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ultramags help a hunter out!

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ultramags help a hunter out!

Old 12-27-2003, 05:40 PM
  #1  
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Default ultramags help a hunter out!

I'm new at this forum so please bear with me. I'm in the process of buying my first magnum rifle. I live and hunt in southern Indiana where we can only use a slug gun, smoke pole or arrow. I have no problem with using any of these weapons and feel they have made me a better hunter. So as you all can see I had no use of a hi po, until now. I went on a pronghorn hunt a couple of years ago in Wyoming and took a 14" buck with a 7 mm STW at 296 yards. I seen a lot of game and am very anxious to go back. This time I want to pusue a muley. I seen a few but with a little homework I believe I can get myself into a good area.
I need a caliber that is going to give me the best all around performance. On down the road the lord willing I would like to Elk, Black Bear, and Caribou hunt. I'm really looking at the ultra mags. The 300 um seems very capable of doing everything I need but the 7mm um seems a little more like me. I am also wondering if I would be better off with a 7mm REM MAG or even the 300WIN MAG. Thats the calibers that I come up with and have gotten all my info from Remington ballistics charts. I can sure use some hands on info. I narrowed the gun down to a Remington 700 BDL synthetic with a stainless barrel. I will top it with a Leupold vari x lll 3x9x40. Please if anyone has any suggestions or comments I would deeply appreciate it. Also on another note what kind of groups should I be expecting to achieve with this set up. Any and all info will help.
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Old 12-27-2003, 06:03 PM
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Default RE: ultramags help a hunter out!

The ultra mags will do everything you want to. But at a heavy price. Have you seen those cartridges?? My shoulder hurts just looking at them, and my wallet hurts looking at the price of a box of 20.

Now, if the UM's are the only thing you're considering, then further postings are unneccessary. Either the 300UM or the 7MMUM will do what you want.

But, for a lot less money, and a lot less punishment, a 30-06 will do everything you've mentioned too. Plus, ammo is much more readily available out on a hunt. You can stop at just about any mom and pop's country store and find 30-06 ammo should the need arise. 150 grain loads will take any deer size game out to 300 yards and beyond. 165 will also, and handle larger animals such as mule deer, bear, etc. 180 grains for Elk, and 220 grains for Moose and dangerous bears. All in one rifle.

If you have to have a magnum, then I'd settle for a 7mm Remington Magnum or a 300 Winchester Magnum. Ammo is much easier to find than the UM's and cost alot less. I see no real world advantage to the UM's over the standard belted magnums. In fact, I think the Short Magnums are a better deal than the UM's. Why? Because you can get equal ballistics to standard magnums in a short action rifle. I foresee them outlasting the UM's in years to come. Pick up a good reloading manual and compare the ballistics and I think you'll see some of what I'm talking about as far as any advantages the UM's have over the standard or short magnums.

Good luck to you on your choices.
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Old 12-27-2003, 06:23 PM
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Default RE: ultramags help a hunter out!

I have two 300 ultra mags.a 7mmultramag and two 7mmstw's.The 300 ultramag offers an advantage in flatter trajectory and reduced wind drift over the 300win mag that only comes into play when the ranges approach 400 yards or more.But in order to utilize the advantage that it offers you must spend considerable hours of your time and considerable expense in ammunition shooting hundreds of rounds per year practising in order to develop and maintain the shooting skills necessary for precision shooting at 400 yards and beyond.At this point I should mention that the ultramags have noticeably shorter barrel lives than the standard magnums.If you are only going to shoot a few boxes of ammo per year or don't have access to a 500 yard rifle range you would be far better off with the 300winmag as the 300ultramags advantages will be wasted.The same comparison can be made between the 7mmremmag and the 7mmstw with the same results.The 7mmultramag is actually a waste of the ultramag case as it gains very little velocity over the 7mmstw.In the case of my rifles it is only 50fps to 75fps more and to get that small gain you burn a lot of extra powder and shorten the barrel life even more.As I said earlier if you are willing to make the committment to put in the extra practise time and expense the 300ultramag and 7mmstw would be fine choices.If not I would recomend that you go with the 7mmremmag or 300winmag.
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Old 12-27-2003, 06:36 PM
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Default RE: ultramags help a hunter out!

First, welcome to the forum.

Second, none of the cartridges that you have mentioned will do anything better or worse than the 7mm STW that you already have. Unless it was a borrowed rifle. If that's the case, then any of the magnums you listed will be more than enough gun to handle any animal you would encounter.

IMHO the ultramags are do absolutly nothing that the standard and new short magnums can't do just as well within any reasonable distance (up to 400 yards) that any normal person would be shooting at game. One thing they do very well , however, is offer up substantially more kick on the shoulder and burn a lot more powder. The ultra mags are over bore in the 7mm and 300 without very long barrels. Those huge cases and huge ammounts of powder are much better suited to 338, 375, etc.

This being your first "magnum" rifle I would highly reccomend the 7mm rem mag, 300 win mag, or the same calibers in the WSM's. The two "regular" magnums will give you an advantage of getting ammo just about anywhere you want but the short magnums aren't too far behind on that now. Walmart is even carying the WSM ammo.
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Old 12-27-2003, 11:45 PM
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Default RE: ultramags help a hunter out!

was that 7mm stw yours or a friends? If it was a friends than I would say get the same thing. Its a great round that will do anything you ask of it to do.
the rum are great but as others said at an expense. I will have one of them in the future but not right now. I have a 7 mm rem mag and like it a lot, but i am thinking about rechambering to a 7mm Dakota in the future. The 300 rum is devistating on all manners of animals as I have read on lots of forums on the net but you take some punishment too. I would probably go with what you shot already in that 7 mm stw as its a fantastic round.



good luck

Brian
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Old 12-28-2003, 06:57 AM
  #6  
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Default RE: ultramags help a hunter out!

I'd go with the 7MM Rem mag or the 300 Win mag.
I don't have any use for these new over-hyped, over-priced magnums, but thats just me!
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Old 12-28-2003, 04:11 PM
  #7  
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Default RE: ultramags help a hunter out!

Some users just can't stand being stood up in performance as some sort of test of wills between shooters. Get whatever you want and fire it lots of times no matter what the caliber. I think most people slam calibers they probably don't even own anyway. The 7mm UM is a fine gun but I do have a muzzle brake on mine. It's devastating on game and a ***** cat with the JP brake. Pronghorns on the prairie and whitetails on table top wheat fields are made to order with a proper rest but I'd opt for more scope than a 3x9 if I were you for regular long range duty. I also own a 7mm/08 so I have all the bases covered.
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Old 12-28-2003, 07:07 PM
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Default RE: ultramags help a hunter out!

I have owned and hunted with both the 7mmUM and the 300 UM (sold both a couple of years ago). They are fine calibers which are intended for LONG RANGE targets (beyound 400 yds). They offer FAR greater recoil and muzzle blast than is usually considered acceptable by most people. However, either one will easily kill a deer, elk, or antelope if the shot is right. Your 7STW is also a good round which will take the above mentioned animals with the right bullet and correct placement. If you own the STW, you might consider sticking with it. If you are wanting to purchase ONE rifle for all hunting in your home state as well as out West, IMO, the 300UM is too much gun. The 7UM is loud and kicks quite a bit and the ammo is very expensive. The old 7Mag is a great caliber and will do anything you want to do either at home or our west. The same is true of the 30-06, 300WSM, 300 win mag, and a host of other calibers. You have probably hear the old adage, "beware of the man with one gun." I would suggest that you pick that "one gun", practice many times during the year, and become proficient. When you get to the point that you can hit your target from 50 to 300 yards, the actual caliber won't be an issue.
Good Hunting,
Hal
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Old 12-28-2003, 07:39 PM
  #9  
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Default RE: ultramags help a hunter out!

To all that has answered my plea for knowledge I appreciate it very much. This forum is the cats ass! Never have I been able to punch a few keys and get so much hands on info from fellow sportsman. As far as the STW I used, it was a borrowed rifle from a good friend. In realistic terms I would say a 300 to 400 yard shot is probally going to be my limit, lenig more toward the 300 yard side. It just all depends on what I can achieve working up my load, and from what I can gather throwing in the other variables while afield. When I finalize my choice and start to punch paper what kind of accuracy should I be getting or setteling for at given distances. With the borrowed STW I had a 5 to 6" group at 300 yards. I know with some shooting practice and probally some better glass on top I could've tightened it up a bit. Again thanks for the info and if I can help someone I'll be sure to answer.
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Old 12-28-2003, 07:47 PM
  #10  
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Default RE: ultramags help a hunter out!

If 400 yards is going to be your maximum range then you would be much better served with the standard or short magnums. The UM's do not have any real world advantage over the standard magnums under 400 yards. They are made to deliver substantial ammounts of energy at great diatances.

As far as your accuracy is concerned the farther you are willing to strech your yardage the tighter groups you would want to have. Shooting at 400 yards I would want at least 1.5 MOA and would strive for under 1 MOA.
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