# 7mm Mag Deer Rifle Pros/Cons



## jimmyhoffa (Jul 3, 2011)

I just picked up a Browning A-Bolt 7mm Mag in a trade.  I have always shot a .270.  What some of the pros/cons of this caliber?  Plan on sighting it in next week! It already has a limbsaver on it...--Thanks!


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## larrypeters83 (Jul 3, 2011)

the biggest cons ive seen to rifles that big is that if you shoot too far forward, you ruin lots of meat. you shoot too high, you ruin the backstraps. you shoot too far back, you ruin the tenderloin.  also, with the heavy recoil it is easy to develop VERY bad shooting habits, such as flinching due to anticipating the recoil.

anything bigger than a 30-30 or a 243 is just overkill for deer.


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## 7Mag Hunter (Jul 3, 2011)

larrypeters83 said:


> the biggest cons ive seen to rifles that big is that if you shoot too far forward, you ruin lots of meat. you shoot too high, you ruin the backstraps. you shoot too far back, you ruin the tenderloin.  also, with the heavy recoil it is easy to develop VERY bad shooting habits, such as flinching due to anticipating the recoil.
> 
> anything bigger than a 30-30 or a 243 is just overkill for deer.




I hunt and handload with a 7mag and agree with everything 
except the overkill part or a 30-30 or 243 being a better choice for deer..
I love mine, and prefer it over my other rifles....


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## larrypeters83 (Jul 3, 2011)

7Mag Hunter said:


> agree with everything
> except the overkill part or a 30-30 or 243 being a better choice for deer..


if you can accurately quote me saying that a 30-30 or a 243 is BETTER for deer then i will paypal you $100 dollars. i never said such a thing.


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## Horns (Jul 3, 2011)

It depends on the individual shooter. Some folks can't handle the recoil. I love mine. I use it over my 270, 30/06 and 243.


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## johnnybangbang (Jul 3, 2011)

I bought my first Deer rifle (7 mm mag) from a friend. When I first shot it I didn't like it because I wasn't use to a Magnum caliber. As I shot it more I over came my fear of the gun. I also learned that if you shoot a lower grain bullet there is less recoil. (I shoot the Hornady 139 gr soft point.) It will also shoot flat and is more accurate. Today I wouldn't shoot anything else. What a great caliber weapon.


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## Glynr (Jul 3, 2011)

I swapped from a 300 mag to 7 mag about 5 years ago and so far I have not seen a con. I hope I never do.


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## miles58 (Jul 3, 2011)

Load up some 110 grain Barnes bullets for it and go kill stuff.  It will shoot nice and flat with them and they do not come undone like cup and core bullets.  110 grains is more than plenty heavy enough.  Your chances of ever stopping one in a deer are slim.  Take all the velocity you can get accurately and you'll have a winner.  I use 130s and 150s in my 300 WM, and let me tell you a 130 coming out at 3600 FPS will get Bambi's attention right now.  Between me and the people I load for we have forty or so deer killed with Barnes bullets and while a couple of them got a second dose, none of them needed it.  We recovered one bullet from a deer, a 130 that went corner to corner in a nice big buc from up here.


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## jigman29 (Jul 3, 2011)

I have a 7mag in a ruger m77 and I love it.The recoil is very manageable and it's a joy to shoot.I also have a 308 in the ruger compact and I believe it kicks harder than the mag.I also have no problems with it ruining much meat when I hold tight behind the shoulder.


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## wildlifepro (Jul 3, 2011)

With any caliber ,Shot placement is important everytime .A 7mm is a great allaround deer rifle ,A 243 30-30 is a good 100 150 yd rifle for southern deer.The extra horse power is great to have,flatter shoots,more hydrostatic shock at impact.A 7mm  with a 150 grain bullet is great for Whitetail or Mulies. I have found most guys flinch or are nervous the first time they shoot a magnum caliber.Kick and recoil depends a lot on the weight and manufacture of the weapon and powder charge.You will be much better off with the 7 mag if you want a good all around deer and larger  game rifle (elk etc..)as far as damaging meat with it a good 130 or 150 gr  bullet will not do that much damage ,once again with any caliber shot placement makes a difference and would rather have the power to punch out both lungs or break both shoulders with one shot.


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## Toxic (Jul 3, 2011)

I use a Ruger M77  in 7 mag, will never go back to the 270 or 30-30. I use 140 grain for whitetail, A friend reloads the nozler ballistic tips for me.


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## 1gr8bldr (Jul 3, 2011)

After reloading for years and studying ballistics, if I were to buy a new rifle for deer only, it would be a 270. But the 7mm is what I shoot when I can see over 200yds. Otherwise I tote my sons 243 youth model.


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## DogHunter4Life (Jul 3, 2011)

i love my BAR 7 mag.. will not own another caliber to hunt deer with.. if you can touch him with it, its pretty much a done deal.. leaves good blood trails and never had one run no further than 50 yards....with any gun if you hit it in the shoulder or back strap or ham--its gonna mess that meat up.. if you hit him right behind the shoulder its fine..

reason i hunt with it, if i see the buck of a lifetime, i'm not worried about the meat and the 7 mag will bring him down

i shoot 150 grains with mine.. its a heavy bullet for sure


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## 35 Whelen (Jul 3, 2011)

I personally prefer rifles with a 22" barrel, most magnums have 24" or even 26" barrels.  7MM Remington Magnum can not do anything your 270 can not do in my humble opinion, however it is all about what you like to use, no one else!


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## pnome (Jul 3, 2011)

Pro: It will kill a deer from a long way off.

Con: you already have a long range, "reach out and touch them" caliber rifle.  If I were you, I'd trade it for a rifle that would fill a gap.  Maybe a brush gun, something for the thick stuff.


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## Red350SS (Jul 3, 2011)

I have been hunting with a Browning Abolt in 7mag since the mid 80's. I love it. Sure, its a couple of inches longer and a bit heavier than a standard caliber rifle, but its dead accurate and carries a punch. Never had a deer move more than about 2 feet when hit with one. Never noticed any "extra" lost meat either.....its all about shot placement....but for those times when the shot might have a bit of "user error" I am glad to have the extra knock down power to make up for it...and yes, I have used many other calibers, 44mag, 30-30, 30-06,.270....but I keep going back to old faithful.


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## SFR292 (Jul 3, 2011)

I shoot a 338 winmag and I don't believe it's true "overkill"  if you're at a close range <200 the bullet doesn't has much time to slow down and expand so a bad shot isn't as bad as say, 30-30 that is slow enough at the muzzle to expand the bullet.  
By no way am I saying a 30-30 is a bad choice so don't take that wrong, just comparing high velocity to low.  
7mm is a great round even for small game like coyotes and will drop an elk at 500 yds.  A very good choice as your "go to" gun.   
Recoil isn't bad after you learn to manage it correctly, if you start to get sore on the range, just stop.  If you try to press on, you will have a high likely hood of developing bad habits that will carry on to your next range day.  Have fun and enjoy it.


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## georgia_home (Jul 3, 2011)

All this IMHO:

Pros: IT A 7MM MAG!!! Great round, always liked it's flat shooting capabilities and range. Always wanted to get one but only so much money for toys. 

CON: a little much for most things. Ammo is more expensive then some more "popular" cal's.


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## city boy gone country (Jul 3, 2011)

put a good muzzle brake on it and the recoil goes way down but the noise goes wayyyyyy up ! so wear some quality hearing protection.


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## ericb911 (Jul 3, 2011)

*7mm Mag*

Pros:  Flat shooting, very powerful, you can get managed recoil loads from Remington and Fusion that are great for deer if you don't want to shoot full power.  If you ever go anywhere or hunt anything that you need that necessitates the big mag you've got it.  You can still get ammo for it in the $17 to $25 range if you don't have to have "premium".

Cons:  Since you've got a limbsaver on the gun I don't see any cons.  Whatever you do, don't get a muzzle brake put on it.  You will not want to have to carry ear muffs in the woods with you when you hunt and you WILL incur permanent hearing damage with one shot without ear protection.


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## Hairtrigger (Jul 3, 2011)

city boy gone country said:


> put a good muzzle brake on it and the recoil goes way down but the noise goes wayyyyyy up ! so wear some quality hearing protection.



Listen to this guy.. lost  1/4 hearing forever in one ear due to this. Got a stellar buck but would rather have my ear drum back


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## golffreak (Jul 3, 2011)

There are no cons in regards to a 7 mag.


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## Swamprat (Jul 4, 2011)

I think a 7 mag is great if you are hunting large clearcuts or ag fields but if it is normal 100 yard shots or less then it is overkill.

You are shooting animals that weigh 250 pounds or less. If you are hunting most normal situations a .243 up to 30-06 will get the job done for less dollars and abuse at the range sighting it in.


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## 7Mag Hunter (Jul 4, 2011)

larrypeters83 said:


> if you can accurately quote me saying that a 30-30 or a 243 is BETTER for deer then i will paypal you $100 dollars. i never said such a thing.



Sorry my bad!!!!!


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## REB 73 (Jul 4, 2011)

It's better to have overkill and not need it.Need it and not have it. 7mm mag is good.


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## 01Foreman400 (Jul 4, 2011)

Only thing I can think that would be a con is the 26" barrel.


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## dtala (Jul 4, 2011)

larrypeters83 said:


> anything bigger than a 30-30 or a 243 is just overkill for deer.



absolutely agree with you on this^^^^^^^

















IF yer shooting midgets in a greenfield.....


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## emusmacker (Jul 4, 2011)

A 7 mag will outperform a 270 in long range situations. It's not overkill, I used to work in a processing plant and would find out what caliber the deer were killed with. Most of the deer shot with pipsqueaks like the 223 or 243 had more jellied meat than the bigger cals.  Also I don't want to have borrow or buy a new gun if I ever decide to go out West to hunt elk or moose.


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## bublewis (Jul 4, 2011)

It's a great all around deer cartridge.  Pros/cons are subjective - only you know what best punches your tags in the end.


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## Confederate_Jay (Jul 4, 2011)

I have a 7mm Rem Mag,  7mm WSM ,  300 WSM and my son now has my old 30.06. I honestly felt no discernable difference in the recoil of any of them.  

I would not own a gun for hunting with a muzzle brake- You definately need strong hearing protection and hunting with earplugs or muffs just don't cut it.

If you are shooting at the range use a lead sled ... it will keep you from worrying any (even subconsciously)  about the "kick" and when when you are shooting at a deer I guarantee you arent gonna feel any recoil anyway. Only way to know for sure is to try it out and see if it suits you.


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## MoonPie (Jul 4, 2011)

pnome said:


> Pro: It will kill a deer from a long way off.
> 
> Con: you already have a long range, "reach out and touch them" caliber rifle.  If I were you, I'd trade it for a rifle that would fill a gap.  Maybe a brush gun, something for the thick stuff.



X2  .


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## timgarside (Jul 4, 2011)

Lots of pros. The only con if there really is one would be that being a magnum they tend to be a little heavier to tote than what I like. It isnt a deal breaker though. If you want to shoot a deer with a 220 swift or a .505 Jeffery who is anyone to tell you what to shoot and what not to shoot. If you like the gun and you did good on the trade, you've done good. It will kick a little more than you are used to but the rest is up to you. I have a Ruger M77MKII that ONLY likes 140 grain federal premium nosler partitions. I have a Browning A-Bolt that I can feed anything to it and it is consistant. If you dont like it Im sure someone will gladly trade you out of it. PM me if you decide to get rid of it.


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## biker13 (Jul 4, 2011)

Been here before ain't we?


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## doeboy77 (Jul 5, 2011)

i also mainly shoot my ruger 7mag with150 grain bullets. Dont really notice much difference in recoil between it or my 30/06


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## Jester896 (Jul 5, 2011)

if you are used to shooting LA Magnum calibers there won't be that much noticeable difference.  Someone on here gave me a good handload for 115 gr I think it was.  Mine likes the heavier bullets (more recoil) 140-168 gr.  The last deer I shot with mine was about 230 yds out...I think I was using a 150 gr Federal load with a Nosler Partition bullet...but it may have been a Nosler load.  The entry and exit were about the size of a #2 lead pencil...only hit soft tissue.. more lung matter went out the exit than any other time I have placed a shot there with any other rifle.  I think my favorite shot placement with my 7mm or my 300Win is front shoulder to lung to give it some slow down and expansion room...I still think the .270 is a better choice if you tend to be recoil sensitive.


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## dwhee87 (Jul 6, 2011)

I chose the 7mag so I could get comfortable with my "everyday" gun, so when I went out west for elk and muley, I wouldn't have to change. 2-inch groups at 200 yds consistently. As mentioned above, when you draw down on a deer, you never even notice the kick. As far as the meat, I've hit them in the high shoulder, which drops them in their tracks, and the breadbasket, which leaves a great blood trail. A well placed shot and the confidence your gun can do it results in very little lost meat. Never had an animal go more than 30 yards.


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## BONE HEAD (Jul 6, 2011)

I love my 7 mag And my 243 And my 25-06 .  Try it. ..if you like it use it


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## BamaBart (Jul 7, 2011)

I shoot 140 gr. accubonds out of my 7mm Rem. Mag.
Deadly on whitetail when hunting cutovers and pipelines.


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## one hogman (Jul 9, 2011)

Confederate_Jay said:


> I have a 7mm Rem Mag,  7mm WSM ,  300 WSM and my son now has my old 30.06. I honestly felt no discernable difference in the recoil of any of them.
> 
> I would not own a gun for hunting with a muzzle brake- You definately need strong hearing protection and hunting with earplugs or muffs just don't cut it.
> 
> If you are shooting at the range use a lead sled ... it will keep you from worrying any (even subconsciously)  about the "kick" and when when you are shooting at a deer I guarantee you arent gonna feel any recoil anyway. Only way to know for sure is to try it out and see if it suits you.



I agree with Jay, and also have a lead sled, They are great tools to lock the gun down for a good zero and take away recoil, the one thing I will add, is some don't like the longer barrels that come with a magnum and really make them shine, you can get around that with a single shot, TC Encore, Ruger #1 or Handi Rifle, My Encore with 26" barrel is shorter than most bolt actions with 22" barrels. And you gett ALL the velocity that round is good for.


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## 00Beau (Jul 9, 2011)

7mag is an excellent deer gun!! I had an A-Bolt 7mag for years and almost regret changing to 300WSM!!!


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## Lead Poison (Jul 10, 2011)

There is absolutely _nothing wrong_ with a good shooting 7mm Remington Mag!

The deer I've killed with a 7 mag may not agree however.


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## tbrown913 (Jul 12, 2011)

i hunted with a 7mm for three years and sold it.  I hunted with it a lot on a buried gas line, and where i had shots of 75 yards or less.  on the gas line, i liked the way it shot, and killed a couple does between 200 and 300 yards.  both does were hit at least in the lungs, one should have had damage to the heart, but i didnt confirm it.  both shots were on the lower third of the deer, within three inches of the back of the front leg.  both deer ran over 500 yards, and left a very scarce blood trail.  the first doe was shot with ballistic silvertips.  i thought the poor performance and lethality was due to the bullet.  the second was shot with federal btsp bullets like what i used in my 270 and had great luck with.  I decided that the sheer speed of the bullet was causing the lack of damage.  I also shot three deer that were within 75 yards.  the first was a doe that weighed about 75 pounds.  she was thirty yards out, and i was about twenty feet up a tree.  i shot a couple inches higher than i wanted, but, on the downward angle, it was still a clean kill shot.  the only problem, the bottom of the deer opened up, and half the deers inards fell out while it ran.  the other two deer were neck shots. 

Now i use  my 270 with tipped tsx bullets for shots over 100 yards, and my slug gun for under 100!

overall, the 7mm is a great caliber, and has plenty of uses.  try it out, tweak your setup, and get the results you want, or try something else if it doesnt perform exactly how you want it to!


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## Gadestroyer74 (Jul 12, 2011)

O





wildlifepro said:


> With any caliber ,Shot placement is important everytime .A 7mm is a great allaround deer rifle ,A 243 30-30 is a good 100 150 yd rifle for southern deer.The extra horse power is great to have,flatter shoots,more hydrostatic shock at impact.A 7mm  with a 150 grain bullet is great for Whitetail or Mulies. I have found most guys flinch or are nervous the first time they shoot a magnum caliber.Kick and recoil depends a lot on the weight and manufacture of the weapon and powder charge.You will be much better off with the 7 mag if you want a good all around deer and larger  game rifle (elk etc..)as far as damaging meat with it a good 130 or 150 gr  bullet will not do that much damage ,once again with any caliber shot placement hmakes a difference and would rather have the power to punch out both lungs or break both shoulders with one shot.


 well said.  I hunt with a 7mm ultra mag and it's awesome the 7mm is my favorite hunting round you hit anything in bone and it's gonna destroy  alot of meat


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## hambone76 (Jul 12, 2011)

The 160 grain Swift A-frame bullet is a good choice in a 7 mag IMHO. I shot numerous deer with that bullet and never destroyed as much meat as I did when using ballistic tips. The pros are flat shooting, good for many different game animals, and short blood trails with a well placed shot. The only con IMHO is ammo prices. The recoil is over-rated.


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## idletime2day (Jul 13, 2011)

I have a 7mag in a Browning A bolt with the boss system, I love it, have shot it for years, recoil is not a problem. The muzzle blast with the ported boss system is REALLY loud. I wear Walker game ears to solve the noise issue. Its my favorite gun. I also own other guns that I love as well, but you can't beat the 7 for all around performance.


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## BassHunter25 (Jul 13, 2011)

My Dad got a ruger 7 mag when I was younger.  It was really loud compared to the 308 and 270 we had.  And it busted his nose twice.  And he is 6ft. 3 290lbs.  So, he put it in the gun cabinet, until about 8yrs ago, I decided I would trade him a 3006 for it.  I put a new scope on it and I have had great success with it.  I don't even notice the recoil.  I think a cheap scope coupled with my dad's bad eyesight was the reason he busted his nose.  

I have 4 rifles, but the ruger 7mag is my go to rifle.


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## HighCotton (Jul 13, 2011)

I hunt with a Ruger 7mag.  I've had it for maybe 10 years and killed my share of deer and a few hogs.  I've experienced NONE of the issues that other posters have been critical of.

Does it have a kick?  Sure, but what gun doesn't.  But it's no worse than my 12 gauge shotgun and I'm only going to fire the thing one round at a time then might go days or weeks before I fire it again.  Folks complaining about the recoil are not being realistic and/or not holding the gun properly.

I shoot a 158gr but you can go a little lighter at 140 or heavier up to 175.  When I was looking for a new deer rifle, I wanted something that:
-had plenty of knockdown power
-was great up close and in cover
-but still very good (relatively flat) trajectory out to 200 yards.

If that's the combination you're looking for, the 7mag is the caliber of choice hands down.  Nothing else comes close.  Case closed. I've owned and shot .270, 30-06, 30-30, and .308.  The 7mag is THE rifle for me.


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## Ol_Oneshot (Jul 16, 2011)

The only drawback I've found is in a Remington rifle, the 7 Mag had a 26" barrel seem like i was carrying a 8 foot post thru the woods. But i hunt thick areas a lot more than fields so that is the only drawback. But in the fields i love the 7mag and the length of the rifle did not bother me. The 150 gr Corelok put the knock down on the deer.


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