COTW - 7mm Remington Magnum

AJ · June 7, 2003

Remington introduced the great 7mm Remington Magnum, in 1962 in conjunction with the brand-new Model 700 rifle. Many people were influential in the development of this soon-to-be legend. There was Warren Page who had many friends at Remington and who sang the praises of a wildcat called 7mm Mashburn Super Magnum in many of his hunting articles. There was Les Bowman who also had many friends at Remington and who necked up the .264 Winchester Magnum case to 7mm and had a rifle built in what he called .280 Remington Magnum. Jack O'Connor's name probably should be on this list since his gift of a rifle in .275 H&H Magnum is what sparked Bowman's interest in a 7mm magnum cartridge.

We must not overlook Remington's own Mike Walker who took note of what was being said and who nudged Remington brass into making the right move. It was a good move too. Since the advent of smokeless powders, no more than a couple of other cartridges have been so successful so quickly as the 7mm Remington Magnum. For several years after its introduction in 1962 the demand for Model 700 rifles in this caliber far exceeded Remington's ability to produce them.

Only a small handful of other cartridges have served dual roles as well as Remington's successful seven. It has established an enviable record as a big game cartridge and as an accuracy cartridge for 1000-yard competition. The 7mm Remington Magnum quickly became the best selling of all the magnum calibers, number seven overall on the ammunition sales lists, and it remains so today. Of the three most popular magnums (7mm, .300, and .338) available the 7mm Remington Magnum is, by far, the most pleasant to shoot. Its recoil is on par with the 30-06 Springfield.

Users of the 7mm Remington Magnum are given a wide range of bullet types and weights to choose from. This can be both a blessing and a curse. The large bullet variety allows shooters to use the 7mm Remington Magnum for such a wide range of game, but the variety also makes it extremely confusing to choose which is the best bullet to use. Users of other cartridges, such as the .270 Winchester or .35 Whelen have a smaller, albeit excellent selection of bullets to choose from.

Bullets available to the handloader range from 100 to 195 grains, and the user of factory ammunition can obtain loads from 120 gr. to 175 gr. This covers the spectrum from varmints and plinking to heavy game such as moose or eland. Many hunters use the 7mm Magnum on the big bears or lions where legal. While there are more suitable cartridges for the job, your 7mm Magnum will do the job if you do your part as a shooter by choosing the right bullet and putting it in the right place.

Virtually everyone that makes factory ammo offers a version of the 7mm Remington Magnum. It can be found in most stores and costs just slightly more than the standard rounds like the .30-06 and .308 Winchester. The 140 and 150-grain bullets are best bullet choices for deer and antelope. The 160 and 175 grain loads are pretty much standard for mule deer, elk, and bear. A 140-grain bullet leaving the muzzle at 3300 fps that is sighted in to hit 2” high at 100 yards will be dead on at 250 yards. It will be 2 ½” low at 300 yards, and will only be 6 ½” low at 350 yards. This is a very flat shooting combination. This load will also carry over a ton of energy out past 375 yards. A 160 grain bullet that is traveling 3100 fps at the muzzle and sighted in to hit 2” high at 100 yards, will be ¾” low at 250 yards, 4” low at 300 yards, and 9” low at 350 yards. While its energy is similar to the 140-grain load, the 160-grain bullet has a longer profile to give it a higher sectional density. This means it will penetrate deeper which is more desirable on the big animals like moose, elk and some big bears. Recoil is similar to a 30-06 with bullets of similar sectional density.

If you want one of the most versatile do it all cartridges take a serious look at the 7mm Remington Magnum. It is a flat shooting and hard hitting cartridge. It also gives good overall performance without the big magnum punishing recoil.

iron buck · June 7, 2003