Will the classic magnums see a renaissance?

[buckchaser]

I'm recovering from surgery and thus spending a lot more time browsing the information superhighway to keep sane.

It's interesting to see how many 7mm Rem Mag and 300 Win Mag rifles are on the used market. Some combination of the aging hunters for whom those cartridges were the "go to" and hunters trending more to smaller cartridges (witness the 223 threat here recently) I suspect.

It will be interesting to see if this is simply a trend and the pendulum swings back to the classic magnums over time. Or if laser rangefinders, dialled turrets, better bullets, etc. have permanently knocked these classic magnums down the pecking order of chosen cartridges in favour of more "friendly" options from a weight, recoil, and muzzle blast perspective.

Silver lining is that those who want to shoot the magnum boomers will have plenty of used options and available ammunition!

 

[Evanguy]

Interesting you call 300 win mag and 7mm "classic"

To me they are the magnums, modern and new. The classics are the black powder rounds that were converted to smokeless at the turn of the century.

Classic to me is the nitro express rounds.

 

[98ssuck]

I don’t think so. Extra recoil weight and muzzle blast. When a 06 or 308 based cartridge will kill the same game just as dead.

In my region the ability to hunt bigger game has diminished as well. Grizzly season is gone forever. Moose is now limited entry. So hunters are looking for deer rifles.

If you’re looking for a specific rifle in a particular chambering. The market may value it. But I forsee vintage belted magnums turning into plentiful 375 h&hs. Expensive to feed and more gun than needed

 

[buckchaser]

Interesting you call 300 win mag and 7mm "classic"

To me they are the magnums, modern and new. The classics are the black powder rounds that were converted to smokeless at the turn of the century.

Classic to me is the nitro express rounds.

Just by comparison to rounds like the 300 PRC, 28 Nosler, etc. that might be considered “modern” magnums.

 

[kamlooky]

Some have paper fear and need biggun ker-pows to slawter dem targets.
All be it at 1000 yards.

 

[FLHTCUI]

What is 'Old' will be 'New' again....
So many flavours to choose from and not enough time in this mortal world to try them all.

 

[track]

I'm recovering from surgery and thus spending a lot more time browsing the information superhighway to keep sane.

It's interesting to see how many 7mm Rem Mag and 300 Win Mag rifles are on the used market. Some combination of the aging hunters for whom those cartridges were the "go to" and hunters trending more to smaller cartridges (witness the 223 threat here recently) I suspect.

It will be interesting to see if this is simply a trend and the pendulum swings back to the classic magnums over time. Or if laser rangefinders, dialled turrets, better bullets, etc. have permanently knocked these classic magnums down the pecking order of chosen cartridges in favour of more "friendly" options from a weight, recoil, and muzzle blast perspective.

Silver lining is that those who want to shoot the magnum boomers will have plenty of used options and available ammunition!

Yes, I believe that old men are using smaller cartridges, and I'm just entering that category. However, I still shoot magnum cartridges. My heavest kickers are the 9.3x74R, 300 Weatherby, 7mm Rem. Mag. and the 300 H&H. I really enjoy my less-recoil rifles, my 6mm Remington, 240 Weatherby, 257 Weatherby and the 30-06 Springfield. The short action rifles will be purchased in the future, such as" 7x57, 7mm-08, the 6.5's, etc.

 

[boxhitch]

I don't know if its related but
reuters.com/article/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/mens-testosterone-levels-declined-in-last-20-years

 

[boxhitch]

Or if laser rangefinders, dialled turrets, better bullets, etc. have permanently knocked these classic magnums down the pecking order of chosen cartridges in favour of more "friendly" options from a weight, recoil, and muzzle blast perspective.

the ability to hunt bigger game has diminished as well. Grizzly season is gone forever. Moose is now limited entry. So hunters are looking for deer rifles.

Modern marketing imo is driving what gun buyers look for. terms like 'efficient' and 'less recoil' and 'long range' all play to those wanting less 'effort' overall

 

[Arcosdad]

I spent a lot of time at our club's gun show yesterday. Many fine classic hunting rifles for sale including belted magnums. Nothing selling whatsoever nor was the ammo.

 

[Clayton Bigsby]

Ammo and component costs play a part too. Standard caliber stuff is already prohibitively expensive.

 

[Deathrawt]

Yup it’s cheaper to buy or reload a 308winchester then a 300 win mag
Cost on everything are plain retarded these days
Priced out some 416 Rigby not long ago and got severe sticker shock lol

 

[Mr.Rigpig]

Yup it’s cheaper to buy or reload a 308winchester then a 300 win mag
Cost on everything are plain retarded these days
Priced out some 416 Rigby not long ago and got severe sticker shock lol

I don't think it matters what you shoot, to be even close to economical you HAVE to reload.

 

[boxhitch]

Expensive?? its all about perspective
shooting is economical compared to owning a boat or a hot rod
or a vehicle that has to go to the dealership

I have about 34 rnds of 338 mag left from the supply I bought with the gun, at 3-5 per year it'll good for my time here

 

[Deathrawt]

I don't think it matters what you shoot, to be even close to economical you HAVE to reload.

Yup I reload everything I shoot except for rimfire
It still gets expensive though but it keeps me shooting at least

 

[Battlerifleelitist]

No, there's been a strong trend towards lighter recoilling high energy calibers, I suspect due to the demographic of firearm owners changing from largely hunting dominant to a mix of hunters and sport shooters (and the hunters are shooting more for fun than they used to). There is also a bit of a downsize of the firearm owning populace as well, in general.

 

[mikeyb]

I mean .300 Win Mag is everywhere. I took a look at a few of our site sponsors, and it appears as though many of them have more .308 Win and .300 Win Mag in stock than they do .30-06. The new .300 magnums like the Nosler or PRC are just a bit too much IMO, whereas the good old 180@2960 recipe seems to hit a sweet spot.

Used to be that rifles were chambered in .30-06 by default, then everything else secondary. Now it seems like .308 and 6.5 Creedmoor first (and second), .300 Win Mag third, then other cartridges as desired.

 

[Beeron]

I cant imagine even buying a long action at any point in my remaining years.
My 308 is likely to be my largest calibre and I reach for that less and less these days.
I imagine there will be many holdouts for sure but a resurgence seems unlikely to me.

 

[pathfinder76]

Yea, I can’t see ammunition and rifle companies coming out with magnum sevens or thirty’s. Nothing new in that’s space since, oh, last year. Lol.

 

[FLHTCUI]

Expensive?? its all about perspective
shooting is economical compared to owning a boat or a hot rod
or a vehicle that has to go to the dealership

I have about 34 rnds of 338 mag left from the supply I bought with the gun, at 3-5 per year it'll good for my time here

I hear what you are saying.
I shot a Ruger No.1 in 338 and literally had to go into concussion protocol after 5 rounds .
Sold that beast shortly there after.
I schitz you not.