me and dad were talking about my first hunting rifle

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nova_scotian_guy

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The differences are,a few hundred feet per second,significantly more recoil,more expensive ammunition,and shorter barrel life for the RUM.The RUM would be a poor choice for a first rifle,or for a one rifle hunter.
 
i would go with the 7 mag. its avalable any where. recoil is similar to the 30 06 definatly managable. the 7umag has costly ammo, shorter barrel life and more recoil. unless you need the range of a big seven the rem 7 mag will kill anything you need killing at any sensable range. i currently own a 284, 7 mag and a 7 stw. the stw is a want not a need. last years two spring bears were dropped by my 7 mag, one round each.
 
Hunting for what game? In my opinion ---- choose a rifle suited for your type of hunting, then decide on the cartridge. For example, an eastern woods rifle might be all wrong for long range shots on the Prairies. That is why levers, pumps and semi-autos are more popular in the brush than on the flatland. For deer and moose, a Remington gas auto or pump might be your wiser choice, or just for deer an SKS with soft-point bullets.

Whatever you do, don't buy someone else's 3rd rifle. He probably retired it for a reason. New rifles are very affordable now and the one you choose will be yours for many seasons.
 
If you want a 308, get a 308. It'll do everything you want with less kick and ammo is common. If the US army uses it as their go to sniper cartridge it has some good backing.

I've tried a bunch of the mag cartridges and find I'm just not good enough to use them for where they excel - at long ranges. Any of your "standard" .308, 30-06, .303, 7.62x54r, 8mm mauser cartridges will perform well out past 300 and 500 meters, but the question is, do you need them to? A reliable gun in an available affordable caliber is my main goal, because then I'll practice on it and know I can depend on it when I'm not at the range.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
Hunting for what game? In my opinion ---- choose a rifle suited for your type of hunting, then decide on the cartridge. For example, an eastern woods rifle might be all wrong for long range shots on the Prairies. That is why levers, pumps and semi-autos are more popular in the brush than on the flatland. For deer and moose, a Remington gas auto or pump might be your wiser choice, or just for deer an SKS with soft-point bullets.

Whatever you do, don't buy someone else's 3rd rifle. He probably retired it for a reason. New rifles are very affordable now and the one you choose will be yours for many seasons.
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it would be for deer hunting ...there are some spots behind home that is dense then there are other spots where there has been clear cut and theres a chopping there now that is 3 miles long (on the small ones ) the largest chopping is 4 miles wide by 6 or 7 miles long .........basicly the only time you will be in the dense parts is going thorugh them to get to the leagle distance away from a resedentural erea
 
ramhunter said:
get yourself a .270 winchester

one of the best and not hard to shoot well...
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Jack O'Connor lives! :D

Not a bad suggestion though, to be honest.

I like the .308 for a better all-around cartridge that's lighter recoiling and cheaper than 7mm Rem Mag.

7RUM is a waste of time for a beginning hunter or a one-rifle hunter.

.308 will take moose, but if you're not totally confident in it then get a .30-06.

-M
 
Get the 7mag. You won't have to be so concerned about hold-over as with the .308. I use a 7mag exclusively and wouldn't trade it for anything.If you reload, you can download it if necessary, but the 7mm mag. is very versatile and flat shooting.
 
How old are you? If your still at the stage where you're getting an allowance, then both the 308 and the 7 mm mag may be too much rifle! Perhaps a 6.5 X 55 from Tradex...
 
its personal preference i think man go with what you like better. both should be good to 1000m if you were so inclined, so its just what you want.
 
1- you only get 3 shots with a 7mm- and it eats powder like it's going out of style- you're FAR better off with a 308- i've been shooting since 1970 or so and my goto is a 308/180 grain- it'll take everything except BIG bears- your max point blak range is 267 yards with 308, depending , on the ammo, the 06 is 276, and i should imagine the 7mm is about maybe 300 - so there's not all that to choose from
 
nova_scotian_guy said:
o ok then ....my other choice was gunna be a 308 in the 700 sps
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Just about the perfect place to start a hunting career. Get a good scope, shoot good bullets and shoot lots of cheap practise ammo.

I started my son when he was 12 with a 270, if I was doin git again I would have gotten him a 308 to start with. Mild recoil, very accurate, good killer up to and including moose. I've run the whole gammut from small and fast to heavy and slow and today my only real hunting rifle is a super accurate 30-06, but it could just as easily been a 308.
 
My father's moose rifle is a Rem. 700 in 7mm Rem. Mag. It's very accurate, and more than enough gun for anything that walks in North America.

However, has he ever used it in a situation that a .303 British would not be more than enough? Nope.

I'd go for the .308 for the much cheaper ammunition, the ability to hold more rounds in the mag, and the lower recoil to make more practice tolerable. As well, if you ever decide to sell it; it'll probably go quicker, as the round is more popular.

And, IMHO, unless you're a VERY accomplished shooter, you should not be considering shooting at any animal that's outside the effective range of a .308, anyway.
 
The 7mmremmag is one of the best cartridges available for a one gun big game hunter.I have several friends that started with a 7mmremmag,and are still using the same gun many years later.
 
Because it is your first rifle I think the balance is tipped in the favor of a .308. The ability to get more practice in with cheaper ammunition and milder recoil is probably more useful than the slight ballistics advantage the 7mm magnum has at longer ranges. I would go for the SPS in .308 (try to get the detachable mag version), or if you wanted the more durable XCR go for it in .30-06.

In practical terms, I think you will rarely run into situations where the magnum will do something the .308 (or the .30-06) won't, but whatever your budget for practice ammo is you'll get ~30% more practice with the .308. With either cartridge the limiting factor will probably be yourself and how much practice you can get.

Even so I doubt you could really go wrong with either choice.
 
Trust your Dad. If you and he have talked and He thinks a 7mm would be the right choice, say "Wow, thanks Dad".
Don't put so much faith in what others say. Your Dad is the one who'll be taking you shooting and hunting.

While we all argue and extoll the wonders of our personal favorite calibre's fact of the matter is that any one of them are quite capable of taking every species in N. America, and no one can argue that a 7mm isn't one of the better ones. (even though it's not my choice :) , but we can have a good natured arguement about that once you're a real deadeye with your 7mm)
 
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