7mm Remington Magnum

[NickyMaz]

I am in the market for a new rifle and I'm looking for a larger caliber that I could use for bigger animals like elk and potentially take on safari for kudu, eland etc. I am man enough to admit that I am recoil sensitive so I am looking at the 7mm b/c it has recoil similar to the .30-06 which I can handle. I've done some reading and looked at ballistics charts, many say the 7mm is more then enough, others like Dr. Kevin Robertson in "The Perfect Shot" essentially says you're outgunned with anything less that a .375! Essentially, I need 'enough gun' for the large bodied animals that I can shoot well.

I just want to get some opinions before I drop money on a new rifle.

 

[CLICKBANGBANG]

In for the same answers. I also have a Win M70 in 7mm Rem Mag. Funny how a 7mm Rem Mag is overpowered for most deer and pigs, and it is great for elk, but in Africa is is not enough gun for PG... Having said that, I just used this same excuse to buy a Win M70 SE in .375 H&H.

 

[JGRaider]

I've killed nearly 40 head of plains game with my Tikka 7Mag and 160 Accubonds. Great combo.

 

[billc]

There is not a plains game animal I can think of that a 7mm will not do the job. My first trip over I took a 7mm weatherby mag with 168 trophy bonded bullets and it did just find on kudu,zebra,springbuck and a few more. Hell now I use a 257 weatherby with a 100 ttsx or 100 a-frame and have not had a animal make it past 40 yds yet.

I would say that 7mm with the right bullet will cover you out to 400 yds if you can shoot it well. A good 7mm your ok shooting will be way better then a gun your worried about kicking you and making you flinch and pulling the shots.

 

[NickyMaz]

I've killed nearly 40 head of plains game with my Tikka 7Mag and 160 Accubonds. Great combo.

Does that include larger PG like kudu, eland, zebra?

 

[wesheltonj]

It's more then enough for anything with good shot placement, including Eland. However, you might want just a little more power with a 300WM, especially Eland. That said, I took my 375H&H with me, so if any opportunties presented themselves I had adequate gun. I am very recoil sensitive, I found the recoil more then manageable with a neoprene slip-on recoil pad that cost $12. I took 4 of the pads with me, as they have a habit of compressing, but only used one.

 

[Shootist43]

I know you are leaning towards a 7mm. However before you purchase a new rifle check out the ballistics of a 35 Whelen. We (my 2 sons and I) took three 35 Whelens to Africa and harvested 22 animals from Warthog to Eland without a hitch. The recoil is in the same ballpark as a 30-06, i.e. slightly higher but not enough to fret over.

 

[CAustin]

Does that include larger PG like kudu, eland, zebra?

You will be fine with it on Kudu and Eland and Zebra. Shot placement and your comfort with the weapon is the most important thing here. That what you shoot well.

 

[Rob404]

All good choices, Buy a 375HH and never look back

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I am in the market for a new rifle and I'm looking for a larger caliber that I could use for bigger animals like elk and potentially take on safari for kudu, eland etc. I am man enough to admit that I am recoil sensitive so I am looking at the 7mm b/c it has recoil similar to the .30-06 which I can handle. I've done some reading and looked at ballistics charts, many say the 7mm is more then enough, others like Dr. Kevin Robertson in "The Perfect Shot" essentially says you're outgunned with anything less that a .375! Essentially, I need 'enough gun' for the large bodied animals that I can shoot well.

I just want to get some opinions before I drop money on a new rifle.

I'm looking across the room I'm sitting in at the shoulder mount of a Shiras moose I killed in Idaho in 2001. Above my head about a foot and a half is a nice 6x6 bull elk I killed in 2003 in Arizona. Both were taken with my 7mm Rem Mag and a 160gr Nosler Partition.

Would I use one on an eland? With a proper projectile without hesitation.

That said, you might be surprised that a .375H&H with a 250gr projectile is really not that big of a jump from a 7mm.

 

[Lee M]

I used my 7mm Mag (also a Tikka T3) on PG in 2014. Clean kills on Blue Wildebeest, Oryx, impala, etc. 160 grain accubond but any premium will do. I think an elk is a tougher kill than any PG. Like any caliber, good placement is key. 30.06 is also fine. Someone mention .35 Whalen, which is basically an 06 necked up to .35 Cal. Also would do the job well especially inside 100 yards with the heavier and slower bullet. No need to get a bigger gun.

 

[K-man]

The best question to answer is WHEN you go back (not if) will you need a gun to take buffalo, hippo, etc. Then you will need a .375 at minimum. Buy it now or buy another gun later. Like we need excuses to buy another gun. If you just shoot plains game, the 7mm is enough.

 

[greyfox]

I too took a 7mm Rem Mag on a plains game hunt, everything was a one shot kill, except a blesbok I hit too far back - the largest I took was a Nyala. My son took his 270 which my DIL used to take a zebra.
Is the 7mm plenty - yes.
Every animal I have on the wall prior to this year was taken with a 7mm Rem Mag.

Take your 7mm, enjoy your hunt, then get ready to buy a 375 H&H (preferably same model) and prepare to plan your "next" safari!

 

[JGRaider]

Does that include larger PG like kudu, eland, zebra?

I have not shot an eland yet, but yes to the rest.

 

[NickyMaz]

The best question to answer is WHEN you go back (not if) will you need a gun to take buffalo, hippo, etc. Then you will need a .375 at minimum. Buy it now or buy another gun later. Like we need excuses to buy another gun. If you just shoot plains game, the 7mm is enough.

Of course a .375 is on my list! Useful not only for African GD but for Alaskan brown bear or moose.

 

[K-man]

Of course a .375 is on my list! Useful not only for African GD but for Alaskan brown bear or moose.

The brown bear in my avatar was taken with my .375. Quite a useful caliber, everyone "needs" one or something similar

 

[Pheroze]

7mm mag is definitely a great cartridge. But I found the '06 more comfortable to shoot than the 7mm mag. So for the distances I shoot I don't see the purpose of the 7mm for me because I prefer not to feel that snap I get from it. It also burns a lot more of powder.

I also constantly think about what I would like instead of the '06. Do I want more range or surface area or both? Well the 375 gives me a similar trajectory with much more surface area. It recoils harder but my sense of it is that it is actually not as fast (or sharp?) as the 7mm. The 375 really is a remarkable cartridge. Problem I have found is that the 06 is a bench mark and everything that hits harder does so both ways. I am now looking at the 300 H&H as I trust that the "feel" of the recoil will be similar to the 375 in the sense it will be a push. I also have got a crush on the 308 Norma Mag because it is really an awesome package. I think this one is going to win out one day.

But then there is that recoil thing.

Dam that 06! I hate how it just fits the bill.

Good luck with your search!

 

[MBIZI SAFARIS]

I would say look at the terrain and biotop where you will hunting, Africa is different from area to area... RSA down in Eastern Cape with long rolling hills and open areas, I would gladly use a 7mm R.M loaded with a 150 gr bounded bullet of good quality to take everything from Springbok to Eland. Up in the dark Zambia with think bush / high grass and most of the time never any shooting distance over 150 meter I would prefer a slower and heavier bullet, also in Luangwa Valley you hunting in a DG area, so a 9,3x64 or a 375 H&H would be the optimal PG calibre, and if your PH have a good stopper to protect you from stuff that bites and scratch, use a 30-06... loaded with a bonded slow expanding bullet 180-200 gr, it would be a great PG calibre also for larger game as Roan and Eland.

Michael

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

It's more then enough for anything with good shot placement, including Eland. However, you might want just a little more power with a 300WM, especially Eland. That said, I took my 375H&H with me, so if any opportunties presented themselves I had adequate gun. I am very recoil sensitive, I found the recoil more then manageable with a neoprene slip-on recoil pad that cost $12. I took 4 of the pads with me, as they have a habit of compressing, but only used one.

I agree totally with the post above. The 7mm Rem Mag will get the job done on any plains game animal on the list.

 

[rinehart0050]

Does that include larger PG like kudu, eland, zebra?

My wife and I used my Fierce Edge in 7mm on our safari last summer, shooting barnes VOR-TX 160gr ammunition. It was more than adequate. 1 shot on a kudu bull that didn't run more than 40 yds, 1 shot on a waterbuck that went maybe 30 yds, one shot on a warthog that literally bled like a stuck pig, etc! The only animals that took more than one shot were bad shots to begin with- like the impala I spined on the first shot- my bad shooting required a second shot. My wife knocked her impala down with one shot, he didn't make it 10 feet.

As a tip, get a rifle that has a threaded barrel. That way, if one day you get a suppressor, you can easily mount it. I brought my suppressor to Africa and loved the quiet of every shot (especially compared to the noise of the muzzle break the rifle came with!)