308 or 7mm rem mag ???????
 

Please help me to choose between 308 and 7mm rem mag
I live in prairies of Saskatchewan and planning to hunt white tail , moose and elk. But probably will move to Vancouver island in a couple years , not 100% sure
Which one would be ideal one rifle for all big games for me,
308 or 7 mm rem mag and why????
Thanks

of them two calibers I would go with the 7 mm
but both will kill all things at decent ranges
However if your heading to BIG bear country down the road, WHY not look into a 300 win mag?
not much difference really in recoil or price for ammo, and just as common place every where! will be able to step up to heavier heads for more dangerous animals if ever wanted to, or just some better performance on larger things like moose and black bears/grizzly's

of the two the 7mm mag has at least potentially a flatter trajectory and more down range energy
most people will not shoot a center fire caliber used for big game often enough too wear out a hunting rifle in a lifetime of hunting
either caliber listed will work, if the correct projectile is selected,
you did not mention the action or barrel length,
you can look up the differences in energy and trajectory, I would suggest you use a 150 grain or heavier bullet for larger game in either caliber rifle
the rifle type may be more important to making a choice than the caliber
I have several very successful friends with 308 win BLR rifles
and while you can get a semi auto, or bolt action, or damn near any action style in either caliber you may prefer one type of action.
https://www.hornady.com/team-hornady...alculators/#!/

https://www.hornady.com/support/load-data/

https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle

I would go with the 7mm mag, it would be a good choice for Sask., I live just south of you in Montana, the prairies invite longer shots, Vancouver Island will be quite the change. I know Black bears grow huge on the island, and elk would be your main quest I am guessing. I know grizzly are very rear on the main Island, besides, they are now protected in BC.

that would be Tikka T3X Lite bolt action:
308 - 22 2/5" barrel 1 in 11 twist
or
7mm rem mag - 24 1/3" barrel 1 in 9 1/2" twist
7mm is definitely better on longer ranges like 400-500 yards, but I worry that it will make to much unnecessary damage to white tail deer at the range around 100 yards

the damage ,to the game on bullet impact can be significantly modified or altered through careful selection of the projectile,
youve selected, and of course if you hand load you can reduce velocity to retard expansion,
higher velocity and thinner bullet jackets tend to result in violent and rapid initial expansion
but simply restricting your shot impact area to certain anatomy can greatly reduce potential loss in meat.
you certainly don,t want a non-expanding bullet that might allow game to run hundreds of yards before bleeding out,
but careful projectile selection and good shot placement can give you far less wasted meat.
break the neck or punch the lungs & liver and you've got a dead deer in short order.
avoid the shoulder and hams and use a slower expanding bullet design and youll significantly reduce potential meat loss.
deer are not difficult to kill, as always its careful shot placement and a knowledge of the games anatomy thats critical to success.
lots of practice shooting from field positions helps a great deal.

Ive used this bullet in my 7mm mag for both deer and elk with good results
h4831 and a 215 fed primer has worked for decades
that 7mm I own is a savage 110, stainless bolt action,with a laminated stock thats exceptionally accurate,
that has been loaned out on over a dozen hunts to guys that all loved it
I picked it up dirt cheap from woolworths decades ago before they stopped selling rifles.
https://www.speer-ammo.com/products/...le-bullet/1643

if you pick your bullets correctly, the damage at ranges its intended for, will be darn close to the same with either caliber IMO

I have seen deer shot with BIG calibers up close and FAR away, , bullet selection and placement is what matters most!
I prefer the idea of having too much caliber than not enough too, but shot placement is what kills, not Caliber to be honest!
the trick here comes in when you plan to use "X" rifle on LOTS of game, and at LOTS of distances, and like often in life there is no perfect bullet or caliber for every animal and range
the name of the game is pick what works best for what you will be hunting most and ranges you expect to shoot them at most!
both the 308 and 7 mm mag will kill just fine, as well a ton of other calibers!

Ive owned both and now a 30-06. Why not just kinda go in the middle of the 2 and go with a 30-06?

For bigger game Id go with the 7 mag out of the 2 choices.

7mm mag.

Something like this for deer:

https://carolinamunitions.com/hornad...l?asaid=as0004

7 Mag. There really is no comparison between the 2 rounds if you're shooting over 300 yards. 7 Mag was made for long shots in open country. Now if you're talking less than 300 yards then either one is good.