Opinion on caliber

hellbound

hellbound

Member
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
13   0   0
Location
Edmonton,Ab/Chetwynd,BC
So...I want to get into some bigger game hunting, and possibly a little longer shot as i get confident in my abilities to shoot accurately and consistently out further.

Gun I want - Xbolt Hells Canyon. Just torn between what I should get it chambered in. 7mm or 300WSM. I will be going after Moose Elk and maybe goats and sheep in the future. talked to a couple sales guys at a couple different stores, they both suggested both calibers.

Thoughts?? I am leaning towards the WSM for a little shorter gun. Just feels more balanced to me. But also dont want to regret my choice of calibers.
 
There are lots of reasons why the 7mm Rem Mag has been the most popular magnum chambering for many years...
 
300wsm. Fast, flat, hits hard, short action, better case design from a reloading perspective. Lots of ammo available these days. Will likely be the more accurate rifle.
 
Toss a coin. Both have a similar thump down range.

7RM - Easy to find ammo on any sporting goods shelf. Wide variety of bullets and weights. Manageable recoil.
300WSM - Out of any of the WSMs the 300 is the easiest to find ammo on the shelf but not as prevalent as the 7RM. Low recoil for a magnum 30. Fits into a short action receiver.

Although I like both cartridges, my personal vote would be on the 300WSM. I like short action rifles, less weight. I also like the idea of a 30 cal, 180 grain bullet for knocking down anything from coyotes to big elk and bear.
 
If you reload then 300wsm, if not 7rem mag. I switched to 300wsm and haven't looked back.
I load 165g ttsx barns with IMR 4350 with great results for around 4 bucks a round ( price will go down with more reloads on the Nosler brass) to buy a box of barnes loaded shells is over 80 bucks where I'm at.

If you don't reload, don't even think about 7wsm unless you can readily find ammo in your area, it is a great caliber but really needs to be loaded for. I know antes people who shoot this and the 270 wsm and love thier rifles.
 
Thanks for the input so far!
Do I reload? Yes and No. I'm just getting my feet wet. I have a Lee single stage and a Hornady L&L (First Version) Recently moved, and havent set up in the new place yet, but will reload at some point this year.
 
If the wsm feels better when you hold it, there’s your answer. Both are great so go for what’s more comfortable to hold. Although do some reading on 28 Nosler cartridge, that is available in that rifle, I’d love one
 
Since you are leaning toward the 300 anyway, the choice is easy. Just get it and you don't have to spend the rest of your life wondering. Even after all these years I still grab a 300 off the rack when I don't feel like wondering. One of them is even a Wissum.

Having said that, I sure spend a lot of time with 7 mils. One of them is even a Rem Mag. Enough to made me wonder what I was wondering about. They always seem to have enough.
 
Either cartridge can produce fine accuracy from an accurate rifle. Both cartridges are flat shooting and suitable for any North American big game when a suitable bullet is chosen. Both cartridges are extremely versatile thanks to the broad range of .284" and .308" bullet styles and weights, but the 7mm Magnum has the advantage if you don't handload. When chambered in a nominal weight hunting rifle, neither cartridge produces a level of recoil that would upset an experienced rifleman. I'm not a fan of Browning bolt guns, but they are good quality rifles that tend to be excellent shooters right out of the box.
 
7.21 mm one way or 7.62 the other. Similar case capacities, use the same powders, and common bullet weights that over-lap. It's not surprising that they do about the same thing.

On the other hand splitting hairs is sort of what we do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom