For military marksmen and hunting enthusiasts, the early 1960s was the gunshot that started two big-game cartridges: the 7mm Remington Magnum and the .300 Winchester Magnum. For over six decades now, these two powerhouses have been pitted against each other; each building a large following. But what are the critical factors when evaluating the 7mm Rem Mag against the .300 Win Mag?
The two cartridges are long-action magnums capable of bringing down all North American big game, with a wide variety of bullet weights and configurations. Many rifles are chambered for each. They are similar in many ways, but where the .300 Win Mag excels with heavier bullets, its opponent pulls ahead by producing less felt recoil.
Much of the early success of the 7mm Remington Magnum can be attributed to its introduction in conjunction with Remington’s Model 700 rifle in 1962. As a brainchild of the .375 H&H case, this cartridge was made to effortlessly outperform the .30/06 Springfield, and for a long time, it had been a staple of hunters.
Not to be outdone, in 1963 Winchester developed the .300 Win Mag, which was also based on the .375 H&H case. This cartridge had a better trajectory and more downrange energy than the .30/06, but it began to come into its own when installed in the Winchester Model 70 rifle.
Ballistically, the 7mm Rem Mag and .300 Win Mag are closer than most will care to admit. Take Federal Premium’s 150-grain Power-Shok ammunition, for instance. There is almost no performance difference between the two cartridges. The .300 Win Mag has some slight advantages at muzzle velocity and energy at 300 yards, but again, it isn’t much.
In heavier bullets, however, the .300 Win Mag excels. It can be loaded with 150 to 200-grain projectiles; the 7mm Rem Mag rarely exceeds 175 grains. Although the diameter is smaller in .284 diameter bullets, many of these have a higher ballistic coefficient and sectional density, which allows them to penetrate deeper.
Both cartridges produce heavy recoil, but the .300 Win Mag retains about 20 percent more than the 7mm Rem Mag. For many shooters, this difference will make one or the other a no-go. The 7mm Rem Mag becomes more comfortable to bear.
To be fair, both cartridges are capable of sub-MOA performance in terms of accuracy. However, how much recoil a shooter can tolerate drastically affects their ability to put shots into the same hole. As Jim Carmichel once opined, bumping up against the limits of equipment that degrades marksmanship can cause inefficiency in the field.
Both these cartridges have unquestionably great terminal performance and are more than adequate to take large games at extended distances. Do not sell the 7mm Rem Mag short because of its smaller diameter; it’s proven to work on everything from elk to African eland.
Ammo for both cartridges is also very easy to find, being offered in a wide range of bullet weights and configurations. The price of 7mm Rem Mag ammunition varies greatly depending on the brand but can be confidently expected to fall within the $35 to $90 per box range while the .300 Win Mag ammo averages a bit higher.
The debate between the 7mm Rem Mag and .300 Win Mag is likely to continue for another 60 years. And, almost unquestionably, both cartridges exhibit very similar ballistic performance with the same weight projectile. At heavier weights, the .300 Win Mag hits very hard down range, but the 7mm Rem Mag gives enough power with significantly reduced recoil.
While to those venturing up into the rough country of the North, the .300 Win Mag might be the favorite, most hunting tasks here in the lower 48 states should find the 7mm Rem Mag more than sufficient. In any case, with either cartridge by your side, consistent accuracy, and terminal performance are very much on the table.