7mm Remington Magnum vs 300 Winchester Short Magnum

by Ruffy
(BC)

Tikk T3 Lite<br/> A fine choice for a Moose HUnting Rifle

Tikk T3 Lite
A fine choice for a Moose HUnting Rifle

New to hunting, won a moose draw in BC. I'm not the best shot but can hold my own. Tikka T3 Lite is what I am thinking, just not sure on the size 7mm or 300wsm. Open to any opinion on size and make.

Thanks


7mm Remington Magnum vs 300 Winchester Short Magnum



Both of these calibers are excellent moose cartridges. The 7mm is a belted cartridge and the 300wsm is a rimmed cartridge.
The belted cartridge is not going to be quite as accurate as a rimmed cartridge by design. That being said, unless you are a target shooter, you may not even notice the difference between the two.

Cartridge availability and price are also going to be a consideration. Go down to your local gun shop and see what the have in stock and compare the price difference.

In the WSM I would suggest a Barnes TSX bullet in the 180 grain range and for the 7mm probably the TSX in 150 to 160 grain.

Ballistically the 300wsm is going to have more energy, both close-up and further downrange, where the 7mm is going to be slightly faster and a flatter shooter.

The magnum vs the non-magnum of the short mag has been debated before. The WC (water capacity) of the belted magnum means the cartridge is going to carry lots of powder and there is going to be considerable felt recoil. The short magnum case doesn't hold quite as much powder but delivers the same performance as its magnum counterparts. Again though it is a magnum (of sorts), recoil is also going to be a factor although it just might be a little more tolerable that that from a magnum.

The Bottom Line: 7mm or 300wsm



Personally if I were going to buy one of these two calibers, I'd be looking seriously at the 300WSM.

I'm not much of a belted magnum fan in any caliber, mainly because of the way the cartridge sits in the chamber which by-design must sit loosely and cannot be supper accurate.

The 300wsm is going to have the most energy, just because it spits out a bigger bullet. Moose are big, use a big bullet.

Another factor to consider when comparing the two cartridges is the 7mm is a long action and the short mag is a short action, that will mean a faster eject and insertion with the wsm as well as saving a few ounces in weight of the firearm.

Of course, big game, moose in this case don't have bulls-eyes painted on them so my argument may not be all that strong, but you did ask for my opinion. lol

At the end of the day if I were buying, I would pick up the Tikka Stainless Synthetic in 300 WSM, next I'd mount a Leupold VX-III 3X9 Duplex reticle on it. I'd buy a couple or three boxes of Premium Ammo with 180 grain Barnes TSX bullets and be heading for the range.

Tikka for a Moose Hunting Rifle


The Tikka is definitely a solid choice, made by the same company that makes the Sako but sells for a fraction of the cost of the later.

The Tikka is an accurate rifle that fits most hunters budgets, its well made and if purchased as a Stainless Synthetic will last a lifetime.

Would I by one? Absolutely!

Comments for 7mm Remington Magnum vs 300 Winchester Short Magnum

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AMMO AVAILABILITY
by: HSDUCKMAN

I own 300 win Mag, 7mm mag, and 300WSM. I prefer the 300 win mag as my favorite, but concede that the 7mm mag has been used by me the most. My objection to the 7mm mag is that I ALWAYS have to go look for the animals I shoot. I have killed white tails at over 1/4 of a mile with the 7mm. The 300 win mag usually puts the target right on the ground. coincidently so does my 7x57!
7mm mag vs 300 Short mag
by: PB

I have owned a Remington 7mm mag rifle(s) and used it almost exclusively for hunting deer, elk and moose since 1968. I currently have both a 700 Remington and a M77 Ruger type rifles. Both rifles work equally as well. As far as the discussion between the 300 short mag and the 7mm mag I think you are splitting hairs. Always remember that the guy shooting the rifle is far less accurate than the gun. I need to take the word from Paul Harvey---"to close to call".

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