For hunting , my experience tells me it's one of the best, if i were to pick my favorite rifle for long range hunting i would use my 300 mag. Not because it's really all that much better, just like that rifle better, if it were chambered in 7mm mag i'd still use it. My younger brother is one of the best rifle shots i have ever seen, well come to think of it i have a cousin just as good , both use 7mm mags for all there big game hunting, both have made some incredible shots on whitetail and mule deer. growing up we used to shoot every day with 22 cal or whatever and we all became very good shot's. I personally have never shot a deer over 450 yds simply never had the opportunity to. But my brother and my cousin both have shot game way beyond that, out west. Alway's with a 7mm mag. There are guy's on here that will tell you there are better cal. And indeed there are, if you were shooting competition and building one of the specialty rifles... mabye you would look to something else. But for hunting..... trust me , if you do your part, the 7mm mag will never let you down. My cousin Tim and a few other guy's were out west hunting some years ago, and saw a big muley buck on a far ridge, Tim layed down and propped his old rem 700 on his pack and asked.. How far is he? one of the guy's had a lazer good to 800yds ... well he's over 800 was the reply... Tim said i can hit him. Everyone else said.... don't shoot .. he's to far. And for everyone of them other guy's ..he was to far. But when Tims rifle cracked there was a lapse in time as the bullet traveled the distance, the buck lurched forward a few hops and fell over, a 162 grain 7mm mag through the shoulder . what more could ya want?