The 7mm is recommended for military applications out to 1000+ meters. But keep in mind she kicks more than the .308 and is harder on barrels, but is a nice compromise between the 308 and 300 Win Mag. Because the 7mm shoots the lighter bullets at higher velocities, it is better suited to the law enforcment arena than the .300. But there is still a lot of power there, and you’ll NEED to watch the over penetration issue.
The 7mm doesn’t kick as much but it shoots lighter bullets than the .300, though some of them have very high BC’s which allows it to do well at longer ranges. With the right ammo, the 0-1000 meter ballistics are VERY impressive and the 7mm is easily capable of 1000+ meter shooting, but it falls short of the .300 in most regards while significantly outpacing the .308 (Which really shouldn’t surprise anyone). The Remington 700P was available for a while chambered in the 7mm Rem Mag, but beyond that there are not a lot of sniper rifle options available that are not custom built rifles. Luckily HSM still loads the excellent 7mm 168gr match load that the Secret Service used and it is available for purchase as is a 168gr Berger and 162gr Amax load which both will rival the A191 300 WM load.
If you get yourself a good recoil pad (I have a Decelerator) you will find that it's bark is worse than it's bite. It will have just a tad more bite to it than any ol' 30-06 would normally have.
If we look at a 70 grain bullet, a little heavy for a 223 but within reason with a good barrel, and compare 223 and 243 this is what we see:
223--26 grains Varget Powder--3024 FPS
243--40.5 grains Varget--3574 FPS
Varget provides the most velocity in both rounds for that weight bullet.
When we all posture about the 110 FPS average edge a 30-06 has over a 308 then I think 550 FPS is major. That is why the 243 is the MINIMUM cartridge many states allow for deer hunting. If you look at a ballistics table, the 223 barely has 1000 Ft/lbs of energy at 100 yards while the 243 is way beyond that for range. Most experts believe 1000 ft/lbs ON TARGET is the bare minimum for deer, and a 223 just doesn't cut it. Even with the 243 you need to have a correctly designed bullet in the 85 to 105 grain range. Bullets such as the Nosler Partition,E-Tip or Accu-Bond,Sierra Game King,Hornady SST or Interlock,or Barnes TSX all have enough penetration and controlled expansion properties to do well on deer with a disciplined and correct shot placement. Even a 105 grain 243 isn't going to penetrate very far with a quartering shot,so you have to know your target.
With 95 grain bullets the 243 still starts out at 3000 FPS, so that ain't bad.
If I were hunting coyotes either works,but for deer the 243 threshold with a good shot stands. I prefer something more in line with a 270 for a pure deer gun, and I have the single shot 243 as a training and deer gun for my 12 year old,but he is transitioning to my 30-06.
I am glad to share my 243 reloads with everyone. The average reloader won't like my loads because my powder choice does not flow very well, there for I scale everyone round.
Coyote- 85 gr Sierra Varminter, 35 gr H4895 powder, CCI 200 primer, Remington Brass, I seat my bullets just deep enough to clear the rifling. Don't know if this is right or wrong but it works very well in my older Model 70 Win.
Fox- 80 gr Sierra FMJ( very hard to find now), 35 gr 4895, etc, Do not take a between the eyes head shot
Deer- 100 gr Hornady PSP, 35 gr 4895, cci 200. I have found that these loads require very little if any changes to scope settings. I have shot Coyotes at 25 feet out to 350 yards. Usually very little if any exit
Hope this helps. I also tried the Hornady 58 gr V-max moly didn't like the knockdown on a Coyote.
These are the finalists that make the short list of all-around rifle cartridges: .270 Winchester, 7mm Remington Magnum, .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield. Each of these are well covered in my series of articles on centerfire rifle cartridges and I recommend reading those articles for more information about the history, ballistics and capabilities of each of the cartridges on the short list.
I would summarize thusly. If you feel you must have a magnum rifle, the 7mm Remington Magnum is the cartridge for you. If you realistically anticipate a high percentage of long shots at large game and don't mind carrying a relatively long and heavy rifle, the 7mm Rem. Mag. is a good choice. With appropriate loads it can shoot as flat as a .270 or hit large game as hard as a .30-06. A typical scoped 7mm Mag. rifle weighing 8.5 pounds generates just about 20 ft. lbs. of recoil energy with most common loads. A heavier 7mm Rem. Mag. rifle, like some of the Weatherby models with a catalog weight of 8-8.5 pounds and a scoped weight of approximately 9-9.5 pounds, are more comfortable to shoot. Don't accept a barrel shorter than 24" on any 7mm Magnum rifle.
If you are contemplating the purchase of a long action rifle of standard weight and length in a standard caliber, whether single shot, bolt, lever, or pump, then the .270 Win. and .30-06 are probably the best choices. They offer somewhat more case capacity than the .308 Win. and ultimately that translates into slightly superior performance with maximum loads. There is nothing wrong with a standard size rifle in .308 Win. caliber, but there is no particular advantage, either. Accept no rifle with a barrel shorter than 22" in .270 or .30-06 caliber.
The exception to this would be if the rifle you are contemplating is an autoloader. The .308 Winchester was specifically designed to function reliably in autoloading actions and it replaced the .30-06 in military use primarily for that reason. Reliability is the most important aspect of any hunting rifle, so the .308 Win. is the odds-on choice for autoloaders.
The primary advantage of the .270 is that it shoots flatter than the other standard cartridges. In fact, it shoots just as flat as the 7mm Magnum. The .270 is the yardstick by which other long range cartridges are measured and the top choice for that purpose. The .270 is also superior to the .30's with lightweight bullets, so if a lot of jackrabbit shooting or predator hunting is on the agenda, as well as an occasional elk hunt, then a .270 is probably the best bet. The .270 kicks a little less in a standard weight rifle than a .30-06 or 7mm Magnum, or than a lightweight .308 rifle, but none of these high intensity numbers are light recoiling cartridges.
If you are saving for an Alaskan hunt that includes moose and brown bear, and simply cannot afford to buy a medium bore rifle to take on your dream hunt, then the 7mm Rem. Mag. or .30-06 would probably be the best choices for your all-around rifle. They are slightly superior to the .270 or the .308 for the really big stuff. Ditto if you live in an area where elk and moose (or similar size animals worldwide) are your staple game, or where an encounter with a large, dangerous predator (like a lion or grizzly bear) is a real possibility.
If you are contemplating purchasing a lightweight rifle with a barrel shorter than 22", you should seriously consider the .308 Winchester. That is the situation in which I found myself some years ago. My all-around rifle at the time was a standard weight Winchester Model 70 in .270 Win. It was an accurate, powerful, flat shooting and handsome rifle. However, every year it seemed to get heavier. I yearned for a handier rifle. In fact, I frequently found myself carrying my little Marlin 1894C lever action .357 Mag. carbine on deer hunts, simply because it was so much easier to tote.
I decided it was time for a new rifle (you know how it is). Ultimately, I wound up with a Ruger M77RSI, their Mannlicher stocked carbine, in .308 Win. I have always been a sucker for a trim Mannlicher style stock. The point is, if you want a short, light rifle a short action just makes sense and the .308 Winchester fits the bill. |
