Some ramblings from an Internet Gun Dude...

"
What rifle to buy, a 7mm Magnum or a .300 Magnum? (A better question might be, "do I need a magnum rifle at all?" but that has already been addressed in another article.) There are a number of 7mm and .300 Magnum cartridges, but the 7mm Remington Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum are the best selling magnum cartridges in the world and the only magnum cartridges among the top 10 best selling rifle cartridges. They were not the first magnums introduced in either caliber, but they have become the standard of comparison.

...


Recoil
This is the category that magnum fans in general, and gun writers in particular, like to gloss over, but it is actually of crucial importance. Bullet placement is, by far, the most important factor in killing power, and rifle recoil is the enemy of accurate bullet placement. A hunter who flinches in anticipation of the rifle going off is a great wounder of game. Severe flinches result in those embarrassing "grounders" you sometimes see at the range. Anyone, no matter how big or strong or experienced, can shoot more accurately with a rifle that kicks less. That fact has been demonstrated countless times. Here are some recoil energy (in foot pounds) and recoil velocity (in feet-per-second) figures for our 7mm Rem. and .300 Win. Magnum loads (calculated using IMR 4831 powder) when fired in 8.5 pound rifles.
[ul][*]7mm Rem. Mag./150 grain at 3110 fps - 19.3 ft. lbs.; 12.1 fps.[*].300 Win. Mag./180 grain at 2960 fps - 24.4 ft. lbs.; 13.6 fps. [/ul]
If you accept the common generalization that the average shooter cannot long tolerate recoil above about 20 ft. lbs. without developing a flinch, and I do, then the 7mm Rem. Mag. squeezes under the permissible recoil limit and the .300 Win. Mag. is substantially, and uncomfortably, over the limit. That, in a nutshell, is the problem with all of the .300 Magnum calibers and the biggest single advantage of the 7mm Rem. Mag. over the .300 Win. Magnum.
And, contrary to the advertising hype that you may have read, recoil is actually worse with the new short action Magnums because they are served-up in lighter weight rifles. Rifle weight is directly proportional to recoil. Reduce rifle weight from 8.5 to 7.5 pounds (about 12%) and recoil increases by about 12%. Simple physics. The bottom line is to avoid light weight rifles in any magnum caliber, and most certainly in a .300 Magnum.

Summary and Conclusion

The 180 grain .300 Winchester Magnum load is superior to the 150 grain 7mm Remington Magnum load in terms of bullet cross-sectional area, kinetic energy inside of 400 yards, and killing power. Only in cross-sectional area, however, is it actually dominant. The 7mm Magnum is superior to the .300 Magnum is sectional density, velocity, trajectory, and recoil. Only in (less) recoil is it markedly superior.
For the great majority of hunting conditions there is actually not a great deal of difference between these two big game cartridges. Nor is there much difference in the availability of rifles, ammunition, and reloading bullets. Both are popular calibers, among the top 10 in sales.
My analysis is that the .300 Magnum is generally superior at medium range and for use on very large, dangerous game (polar and Alaska brown bears). The 7mm Magnum is generally a better long range cartridge, and has the important advantage of lower recoil, which makes accurate bullet placement easier and more likely, especially at long range. Both calibers are good choices for hunting large, non-dangerous game (CXP3) such as North American elk.
Since very few modern hunters actually seek large, dangerous CXP3 class game, most are probably better off with a 7mm Magnum. It will do everything that they need to do, and they will likely shoot it more accurately than they could a .300 Magnum. "

So, what do you have here? Yet ANOTHER opinion! If you're really interested in these 2 cartridges, then you should get out to your local gun range, avail yourself of the tremendous cameraderie of those in the hunting/shooting world, and borrow their weapons to shoot a few rounds for yourself. Heck, you might as wellshoot a few .270 & .30-'06 rounds, too. Then your shoulder andyour ears can tell you whatTHEY prefer. Given that a .270 and a 300WM will both take the deer & hogs you've mentioned, go shoot 3 shots of each, side-by-side. Then, you'll have the most important opinion of all: YOURS! And you'll have your answer in 30 minutes or less.

Good Luck,

FC