My first big-game rifle was a 7-MM Rem & I still have it. It's a Browning Stainless Stalker from the very first shipment of A-Bolt Stainless Stalkers. It's a great rifle with a great "jack-of-all-trades" cartridge — which is why I bought it. I knew it could handle anything from whitetails to moose.
I can honestly say I haven't hunted with it in 4 years. Although it's a great cartridge, now that I have "a bunch" of rifles to choose from I tend to choose rifles more optimal for the day's tasks. I stopped using the 7 mag on whitetails because of the amount of meat lost to "cannonball sized holes". My .25-06 has nearly the same trajectory with much less meat damage. My .243 does even less damage. For elk I now have my choice of bigger cartridges that promise better penetration if shot opportunity isn't ideal. For elk I normally carry a .300 Weatherby or a .338/.378 Weatherby. In the dark timber I might reach for my Sako in .375 H&H.
Yes, if I was limited to one big game rifle it might well be a 7 mag, but I am not so limited. With many rifles in the safe I have found the 7 mag is rarely MY best choice.
It seems you are intent on having ONE big game rifle. With that as a premise, the 7 MM Rem mag is a great choice.
I can honestly say I haven't hunted with it in 4 years. Although it's a great cartridge, now that I have "a bunch" of rifles to choose from I tend to choose rifles more optimal for the day's tasks. I stopped using the 7 mag on whitetails because of the amount of meat lost to "cannonball sized holes". My .25-06 has nearly the same trajectory with much less meat damage. My .243 does even less damage. For elk I now have my choice of bigger cartridges that promise better penetration if shot opportunity isn't ideal. For elk I normally carry a .300 Weatherby or a .338/.378 Weatherby. In the dark timber I might reach for my Sako in .375 H&H.
Yes, if I was limited to one big game rifle it might well be a 7 mag, but I am not so limited. With many rifles in the safe I have found the 7 mag is rarely MY best choice.
It seems you are intent on having ONE big game rifle. With that as a premise, the 7 MM Rem mag is a great choice.