338]

Question says it all. The 22s, 6mm, 6.5, and .338 bore are all pretty common here but it I think it's safe to say the big 7mms and 30s are the unchallenged all range all purpose hunting versatility kings. I bet pretty much everyone on here has at least one 7mm or 30 caliber rifle.

im a 30 guy myself, .300 win mag being my favourite cartridge to play with, .30-30 being what I learned to shoot centerfire rifle with.

but I only bought my first .300 because my other rifle was a .270 win and I wanted a more significant difference in performance than what a 7 would gain. No regrets. But if I didn't already have a 270 I may have gone 7mm mag and had no reason for a .300 or a 270, who knows?

the 7mms are objectively the best of all worlds for long range hit probability. The 180 eld m for example has a bc of .79. There are no similar bc bullets of lesser diameter that I'm aware of and to exceed this bc significantly starts at the 250 atip or such. That's a huge jump. Not to many 30s, if any, will be launching a 225-250 grain at comprable speeds to a 7stw or 28 Nosler with that 180, and if they do it won't be in as portable or pleasant to shoot package.

that said, I maintain the big 30s hit and affect big game very noticeably harder than the 6.5, .270, and 7mm cartridges so they get the nod from me

Now for the just for fun question. If you could only own and shoot either a 7mm or a .30, not both, which would you choose?

30 caliber for me... 300 Win 300 Wby
30-378 Wby... had a 7mm sold it..

 

[luv2safari]

Got six different magnum cartridges, like them all but must say my 7mm Weatherby mag is my hands down favorite.

I shot my first caribou in 1960 with my new 7mm Wby MK V. It was 470 paces away and was DRT.

ALSO: My dad was shooting his circa 1951 Mdl 70 '06 with 180gr Sierra PSP hand loads we worked up for it with WWII 4831 powder, and his was standing next to mine and dropped next to mine.

 

[chris0331]

I would still be in the 30 camp. Weight and BC are great but in my experience, humble experience, being mindful of sectional density as well as B.C. helps when you hit transonic flight window. A better sectional density travels through transonic flight better than a bullet with a higher bc does. Therefore the additional BC gained in same weight bullets 7 vs. 30 is negligible and the gained stability of a better sectional density is more useful to me down range, but I've been wrong before and I will be again.

 

[shinbone]

"A better sectional density travels through transonic flight better than a bullet with a higher bc does. Therefore the additional BC gained in same weight bullets 7 vs. 30 is negligible and the gained stability of a better sectional density is more useful to me down range, but I've been wrong before and I will be again."

I'm confused - the sectional density of a 7mm bullet is higher than for the same weight .30 cal bullet, which seems to be the opposite of the above statement?

 

[Goldengun]

I don't agree, and let me explain why grumpy. I've owned multiple 7s over the course of my lifetime, with some being the cheapest on the shelf and some being completely custom. I've owned and been around various other 30s as well. One thing that is more practical about some of the 7s, in terms of long range hunting, is that not all of them require a brake to maintain a decent level of recoil. Sure I would still put a brake on a 28 Nosler, but my 7mm Rem. Mag doesn't need one and it's 9.2 lbs. it's a 1000 yard gun all day. I don't know of a .30 cal that can shoot 3000 plus FPS that does not need a brake. It's a very practical benefit in my young and grouchy opinion.

My 300wsm doesn't, and I'd bet it kicks less than your 7mmRM, seriously, with similar weight bullets at similar velocity. I think it weighs just over 9lbs as well. Nothing against the 7's, but I think you'd be surprised.

 

[Paladin300]

Is this a trick question? Thirty cal. I think???

 

[Old Rooster]

I too like 30 cal as there are more bullet weight choices.
Since most of my rifles are 30 cal I can stock my safe with plenty of bullets and use them in all my 30 cal rifles.
I do like my 270 and other calibers but mostly use 30 cal
Old Rooster

 

[Calvin45]

I'm very pleased with the degree of participation this seemingly innocent question has stirred up. No surprise at the strength of our opinions, even emotional attachments, to our caliber of choice. Delighted at how downright civil this conversation has been for this long.

interestingly, in the first days of the poll being open one or the other would pull ahead by a significant margin but as more and more votes come in it reveals a pretty even split. 7mm has held the lead for the majority of the time it's been open now, 199 votes in and its 55/45 7mm vs 30. I'm probably going to pit more bore diameters against each other just for fun (and always some legit knowledge gained), but I truly doubt there are any two big game bore diameters that result in this kind of a draw. They are the most useful all purpose North American calibers, especially in magnums, and this thread kind of reveals that.

I maintain my stance of thirty cal getting the nod. The 30-06 was and to many still is the yardstick against which all other all purpose versatile cartridges are measured against. That says more than anything I can say.

I'm biased. Love my .300 win mag, will be hard to "need" another chambering for anything I hunt at any range. My 270, 243, and 308 honestly don't see much use anymore.