Should you’re trying to step up from the traditional deer cartridges like .30-06 or .270, and into the world of magnum cartridges, you’ll be confronted with a direct alternative: Do you need to go along with 7mm Remington Magnum or .300 Winchester Magnum? Or as they’re generally recognized, 7mm Magazine or .300 Win Magazine—which is best for looking?
Whereas hunt camps and (extra lately) Web boards have argued this query for years, I consider there’s a proper reply past the “Both is ok” compromise.
Cartridge Historical past
Each of those cartridges got here to market within the early Nineteen Sixties. When Remington launched their new Mannequin 700 bolt-action in 1962, in addition they introduced out their new 7mm Remington Magnum cartridge. It was a belted magnum cartridge, reworked from the .264 Winchester Magnum, which was itself a Honey-I-Shrunk-The-Projectile model of the .375 H&H Magnum. There have been variations in case size and different particulars. Basically, although, Remington’s new seven-mil cartridge was a new-age adaptation of a 50-year-old cartridge design. As an alternative of pushing a big-diameter bullet at quick speeds for harmful sport like the unique, it was meant to push a smaller-diameter bullet even sooner for less-dangerous animals.
The .300 Winchester Magnum likewise descended from the .375 H&H case; it got here to market in 1963. As a result of it’s designed for larger-diameter .308-caliber projectiles, it may well deal with heavier bullets than its Remington-designed competitors, which was constructed for .284-caliber projectiles.
When the .300 Winchester Magnum got here to market, it confronted competitors from Remington’s 7mm spherical and in addition from a number of different .30-cal magnums; it took longer for it to turn out to be in style. Finally it muscled out a lot of the different .30-caliber competitors, and right this moment might be the most well-liked magnum cartridge in North America. Good luck looking for a brand new rifle at your native gun retailer in .300 H&H Magnum, and good luck looking for these cartridges regionally. However even budget-minded rifles just like the Remington 783 or Mossberg Patriot can be found in .300 Win Magazine.
Find out how to Select
So which would you like for looking? Let’s begin by wanting on the ballistics of those rounds.
Manufacturing unit-loaded looking ammo for each 7mm Magazine and .300 Win Magazine is obtainable in widespread bullet weights of 150-175 grains. There may be appreciable overlap on what’s accessible within the center, however if you need lighter bullets, you’ll simply discover lighter manufacturing facility masses for the 7mm Magazine (140 grain, and even lighter). If you’d like heavier bullets, you’ll discover that manufacturing facility 7mm Magazine rounds often don’t push previous 175 grains, however you’ll be able to simply discover .300 Win Magazine manufacturing facility ammo loaded with 200-grain bullets. Should you’re keen to do a little bit of wanting, you will discover 220-grain manufacturing facility masses for the .300 Win Magazine, and nothing near that for the 7mm Magazine.
Check out Winchester’s officially-published ballistics information for its 150-grain Energy-Level load for the .300 Win Magazine:
And now take a look at the identical data for his or her 150-grain Energy-Level load for the 7mm Magazine:
As you’ll be able to see, there’s little or no sensible distinction between the ballistics of those masses. The variations open up a bit as you play with totally different cartridges from totally different producers, however the actuality is that for those who’re taking pictures something antelope-sized or bigger, there’s not sufficient distinction between the vitality, bullet drop, wind drift, or different fundamental ballistic traits of those magnum cartridges when loaded with comparable bullets to actually make an argument for one or the opposite.
Some 7mm Magazine followers say their smaller-diameter bullets imply higher sectional density than a .300 Win Magazine in the identical bullet weight, however there are few reasonable situations the place that may make an considerable distinction.
So how do you select? I consider the reply comes down to 2 questions: What are you looking, and the way recoil-sensitive are you?
Each of those calibers have been used to shoot each sport animal below the solar, in North America and overseas. Nonetheless, the success of different hunters, whether or not they be fortunate fools or lethally-accurate specialists, mustn’t embolden you to go under-gunned in opposition to actually harmful sport.
With that in thoughts: The .300 Win Magazine is what you need if you wish to load heavy bullets for actually harmful sport—the sort that may stomp you into the bottom, or rip you from limb to limb.
There actually isn’t numerous wildlife below that description in North America; among the greatest moose may be significantly imply, and naturally the largest bears of the west (Grizzlies, browns, polars, even among the elusive 500-pound-plus black bears) are all intimidating sufficient to make a hunter blissful for heavy bullets in a .300 Win Magazine. Head over to Africa, and also you’ll discover a .300 Win Magazine much more helpful, though {most professional} hunters will need their purchasers to hold much more firepower than that—and for those who’re simply in search of a rifle for the less-dangerous medium sport of the plains, the 7mm Magazine has a wonderful status on these anyway.
And the 7mm Magazine will do the job with much less recoil. That is very a lot value contemplating; many shooters might be extra correct with a lighter-kicking rifle than a heavy-hitting one. Should you’re solely shopping for the rifle to shoot whitetails, mulies, pronghorns, and even the smaller moose and black bears which might be most typical outdoors the north, then a 7mm Magazine will do the job nicely for you. Should you do determine to go afield after nastier sport, you’ll be able to take into account loading up with heavy 180-grain bullets in case your information or different individuals who know what they’re doing reckon your taking pictures is as much as the duty.
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