I really like my 7 express Rem... It's light weight, very accurate and quite handy for a bolt action. Also it has done a very good job of flattening everything i've shot with it.

Useing the proper bullets, it will easily harvest 98% of everything walking in the lower 48 and Alaska, so what's not to like??

I just don't understand why anyone needs to "squeak" out that last hundred fps out of it with a long bbl.. I've flattened everything with mine and it has a 21" bbl. that i find MUCH handier.. I hate stalking game with long bbl. guns.

My vote goes to a 280 with a 22" bbl, or if you must, the 7 mag. with a 24 or 26" bbl... At least the 7 mag. has enough case capacity to use the extra bbl. length.

I use to shoot a 7 mag. quite a bit, and for me it's only better than a 280 with the "heaviest bullets", on the "biggest animials". (read brown bear) A 7 Mag. with 175 NP's do flatten big bears, and works very well for that purpose.

I went away from the 7 mag. when i built my 7 express Rem., and it was a good choise for me. I never liked the extra noise, recoilor weight of the 7 mag..

Drilling Man