7mm rem mag vs. 30.06

Utahn · Oct 24, 2003

I am was wondering if anyone had a prferance between the 7mm mag and 30.06. It will be my first NEW hunting rifle and I am planing on buying one of the new TIkka T3's or a savage. I will be using the gun in utah for elk, deer, moose. I just can't decide between the two calibers. Thanks.

bearskull · Oct 24, 2003

as for the rifle i would go with the savage their reputation for accuracy is phenominal.I think that either one of those carteridges will work fine for elk,deer,and moose.just match bullet weight and construction to the animal.i am partial to the 7mm rem mag.Most of the loads listed are soft.safe loads in the 140 gr. at 3300 are possible.and i feel with new powders the 7mm mag will just get better.if you do not reload then the 7mm mag will headspace off the belt which can really hurt accuracy.i also love the 3006(it is my main rifle as of the moment).the added sd of the .284 bullets will matter little on game.(not enough of a difference).both of these carteridges have proven their worth on the game u mentioned and both are classics.a survey among elk hunters listed the 3006 as the most popular rifle and the 7mm rem mag second.aww hell im rambling now.the 3006 usually has a 22 inch barrel(as opposed to the 7mm mags 24 inch tube)which gives it the nod in the handiness department.maybe the i would go with the 3006 just becuase.but what do i know.just my thoughts.

Bambistew · Oct 24, 2003

There is no comparison 7mm is a much better round than the ol 06... In comparable bullet weights its about 10% better. It will carry more energy down range and shoot a little flater, and penitrate deeper... I have yet to see an elk walk off or very far for that matter after encountering a 7mag slug...

You can load light 100grner if you want and can load up to 175. In all practicality the old 06 is under powered to shoot much of anything over 180 grain bullet.

Some say the versitility of the 06 is supperior... But how many people really load different loads for it??? I would bet that 98% of the people that shoot the ol 06 shoot either 165s or 180s and nothing eles... Since that is the case, why not just get the 7mm shoot 160s or 175s and do laps around everyone else shooting their old reliable 06 with 165s or 180gr bullets...

I have had a couple bad experiences with the 06 so I am a little prejudice against it. In reallty both are about the same. One thing about the 06 is that you can find bullets for it about anywhere...

Good luck

Ivan

Utahn · Oct 24, 2003

I was leaning towards the 7mm. But I have heard that the barrel will wear out quicker. I do like the extra reach.

bearskull · Oct 25, 2003

i doubt ull have any problems with the barrel wearing out.wouldnt worry about it at all.im buying a new rifle pretty soon and its a 7 mag.
bearpaw

IdahoCowboy · Oct 28, 2003

I've had my remington 700 bdl 7 mag for almost 20 years now. It is still the most accurate rifle I own. I doubt you will have and barrel wear problems. Can't go wrong with either caliber, but the 7 mag is by far better IMHO.

Buckrub · Oct 28, 2003

The 7MM Mag. is the way to go. Check-out both, the Tikka and the Savage. They're both shooters and are priced reasonably. I've had a Sako 7mag. for almost 30 years and the barrel still groups @1" or better.

monsterbuck89 · Feb 19, 2004

I have looked into alot of rifles lately including the 7mm and the 30-06.
The 7mm has a lot more reach and great punch.
That would be my suggestion.

Phantom Hunter · Feb 20, 2004

Another vote for the 7mm Mag (REM). I have had my 700adl for about 18 years. Killed several elk, a bunch of deer, and a few coyotes. Still shoots my elk load into 0.5" three shot groups if I do my part. 06 is a great round too, my son is looking at a new 06. Either will do the job, but the 7mm will make long shots easier.

Phantom Hunter

BigPig · Feb 20, 2004

I'm gonna cast a vote for the good old '06. It will recoil less and ammo will cost less. This means you will practice more and shoot better. This is what matters. No animal will know the difference when one of these calibers hits them. So pick the one you will be able to shoot better. Personally, I also like the idea of a larger frontal area for more knockdown power. You can even shoot the Light Magnum or High Energy ammo and get real close to .300 win mag levels. Yes I'm partial but so are these other guys. I have whacked a bunch of wild boar, a nice mulie and a nice elk from 10 yards to 328 yards. They all died in short order. There really is not much difference so pick what you like better.

D13er · Feb 20, 2004

You'll definately shoot the barrel out a 7mm rem mag way before an '06. You'll probly only get about 25,000 rounds thru the 7mm compared to 35,000 for the '06. Better get started.

JB

littlebuck · Feb 20, 2004

Go for the 7. Flatter, faster.

Bob D. · Feb 23, 2004

I think it's kind of humorous that everybody says the 7 Mag shoots flatter than the 30-06. It's true, it does shoot a tiny little bit flatter, but not enough to make any difference. Figure about an inch less drop at 300 yards and 4 inches less drop at 400 yards. So the only real difference is out past 400 yards, and even then, with either cartridge you will need to have a very good idea of the distance, and the drop of your bullet at that range. There is nothing wrong with the 7 Mag, but in the real world, it's got nothing on the 30-06. Only real difference I see between the two is the amount of recoil.

RLH · Feb 23, 2004

allright Bob D. i've never been a fan of the 7 mag because it seems that everyone that owns one thinks you can't miss with one. while it is a fine cartidge, so is the '06 and so is it's century of being fine. my favorite has always been the .270, just because my dad always says so, but next to it is the '06. it ain't real versatile with the largest and smallest bullets available, but if a guy stays between 125 and 180 gr., you can't go wrong. my preference is the 165. anything over 140 gr in the 7mm is just too big too me. the 154's and 165's are just too long, have too much bullet in the lands and can't be shot fast enough to justify all that powder. if you're looking for knockdown with heavy bullets, a 7mm is a poor choice. need to go with a .30 cal or larger. for deer, pronghorn and elk, it's a good gun, but so is the '06. the guy pulling the trigger is the factor that is usually least included in most shooting equations. just because a certain cartridge will do certain things, doesn't mean the shooter can get it too.

threelemonbob · Feb 25, 2004

The 7mm will outpreform the 30.06 ever time hits harder, shoots flatter and has more range. The 30.06 is a great rifle but its nothing compared to a 7mm. I shoot combines technology 150 grainers out of my rem 7mm at 3200 fps and i know im going to catch shi+ but I killed a cow elk at 638 yards this year with it (had the new burris balistic-plex 4-16 scope that helped a lot). Bet there arent many of you who could do it with you old 30.06.

Bob D. · Feb 25, 2004

threelemonbob, "hits harder, shoots flatter and has more range"

only in your dreams dude

RLH · Feb 26, 2004

Bob d., it's a waste o' time. lemonsqueezer thinks there are bigfoots too. there ain't anything wrong with a 7mm, but it ain't near the cartridge some folks paint it up to be. it's sorta middle of the pack now, with these new whatever/.378's and lazzeroni's and stuff.

Dirtysteve · Feb 26, 2004

Get what you want and be happy with it. Either one is a fine caliber and will cleanly kill anything Utah has to offer.
The great caliber debate will never end. Everbody has his favorites and they can all make 1000 yard shots! Hell I shot a squirrel on the dead run in the eye at 1000 yards with my red rider....beat that!

wallhanger · Mar 2, 2004

The 7mm has the word "magnum" on the end of it. It must be better ;-)

WH

threelemonbob · Mar 2, 2004

hey, just go and look at the balistics of the two rifles. I have a 7mm and a 30-06. You'll get beter balistic coeficient on the 7mm every time especially out past 200 yards. The good thing about the 30-06 is hat you can go with a bigger lead. You should buy whatever you want but you have a more wide variety of leads for reloading a 7mm. You can go from 100-175 grain leads. Nothing wrong with a 30-06 though. if you still dont think i know what im talking about then go get a couple reloading manuals and see what they say.

Bob D. · Mar 4, 2004

Sure velocities with the 7 Mag are SLIGHTLY higher. It's not enough that you would even notice while hunting, and a deer/elk sure won't notice any difference either. Out to 300 yards the difference, even on paper, is not noticeable. At 400 yards you may see a couple of inches less drop with the 7 Mag, but how many people shoot animals at 400 yards? And for those that do on a regular basis, is 2 to 3 inches less drop going to make any difference in how succesful they are in hitting an animal at that range? Not likely, as you still have to know where to hold at that distance. With a 30-06, you're just having to hold a couple of inches higher than you would with the 7 Mag, big deal! It all depends on how much extra performance you think you need, and how much recoil you're willing to put up with to get that little extra velocity. If you like recoil go with the 7 Mag, if not go with the 30-06.

Moondog · Mar 7, 2004

You guys are cracking me up. The good old debate will never end. I own both and the funny thing is that when the animals expire, there never seems to be any complaints about either one.

Proper bullet selection, a good shooter and good shot placement. Dead is dead is dead!

Thanks for the laughs.

bowhunt · Mar 10, 2004

Cartridge Type Bullet 50 100 150 200 250 300
7mm 160 SAPSP 0.2 0.7 zero -2 -5.5 -10.7
7mm 175 PSP CL 0.2 0.7 zero -2.1 -5.6 -10.7
06 180 SAPSP 0 zero -1.3 -4.2 -8.9 -15.4

7mm has 5 inches over the 06 at 300 yards, and 300 foot pounds.

Bob D. · Mar 10, 2004

How many guys you know who zero their rifle at 50 yards? How about a more realistic comparison? Zero at 250 or 300 yards, and let's see what the differences are. Thanks

Bob D. · Mar 10, 2004

Here's a comparison from Remington's website:

LONG-RANGE? TRAJECTORY*
Cartridge Type Bullet 100 150 200 250 300 400 500
Remington Express 180 PSP CL 2.1 1.8 zero -3.5 -9 -26.3 -54
Remington Express 175 PSP CL 1.7 1.5 zero -3 -7.6 -22.1 -44.8

First one is 30-06, 180 Pointed Soft Point Core-Lokt. Second line is a 7mm Rem Mag with 175 grain, same type bullet. So at 300 yards there is virtually no difference, and at 400 there is 4 inches. Like I said before, 4 inches isn't much at 400 yards, you still have to know the distance, and you have to know how far your bullet will drop at that range. Shooting a 7 Mag isn't going to magically allow you to hit an animal that you wouldn't otherwise be able to hit with a 30-06. There is even less difference if zeroed at 300 yards, instead of 200.

147_Grain · Jul 25, 2005

While the 7mm Mag has superior ballistics, big game animals will not know the difference between two well placed bullets.

The 30-06 will do the job just fine, with less recoil, is less expensive to operate, and more premium ammo to choose from. In tough times, you're also more apt to find 30-06 ammo than 7mm Mag, even though it's a superior cartridge.

* Shot Placement
* Bullet Construction / Weight Matched to Game
* Choice of Caliber

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