I want a legit argument against an old trusted cartridge

[HangNail]

I am a big dude but a little recoil sensitive. I had a light savage in 7mm mag and it kicked my butt. I did take a couple of deer and an elk with it. Additionally, it shot lights out. That being said, I bought a .270 win in a Tikka and have never looked back. Again I have taken a large bull and several deer with this rifle and don't mind practicing with it all day long.
I would not however go and buy a large .30 caliber to replace my 7mm. With the right bullet I am pretty sure it is just right for all except the largest North American animals.

 

[fiftybmg]

. I had a light savage in 7mm mag . . . .

That's the problem right there, and it's no fault of the caliber. Rifles are supposed to have weight proportional to their recoil. Take your 7mm Rem Mag, fit it to a stock that has a good recoil pad, gets the weight to around 9 pounds without the scope, and fall in love all over again.

Your Tikka is most likely weighted proportionally to the caliber.

The world went through a phase once where lighter was better. Hunters wanted to walk all day with a featherweight rifle so they wouldn't get tired, if I understand the fad correctly. A six pound rifle was barely light enough.

I have come across one hunter with a 375H&H that initially looked to me like a short barrelled .22 , before I checked the hole size of the muzzle. The barrel was less than 20 inches, pencil thin, on a wafer thin stock - thinner than a Marlin 45-70. Said hunter being a gunsmith made it for himself as a walk and stalk for the bush, has harvested a lot of game, and loves it. No sling, a beat up old Tasco [ looked like it was steel ] , which doubles as a carry handle. His philosophy being he needs enough gun to handle the biggest thing that could stomp him when out hunting for antelope. He offered me to try a couple of shots, and I refused.

 

[freddiej]

I am still laughing at the fix for a non-existent problem. Yes, keep the 7MM R/M. I personally like the 264 Win Mag. but that is just me. you have a 7MM R/M.. rebarrel and make it better than it was before. slightly heavier barrel, 1:8" twist rate for the heavy slugs/VLD slugs, and put a muzzle brake on it for your comfort shooting. Remember "K.I.S.S.", Keep It Simple, Stupid. Most of my beloved hunting rifles are just simply built, and they perform the best.

 

[gator378]

That's the problem right there, and it's no fault of the caliber. Rifles are supposed to have weight proportional to their recoil. Take your 7mm Rem Mag, fit it to a stock that has a good recoil pad, gets the weight to around 9 pounds without the scope, and fall in love all over again.

Your Tikka is most likely weighted proportionally to the caliber.

The world went through a phase once where lighter was better. Hunters wanted to walk all day with a featherweight rifle so they wouldn't get tired, if I understand the fad correctly. A six pound rifle was barely light enough.

I have come across one hunter with a 375H&H that initially looked to me like a short barrelled .22 , before I checked the hole size of the muzzle. The barrel was less than 20 inches, pencil thin, on a wafer thin stock - thinner than a Marlin 45-70. Said hunter being a gunsmith made it for himself as a walk and stalk for the bush, has harvested a lot of game, and loves it. No sling, a beat up old Tasco [ looked like it was steel ] , which doubles as a carry handle. His philosophy being he needs enough gun to handle the biggest thing that could stomp him when out hunting for antelope. He offered me to try a couple of shots, and I refused.

Physics 101 weight is not your enemy when dealing with recoil. I have a 11 lb 308 FAL. You can shoot all day no problem.

 

[HangNail]

I don't blame you. Getting rid of a flinch can be difficult if you're not shooting quite a bit. I intend to put a new heavier stock on that savage.

 

[nksmfamjp]

There is no legit argument against the 7mm rem mag, except that the 0.473 base cases hold 1 more round, 6.5 bullets today can do today what 7mms did then, and short actions balance better. These are the basics, not a reason to change, maybe a slight reason to buy different when buying new.

The rifle has aged more. Today's machining quality per $ is better. Barrels, actions and triggers are all better within the last 5-10 years.

The scope is where the real change is. For $500, you can get a significantly better optic in every way. Today we have been shown that most of our frustrations in the past were scopes and scope mounts. Today we have so many good reasonably priced choices.

 

[Don A Parsons]

Bingo nks...

If the rifle,,, ammo,,, optic,,, and shooter are in sink,,, its one deadly cocktail...

I'm a heavy gun shooter,,, and I cover the same ground I did 40 years ago... Some times I use the sling or hands depending on the terrain...

I don't mind recoil,,, but less of it allows me to focus on other things like getting back onto target,,, just me i guess...

The 30/06 and 7 Mags are awesome cartridges,,, same can be said for lots of them that are close to this category...

These days I'm using a cartridge that is at the less'er of the recoil category,,, it doesn't have the Punch-Junk like the big bores I use to own / nor the legs to reach out there... If I close the gap on critters,,, then life is good...

Today I shoot better than I ever had,,, the day will come when those skills fad away,,, """maybe.""" Ha

Keeping the boots on the ground with lots of shooting activities allows us to stay sharp and control our irons,,, that what really counts...

I managed things for alot of years with the 300's and 338's back in the day,,, hopefully I continue this with the mid size cartridges that I'm now using...

Cheers from the North

 

[TangoOscarMike]

For years I hunted with an old Remington 700 CDL in 30-06. I had a Leupold VX III 4.5-14x50mm scope mounted on it. I killed the heck out of everything with it. It was my only hunting rifle, so I used it on everything. I shot the same 180g soft points at coyotes that I did at black bear. I practiced with it and practiced with it and practiced with it and I got comfortable shooting it. I would feel comfortable using that rifle on any animal in North America. You will hear this a million times, and I didn't read every page of this thread so maybe you've heard it a million times already. The 7mm Remington Magnum will kill anything in North America so long as you are using good bullets. I wouldn't consider you undergunned for moose or big bears. If you like the 7mm and you're comfortable with it, use it.

All that being said, I am buying a 300 PRC for a personal toy. I will use it hunting, there is no doubt about that. It will do things that my 30-06 can't, but until I become better at really long range shooting I will never get the full use out of the cartridge.

 

[cajun]

It's kinda funny how things come full circle. Years ago target guys were necking 284 brass down to 6.5 because of the high bc 6.5 bullets. Now with the availability of high bc bullets for 7mm guys are necking up 6.5 x284 brass back to 7mm. The straight 284 is coming back into vogue in target circles. Sierras team shooters are shooting 284's.

 

[nicholasjohn]

I am a big dude but a little recoil sensitive. I had a light savage in 7mm mag and it kicked my butt. I did take a couple of deer and an elk with it. Additionally, it shot lights out. That being said, I bought a .270 win in a Tikka and have never looked back. Again I have taken a large bull and several deer with this rifle and don't mind practicing with it all day long.
I would not however go and buy a large .30 caliber to replace my 7mm. With the right bullet I am pretty sure it is just right for all except the largest North American animals.

I don't think that the 270 is recoiling enough less than the 7mm to make it that much more comfortable for you to shoot. It's still a full-sized rifle cartridge, and there are other factors involved here. Here's another consideration for you : STOCK FIT. You mentioned that you are a big dude - well, I am not. But I have arms like a chimp, and I don't have a big, thick chest. So, I need a longer butt stock on my rifles to be able to handle recoil. This was pointed out to me years ago, by an old-time rifle builder. He explained to me that when I bring a rifle to my shoulder, my arms are bent at an acute angle that puts me at a leverage disadvantage. In this state, I can't use effectively use my hands & arms to absorb recoil. That puts ALL the recoil on my face and shoulder.

When I starting using a longer rifle stock, felt recoil was significantly less. That's because I was able to use my hands to take up some of the recoil, and it was not all on my face and shoulder. Another thing that I've found is that the newer recoil pads, most of which are made of sorbathane, work better than the old rubber pads. I've been using a Kick-Eez pad for several years, and it made a noticeable difference. I like it a lot. Also, trap shooters often employ inertia devices in their stocks ( look up the Dead Mule ) to slow down the jolt of the recoil. That works, too. ( These devices also add some weight to the gun, which counts for a lot in reducing felt recoil.)

Lastly, I'd like to add that maybe the reason you like the Tikka 270 better is because the shape of the stock fits you better than the one on the 7mm. If a rifle stock has a sharp comb, it will make you want to shoot it less. The stocks on the 700 Remingtons were like this. They made my face hurt. My buddy's 30-06 was terrible in that regard. Another buddy had a 300 magnum ( another Remington BDL ) which I shot ONCE. I wasn't right for about a week. He did just fine with it, but he has a chubby face and I don't. If the comb is too low for your face, you will not be able to get your cheek down on the stock and still see through the scope. A strap-on cheek pad may help with this. Lots of guys use these. It takes care of the problem of the stock getting a running start before it hits your cheek in recoil, which makes it feel like a much harder hit to the shooter. I would look into a few of these things if you want to enjoy shooting the 7mm. Or, just keep knocking down your animals with the 270, and don't worry about it.

 

[MELEX]

They went the way of the man bun and soy chai lattes

What is a "soy chai latte"?

 

[fiftybmg]

A tea that's not tea, made from milk that's not milk.

Symptomatic of an age where it can be criminal to call a spade a spade.

 

[Milepost]

IMO - No one rifle or caliber is the best but the 7mm RM is a really good compromise for an "all around" rifle on most dear species, pigs and black bear.

1) Shoot the caliber that you can shoot accurately and then practice, practice and then do some more practice!
2) Pick the cal appropriate for the game hunted.
3) Pick the bullet/loads that gets the job done. AKA... accurate, quick kills with minimal meat loss.

All those big super mag 7mm calibers gives you is more range. They won't kill deer any more deader. Remember, it's a well placed bullet that gets the job done. The super mags will sacrifice the up close shot performance unless you use a different bullet like the mono's.

A 10lb. 7mm rem mag with a good muzzle brake is a great platform. Right in between a 28 Nosler and the 7mm-08... Easy to find quality ammo too! What's not to like?

 

[SealT5]

No argument that the 7RM does a good job of pushing a projectile from chamber to target. But that's just it. What it ultimately boils down to is bullet choice. I would take a 243win with the right bullet elk hunting over a 7RM with the wrong bullet any day.

Prime example. I had a guide on an exotic hunt tell me nothing under 7mm. That he regularly see's these animals take vital hits with ultra magnum 30cals and don't even flinch. Never once saw a large exotic take only one shot to kill. 3 days later I drop the heard gemsbok with a 16.5" 6.5x47L 123gr AMAX. Bang flop. Never took a step.

I'll reiterate, more game is lost due to shooting the wrong bullet then not having enough boiler room.

My opinion. Nothing else

Joe S.


Edit: Shot placement is key also