Deciding tween 30-06 and 7mm Rem mag!

[pheasants]

Hey fellas my first post here and first off I just want to say that this is a GREAT website and forum for shooting. I have picked up LOTS of great information here. I was born and raised in Iowa, where centerfire rifles are not allowed for deer hunting. So I have hunted some with shotgun slugs but mostly the last 8 years or so with .50 cal muzzleloader and have shot quite a few deer ranging from 30 yards all the way out to 248 yards is my furthest shot/kill. I wont say that I am a dead eye by any means but I can also say that I have hit and killed just about everything that I have shot at. I have moved to Overland Park, KS and joined a gun range and have been shooting quite a bit with a 17 HMR and my 22-250 for practice. Anyways I have been deer hunting here in Kansas mainly with my muzzleloader but I have also been inivted to go on Antlelope hunts in other states as well as I have been accumulating points for mule deer and elk. My current set up is a T/C encore endeavour, which I LOVE, shooting black horn 209 and barnes 250grain Spit fire T-EZ. This setup kicks pretty good but I can handle it just fine so just for a reference when I ask on calibers.

I am wanting to get a centerfire gun and thinking about just getting an Encore barrel for my encore but have read some iffy information on the accuracy of them. I just love the stock and grip on that Endeavour and would like to continue using that plus cost factor as well.

So, after LOTS and I mean LOTS of research I think I have narrowed it down to 30-06 and 7mm rem Mag. I want one barrel or gun, if I choose to buy another rifle, that I can use for deer, elk, antelope. I will not, and I mean I will not shoot at anything over 500 yards. That is a self imposed rule I have on myself since I like to hunt and get in close. I am a Bow and muzzy hunter at heart so getting in close is my blood. I think I am leaning more towards the 7mm rem Mag due to the flat shooting and great ft/lbs of energy one can get with 145/150 grain bullets like the Barnes TTSX/LRX. If I can get good enough goopings I would like to continue using the Barnes as I have been nothing but impressed with there performance on both paper and deer out of my muzzy but I will shoot and hunt with whatever gives my best accuracy. I am torn because I have read lots where if shooting at 500yards or closer the 30-06 is plenty. But I just dont know if I am that hip on the .30 cal bullet for antelope and the 7mm rem Mag would pack a good punch for both distance and energy especially at the 500 yard mark if need be.

So fellas whats your advice. #1. Encore barrel or seperate gun? Would the encore barrel be good enough for 500 yard and in shooting? #2. 30-06 or 7mm Rem Mag? I do reload and plan on reloading for either of these cartridges. I am not weathly but I do have some money to put into these systems like a good scope, ect. Please I would like to hear what anyone has to say. Thanks

 

[JOHNNIE WALKER]

I've put a few elk down with the 30/06. It really dose a wonderful job. I've seen elk shot with a 7mm mag, and they were also very dead. The 7mm will give you a flatter trajectory. And it will most likely hold its energy a little better at longer ranges. I have personally found the recoil between the two to be similar. I would not hesitate to take my 30/06 on an elk hunt again. In fact I'm currently planning a trip to Wyoming, and planning on using it. But I have a 30/06 and not a 7mm. If I were going to start over from scratch, and wanting an elk rifle, I would lean towards the 7mm. But it really comes down to personal preference. When I have thoughts like this I like to remind myself that bow hunters kill them all the time, and I have killed more elk with a bow than a rifle. I would hate to imagine how many elk the 30/06 cartridge has claimed. An encore will work fine for you.

 

[pheasants]

Thanks johnny!

 

[JOHNNIE WALKER]

I figured I would throw this out there before someone else did. Since your a handloader, have you ever thought about meeting both cartridges in the middle and going with a 280 rem? 30/06 case with a 7mm bullet.

 

[Rayzor101]

Have you compared ammo prices?
How much do you shoot?

I have a 30.06 and one of the reasons for going that route was the price and availability of ammo and components.
I recently picked up 500 pieces of once fired brass real cheap and clean.
If you do a lot of shooting it will get expensive with a 7mm.gun)

 

[HARPERC]

Either works. I've shot a fair amount of antelope with a 30-06. I would decide depending on which bullet you wish to shoot. 180 and under 7mm, from there up the thirties start coming into their own.

 

[pheasants]

I am really hoping to the 145gr. Barnes LRX will group well cause I really think that would be the bestmiddle gground for deer , lope and elk. Some pretty impressive numbers with that 145 grain LRX with 7mm RM velocities. And with the near 100% weight retention of the Barnes I would feel very comfortable using it at 500 yards for all 3 animals if the shot needed to be taken. I don't know if I would say that I would shoot it a lot. Mostly to work up the right load(s) and than to just practice with it til I felt very comfotbale with the set up. I would mainly practice with the 22-250 and 17HMR to get trigger time in. Like I said I am not a big rifle guy. Mostly a bird hunter and bow and muzzy guy

 

[oldmossy]

Both calibers will be adequate at 500 yds. However, the 7mm will do it with less wind drift and bullet drop. Which to me means you have better odds of hitting where you want. Bullet trajectory probably not really an issue(with quality RF) but wind drift certainly is. And if you like most people on this forum, 500 is just the beginning. After you see how well you do at that distance, you will want to shoot further. Then further. Then further. Then, the 7mm with be superior to the 30-06. Get a 7mm RUM and shoot 180 bergers. Myself and 7 of my buddies shooting senderos with 180s. Awesome ballistics and killing performance on whitetail, mulies and elk. Just my two cents. Jamie

 

[oldmossy]

Almost forgot, I too am a avid bowhunter. Bowhunted Iowa and New Mexico last year(successfully). Longrange hunting is another addiction in its own. I enjoy both tremendously.

 

[Marble]

7mm 100%

 

[pheasants]

Thank you fellas! This site is a wealth of knowledge and I am pretty green when it comes to ballisticsand such. I just want the pull the trigger and the animal dies quickly! Just for a FYI I use to use 777 pellets with a 250gr Hornady SST bullet in my muzzy. I have shot lots of deer but I have never been satisfied with its performance. I would hardly get any mushroomed bullets. Deer would go 100 yards or more sometimes with marginal blood trials. Of course at times I would get deer drops or massive blood trials but so far using the Barnes Spit fire EZ bullet, no only has my accuracy improved some but bullet performance has been OUTSTANDING!!! From 52 yards out to 211 yards on a 326lb mule deer, devasting results and near 100% weight retention! I really hope the Barnes bullets group well for me otherwise I plan on trying the Accubonds, sorrcios ect...

 

[Marble]

Thank you fellas! This site is a wealth of knowledge and I am pretty green when it comes to ballisticsand such. I just want the pull the trigger and the animal dies quickly! Just for a FYI I use to use 777 pellets with a 250gr Hornady SST bullet in my muzzy. I have shot lots of deer but I have never been satisfied with its performance. I would hardly get any mushroomed bullets. Deer would go 100 yards or more sometimes with marginal blood trials. Of course at times I would get deer drops or massive blood trials but so far using the Barnes Spit fire EZ bullet, no only has my accuracy improved some but bullet performance has been OUTSTANDING!!! From 52 yards out to 211 yards on a 326lb mule deer, devasting results and near 100% weight retention! I really hope the Barnes bullets group well for me otherwise I plan on trying the Accubonds, sorrcios ect...

I tried the Scirroco bullet in 150g probably 12-13 years ago. I had been shooting RL 22 and loaded for that bullet in several different 7mm and experimented a .5 of grain at a time between 66 and 69 grains through 26" barrel and 24" barrels. At 67 grains, I was averaging 3100-3150 fps out of 26" barrel from three browning A bolts and almost 3000 in a Rem 700 24" barrel. One of the guns likes 68 grains (which is over the posted maximum) and shoots 3280, which is really fast and it's accurate for a factory gun, averaging 3/4 " groups.

I hope this gives you some knowledge on where to start at if you get the 7mm. It has proven to be an accurate and devastating combination on mule deer and elk out to 500. I haven't had an opportunity to shoot it further than that on any big game yet.

I have since picked up a .300wm in a stainless A Bolt 2 and have been hunting with it for the past few years.

 

[pheasants]

Thanks for the reply. I am about 99% positive I am going to go with the 7mm rem mag. I have been looking at 26" encore barrels so will see how it performs with some hand loads!.

 

[pheasants]

Just a quick question. 26" or 28" barrel for the encore? My current Pro hunter muzzy is a 28" barrel and I dont mind carrying and hunting with that at all so I would imagine haveing the 28" barrel wouldn't bother me at all. Just curious if anyone really has had any accuracy issues with it compared to the shorter 26" or 24" barrels? Thanks