7 MM Rem. Mag. or 7MM Weatherby Mag.

[SkipD]

I'd like to hear if anyone has had the experience of shooting a 7 MM Remington Mag. and a 7MM Weatherby Mag. I'll be purchasing a gun in one of these calibers, but don't know how much more gun/recoilthere is in the 7 MM Weatherby. Any help will be appreciated.


Thanks,
Skip

[James B]

The cost of rifles and ammo would be in favor of the Remington version. A bit of performance edge would go to the Weatherby. The difference in recoil would not be a factor at all IMO. I am not really a fan of the 7MM Mag. To me its to much for deer and pronhorn and lacks the bullet weight of the 30 calibers for bigger game. It will of course do the job and has for many years. Just not my idea of a gun with the versitility of the 30 cals.

[stubblejumper]

The 7mmremmag is one of the most versatile big game cartridges available.I prefer it over the 30-06 if you are only going to own one big game rifle.The 7mmweatherby offers very slightly more velocity with much more limited factoryammunition choicesat a much higher price.

[handloader1]

According to "Ammo & Ballistics II" The 7mm Rem. Mag. using Hornady 175 gr. SP is traveling at 2860 f/s; 3180 ft/lb. The 7mm Wby. Mag. usingWeatherby 175 gr. Pointed-Expanding (Hornady 7mm 175 SP) is traveling at 3070 f/s; 3662 ft/lb. There 11 loads offered for the 7mm Wby. Mag. There are 56 loads offered for the 7mm Rem. Mag. I would take the 7mm Wby.Mag. Good luck.

[statjunk]

I have a few friends that own Weatherby rifles. They seldom shoot them because of the cost of the ammo. I would consider how much you intend to shoot your new rifle.

Tom

[tykempster]

7mm Rem Mag has many more loadings along with cheaper shells. Weatherby Magnum ammo can be hard to find. I've never shot a 7mm Weatherby Mag, but 7mm Rem doesn't kick bad at all.

[Superpig]

Due to the cost of ammo I would opt for the 7MM Remington Mag. The difference in performance of the two is very minimal. There isn't an animal on earth that would realize the difference if shot with either cartridge. The 7MM Rem. Mag. ammo is available everywhere and it is available in cheap ammo such as Core-Lokt & Power Points or just about any premium bullet combination you can think of. All of the major ammo makers load several loads for the 7MM Rem. Mag.

[RedAllison]

I own two 7RemMags (an A-bolt SSstalker and a Ruger M77) and while I have never owned a 7Wby I know it to be a great gun and have shot many that were customers and freinds/relatives guns. I personally can't see a difference between the two as far as real world killing power is concerned. The only way you will get that extra 200fps boost with the Wby is when using Wby ammo and Wby rifles. Other makers who chamber Wby calibers don't usually have as much freebore and the 26" barrels that make the Wby shine. Recoil wise, again if you are talking about non-Wby guns/ammos I have never felt the difference. A MarkV with fullboat loads does kick a slight bit more but not enough to worry about, IMHO.

Until the .270WSM came out I used to praise the .270 Wby for those looking for a 27cal with more juice than a .270 Win. But now the WSM has given an equal performer (too the 270Wby) in a cheaper package. I have NEVER recommended a 7Wby over the 7Rem. Truth be told, the 7Rem is so popular because it is THE most bang for the buck and has been for a long time (with regards too magnums and the overall price of admission).

If you have a 7Rem then you don't need a 7Wby (unless you just want another piece for the safe like myself! ). If you are looking for Wby and want something that has more umph than the 7Rem then look too the 300Wby. It IS a whomper stomper and will "get r dun" better than anything other than the new supermags like RUMs, 30/378, Lazzeroni's etc... I have a 300Wby and LOVE it, but honestly if I could only have one rifle (a DREADFUL thought indeed [:'(]) it would probably be some vintage of a 7Rem Mag.

If you are just looking for a 7mm class cartridge and don't really have to have a mag then look at the 7Rems lil siter... the 280Rem. My 280 is probably my most "comfortable" rifle (a 700 from Rems Custom Shop) and without question is my best shooter out ofa dozen+ centerfire big game rifles that I own. The 7WSM is a GREAT caliber as well, but for whatever reason it is basically DEAD! Some of the gunmakers are even in the process of dropping that round from their WSM offerings. That means ammo makers will curtail their offerings of it soon as well. And I hate that, because it probably has the most going for it (in a real world/usefulness sense).

Good luck,
RA

[stubblejumper]

When you are comparing ballistics be aware that the 7mm weatherby data is for 26" barrels while companies like federal base their 7mmremmag ballistics on 24" barrels as stated on their website.So if you have a 7mmremmag with a 26" barrel the velocity gap dropsto approximately 100fps.Hornady also sells the heavy mag loading for the 7mmremmag that produce within 50fps of the weatherby loads.If you reload both cartridges to design pressures with equal length barrels,the velocity difference will be within 100fps.

[TomFromTheShade]

I would go with the 7mm Remington Magnum. Its a great cartridge, and the Weatherby doesn't off enough of an advantage to outweigh the benefits of the Remington.

The Remington will be easier to find, meaning that it is offered in a larger selection of factory rifles.

The Remington's ammunition will be less expensive and easier to acquire.