Not many fellows wait till their early 60's to shoot their first Magnum rifle, my happens to be a beauty I got a good buy on by Canadian standards
A Steyr Stainless pro hunterm that came with a tally rings and bases with a Conquest 3-9 scope, all very minty, hard case and a sling $1000. A fellows dad's rifle who could not go hunting any longer.
Did load some rounds of 160gr Sierra bullets with 63,64, and 65 gr of 7828 powder. Nothing real good group wise, but it is a start.
rifle was very comfortable to shoot and I added a slip on Limbsaver as i am 6ft 5 inch tall. cannot wait to try some 150 partitions and some 140 TTSX bullets, ith the 7828 powder...FS

Welcome to the world of the 7mag!

Never tried a 7mm mag. I was in my early 60's and got my first "mag" a Ruger #1 in .375 H&H, then later the same gun in .458 Win mag. Somewhere in there I found a beautiful CZ Safari American in .375 H&H. That last one fits me so well and weighs enough that it is much more comfortable to shot than my Win 70 featherweight in 30-06 off a bench, and recoil wise is probably less than a Ruger #1 standard in 30-06 also.


Late summer I picked up a nice custom Mexican Mauser in 7x57 that's a real pussycat to shoot.

Got my first 7 mag in 1975. Have not been without one since. But these days, for deer size critters, I mostly use a custom 257 weatherby.

I've been hunting deer, elk, moose, and sheep, etc since 1965. I shot my first magnum rifle, a 7 mm RM, in 2000 when I was 54. Five years later I bought my .375 RUM, and in 2009 I bought my .300 Weatherby, which fast became my favorite rifle, and my only regret with it was that I didn't buy it 40 years earlier.

Since 2000 I have shot over 60 big game animals, worldwide, with those magnum rifles, and one of those magnum rifles is still my first choice for just about all of my hunting trips.

Congratulations, Fasteel.

The 7MM Rem Mag is an excellent cartridge. Sectional densities of .284 bullets are excellent.

I've used 160 grain Partitions on elk. I used a published load of H-4831 that gives a chrono'd velocity of 3100+ FPS out of a 24" barreled Sako. If I had to do it over, I'd use 150 grain for everything. If you plan on hunting mean critters, the 175 grain Partition would be superb.

IMR-4350 with 150 grain bullets prints very tiny groups & velocity is slightly better than 3200 FPS. Other excellent 7MM Rem Mag powders are RL-22, RL-19, MRP, & IMR-7828.

I'll never sell my 7MM Rem Mag because it's a shooter & a very wise friend told me to never sell a shooter rifle. But if I had been smart when brains would've done me good, I'd of bought a 22" barreled 7x57 or .280 Rem. Lightweight, fast-handling rifles are appealing where oxygen becomes hard to find. However, your 7MM Rem Mag is as close to perfection for North American big game hunting as rifles cartridges get.

There is nothing wrong with the 7mm Rem Mag and it is one of the all-time most popular calibers. But because it is so popular and chambered in so many different rifles, manufacturers tend to load it somewhat below its potential. Judicious handloading is usually needed to get it up to published factory velocities.

My primary problem with the 7mm magnum is that it is neither fish nor fowl. The .30 magnums provide more energy and authority for larger game. The smaller bores provide as much range and adequate power for smaller big game with much less blast and recoil. And for the "one gun" hunter, a .30-06 is just as versatile.

I shot my first one in 1976 when I was a senior in High School.

If you find what it likes, that Steyr will shoot like a benchrest rifle. I've had several that shot 1/4" groups...they're amazing rifles.

My first 7mm Magnum was finished in 1964. It was built by Harry Creighton, my friend and former business partner, and stocked by Hal Hartley. It is now for sale on Guns International at what I consider a very reasonable price. https://www.gunsinternational....cfm?gun_id=101140683 This is the last of a three gun set, all on double heat treated Springfield actions, consisting of a .458 Winchester Magnum, a .375/.338 Magnum and this rifle.

In an effort to trim down my accumulation of rifles, I am attempting to part with those I no longer use. Since none of my sons and heirs is interested in hunting, this is how I am doing it. Ken Pendleton has been doing a good job for me, although his strong point is shotguns, not rifles.

quote:

Originally posted by EMP3:
Congratulations, Fasteel.

The 7MM Rem Mag is an excellent cartridge. Sectional densities of .284 bullets are excellent.

I've used 160 grain Partitions on elk. I used a published load of H-4831 that gives a chrono'd velocity of 3100+ FPS out of a 24" barreled Sako. If I had to do it over, I'd use 150 grain for everything. If you plan on hunting mean critters, the 175 grain Partition would be superb.

IMR-4350 with 150 grain bullets prints very tiny groups & velocity is slightly better than 3200 FPS. Other excellent 7MM Rem Mag powders are RL-22, RL-19, MRP, & IMR-7828.

I'll never sell my 7MM Rem Mag because it's a shooter & a very wise friend told me to never sell a shooter rifle. But if I had been smart when brains would've done me good, I'd of bought a 22" barreled 7x57 or .280 Rem. Lightweight, fast-handling rifles are appealing where oxygen becomes hard to find. However, your 7MM Rem Mag is as close to perfection for North American big game hunting as rifles cartridges get.

well I will try some 150 partitions with IMR 4350, will start with 62, 63, 64 gr, might need more to get to 3200.... FS

Have a 7mm Weatherby Mag. Loading it up for an elk/mulie hunt in October. Trying Federal factory with 160 gr Trophy Tip. If they shoot tight out to 300yards (max at my range), they may get the nod. I do have both 160 Accubonds and 162 gr ELD-X's and a fair amount of RL25 to try...as well as some Retumbo. Recoil compared to my 325 WSM is quite noticeable...not to mention it shoots flatter.

Gary

I really like the 7 mag with 175 gr. bullets, otherwise I'll take a 270 or 30-06..The 130 to 150 gr. bullets in a 7 mag have never showed my much..

I used a WBY Mark V in .7mm Wby Mag for decades. It actually kicked less than a Rem BDL in .270 Win I owned at the time.

Stock design plays a big part in felt recoil.

Enjoy your rifle.

BH63

Shot my first two big game animals when I was 13 with a Remington 700 in 7 mag - a black bear and a white tail deer. Probably not the ideal round for a 13 year old kid, but it was the only left handed rifle available (borrowed from a friend of my Dad's) and I sure thought it was cool for a kid to be shooting the relatively new 7 mm magnum! 40 years later, the owner of that rifle gave it to me. I restocked it and took it on a plains game safari in South Africa. The gun is accurate and the caliber was extremely effective on shots out to 300 meters. I love that rifle and the 7 Mag is a great caliber. I get headaches with big recoiling guns now, but the 7 has caused me no problems at all with recoil.

My first rifle that I bought for myself was a Parker-Hale 1200c, in about 1969. I had a Browning BBR and a tang safety Ruger77 8" twist after that. Think I turfed the Ruger in about 1989 or 90. Stayed out of 7mag til about 2013, found a deal on a Merkel K1 I couldn't resist, in 7mag again.
Personally, in most apps for the 7mag, the 160gr just works. It will reach out and touch stuff, it will do what needs doing with a decent velocity range that doesn't beat you up. I started handloading because I couldn't get a factory round with a 160 Partition, in the 7mag.

Great buy. Great rifle scope & price! Wish you all the best.

You will find IMR7828 too slow for the 140gr & 150gr.

I would go for 160 gr Accubonds and slow powders. The slow Ramshot powder would be a good option.

The 7mm Rem Mag is tricky to load for. Plenty of people have struggled to get top velocities and accuracy.

I shoot a 280AI and I get 3000 fps (Nosler Book data) with N560 powder & 160 gr Accubonds in a 24 inch barrel Sako Finbear.

I know mates who did not get that in their 7mm Mag for over 12 months of trying.

I've gotten slightly better than 3200 FPS (honest chrono'd velocity) out of my 24" barreled Sako 7MM Rem Mag with 160 grain bullets using RL-22. But it wasn't as accurate as my H-4831 load that chronos at just over 3100 FPS. I'll always go with accuracy, within reason. A speeding bullet is useless if it's not accurate.

I have really old, and I mean really old Remington factory 7MM Rem Mag 150 grain CoreLokts that I've chrono'd at better than 3200 FPS.

Hand loading is the best way to get optimal results out of a 7MM Rem Mag. If a 7MM Rem Mag hunter hand loads, his cartridge will give up zero to other magnums. I prefer a 7MM Rem Mag to .308 caliber magnums because of the former's bullets' enviable sectional densities. The 175 grain 7MM Rem Mag has an unequaled sectional density & it'll penetrate a granite mountain. However, I completely understand that other hunters see it differently. I must write that the .300 Win Mag is a superb cartridge, but its recoil is noticeably greater than that of a same rifle weight 7MM Rem Mag.

I figured this out too late in life: a 22" barreled, lightweight, easy-to-handle .280 Rem will kill big game just as dead as a 7MM Rem Mag. I learned the hard way that carrying heavy rifles up-and-down high ridges of the Rockies is not fun.

Some hunters are virulently opposed to the 7MM Rem Mag. I'm good. We all have our opinions. The 7MM Rem Mag was designed as a long range elk cartridge. I'm looking at proof of its efficacy on my wall. It'll one-shot drop the most massive of bulls, but...so will a whole lot of other cartridges.

If I could start anew with wisdom I've acquired at very high altitudes in some extremely rugged country, if I didn't go with a .280 Rem, I'd go with a .308 Win carbine.

I don't hunt with my 7MM Rem Mag any longer. It's just too heavy. I won't sell it because it's far better than phenomenally accurate. From here on out, all of my North American big game hunting will be with one of my .270 Win rifles.

I've been very lucky with big game rifles. All are far, far more accurate than a reasonable hunter could expect. But then again, I hand load all of my big game hunting ammo.

BTW, my .270 Win rifles & my 7MM Rem Mag will shoot and kill big game much farther than I'm capable. I'd rather shoot at big game at a hundred yards than father provided I can close distance. But I won't shoot beyond 400 yards, which is a very long way at altitude. And at that, conditions would have to be perfect: steady rest, not even a slight breeze, stationary animal, no chance of wounding a nearby animal, nothing to impede bullet flight, and darn close to absolute certainty that my bullet will hit a vital area (oxygenated blood pumping equipment). Wounding big game leaves wounds upon hunters' psyches.

I like RL 22 in the 7 mag, and 25 also !

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I really like the 7 mag with 175 gr. bullets, otherwise I'll take a 270 or 30-06..The 130 to 150 gr. bullets in a 7 mag have never showed my much..

I agree with Ray.

My last trophy taken with my 7mm Rem. Mag. Ruger Express, was in Zambia on the Kasonso Busunga concession last year. I used 175 gr. NP to take a wonderful Puku. That was not needed for a Puku, but the rifle was also my backup for my 35 Whelen, so I chose a heavy bullet. It was also my light rifle of a three rifle battery, a light, medium & heavy: 7mmRM, 35 Whelen, & 404 Jeffery.

I also agree with EMP3 about the 280 Remington. If I want to use a 140 or 160 gr. bullet, I chose a light, shorter 22” barrel rifle, like my 280. My 7mm RM has a 24” barrel, but to be honest, it’s a light rifle. I like it very much.

I used to be a 7RM fan; kills great, but I much prefer the 28 Nosler now. Borden action, Blake barrel, shot a 1.5 inch group today prone off the bipod at 500 yards. 3210 fps with a 195 Berger. At $5500 before I put a Nightforce scope on it, it isn't cheap but it is a steal.

I load the 160 Accubonds for my Model 70 7MM with 7828 or the now unavailable Winchester 780 powders and 215 GMM primers. With its 26 inch barrel I can load it up to about 3100 but I use it at about 2950 fps and it gets the job done well. It can shoot a good group when I do but its cold barrel shot is very repeatable.

I am not too much of a rail fan, but I did mount up a steel Nightforce rail and the very good Nightforce rings and had Leupold set up its dials for the VX-6 to my load. Those seemed to be good additions for this rifle package.

Somebody said here on AR once that it is not hard to get a 7mm to be accurate. But that it is much harder to get a 7MM to be accurate at true magnum velocities. I have found that to be true at different times with my 7 Mags.

My start in the 7 Mags came because my son wanted 7 mm Rem Mag. The next thing I knew we had several 7mm Mags.

I had always been with the 270 Win, and then the 300 Weatherby Mag was my next in line with those two being my favorites without a doubt . But I didn't reload for the Weatherby calibers and just used the factory Weatherby ammo. Therefore I didnt shoot them as much.

A couple of years ago I decided to load for the 300 Weatherby I still have which is a Model 70. It was truly the easiest loading or reloading I have ever done. The loads were blistering fast and matched the Weatherby factory ammo which isn't easy to do. But my loads were even more accurate with smaller velocity spreads. So I set up to load for the other Weatherby calibers and I have had very good results.

Had I known this years ago I would have all Weatherby calibers in my safe. Including the 7mm Weatherby Mag too in place of the 7mm Rem Mag.

Yeah I know guys say you don't need it. Or they are only 200 fps faster ( only huh ). Or they burn more powder. Or they have a belt. Guys say a lot of things . . .

I can say that I like the Magnums.

I've been using 140-grain Partition bullets for some years now, they've been enough for antelope, mule deer, and one elk.
We have a no-lead law now, and I'm starting to load Barnes 140-grain TTSX as the replacement.
No point in loading any more lead-cores, I never liked the idea of messing with scopes between hunts.

I bought my first 7RM relatively recently. I resisted for a long time. Back when the big 7 was "the" elk cartridge I went with a .30-06 instead. Comparing it on paper with an 06 I just couldn't see much of an advantage. Especially since I wanted a lightweight rifle for the hiking type mountain hunts I do. Nobody made a light 7mm that suited me at the time.

On the fiftieth anniversary of the 7RM I found a Remington 700 XCR II at a really good price that followed me home. What I found was it was fairly lightweight and accurate. I ditched the X Mark (?) trigger for a much better Timney which really made the rifle come alive.

To me a 7RM set up that way would make a great mountain rifle with lots of choices of factory ammo available pretty much anywhere. While it's still not my favorite by any means a guy could do much worse with a rifle like that. I mostly use 160gr Nosler Partitions in it.