Note: This information comes from the manufacturer and is for informational purposes only. Of these, 140 grain, 150 grain, 160 grain, and 175 grain loads are by far the most common. I took it off and put it on my coyote rifle, and upgraded to a 4-16x44 Vortex Viper HST. By Please know that we only recommend products we trust and have used ourselves. Also, ballistics can vary from lot to lot with the same brand and type load. Above you can see the drop in MOA for the two cartridges. It takes into effect things like atmospheric conditions, wind, and even allows you to make projections shooting both up and down hill. This is extremely important for game hunters who need a bullet that can punch through thick hide, bone, and sinew. 7mm-08 seems to be catching on and I can only imagine that more offerings in 7mm-08 will be available as the caliber grows in popularity. Our calculator creates a proper ballistics trajectory chart that details range, drop, velocity, energy (fps), wind drift, and time. Both cartridges are models of deportment. Whats interesting when you compare these two calibers is that there are certain points of intersection when it comes to sectional density. Rifle Ballistics Summary. Specifically, the larger diameter .308 bullets used by the .30-06 have about 18% more frontal surface area (also known as cross sectional area) than the .284 bullets used by the 7mm Rem Mag (.0745 vs .0633 square inches). This is not quite true for the 7mm-08. If youd like to have an argument about which is better, we can discuss how many angels can dance on the head of a pin when were done with that. The .308 Win. The following is a 500 yard 7mm Rem Magnum ballistic chart that was created using our free online ballistic calculator and details all aspects of the bullets trajectory from the millisecond it leaves the barrel until the time it reaches the 500 yd mark. When the Remington magnum was developed, it was by no means the first such round in .284. The vast majority of 7mm Rem Magfactory loads shoot bullets in the 139-175 grain range. Having a shorter and lighter rifle is more important on some hunts than on others. If youve trained on 308 Winchester for years and you are looking to hunt big game like elk and caribou, then grab some ballistic tips and head into the woods to claim that trophy whitetail. On the other hand, the .30-06 has an advantage when it comes to frontal surface area (which gives a tiny bit more room for error with shot placement), uses heavier bullets, and has a little less recoil. I found that brass is running about $1 each But I found 5 boxes of 175 grain Federal Fusions for $99 so I will shoot through that and have my brass for reloading. The most popular 7mm bullets also have a relatively high sectional density (SD). First, the .30-06 uses larger diameter bullets than the 7mm Rem Mag. Be sure to hit that Subscribe button in your podcast player! This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. To put it simply, ballistic coefficient (BC) is a mathematical representation of how aerodynamic a bullet is and how much it resists wind drift. Its also easier to find .30-06 rifles that are less expensive. While the two cartridges are very easily matched in many ways and can help hunters chase a variety of game, they do have important differences. The old .30-06 remains one of the most popular centerfire rifle cartridges in the United States (as well as many other parts of the world) to this day. The round was a major, and immediate, success. However, regardless of whether youre using a 7mm Remington Magnum or a .30-06 Springfield, no deer, elk, black bear, moose or pronghorn will go far if you put a well constructed bullet into the vitals during a real world hunting scenario. When I wanted a 7mm magnum, I went for the 7mm Weatherby, which packs a lot more horsepower than the Remington. When chambered in .30-06 Springfield, the rifle has a 22 barrel, an overall length of 42.75, and weighs 7.4 pounds. Both are very close on cartridge best-seller lists, usually lurking around the No. are great cartridges, but which one is better? This was built on a Surgeon XL action with a 308bolt face topped off with a Nightforce 8-3256 and later adding the Barrett BORS. In this case, the 7mm Rem Mag produces 7.5% more free recoil energy than the .30-06. With all that in mind, its not surprising at all that the flat shooting and hard hitting 7mm Rem Magquickly caught on with hunters and shooters in North America. Extreme Shot One Mile Italia 22-26 September 2021. factory vs custom rifle, check out this post here, Our 308Win handload basically replicates the Eldx 178gr load, training weekend of Extreme Shot One Mile Italia. The .30-06 tops out at 220-grain bullets, while 180 grains is pretty much the high end for the .308. You can easily pick up a Savage Axis or a Ruger American chambered in 7mm-08 for under $500 at the time of publishing this article. However, both rifle cartridges are a breeze to hand reload and you should not shy away from reloading 7mm-08, just understand that youll definitely want to save your brass and that its unlikely youll find any lying around at your local gun range. Above: Surgeon rifles built for field use, training and the occasional hunt topped with a March 2.5-2542. Both cartridges are extremely common in bolt-action rifles. Which 30 caliber rifle will win? It had enough velocity to make hitting easy at what was then considered long range. In this article, Im going to do a detailed comparison of the 7mm Rem Mag vs 30-06 Springfield in order to show the differences between those cartridges so you can make an informed decision on which one will work best for you. Using the 150-grain bullet as a model, in a 7-pound rifle, the .270 Winchester produces about 13 foot pounds of recoil, which is not much. The .308 Winchester and 7mm-08 Remington are essentially neck and neck at 300 yards, and by 500 yards, the 7mm-08 is actually packing an extra 59 ft-lbs of energy over the .308. States across the country are now allowing the use of straight-walled cases in what used to be shotgun-only zones for deer. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Now lets discuss larger game, like elk and bears. You can even find an old Mauser thats been converted to fire 308 if youre willing to look a little. Wind Components are (Miles per Hour): DownRange: 0.0 Cross Range: 10.0 Vertical: 0.0. 6.5. This load has been optimized in Shoot! We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Since it started life at a NATO cartridge, there is a greater variety of semi-auto rifle chambered .308. It in no way increases the amount you pay and helps us stay in business. Well, the 7mm Remington Magnum has a smaller bore size and uses a much bigger powder charge. Its almost new, no wear on the bolt lugs or interior of the receiver. Without getting into complex equations that would induce you into a mathematic coma, the 7mm-08 design allows it to exert higher pressure on a smaller surface area. While these heavier bullets will slow down the velocity, the upper end of either of these cartridges will be plenty to take down any game in North America in the right range with the right shot placement. Mag. Compare all 7mm Remington Magnum ammunition manufacturers on one easy to read chart. The Scottish hunter who harvested around 800 bull elephants with his 275 Rigby (7mm-08 equivalent). If youre making up your mind about factory vs custom rifle, check out this post here. That time period saw a flood of new centerfire rifle cartridges like the .223 Remington, .280 Remington, and .308 Winchester. A lighter bullet will shoot faster, and here the lighter bullets of the 7mm-08 Remington help give it the advantage. Ultra-high velocity, magnum ammunition is how Roy Weatherby got started in the 1940s. As you can see, these two rifle cartridges are incredibly similar except for the bullet that they use. Also, ballistics can vary from lot to lot with the same brand and type load. Bullet weight has a direct correlation to felt recoil and there's no denying that the 7mm bullets fired from the 7mm-08 are low recoil. Barrel lengths do vary depending on the manufacturer and exact model. Given its larger case capacity, the .30-06 can be pushed to moderately higher velocities. As the 308 has been around for about 40 more years than the 7mm-08, manufacturers have considerably more options when it comes to 308 chambered rifles. So, the advantages the 7mm Remington Magnum cartridge has with energy, trajectory, and wind drift grow slightly at extended range. You will easily be drawn into believing this is the next big thing up your alley. Smart choice. Theses charts make it easy for you to make sure the ammo you purchase is right for your firearm. In general, .30-06 ammo is typically noticeably cheaper than 7mm Rem Mag ammo. I have Savage rifles in both .308 and 7 Rem Mag. A higher BC means the bullet is more streamlined, can resist crosswinds more effectively, and are less susceptible to wind drift than bullets with a lower BC. The .284/7mm bore diameter is in something of a sweet spot where its easier to manufacture very high BC bullets thats arent especially heavy. At the same time, the 7mm Rem Mag has a steeper 25 degree shoulder (the .30-06 has a 17.5 degree shoulder) that also sits a tiny bit further forward than the shoulder of the .30-06. Wind drift measures how the bullet is impacted by a 10mph crosswind. Take a look at the photo below (178gr .30 cal ELD-X on the left and 175gr 7mm TBBC on the right) and the reasons why should be obvious. Or if you want something that has a bit less recoil, shoots a little flatter, and has a similar ballistic performance to 30 caliber, then you might be in the market for a 7mm-08. Each cartridge uses different diameter bullets: .284 for the Remington cartridge and .308 for the Springfield. In addition to the great selection of ammunition available in 7mm Remington Magnum and .30-06, there are also many quality rifles manufactured in these cartridges. For whitetail sized game, wed recommend using a Nosler Accubond or Ballistic Tip, the Hornady SST, or the Barnes TTSX. In 1893, the Spanish military and many other nations adopted the 7x57mm and the 1893 Mauser as their primary battle rifle. Therefore, in the 1950s, the development of a new cartridge began with the objective to closely replicate the ballistics of the venerable 30-06 Springfield in a short action cartridge. I have several friends who shoot the 7mm RM with 168 Berger VLD and the ClassicHunter bullets with H1000. For instance, more people tend to use the 7mm Remington Magnum in many western states where theyre more likely to need the advantages the cartridge provides at longer range. 7mm Remington Magnum ~ 150 Grain ~ Trajectory Chart. Drop does not worry me as much, at longer distance well be dialing in our correction anyhow for an accurate shot or if you have one of the newer Christmas-tree like reticles, you will be able to accurately hold the correction. Most shooters even experienced ones are somewhat flying blind when you remove the wind flags which many competent competition shooters learn to read with high proficiency. However, the 308 has the advantage in ammo availability when it comes to cheaper practice ammo. Copyright 2023Sportsman's Warehouse. They are also both commonly chambered in bolt-action rifles. Competitive marksmen quickly discovered that the 308 was an extremely accurate cartridge and the 308 Winchester quickly started dominating long range shooting competitions. Ok so how much better is a 7mm mag to the 308win? So, I put a shorty 308 barrel and .308 bolt head on my rifle and zeroed one day. Note that the bullets used by 7mm Remington Magnum in each load are more aerodynamic than those used by the .30-06 Springfield for the exact same load. Like you I originally had a 2.5-10x44 Vortex, and found quickly that it just didn't have the magnification for longer shots. Neither would be my first choice for use on those hunts. The cheapest 7mm Rem. Consequently, we combine the right primer with the right powder in every load. Both cartridges can be found for similar price points, though this varies depending on the manufacturer. I consider this an unfair advantage.). The 7mm-08 gives better ballistic coefficient and sectional density values when comparing bullets of the same weight, the .308 will offer a greater frontal diameter. On the other hand, as we covered earlier, those longer, heavy for caliber .284 bullets have a higher ballistic coefficient than the most common bullets used in the .30-06 though. Personally, I lean towards the .30-06 because it uses larger diameter and heavier bullets, but theres also a good argument to be made for the 7mm Rem Mag as well, especially on hunts were a longer range shot might be necessary. Read the full story about this hunt in the mountains. The heaviest 6.5mm bullets approach 150 ish grains whereas the 7mm stacks that up to 195ish grain +26% increase in weight at the top end. So what does the charting of the 7mm Rem Mags's external ballistics tell us exactly? That extra couple of inches in overall length of a rifle can be a real headache to deal with when trying to quickly and quietly maneuver for a shot. Shoulder wear is something that every shooter needs to consider when purchasing their new hunting rifle. All that being said, the 7mm Rem Mag still has a slight edge with most bullets in common use, even when compared to heavier .30 caliber bullets. We measure trajectory in terms of bullet drop at specific distances. At 200 yards, the 7mm-8 will drift 2.4 compared to the .308s 2.7; at 400 yards, the 7mm-08 will drift 9.9 compared to the .308s 11.4; and at 500 yards, the 7mm-08 will drift 16.0 compared to 18.4. And to top it all off, the 7mm Remington Magnum was rolled out at the same time as the now legendary Remington Model 700 rifle. The same rifle chambered in 7mm Remington Magnum has a 24 barrel, is 44.75 long, and weighs 8.1 pounds. The following ballistics tables show a side by side comparison of the 7MM-08 vs 308 Winchester based on bullet weight and performance metrics including velocity, energy, usage and recoil. All the major ammunition manufacturers make hunting ammo for it and its relatively accessible too. Bullets like the Barnes LRX, TSX, TTSX, and TAC-X, the Berger VLD and Hybrid Hunter, the Hornady A-Max, ELD-X, GMX, InterBond, InterLock, SST, and V-Max, the Nosler AccuBond, Ballistic Tip, E-Tip, and Partition, the Sierra GameChanger and GameKing, the Swift Scirocco and A-Frame, (just to name a few) are options for if you want to reload the 7mm Remington Magnum and the .30-06 Springfield. All rights reserved. Select Your Gun Type Centerfire Handgun Centerfire Rifle Handgun Hunting Handgun Target/Defense However, the 7mm Remington Magnum has a larger .532 rim diameter while the .30-06 has a .473 rim diameter. Gun writers have spilled a lot of ink comparing the accuracy of the 7mm Rem Mag vs 30-06 over the years. I was looking for a little less magnification on the low end but I ended up paying $279 for that as well. Copyright 2023 Big Game Hunting Adventures LLC | All Rights Reserved. Log in. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The .30-06 Springfield and the 7mm Remington Magnum are both extremely popular centerfire rifle cartridges. The 308 has been the gold standard when it comes to hunting since its release in 1952. These similar builds mean that they have very similar case capacities. This compares favorably to 150 grain, 180 grain, and 200 grain .308 bullets which have sectional densities of .226, .271, and .301 respectively. As you can see, the 7mm Remington Magnum also has a big advantage in this area as well. However, that advantage slows over longer distances, and even reverses. With the widespread success of the 308 Win, wildcatters had a new cartridge to work and make new and exciting ammo to meet their specific needs. I used ShootersCalculator.com to compare trajectory and recoil for the cartridges. 7mm-08 vs .308 Caliber Comparison: A Long Range Shootout, 300 Win Mag vs 338 Win Mag vs 338 Lapua Mag, 450 Bushmaster vs 458 SOCOM vs 50 Beowulf. 308 Winchester has been a staple in deer hunting camps across North America for just short of 70 years, and thats quite an accomplishment, to say the least. This is because those cartridges need a longer barrel to effectively and efficiently burn that larger powder charge. You can find about any type of rifle you want in 308, factory ammo for days thats loaded specifically to the hunting target of your choice, and reload data for days if you want to tailor your own rounds. This means that, in general, the 7mm Rem Mag will simply wear out barrels faster than the .30-06 Springfield. Do you know what happens when a new cartridge comes to market and becomes wildly popular? Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Winchester Ballistic Silvertip, 150gr (ballistic coefficient 0.493) being fired at a velocity of 3100fps from muzzle point blank, this also takes into account the standard 1.5" scope height, and a gun that has been sighted in at 100 yards. Thats an inch extra for every 1mph wind. Both use the same bullets, but the 7mm-08 has much less powder capacity, and falls under the Short Action l. A max charge of the same powder will push a 150-grain .308 Partition bullet at 2,802 fps. Interested in the latest precision rifle updates? At the same time, while the 7mm Rem Mag tops out with 175 grain bullets, the .300 Win Mag is capable of firing 200 grain, 208 grain, and 220 grain bullets with sectional densities of .301, .313, and .331 respectively. The case and overall length of the .300 Win Mag are slightly longer than the 7mm RM, and its overall case capacity has a larger volume. We will be using a laser range finder to get the exact range readings as well so no guess work here. The 680m target is shown below. the fluted sendero and the 1" leup are fairly light. I didn't need my magnum 26" long range rig plus suppressor for a hunt from a blind with short range shooting. Neither is known as being a light recoiling cartridge. That makes sense since the cartridge is shooting more aerodynamic bullets at a higher velocity. The 7mm Remington Magnum uses the same .284 bullet size as the 7mm-08 Remington, .280 Remington, .280 Ackley Improved, 7mm WSM, 7mm STW, 7mm Weatherby Magnum, and 7mm Remington Ultra Magnum. Rocky Balboa didnt do us any favors when he said, Its not about how hard you hit, its about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward!. On average, factory loads for 308 Winchester will have a felt recoil of around 22 ft-lbs of energy. All things considered, the difference between them (7mm Rem Mag vs 30-06) isnt as great as it is sometimes made out to be and the animal will never know the difference if your shot is placed in the right spot. The Weatherby rifle chamber features a long free bore while the Remington is quite the opposite, in some instances almost strangling its loads. The most popular bullet weights for the 7mm Rem Mag also tend to be more aerodynamic than the most popular bullet weights used by the .30-06. For quality hunting cartridges, the .30-06 is also $5 to $10 cheaper for a box of 20. Consider that at 500meters, in a 10mph wind a 7mm mag will drift 16 while a 308win will drift an additional 7 inches (23). Those two bullets are closest in weight, so comparing those two loads is the best comparison of those cartridges, right? Simply put, both the 308 Win and the 7mm-08 Rem are going to give you sub-MOA groups if you do your part. Specifically, the 7mm Remington Magnum loads use a 140gr Extreme Point (.484 BC), a 162gr ELD-X (.631 BC), and a 175gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw (.407 BC). What came from this task force was the 7.62x51mm NATO that was accepted along with the M14 in 1958. The 7mm Remington Magnum and .30-06 Springfield are both excellent rifle cartridges. If you are looking for the 270 vs 308 vs 30 06 ballistics chart, the 5.56 trajectory chart, the 300 Win Mag Ballistics data, or the 30 06 trajectory chart; you are in the right place! I think most hunters would agree that the 7mm Remington Magnum and .30-06 Springfield are both fantastic cartridges for hunting a wide variety of big game. (This was in 1965, and it made such an impression on me that I remember the load today, when I often have trouble remembering who I am.) He owed part of this to shooting and part of it to the fact that he flew open-cockpit mail planes for the Post Office back in the 1920s and 30s, and lost a good chunk of his hearing thereby. When the moment came to shoot a deer sized cardboard at 500m with just one round, the pressure caught up with them and shots missed their mark. Make sure you follow The Big Game Hunting Blog onFacebook,Instagram,Twitter, andYouTube. Sign up today. The latter round is a tad more powerful; so little, though, that any advantage to it lies in the fevered imagination of the user. The 7mm Rem Mag has a flatter trajectory, more kinetic energy at typical hunting ranges, and is also better for longer range shots, but the .30-06 has less recoil. I am a huge fan of both cartridgesThat being said, there is truly no way to compare them, they are just two completely different animalsEspecially once you factor-in the 2 different rifle platforms (gas op. The same goes for the Browning X-Bolt, Browning AB3, Christensen Arms Ridgeline, Kimber Hunter, Mossberg Patriot, Ruger Hawkeye, Savage Axis, Savage 110, Tikka T3 and Tikka T3x, Weatherby Vanguard, and Winchester XPR. All things considered, rifles chambered in 7mm Rem Mag tend to be slightly longer, heavier, and more unwieldy than rifles chambered in .30-06. What advantage does the 7mm mag bring to the wind-game? The 7mm Rem mag cartridge like the 308 and 30-06is widely available. The price was too good to pass up. Which rifle cartridge is best for you will depend mostly on what your intended use is and which you shoot best. The 7RM will be a bit rough and louder, but you will get there faster, meaning less drift, and harder hitting. However, the .30-06 generally uses heavier bullets than the 7mm Remington Magnum. Regardless of which you choose, both will get the job done at a longer range so long as you do your part. The real question you need to ask yourself with is this: Which rifle cartridge do I shoot better?. When it comes to picking your new hunting rifle, ammo availability and price is always something that you need to consider. Join the March Scopes Facebook group. Since the 7mm-08 parent case is the 308, they have almost identical dimensions. Still smarting from a sobering lesson regarding the effectiveness of the7mm Mauserin the hands of Spanish troops in Cuba in 1898, the U.S. Army decided it needed a new cartridge to replace the .30-40 Krag and.45-70 Government cartridges used by American Soldiers in the Spanish American War. Note that we are comparing a 139 grain 7mm-08 against a 165 grain .308 Winchester, and still the difference is not huge. Ballistic Table Ron Spomer 7mm RM, 2,900 fps from 24" bl. Lets compare a 150 grain 7mm-08 against a 150 grain .308 Winchester, both zeroed at 200 yards. With two tested calibers such as these, its ultimately up to the hunters preference. So where do we stand with each cartridge? Exactly how fast that occurs depends on a number of factors like the quality of the barrel, the exact ammunition used, etc. If youve been trained on your dads 308 hunting rifle since you could first safely handle it, then lock and load that bad boy with some Hornady SST or Barnes TTSX and hit the woods for that trophy buck. Now, you can make the argument that this could mean the difference between a hit and a miss, and you would be correct in this. The larger impact diameter means more impact trauma, better energy transfer and larger wound cavities for faster knockdown. This allows it to penetrate as deep as a heavier grain weight 308. Thats only 1-foot difference. Brass is cheap and plentiful, dozens of powders can be tried, and a wide variety of 30 caliber bullet options are available. 7mm mag vs 308win To upgrade or not to? Typically, you will find the most popular factory ammo for 308 Win loaded with a bullet weight between 150, 165, and 180 grains, with 200-grain bullets at the absolute top end. Both will get you there, but in very different ways. Trajectory for Custom .284 7mm Mag Ammo #4550 at 3000 Feet per Second. *They are at different elevation as we didnt want the two groups to overlap. So much so that the NRA had to shrink the bullseye on their high-power rifle targets to avoid ties between 308 shooters. You can easily find ballistic tip or soft point ammo from all the major manufacturers like Hornady, Barnes, Sierra, Nosler, Remington, and Winchester. Best Walkie Talkies for mountains in 2023. They were shooting a 30-06 and a 6.5creedmoor. Ive received a number of questions and comments regarding the fact that the 178gr ELD-X load from the 30-06 has a flatter trajectory and more retained energy than the 175gr 7mm Trophy Bonded Bear Claw. Those aerodynamic projectiles dont slow down as fast and are more resistant to wind drift. It has a higher BC than the .308. The Winchester corporation, which was part of the development of the 7.62x51 NATO, quickly saw its civilian application and adapted the round to its Model 70 bolt action rifle line. Additionally, I recorded an entire podcast episode on this exact subject. If youd rather listen than read, click the appropriate link below to listen to this episode on your preferred podcasting service. Picture taken on 30x mag. Recoil is certainly worth considering though. The big ammunition manufacturers likeBarnes, Berger, Browning,Federal Premium, Hornady, HSM, Nosler,Remington, Sierra, Sig Sauer, Swift, andWinchester produce an incredible variety of ammo for the .30-06 Springfield and 7mm Remington Magnum. Above you can see the difference in windage between a 7mm mag shooting a 162eldx at 2940ft/s (Hornady Precision Hunter load) and a 308win shooting a 178eldx at 2600ft/s (Hornady Precision Hunter load) assuming a 10mph wind full value. At 600m, the 308win is drifting 3.5 laterally for every 1 mph of wind while the 7 mm mag is drifting 2.5 for every 1 mph wind. In terms of recoil, its clear that the 7mm-08 is the winner in this category, but only by a small margin. Not surprisingly, the 7mm Rem Mag is very popular with antelope hunters in places like Wyoming where windy conditions are common. However, the .30-06 will work really well for most hunters. Are you looking for the cartridge better suited for long range hunting for game like mule deer or pronghorn in open country where you might need to take a shot at several hundred yards? Which ever way you take, it will be a fun and engaging journey. While the .30-03 did provide a modest improvement in performance over the .30-40 Krag, the Army still wasnt completely happy with the performance of the cartridge. In the 1980s, Remington decided that there was enough of a market to introduce a formal offering for the 7mm/308, and voila! Both of these rifle cartridges will serve you well in the forests of North America to the plains of the Serengeti. Using the 160-grain bullet, an 8 pound 7mm Rem Mag churns up around 20. Long-Range .308 Ballistics (175-grain Long Range BT, G7 BC, .262, MV 2,650 fps): Velocity: 1,203 fps Bullet drop: 386 Wind drift, 5 mph from 9 o'clock: 48.53 Winner: The 6.5 Creedmoor.