7wsm or 300wsm?

[RangerBrad]

I am considering purchasing my first long range rifle for deer to elk sized game. Til now the largest centerfire rifle I have owned has been the 25-06. I am considering both the 7wsm and the 300wsm. My concerns are that the 7wsm will not have the terminal impact on elk sized game at longer range(800-1000yds) however I am concerened the 300wsm will have so much recoil that while practicing at the range I will develop a flinch. Are my concerns founded, Which caliber would yal recommend and would a muzzel brake cure the problem of recoil in the larger caliber? All advice is appreciated. Thank's, Brad

 

[squirrelduster]

I have a 7WSM and it shoots really well but when elk hunting I take my 300 win mag. They are tough critters and I want the biggest baddest gun I have. I have been considering one of the 338's as my elk rifle.
I limit my shots to under 600 yards on elk. I don't want to track one through two zip codes.
Deer are a different story, either of the calibers would perform well on deer.

 

[Michael Eichele]

You are going to get alot of advice and opinions on this one. Here is mine.

7mm = higher BC bullets for equal 30 cal weight. (in general)

30 cal = heavier bullets available with higher overall BCs (in general)

7mm vs 30 in recoil = nearly the same with bullets of equal weight. 30 cal will recoil harder with heavier bullets but hit the critters harder and make a bigger hole.

7mm vs 30 in velocity = Barrel length and bullet weight being equal, 30 cal will be faster.

7mm vs 30 cal barrel life = Cases being equal, similar life with the 7mm being slightly shorter.

All that said, they both offer great things for the long range hunter. If you want a legitimate 1000 yard elk rifle, you may be barking up the wrong tree with either, but if thats how it had to be, the 300WSM would be in my hands.

My vote goes for the 300.

 

[SBruce]

My vote also goes to the 300. Especially since you say elk at long range. I believe recoil could be a problem if you want to practice with it or shoot it alot in one sitting, which is why Kirby is building mine with a brake. I wanted a relatively light gun.

He suggested a 300 or 338 Ultra Mag if I was going to use it for elk beyond 800 yds, but I never get the time to hunt elk; so I stayed with the WSM.

Sidenote: I heard that a recent 1000 yd benchrest world record was set with the 300 too.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

If you are thinking about shooting elk 800-1000 yards these are not good choices. You need to look at some bigger cartridges. Can it be done with these yes. Are they a good choice, NO. If you are going elk hunting then get an elk rifle.

 

[MHO]

300 would be my choice, well it is what I use. Elk are tough, tough animals. Use as much bang as you can.

 

[rscott5028]

I don't hunt Elk or use a 300. But, I have a 7mm Rem Mag. I've seen it drop Elk and Moose at extreme ranges on TV. But, you never see video of the ones that got away.

If I was paying for an expensive hunt (time or money), I'd lean towards the 300.

Use a good muzzle break and wear hearing protection. An indexed break such as Holland's won't kick up so much dust if shooting prone.

No need to develop a flinch or go deaf.

Good luck!

 

[RangerBrad]

Thank's for yals responses. It makes since to me also that if the recoil is negligable with a brake then that is the better choice. Brad

 

[elileadbelly]

I am considering purchasing my first long range rifle for deer to elk sized game. Til now the largest centerfire rifle I have owned has been the 25-06. I am considering both the 7wsm and the 300wsm. My concerns are that the 7wsm will not have the terminal impact on elk sized game at longer range(800-1000yds) however I am concerened the 300wsm will have so much recoil that while practicing at the range I will develop a flinch. Are my concerns founded, Which caliber would yal recommend and would a muzzel brake cure the problem of recoil in the larger caliber? All advice is appreciated. Thank's, Brad

the 7wsm would for me be the better choice use a 139 or 140 gr. bullet it will kill any elk in north america, i shoot a 7mm RUM and a 300 RUM also a 7 mm also just had a custom 338 lapua built i like them all but the 7mm bullets are better ballistically than the 30 cal LANCE

 

[Daves762]

I can testify to the 7mm bullet being a good Elk killer.
Friends of mine live in a part of MT where the elk hunt is more a need to fill the freezer to feed the family, than to enjoy hunting. Many Many elk, between all the members of the Family over 40 years, have been killed by a singel shot. and all have dropped to either 270 or 7mm. Granted this is inside 500yds so your desire for a 1000yds gun might better follow someone elses advice.

 

[Camshaft]

The 7mm bullet itself is not the problem. Its the wsm case that is the limiting factor. If you were talking about a big case like the 7stw, Dakota, or RUM and using the larger 180gr+ bullets you would be fine on elk at extended ranges. But the little wsm ain't up to snuff. Go for the 300wsm.

 

[300wsmbrowninbg]

The only thing that really matters is shot placement and knowing what is an ethical shot. Rule of thumb is the crappier you are at making clean shots the bigger the gun you need. In all honesty you could kill a trophy bull every year with a 25-06 if you can shoot confidently. Or you can get the biggest meat wrecker your wallet can handle if ya don't mind retrieving your game with a mop and a bucket. If you need to take shots at elk from 400-500-600 yards and farther then you need to learn the art of calling, or your way to noisy, or not paying attention to your wind. Getting back to the original question, shoot which ever one fits you best and gives you the most versatile range or rounds. I prefer the 300wsm and have dropped every thing from trophy mulies and white tails to Canadian moose without having to look farther then where they stood when I pulled the trigger.

 

[rscott5028]

The only thing that really matters is shot placement and knowing what is an ethical shot. Rule of thumb is the crappier you are at making clean shots the bigger the gun you need. In all honesty you could kill a trophy bull every year with a 25-06 if you can shoot confidently. Or you can get the biggest meat wrecker your wallet can handle if ya don't mind retrieving your game with a mop and a bucket. If you need to take shots at elk from 400-500-600 yards and farther then you need to learn the art of calling, or your way to noisy, or not paying attention to your wind. Getting back to the original question, shoot which ever one fits you best and gives you the most versatile range or rounds. I prefer the 300wsm and have dropped every thing from trophy mulies and white tails to Canadian moose without having to look farther then where they stood when I pulled the trigger.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying. But, I would put a different spin on it.

Since we don't discuss ethics here, I can only speak for myself. But, if I was into LRH and wasn't setting out to call an elk into close range, then I'd simply feel more comfortable with an extra safety margin. i.e. bigger cartridge

Regardless of the cartridge, I would expect myself to be 99.9% certain of hitting the vitals under the actual conditions at the time.

If you simply don't like recoil, then weight and brakes will solve the problem. So, there's no excuse for being under-gunned.

It's all relative. If 7RM won't reach out far enough to your liking, you either need faster mv such as 7STW with the added expense of ammo and barrel life. Or, you need to step up to 30 cal or 338.

I put a 300 WM barrel on my Sendero and my 15yo son shot it just fine. Once I stick a brake on it, I expect he'll be shooting 20 shot strings without hesitation.

JMO
-- richard