Help choose caliber please (yes, another thread)

[bug_eyedmonster]

Hello CGers!

I am going to Spartan later on today to discuss with Marc about a new hunting rifle. I bought a Remington 7mm SPS Stainless some time ago to replace the older one that my father used to limit the beating it has taken. But rather than spend money on top of the rifle, I think it would be better to do a ground up built with Marc. I was planning to re-barrel it anyway, so it doesn't make sense to buy a whole rifle and throw almost all of it away. So, to make a long story short (or longer), I am trying to decide on what caliber to go with. The 7mm Remington magnum is a great round, I've used it for many years, as my father before me. But I can't help but to think about switching also. This rifle will mainly be used for pig and deer, for out of state hunts I'm working on a .338 Lapua. The glass is already here, it's a Nightforce SHV. I have not started to hand load 7mm, I've been using nothing but factory ammo, but plan to start loading for the .338, which means I can hand load also for this rifle as well. I'm trying to decide between two calibers, either stick with the 7mm mag or move to the .300 mag. I wont be taking shots further than 500 yards, and don't know enough about ballistics and BCs to understand the geeky threads I've read on here and other forums, so if someone can explain to me in simpler terms, I would greatly appreciate it.

Jerry

[ar15barrels]

How about a 280 Remington?
A pig or a deer inside 500yds won't know the difference between it and a 7mm magnum.

[bug_eyedmonster]

How about a 280 Remington?
A pig or a deer inside 500yds won't know the difference between it and a 7mm magnum.

Thanks for the recommendation, but I'd like to stick with one of the two calibers simply because they are more readily available if I need to grab something off the shelf. But you are correct, for the most part, there are quite a few calibers that a deer or pig could not tell the difference from at that distance or less. hahaha


Jerry

[TMB 1]

How about a 280 Remington?
A pig or a deer inside 500yds won't know the difference between it and a 7mm magnum.

^This^
I have both. The 280 is nicer to shoot and easier on the powder supply.

[ar15barrels]

I'd like to stick with one of the two calibers simply because they are more readily available if I need to grab something off the shelf.

I reload so I don't concern myself about ammo availability, but my suggestion would be to visit 5 random sporting goods stores and survey the ammo selection.
Go with whatever was more prevalent or had a larger selection.

[ElvenSoul]

Inside 700yds
.300 WSM very avail and a wide variety of bullet weights

Inside 500yds .270Win won't break the shoulder or the bank

[RobG]

Hard to wrong either way. Personally I am a fan of the 7RM. Great round, plenty of bullets, available factory ammo, not too hard on the shoulder.

Have Marc set it up to space off the shoulder not the belt. Have fun setting it up. Marc builds nothing but hammers so no worries there.

[ElvenSoul]

7mag rounds where just as expensive as 30-06 last fall.

[silvertriple]

I love 6.5mm & 7mm calibers. I have a 7RM, but have been thinking about a 284 Winchester lately...

[TMB 1]

7mm RM is best if your using factory ammo. You could build a 7mmx64 Brenneke, factory ammo for it is cheaper than the 280 Remington I think.

[bug_eyedmonster]

I will be reloading, and if I go with the 7mm, I have a considerable amount of once fired brass for it already. If I go with the .300, then I have brass from a friend of mine. I wanted to stick with these two choices because I travel to hunt, and have forgotten ammo before which required me to buy on the road. This is the main reason why I wanted to stick with these two calibers, I've seen them pretty much everywhere. Not to say that the other ones you guys are mentioning arent around, but I tend to stick with what I know in these cases.


Jerry

[TMB 1]

Stick with the 7mm then. The 338 will handle anything the 7mm can't.

[bug_eyedmonster]

Stick with the 7mm then. The 338 will handle anything the 7mm can't.

This is the assumption I had, but wanted to see if there was any compelling argument for the .300 before deciding. I already have the 7mm from my father, but the point in this was to have the same familiarity without beating up that rifle anymore. Thanks to all of you guys for your input, I know there are a poo-ton of options out there for calibers, and it is a conversation my friends and I have had for hours around the fire after hunts...

Jerry

[LynnJr]

308 Winchester
yards inches MOA
100 -0.0 -0.0
200 -4.5 -2.1
300 -15.8 -5.0
400 -35.3 -8.4
500 -64.2 -12.3
600 -104.3 -16.3

30-378 Weatherby
yards inches MOA
100 -0.0 -0.0
200 -2.2 -1.0
300 -8.6 -2.7
400 -19.9 -4.7
500 -36.8 -7.0
600 -60.2 -9.6

Here is the geeky ballistics for you. The 308 burns 44 grains of powder while the 30-378 burns 112 grains.
The pointblank range on the 30-378 is 394 yards so if you are limiting yourself to 500 yards your a touch high on the shoulder out to 500 yards.
With the 308 shooting the exact same bullet your two revolutions up on your scope.
3 rounds with the 30-378 and 5-10 with the 308.
Brass is $4 each for the 30-378 and free off of the ground for the 308.
Recoil on the 308 is girlish while on the 30-378 it will jar your teeth making a muzzlebrake mandatory.

6AM in the morning on a out of state mule deer hunt last day of season and Mr Huge Horns is about to skyline 450 yards away meaning one quick shot until next year.
30-378 all the way.

[RobG]

I will be reloading, and if I go with the 7mm, I have a considerable amount of once fired brass for it already. If I go with the .300, then I have brass from a friend of mine. I wanted to stick with these two choices because I travel to hunt, and have forgotten ammo before which required me to buy on the road. This is the main reason why I wanted to stick with these two calibers, I've seen them pretty much everywhere. Not to say that the other ones you guys are mentioning arent around, but I tend to stick with what I know in these cases.


Jerry

There ya go. If a 180 at 3k or 160 at 3150 won't blow your skirt up, the 338 will