7MM WSM reviews

[D.R. Cattle]

My 15 year old has been choking the stock of a Model 94 dirty dirty (30-30) since he was old enough. Good gun to have in the cabinet but now that he's become a real deerslayer he's buggin me about a step up in the food chain. He's a leftie, so the search becomes more difficult. I've heard a lot of good things about the new Winchester short mag cartridges. I think 7MM would more than suffice a trip out west or a whitetail hunt here. The reviews claim the short mags to reach similar velocities and energies as the standard belted mags with less recoil and short bolt backs. This sounds quite appealing. The only rifles currently offered in these calibers left hand are Browning A-Bolt and Win Model 70. Any opinions?

 

[Scotty]

7MM is agood gun. I like 270 the best. Freind has a Weatherby 250 mag. Necked down 250 cal from a 7mm. Really flat good shooting gun. Not much of a recoil on it.


Scotty

 

[TLCfromARK]

I've heard a lot of good things about them. I haven't shot one but two guys I know got one this year.

One of the older guys ( mid 60's ) I hunt with bought the .270 WSM this year and is really happy with it. Took a nice deer with it, one shot at about 175 yards. His only complaint was that the ammo was a little high.

Another guy got the .300 WSM and took a elk ( 6X6 ) with it in Idaho this year. He raves about how flat it shoots.

For me though it's hard to go against the old classics, .270, .308, .30-06 etc. , plenty of gun for whitetails up to elk. Easy to find ammo for them even in out of the way places.

Just my thoughts,
;-)

 

[dun]

The only problem I can see with the short mags is the lack of ability to get the velocity with heavy weight bullets that you can with the full size mags. Part of the reason they get higher velocitys with less powder is the work at higher pressures, but you can only cram so much powder in a case and still stay within those pressure limits. Heavier bullets also decrease avaialble case space by requiring they be deeper seated.

dun

 

[dun]

I learned on a Remington Youth Model 243 with 80 grain bullets. It is perfect for hunting whitetail. I've shot a buck at 250 yards with it and it dropped him in his tracks. This year I moved up to a 270 WSSM. I love it.

I alwasy find it interesting the way people move up in power. I started with a .270, went to a .308, then 7mm Rem Mag, then a .257 Ackley Improved (.25-06 Remington) and now down to a .250 Savage. Out to 250 yards, really it was lased at 247 yds for the longest shot with the Savage, all of the deer have dropped, one shot each and dead as a stump when I get to them.

dun

 

[D.R. Cattle]

I learned on a Remington Youth Model 243 with 80 grain bullets. It is perfect for hunting whitetail. I've shot a buck at 250 yards with it and it dropped him in his tracks. This year I moved up to a 270 WSSM. I love it.

I alwasy find it interesting the way people move up in power. I started with a .270, went to a .308, then 7mm Rem Mag, then a .257 Ackley Improved (.25-06 Remington) and now down to a .250 Savage. Out to 250 yards, really it was lased at 247 yds for the longest shot with the Savage, all of the deer have dropped, one shot each and dead as a stump when I get to them.

dun

This year I'm gonna shoot one with the Weatherby Ultra Mag, just to say I did.

You'll have to choose one or the other; a "Remington" Ultra Mag or a Weatherby Mag. I myself use a .300 Weatherby Mag. On the outside it's just too dang big, but nothing has ever moved out of it's own tracks after being hit by it. Likewise most guys say it ruins too much meat but it doesn't do any different than anything else if you hit the meat. I've seen most damage done by bullets that dissentigarate which doesn't happen with Barnes X I use. Ultra high velocity drops with shock moreso than vital wounds.

 

[D.R. Cattle]

The only problem I can see with the short mags is the lack of ability to get the velocity with heavy weight bullets that you can with the full size mags. Part of the reason they get higher velocitys with less powder is the work at higher pressures, but you can only cram so much powder in a case and still stay within those pressure limits. Heavier bullets also decrease avaialble case space by requiring they be deeper seated.

dun

I assume you mean "heavier than normal" bullets for velocity? According to the reviews and tests the popular sized projectiles flew nearly as flat and as far as the big belted version. But I never found literature pertaining to heavy loads. Thus your point being less options in bullet size? One guy said he had trouble reloading the first go-round because he hadn't seated the bullets as deep as usual, but soon realized and adjusted with no further problems. Good point. It seems that the ammo is pricey for the time being so reloading is an obvious plus.

 

[ottersbro]

i own a 270 wsm and have taken several deer with it. very nice
rifle and the recoil isnt bad, less recoil less chance you'll flinch when you shoot. the 7mm wsm and the 270 wsm are real close
in ballistics, the biggest difference is you can get heavier grain bullets in the 7mm wsm.

 

[Campground Cattle]

Funny I keep plugin away with my old 1885 30-30. Old wise man tod me once man should own only 3 guns and learn to shoot em 22 rimfire a 12 gauge and a 30-30 or 30-06.

 

[Crowderfarms]

Funny I keep plugin away with my old 1885 30-30. Old wise man tod me once man should own only 3 guns and learn to shoot em 22 rimfire a 12 gauge and a 30-30 or 30-06.

One more important one a .308.

 

[dun]

The only problem I can see with the short mags is the lack of ability to get the velocity with heavy weight bullets that you can with the full size mags. Part of the reason they get higher velocitys with less powder is the work at higher pressures, but you can only cram so much powder in a case and still stay within those pressure limits. Heavier bullets also decrease avaialble case space by requiring they be deeper seated.

dun

I assume you mean "heavier than normal" bullets for velocity? According to the reviews and tests the popular sized projectiles flew nearly as flat and as far as the big belted version. But I never found literature pertaining to heavy loads. Thus your point being less options in bullet size? One guy said he had trouble reloading the first go-round because he hadn't seated the bullets as deep as usual, but soon realized and adjusted with no further problems. Good point. It seems that the ammo is pricey for the time being so reloading is an obvious plus.

With the availability of the "super premium" class of bullets the weight issue isn;t near as improtant as it once was. Unless you're palnning on wacking the mean stuff, the mid-range bullets work fine and will get the same velocity. It's when the envelope gets pushed by going to the heavy weight bullets for the caliber that problems crop up. It's no different then the .284 Winchester in a factory rifle. When you get to the 160 gr weight you start loosing case capacity, but in a non-short action rifle with a custom chamber you can use 175 gr just fine.

dun

 

[Bama]

I hunt with a guy that shoots a 7mm. I load for it but I do not own one. The belted mag will accept heavier loads. On deer or smaller animals it is somewhat of a overkill. On elk it does a nice job. It is like any gun. Bullet placement is the key. Heavy bullets do not drift as much in the wind on those long shots. One thing I have done in the past is to download it for deer. The recoil is much better and on larger game he can use the more common loads. There is a large assortment of bullets to choose from when loading this caliber. If your concerned with the short action I also hunt with a guy that shoots a 280. I have saw him drop elk, deer, and bear with it. Its about the closest thing you will find to the short action. The biggest problem he has is not everone sells 280 shells. I load a lot for him also. The 7mm is easier to get.

 

[flaboy+]

Here's the guns I have used over the years to kill Fla deer and hogs. I know the critters out west are much bigger than down here though.

22 rimfire deer and hogs
22 Magnum Deer and hogs
22 Hornet deer and hogs
243 Deer and hogs
30-30 Deer and hogs
30-06 Deer and hogs
357 Magnum Pistol Deer and hogs
20 Gauge Shotgun Deer
12 Gauge Shotgun Deer

Of the above I have probably killed more critters with the 243 than any other gun I have owned. Yes, I know about hunting with a rimfire. ;-)

 

[preston39]

Bama...,
Is the 7mm the standard for NATO? Or is it 9mm?

 

[El_Putzo]

Bama...,
Is the 7mm the standard for NATO? Or is it 9mm?

I'm not sure about NATO, but aren't .223 and .308 still the common rifle rounds for the US military?

 

[dun]

Bama...,
Is the 7mm the standard for NATO? Or is it 9mm?

The standard NATO pistol round is the 9mm Luger aka 9X19.

dun

 

[D.R. Cattle]

Here's the guns I have used over the years to kill Fla deer and hogs. I know the critters out west are much bigger than down here though.

22 rimfire deer and hogs
22 Magnum Deer and hogs
22 Hornet deer and hogs
243 Deer and hogs
30-30 Deer and hogs
30-06 Deer and hogs
357 Magnum Pistol Deer and hogs
20 Gauge Shotgun Deer
12 Gauge Shotgun Deer

Of the above I have probably killed more critters with the 243 than any other gun I have owned. Yes, I know about hunting with a rimfire. ;-)

With the exception of the .357, most deer in the US have been killed by one of those rounds. I've killed a pile of them with a 22 Hornet myself. Love that little stinger and don't ever plan on getting rid of it.

 

[Crowderfarms]

Here's the guns I have used over the years to kill Fla deer and hogs. I know the critters out west are much bigger than down here though.

22 rimfire deer and hogs
22 Magnum Deer and hogs
22 Hornet deer and hogs
243 Deer and hogs
30-30 Deer and hogs
30-06 Deer and hogs
357 Magnum Pistol Deer and hogs
20 Gauge Shotgun Deer
12 Gauge Shotgun Deer

Of the above I have probably killed more critters with the 243 than any other gun I have owned. Yes, I know about hunting with a rimfire. ;-)

With the exception of the .357, most deer in the US have been killed by one of those rounds. I've killed a pile of them with a 22 Hornet myself. Love that little stinger and don't ever plan on getting rid of it.

Now Boys, Isn't it illegal to use rimfire ammo on Deer???

 

[Bama]

Don't hold me to it but I think the NATO round is 7.62. I don't load much military rounds as most of them have berdin (sp) primers. They have 2 holes in the primer pocket insted of 1 large. The 2 holes make it real hard to line up the pin to push out the spent primers.

 

[CopeMan]

My 15 year old has been choking the stock of a Model 94 dirty dirty (30-30) since he was old enough. Good gun to have in the cabinet but now that he's become a real deerslayer he's buggin me about a step up in the food chain. He's a leftie, so the search becomes more difficult. I've heard a lot of good things about the new Winchester short mag cartridges. I think 7MM would more than suffice a trip out west or a whitetail hunt here. The reviews claim the short mags to reach similar velocities and energies as the standard belted mags with less recoil and short bolt backs. This sounds quite appealing. The only rifles currently offered in these calibers left hand are Browning A-Bolt and Win Model 70. Any opinions?

The Browning is an Awesome 7MM. Winchester cant be bad either.