Florida Shooters Network

I have been debating on getting my first bolt hunting rifle and have been torn between the .308 or the 7mm Mag. I have seen good reviews on both, but wanted to get the feedback of people here that have experience with either or both. As for usage, I would primarily hunt deer (both in FL and SC...occasionally KY). I currently have a Rem 7400 in .270 that I hunt with, but want to get to a bolt action. I am looking for any and all input...good or bad. Thanks

Go with the 308,more and cheaper ammo choices.Plus less recoil.

Go with the 308. I have both and the 7Mag is seriously overkill for any deer, let alone Florida deer. 308 is also cheaper and less recoil, as already mentioned.

I haven't shot a 7mm Mag, but will add to the other's comments. The perceived recoil on the 700 .308 tactical with the stock "Limbsaver" pad reduces the recoil to nothing. My Ithaca LSA-55 in .243 has more felt recoil than the 700 in .308.

Thanks all, it sounds unanimous that the .308 is the route to go. The only .308 I have shot to date is my DPMS LR308 w/ 24" BB, so I was not sure how the 700 would compare between the calibers other than looking at ballistics.

Thanks,

Bill

Have you considered the .270 in bolt action? I am currently contemplating narrowing down my collection so that I do not have 16 different calibers. Just something to consider.

onebadscrambler wrote:Have you considered the .270 in bolt action? I am currently contemplating narrowing down my collection so that I do not have 16 different calibers. Just something to consider.

I thought about that as well, but with the round that I shoot, I found that the ballistics were better on the 7mm and .308 than the .270 when comparing ballistics coefficients. I was also looking at the drop for various ranges (the 7mm seemed best there,with the least drop still maintaining the highest velocity and energy at the same ranges). Obviously these standings are liable to change with different ammo.

Aside from that, I actually like variety. Which would be the reason I have 9, 40, 357mag, 40, and 45 for handguns... On that note, I would love to have a 700 in each of the calibers, but that is financially unlikely and not feasible.

itsnunya wrote:Aside from that, I actually like variety. Which would be the reason I have 9, 40, 357mag, 40, and 45 for handguns... On that note, I would love to have a 700 in each of the calibers, but that is financially unlikely and not feasible.

But, then you'd run the chance of grabbing the Remy 700 270 thinking you had the Remy 700 7mm and five boxes of ammo for the 7mm and have a very disappointing day at the range...

PCJim9mm wrote:But, then you'd run the chance of grabbing the Remy 700 270 thinking you had the Remy 700 7mm and five boxes of ammo for the 7mm and have a very disappointing day at the range...

That would lead to a very unpleasant day at the range... As for the 700, I do plan on getting a bb not the standard. Maybe I can convince the other to let me use some of the tax return

I've know a few hunters in the Jax area that swear by the .270 for any game in FL. 7mm mag is more of a round who's trajectory advantage is more suited to wide open shots in the western US. I have a buddy up here in GA who eventually sold his 7mm mag because the recoil was more than he could stand to practice enough to be proficient. If you really want a flat shooting caliber with less recoil think about the 7mm-08. Same case as the .308 and a better trajectory (the .270 is basically a smaller caliber .30.06). Also the .308 family of cartridges will fit a shorter receiver that the longer 7mm mag and .270.

I have the .270 as well as .308 and actually prefer the .270.

But as for your oringinal question, I'd take .308 over 7mm mag every time for the reasons mentioned above.