7mm Remington Magnum vs .300 Winchester Magnum
Hey all, we here at True Shot Academy wanted to go over two popular magnum cartridges, the 7mm Remington Magnum and the .300 Winchester Magnum. Both belted magnum cartridges are derived from the .375 Holland & Holland cartridge. The two calibers have been in common use for decades and have been utilized by target shooters and hunters alike since the mid-20th century.
Today we are going to provide a brief overview of these calibers and go over some of their traits and use cases. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
7mm Remington Magnum
The 7mm Remington Magnum often referred to as the 7mm Rem Mag, was introduced in 1962 by the Remington Arms Company alongside their Remington Model 700 rifle. As a magnum cartridge, the round exhibits a significant recoil impulse while also imparting substantial levels of kinetic energy. The cartridge hasn’t been utilized as much as the .300 Win Mag has by law enforcement and military personnel, but it has notably been utilized in the past by U.S. Secret Service counter sniper unit.
The round has been utilized by hunters and marksmen alike since its inception and remains popular today, even with the advent of such cartridges as 7mm PRC. One will encounter multiple options as far as ammunition and firearms in this chambering on the market.
.300 Winchester Magnum
The .300 Winchester Magnum, commonly referred to as the .300 Win Mag, was introduced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1963. Like the aforementioned 7mm Rem Mag, this magnum cartridge also packs a considerable punch and yields a high recoil impulse. The cartridge has seen adoption and use by a variety of law enforcement and military entities due to the round’s accuracy and lethality at extended ranges.
Even with the introduction of rounds such as the .300 PRC, the cartridge still persists in common use with a variety of shooters today. The round is incredibly versatile and a prospective buyer will encounter a variety of ammunition and firearms in this caliber in today’s market
Availability of Firearms in these Calibers
One will mainly find firearms in these calibers in the form of bolt action rifles from a variety of companies such as Remington, Browning, and Christensen Arms. While most options are going to be of the bolt action variety, there are semi-automatic .300 Win Mag firearms available such as the Omen line from Nemo.
Nowadays, one can acquire a rifle with a threaded barrel to allow for the attachment of muzzle devices such as muzzle brakes or suppressors which help tame the recoil of these magnum calibers. Some of the rifles will even come with pre-installed muzzle brakes to provide the shooter with recoil reduction right out of the box. The ability to easily reduce the recoil of these calibers makes them more accessible to a wider variety of shooters.
Availability of Ammunition
When it comes to ammunition supply and availability, one will find more .300 Win Mag than 7mm Rem Mag. This is mainly due to the prominence of the .300 Win Mag as a long-range target round.
Common 7mm Rem Mag loadings feature projectiles which range from 140 to 160 grains. One will typically encounter .300 Win Mag loadings that range from 150 to 200 grains.
You can generally find the common variety of projectiles such as full metal jacket, soft point, and hollow point projectiles. Specialty loadings also exist such for certain uses such as target shooting and hunting from a variety of manufacturers such as Hornady, Federal, and Barnes. At the end of the day, one will be able to find a healthy number of options when it comes to selecting ammunition for either of these cartridges.
Usage for 7mm Remington Magnum
The primary use case for the 7mm Rem Mag cartridge is hunting. The round excels particularly at dispatching big game, making it a favorite among hunters.
While the round is less prominent in the realm of precision shooting than the .300 Win Mag, the cartridge has still seen use in marksman type roles. Essentially, one will find more support in the realm of hunting applications than target applications when it comes to the 7mm Rem Mag.
Usage for .300 Winchester Magnum
The .300 Win Mag is primarily used for hunting and long-range target shooting applications. Like the 7mm Rem Mag, the cartridge will humanely and efficiently dispatch big game and is effectively a “do all” cartridge.
When it comes to precision shooting, the .300 Win Mag has more options when it comes to rifles and ammunition optimized for long-range shooting than the 7mm Rem Mag. The .300 Win Mag is ultimately a versatile cartridge which will allow the shooter to perform multiple tasks with the same rifle.
Conclusion
All in all, both cartridges perform very similarly as hunting cartridges and will serve hunters well. While the .300 Win Mag has a more prominent reputation as a precision rifle cartridge, that is not to say that the 7mm Rem Mag is inaccurate or lacking by any means. No matter which cartridge you go with, you will be getting a well-supported and established cartridge that has proven itself over the years.
Regardless of which of the cartridge you shoot, we here at True Shot have you covered and offer ammunition for both 7mm Rem Mag and .300 Win Mag. Even with newer and more modern loads being introduced these days, you really can’t go wrong with either of these cartridges. Happy shooting.
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What is the difference between 7MM and 7MM-STW?