best 7mm cartridge

I have a 7mm08 and a 7mmRM. Anything one can do, I'd be perfectly comfortable doing with the other, with the caveat that 100% of my hunting shots are well within 400 yards. If I'm looking to step things up, I'll pick up my 338 or 378
 
[begin sarcasm]

The .280 Remington would be the best if it was more popular, but stands as proof that Remington was retarded long before being bought by Cerberus.

The 7x57 comes close, but if you need a long action anyways you might as well stop failing at guns and use the full length available to you and get a .280.

The 7mm WSM is the least popular of the WSM's so rifle selection isn't stellar, and the 7mm SAUM is only chambered in the Model 7 as far as accessible rifles go, and that's pretty sad unless you're a girl or a little kid.

The 7mm STW and RUM are way too overbore to be efficient, and are about as obnoxious as their owners.

The 7mm Weatherby is expensive and gun selection is limited, which is fine if you drank the Weatherby cool-aid. If you didn't, then it's because you know full well you can get 97% of the performance for 25% of the cost.

The 7mm Remington Magnum is extremely popular and versatile and comes in all sorts of guns and doesn't kick too hard and ammo can be found pretty much anywhere and would easily be the best but as we all know, 7-Mag owners have no friends.

The .284 Winchester is more powerful than a hot-loaded 7x57 and fits in the same short actions as the 7mm-08, but I haven't seen any rifles chambered in .284 for a while (not counting custom/semi-custom). Plus it looks goofy. No one likes a goofy-looking cartridge.

The 7-30 was a good idea at the time but wasn't really needed. They have these things called "bolt-actions" nowadays, they work pretty good. It's also super weak, and a 7mm-08 could smack the crap outta one for its lunch money.

There's lots of others out there, 7x61, 7x64, 7x66 etc but no one really cares about them or the stories behind them. If we did, then you'd probably be able to, you know, actually buy a gun chambered for them in North America.

[end sarcasm]

7mm Remington Magnum. I don't need friends as long as I have the Internet.
 
If you want to use the same powders and components in your magnum as your cousin's 7-08, I'd reconsider. Specifically the powder should be different. There's no sense loading Retumbo in a 7-08, I've never even seen load data for it. Similarly, trying to use something like Varget in a 7mmRUM will hamstring your velocity hugely, you mind as well be shooting a 7mm rem mag or even 280. Once again I doubt you could find load data for it. If you're dead set on sharing powders between the two cartridges, I wouldn't get anything bigger or faster than a 7mm rem mag, at least then you can use something like H4350 and get reasonable performance in both.

Just something to consider,
Red
 
.280 gets my vote.I like what Dave Petzal said about it: Along with the .270 Winchester, the .280 Remington combines more killing power with less recoil than about anything out there."
 
FWIW, I own or owned most of the 7mm "line-up", and all are gone except for two 7x57's !! - the best all-around N.A. game cartridge in my opinion. Right up there with the two best all-around 30 cals: 30-06 and 308. Normally I would say I'm biased... but, o.k. yeah I'm biased ;)
 
Here's another vote for that venerable 7x57!! Hard to beat, and has had decades to prove it's worth.
However, If more power is absolutely needed, then the 7mm Rem Mag. gets my nod.
Eagleye.
 
I've been thinking of a new rifle of late and, now don't laugh, after researching quite a bit I think the 7mm Weatherby is a pretty decent choice. One of the factors I considered was the exclusive use of Barnes TSX/TTSX bullets. Note that I have been shooting 7mm Rem Mag for over 20 years now. I also have hunted with and shot game with the 7x57 and 7mm-08. The one thing about the 7mm-08, and one of my reloading manuals point this out (either Nosler #4 or Speer #11) is that it does quite a bit better from a longer barrel. I had a Model 7 SS, which comes with a 20" barrel, and the 140gr bullets would just barely reach 2700 fps - I tried a bunch of powders. The 160gr Barnes originals would go just above 2400fps.

The 7mm RM has been kind of neutered due to some issues with pressure spikes. This was just pointed out to me, and while in +20 years of reloading for it I have never encountered this, apparently many others have. John Barsness had some interesting info on this on 24 hr Campfire.

Anyways, look at the 7mm Weatherby data from Barnes #4 and compare it to all of the other popular, and not so popular 7mm cartridges. I think you will be quite impressed with the potential.

Consider the 150gr TTSX and the 175gr TSX loads. There is a lot more to it, but I will list only the top loads. You can look at the rest yourself.

150gr TTSX

7mm STW 80.0 RL22.......3271fps
7mm REM - 63.5 RL22.......3018fps
7mm RUM - 106.0 US869....3347fps
7mm WSM - 73.0 MagPro....3071fps
7mm WBY - 74.5 RL22........3245fps


175gr TSX

7mm STW 78.5 Mag.......2961fps
7mm REM - 69.0 Mag.......2757fps
7mm RUM - 99.0 US869.....3091fps
7mm WSM - 62.5 RL22......2800fps
7mm WBY - 79.0 MAG........3032fps

Brass is not cheap, but I suspect it could be formed from 7mm RM brass quite easily. It nips at the heels of the huge RUM and is neck and neck with the STW, but at a standard length.

I also really like the 7x57, but you originally posted you wanted something faster than the 7mm-08.
 
Best 7mm cartridge, that's easy.....28-30-120, first American 7mm and still the best and one of Harry Pope's fav's, great 200 yd. offhand rifle, I'm trying to choose between it and the .25/20 Single shot for my next build (Thanks Willy Tincup).
 
I feel the 280 or the previously made 7x64 is the best balance of the bunch. Good (not great) velocity with mild recoil and efficient powder use.
 
Johnn Peterson said:
The 7mm Mauser has certainly proven itself and stood the test of time. I have a slight variation of it, the 7x57R but if I had to name my favorite 7mm, it would be the 7x61 S&H:).
Click to expand...
CHAPUIS makes a nice RGEX SxS rifle round body rifle in .30-30 and 7x57R. Weight is 6.5lbs. Couple on GunsInternational for eye candy.

I think I would forsake all others for one of those in 7x57R.


.
 
Last edited:
I used the 280 Rem. for years on the flatlands shooting mule and white tail deer...it never let me down. I ran a 140 Sierra spitzer loaded to 3150 FPS that had virtually zero drop at 300 yards. Prior to this I had a 7MM RMag, very disappointing performance for what you had to do to get it to perform. I had to use more powder in the Magnum to get the same velocity out the same bullet then with the 280. The 7mm Mag is perfect for the testosterone junkies.
I had Remington 700 Classic in 7X57, which was an incredible performer. It was only gun I have ever used in which you could fire a shot at 300 yard deer and see the hit through the scope. The singular problem with the 7X57 was the inconsistent case capacities between manufacturers. I found Federal brass to be about the best though early Winchester SuperX was far better. Anything else was a waste of time.
Choice of which 7MM to get??? The 280 Remington is the most versatile of them all.
The 7X57 takes very close second.
 
Alonzo said:
I used the 280 Rem. for years on the flatlands shooting mule and white tail deer...it never let me down. I ran a 140 Sierra spitzer loaded to 3150 FPS that had virtually zero drop at 300 yards. Prior to this I had a 7MM RMag, very disappointing performance for what you had to do to get it to perform. I had to use more powder in the Magnum to get the same velocity out the same bullet then with the 280. The 7mm Mag is perfect for the testosterone junkies.
Click to expand...

You cannot get 3150fps with 140gr bullets out of a .280 without running well over SAAMI maximum pressure.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom