Author Topic: Do i need a 7mm REM mag or is a .280 plenty (Read 2020 times)

Masterblaster1 · « **on:** June 30, 2004, 01:07:28 PM »

I am trying to decide which of these calibers I should get for my new bolt action deer gun. I hunt in MI's upper penninsula. Shots are at max of 80 yards and most are much closer, unless walking a logging road. I am a handloader so factory availbility wouldnt be an issue. I just want some general opinions on which caliber i would be better off with. Thanks a bunch

Yukon Jack · « **Reply #1 on:** June 30, 2004, 01:32:10 PM »

If those are the two you are looking at, the 280 is fine, I would suspect. As would be the 7x57.

onesonek · « **Reply #2 on:** June 30, 2004, 01:35:47 PM »

The 280 is more efficient. And the power of the 7mm mag isn't needed. Even at 300 yds. on deer the 280 will do anything the 7mag will do. With less powder, less recoil, less muzzle blast, and longer case life. Unless you you decide to throw Elk into the equation, the 280 is plenty enough gun. Even if you decide on a long logging road shot. I have a fondness for the .284/7mm bore. And the 280 is my favorite, right next to the 280 AI. From a practical standpoint, why burn the extra powder if isn't needed?
Dave

longwinters · « **Reply #3 on:** June 30, 2004, 01:44:01 PM »

I have a 7mm and really like it, but the 280 is very more than adequate for any game with hooves. . . especially in the U.P. Where are you from? Always nice to hear from a fellow Yooper.

Long

Masterblaster1 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 30, 2004, 01:55:29 PM »

Not from the up, just hunt there. I hunt in Dickinson county. I am actually from southeast Michigan, north of Mt. Clemens, just outside of New Haven.

Camp Cook · « **Reply #5 on:** June 30, 2004, 02:39:43 PM »

I have a Remington 700 Mountain rifle chambered in 280 Rem. with a 22" barrel. I load Hornady 139gr SST's @ 3080fps using IMR 4350 powder. With this load and a Leupold Vari X 11 4-12X scope and also when I'm having a good day I group 3'' @ 300yards. For the type of hunting you are discribing I'd definately go with the 280 Rem. My son shot his first deer with this rifle last year @ 10 yards. Go figure I worked forever on developing this load and he shot the deer @ 10 yards!
Cam

longwinters · « **Reply #6 on:** June 30, 2004, 03:55:45 PM »

MB, I live in Dickinson Co. (Kingsford).

Long

smoky · « **Reply #7 on:** June 30, 2004, 04:48:57 PM »

I reload and shoot the following 7mm calibers:

7mm Rem Mag
.280 Rem
7 x 57 mauser
7-08 Rem ackley improved
7-08 Remington
7 mm Benchrest

I guess you can say I'm fond of this class of bullets.

All of the calibers above will work fine in the situation you mention. I would pick one that works well with the style of gun you wish to shoot. That is Long Barrel, Short Barrel, Carbine Length, Long action, Short action, Heavy contour, Lightweight contour, Mountain rifle, etc, etc.

In summary, I think you will be the most happy choosing a style of gun you like and enjoy shooting. Let that dictate the caliber you choose.

My 2 cents

Smoky

Savorino · « **Reply #8 on:** June 30, 2004, 06:15:12 PM »

This Michigan boy chose the 280rem. The 7mag is a fine rifle but requires a longer barrel and longer action on some rifles (more weight). The 280 can be reloaded within 100-200fps of the mag, and if you reload, the cases will last longer not being headspaced on the band(so I was told). originally I had a Browning composite Stalker that was very handy(6 3/4lbs). I now have a Marlin MR-7 in 280.

TNrifleman · « **Reply #9 on:** June 30, 2004, 06:33:22 PM »

I bought my 280 Remington in 1980. One will serve you well for hunting any deer at any sane range anywhere. The 7mm Mag is a good cartridge, I just don't need one to hunt deer.

oso45-70 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 30, 2004, 06:49:17 PM »

Gentleman,
I have the Remington mountian rifle in 280 and like just fine. It has a leupold 3 1/2 by 10 scope, According to my loading man.s you can get to within about 50 feet of the 7mm. mag, But i see no need to do it. You would increase the recoil and not gain that much. the 280 is a great gun.
Have a good day and stay safe................Joe.....................................

huntsman · « **Reply #11 on:** July 01, 2004, 02:51:44 AM »

In practical terms, the .280 can do whatever the 7mm mag can do, with less fuss and bother. The .280 is one of the best all-around cartridges out there for medium/large game.

Camp Cook · « **Reply #12 on:** July 02, 2004, 05:04:20 AM »

Huntsman you couldn't have said it better........
Cam

ms · « **Reply #13 on:** July 02, 2004, 07:21:26 AM »

I hunt with a 284 winchester for deer sometimes it works great I'am from Dearborn heights mi . :wink:

Mitch in MI · « **Reply #14 on:** July 02, 2004, 02:01:41 PM »

I'd pick the 280 Rem or over any magnum, the gain isn't worth the extra recoil.
A handloaded 280 would hit as hard at 350 yards as a 7mm Mag does at 400.

I can't use my 280 here in Eaton County, but a .50 cal muzzleloader works fine at the ranges we hunt at.

Mitch.

Drilling Man · « **Reply #15 on:** July 02, 2004, 02:29:56 PM »

Savorino,

The 7 mag only headspaces on the belt for the "first shot", just like all other belted magnums. After that, if you don't push the shoulder back when resizeing the case, it will head space "on the shoulder" just like all the other non belted rimless cartridges.

After that, case life has more to do with the pressure you load it to than anything else.

I've hunted with both the 7 mag and the 280/7 express Rem. a lot, and for deer hunting i'd pick the 280 Rem.. You just don't need the extra power the 7 mag. has.

I've taken caribou, deer, and blk bear ect.. with my 7 exp. Rem., without any problems at all.

Drilling Man

Doc T · « **Reply #16 on:** July 13, 2004, 08:30:19 AM »

Don't forget about the 7mm-08. Being a short action it might be a little handier. Not as much gun as a 280? Hornady Light Magnum ammo lists a 140gr bullet at 3000fps which is identical to a standard 280 with a 140gr bullet.

ratherbefishin · « **Reply #17 on:** August 13, 2004, 07:08:39 PM »

everybody has their favourite rifle and cartridge-I have a very nice Ruger#1 270 with a leopold 2-7 scope-which I carry on nice days[ and don't see a lot of deer].Rainy days I take my $69 6.5x55 swede and shoot a lot of deer.I think I've shot over 20 bucks with that rifle now.None ran more than 30 or 40 yards.It's light recoil, more accurate than I am and seem to be ''just right'' for deer.I am very suspicious that all these ''new'' cartridges are designed soley to sell more rifles that put a buck in the freezer.The 6.5 x55 swede has been around a very long time, and has seen a lot of ''hot '' calibers come on the scene with a splash -and go only to be replaced with the next ''must have''.
For example- the 350 magnum isn't that much better than the old 35 whelen and the 260 isn't all that superior to my old 6.5 swede- and no moose or deer is going to know the diferance, either
Makes great magazine reading though- but you'd think from reading the articles that unless you had one of these new rifles, theres no point in going hunting.

7magWoodsman · « **Reply #18 on:** August 13, 2004, 07:19:51 PM »

Quote from: Masterblaster1

I am trying to decide which of these calibers I should get for my new bolt action deer gun. I hunt in MI's upper penninsula. Shots are at max of 80 yards and most are much closer, unless walking a logging road. I am a handloader so factory availbility wouldnt be an issue. I just want some general opinions on which caliber i would be better off with. Thanks a bunch

Considering the hunting conditions I would get a 7mm08 and this opinion is coming from someone that "WILL NOT" walk out the door without the Ruger M77 7mm Remington Magnum in the modern gun portion of deer season. As far as recoil goes the 7mag is not as bad as everyone puts on, if you can handle the old 30'06 you won't tell "much" of a difference(kinda sharper/quicker than the '06, but is comparable to). but before everyone bursts their bubbles the .280 does have less recoil...the 7mm08 has even less.

longwinters · « **Reply #19 on:** August 17, 2004, 02:59:57 PM »

Like I said, for Michigan hunting the 280 is probably a better choice than the 7mm. And I have both. But in looking at all of my reloading manuals I dont see anywhere where the 280 comes close to the 7mm, unless 200-300fps is close. You cannot compare a slow load in one caliber and the fastest load in another and call it almost the same. Also in all of my reloading manuals the 280 is tested with a 26" barrel and the 7mm with a 24". To get the same velocity out of a 280 as a 7mm the recoil will also be about the same. Go with the 280 but don't for the wrong reasons.

Long

7mm MAGNUM · « **Reply #20 on:** August 17, 2004, 03:11:50 PM »

Masterblaster1 I have hunted up in the areas your talking about (Channing & Sagola) and had my 7mm Mag with me. I wish I had brought my good ol' Winchester model 94 30-30 instead! :roll:

The area that we hunted was so thick with pines it wasn't funny. Every now and then you'd come across a clear cut area that was a patch of maybe 50 yards at best. The 7mm Mag was just too heavy and too long of a rifle to do that kind of hunting. A good ol' lever action 30-30 would have been much better, or even a 12 ga. slug gun.

This year our group will be heading to the UP again after a 5 year stint in the Manistee area for a little more room.

Just too much orange in Manistee lately. I must of had over 25 hunters pass my spot last year.

I'll be bringing my Guide rifle this time :wink: Much lighter and a shorter barrel

DeerMeadowFarm · « **Reply #21 on:** August 18, 2004, 03:03:31 AM »

I use a Remington 7600 (soon to be carbine) in .280 when I hunt in Maine. Sounds like very similar terrain with the exception that the area I hunt in now has some clear-cuts where longer shots may present itself. The longest shot I took at a deer was paced off at a little over 100 yards (116 or 120, my mind is slow this morning) and that was in one of those clear cuts. Ive taken more than a dozen deer with this rifle, a 200+ pound black bear, and two Caribou on a hunt in Quebec (one of the Caribou I shot was just over 200 yards away). Ive never had a problem. Get the .280, youll be happier for it.