Hearalded as one of the all time great calibres, we take a closer look at the 7mm Remington Magnum.
Perhaps to the surprise of many Stalkers in the UK, whose uptake of this calibre has been limited, the 7mm Remington Magnum has been heralded as one of the all time great calibres for deer.
So what is it about the 7mm Remington Magnum that has stirred up such a following amongst leading authorities in the deer hunting world?
Developed as a commercial cartridge in 1962, alongside the introduction of the new Remington 700 bolt action rifle, the 7mm Remington Magnum, was, like many other classics, derived from the .375 H&H Magnum.
At first introduction the calibre proved extremely popular, so much so that sales of the previously then popular and similar .264 Winchester Magnum declined spectacularly.
This initial success insured that ammunition soon became available across North America, Africa and Europe. Now however, over 50 years old and perhaps in part due to Home Office Guidelines, the 7mm Remington Magnum is seen rarely amongst UK deer stalkers, and ammunition is far from readily available.
With around 10 % more energy than a .30-06 and with a considerably flatter trajectory, for our foreign counterparts, and those UK citizens who hunt abroad in the States and Africa, the 7mm is still hugely prized, and positions itself as a viable alternative to the hugely popular .300 Winchester Magnum.
So what is it that makes it so popular? Let’s take a closer look at the performance.
Muzzle Energy using a 140 grain bullet is typically around 3283 ft/lbs and velocity 3250 ft/ps. Let’s compare that to say the .270 Winchester which drives a 130 grain bullet at 3060 ft/ps and provides 2703 ft/lbs at the muzzle.
Calibre / Bullet Weight / Ballistic Coefficent / Muzzle Velocity / Muzzle Energy.
We can immediately see that the 7mm Rem Mag’ is a powerful cartridge, however it is its excellent Ballistic coefficient that is perhaps it most desirable feature.
With a 200 yard zero, bullet drop with the 154 grain bullet, is around 6 inches at 300yards and just 18 inches at 400 yards. Compare that to the .270 which drops around 7.5 inches at 300 yards and 21 inches at 400 yards.
There is no disputing the 7mm has a well deserved reputation, however if you just stalk in the UK, calibres of this performance take some justifying. Get it out for Plains Game in Africa however and along with the .300 Win Mag, you have one of the most well respected calibres of all time.
Downsides? Well if you are used to smaller calibres such as .243, 6.5x55 or even a .308 to do most of your stalking, you’re going to get a bit a ‘whallop’ in the shoulder. The 7mm Remington Magnum has around 21 Ft/lbs of recoil, as opposed to our comparable .270 which has around 17 ft/lbs. Added to this muzzle blast is certainly an issue for many, especially on non moderated rifles.
All said and done, the 7mm Remington Magnum is undoubtedly a superb calibre, however for UK deer species, it may be a little more than you need, or more crucially, can justify to your Firearms Enquiries Officer.
For more on Rifle Calibres follow this link: rifle-calibres
