Jul
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7mm magnum for deer hunting?
ByI’m considering buying a 7mm magnum rifle for whitetail deer hunting. Do you think this caliber is too powerful for deer or is it a good choice. Also, I would like to know which is better, a bolt-action or semi-auto in a 7mm mag.
9 Comments
July 29th, 2010 at 6:37 am
Bolt action is always a good choice for deer hunting.
It isn’t too strong, and it isn’t too weak. I use a 6mm, which is the lowest legal for deer hunting in my state (WA) bolt action, it shoots straight, takes them down quick. 7mm bolt action sounds perfect for white tail. it really comes down to your physical attributes, I suppose.
July 29th, 2010 at 7:36 am
I know someone who only uses 7mm mag for deer hunting. He has been successful. So you should be fine.
July 29th, 2010 at 8:11 am
For hunting I’ve always been a fan of the bolt action or lever action rifles. You have to make your shot count but still have a follow up if needed. I would consider the 7mm a little large for deer although many people use it. There are a ton of smaller calibers out there that are cheaper to shoot with a lot less recoil like the 25-06, 270, 30-06, 243, etc. that will drop a deer with no problem. I’m not going to say it’s a bad choice but in my opinion there are some much better choices for whitetails.
July 29th, 2010 at 9:04 am
Well the only auto I would consider buying would be a BAR
Go with the bolt, 7mm is good, load it up or down
I hope you are not replacing accuracy with power because that will never work.
More deer have been killed with a 30-30 than any other gun in the world.
I love to hunt with my 7mm STW it’s a bite over the top but man it will take a deer down.
July 29th, 2010 at 9:06 am
7mm is a fine caliber for whitetail, and I personally believe that bolt action is best.
July 29th, 2010 at 9:30 am
For strictly deer, My favorite is 25-06. Followed closely by the .270 and the venerable 30-06. All have good ammo availability and are also very easy to reload for.
However, If I could ONLY have ONE rifle- for everything, it would be the 7mm Rem. Mag. Excessively powerful for deer, though.
Definitely Bolt-action. Most Autos will not digest handloads.
July 29th, 2010 at 10:10 am
7mm is a great choice for deer but you don’t necessarily need a magnum caliber for whitetail.
One of the 7mm’s best attributes are that it is a flat shooting cartridge with the ability to kill at extended distances but personally I wouldn’t feel comfortable taking an ethical shot at anything past 300-400 yards. Once you start reaching out, wind and gravity really affect where you hit.
I typically use a .270win or .308 when hunting whitetail but I know a couple of guys who swear that the 7mm rem mag is the greatest caliber that ever existed.
I do own a 7mm Remington rifle and it doesn’t see a lot of sunlight.
Lately the .308 has been my best friend.
I would definitely go with a bolt action though because you have a much better selection.
The only semi auto 7mm that I even know of is the Browning one.
Does anybody else make one?
Good luck, whatever you decide.
July 29th, 2010 at 10:13 am
It’s about 300 fps faster than 7×57 or 7mm08, which are perhaps the best-balanced cartridges. That extra speed is about the same as 270 Winchester, which doesn’t exactly have a terrible reputation with deer, either. Sure, the higher velocity might lead to occasional premature expansion if you pick the wrong bullet, but that’s not a real problem. You’ll note that the gun makers have spent a century trying to sell self-loaders to hunters, who keep buying bolt actions, lever actions, and even single shots in preference to semi-auto’s, and for good reason.
July 29th, 2010 at 10:45 am
it is WAY more powerful than you need for deer, so you are going to put up with teeth rattling recoil for no reason, but it won’t damage much more meat than more reasonable choices.
Leave the 7mm remmag to the elk hunters