Which is a better deer rifle?
 

Which is a better deer rifle 30-06 or 7mm mag?

RE: Which is a better deer rifle?
 

I am a really huge fan of the 7mm and dont like the 30-06. The 7mm produces more energy and it shoots flatter. The 30-06 doese not produce as much energy and falls a faster. I would go with the 7mm. It is a darn good caliber.

RE: Which is a better deer rifle?
 

I would choose the 7mm Mag!

RE: Which is a better deer rifle?
 

Both are good, for longer ranges 7mm is probably better, but at the ranges it starts to excell lots of people can't shoot out there accuratly. 30-06 shells are cheaper and produce slightly less recoil and have more loads out for them. When I was faced with this dilemma I got a 7mm though.

RE: Which is a better deer rifle?
 

i prefer the 30/06. More bullet weights, less expensive and will take just about any animal. to each there own.

RE: Which is a better deer rifle?
 

Both are way more than you need for deer. Of the two, The 30-06 would be my choice hands down.

RE: Which is a better deer rifle?
 

Flip a coin and you will be better off than asking that question in this forum. It can be argued for 20 pages and you will never get a clear answer. My opinion is niether is really better than the other for deer. Thats why I shoot a 270 Win. Although no cartridge is better if you can't hit the deer in the vitals.

RE: Which is a better deer rifle?
 

I would "flip" a coin also...;)

RE: Which is a better deer rifle?
 

For game no larger than deer, it's pretty much of a tossup. If I were going for elk, moose, or grizzly I'd prefer to use the 7mm Mag. with a Nosler 175-grain Partition bullet. But I would not hesitate to use the '06 on these critters either, if I could use a Nosler Partition 200-grain bullet at 2600+ FPS!!

RE: Which is a better deer rifle?
 

Like others have said, both are excellent, you'll never get a consensus "right answer". What I usually say, especially with this choice is that there are differences on paper, butinsignificant at nearly every deer hunting situation. When you're actually looking at guns and figuring your price point, chose based on the best deal you find in a gun that looks and feels the best to you. Whichever caliber that particular gun has, buy it.

RE: Which is a better deer rifle?
 

30-06

RE: Which is a better deer rifle?
 

Well said!

You wont get a straight answer on here. It will turn into an argument. I would get a 7mm but it is your choice. Go with what what you feel most comfortable with. Different people shoot different rifles better than others. Shoot each caliber in the same brand and model gun if you can and see what one you like better.

RE: Which is a better deer rifle?
 

The 180 grain 30-06shell in several types of bullets (the two I've used are Swift Scirocco and A Frame) is an excellent moose cartridge. The most recent moose camp I was at with 5 long time moose hunters (read average of about 20 years each hunting moose) hadthree '06, one 7 mag and one 375 HH (a bear hunter who owns one gun). The guy with the 7 mag said he'd not buy it again, but would go with the 300 mag if he wanted something more than the '06.But really neither gives you anything meaningful that is going to affect moose success in a 250 or even longer shot.

Neither a 7mm mag or a 30-06 is known among bear huntersas an optimal brown or grizzly gun.

The only guy I know who hunts elk every year - both he and his sons use 30-06. But they're not making 350 yard shots because of the multiple risks involved no matter what gun you use.Only point I'm making is that the above about the advantage of the 7 mag is just an opinion which my personal experience doesn't agree with at all. Don't get me wrong, it's an excellent gun, just not a practical improvement over an '06 from what I've seen in the field among experienced, conservative hunters.

RE: Which is a better deer rifle?
 

With proper shot placement, a deer hit with either caliber will be just as dead.