is a 7mm mag rifle good for deer hunting or would a 3006 be better?

Answer 1

I bought a new Winchester model 70 in 7 mag. three years ago. As soon as I got in my tree stand I did not like the added length of the rifle at all.

I shot 3 deer in 2 days with it & did not like the results. The bullet was so fast that the deer did not seem to be hit at all. I thought I missed but had actually made prefect double lung shots on all 3. All 3 only ran between 60 & 80 yards, which was straight into a thicket I was hunting next to. The blood trail was very sparse, only small drops about 10 yards apart. I found the deer easly but if they would have ran more or made a few turns it would have been questionable.

I traded the rifle the second evening to a guy in my camp for an old boat.

I've got a 30 06 Remington 700 (from Wal-Mart) that has a shorter barrel than most 30 06's. I like it in the woods. It is a fast bullet though so I use 220 gr bullets to slow it down & give more knock down where I expect shots to be under 100 yards, which is most of my hunting. I use 165 gr. bullets for hunting in areas where I can 200 & 300 yard shots.

My favorite Deer load is a .308 with 180 gr. bullets. Never lost a deer with it and 75% of the time see them go down. The 06 does allow for longer shots.

Answer 2

I love my Browning A Bolt Medallion topped with Leupold VxIII 4.5X14X50, I have had this all over North America and it's never failed me, White Tails, Mule Deer, Elk, Caribou, Moose, Black Bear and Big Brown Bears.

The 7mm Rem., Mag. is not only 400fps faster MV it is also about 500ft-lbs more ME then the odd-6. Down range out to the first 200 yards they are very close in energy but beyond that, 250 to 500 yards the 7mm is the king. It is a very flat trajectory cartridge, at 2" high at 100 yards is about an 1" high at 200 and 1" low at 300, Now the 30-06 2" high at a 100 is about 5" low at 300 yards.

The 30-06 is a good round with lots of factory loads to chose from, much more then the 7mm. But once again this is my choice, the 7mm is flatter shooting and has much more energy way down range. The 7mm is more of an open country as to the odd-6 is a good brush and some open country shots.

I have a lot of different firearms in my safe to chose from but, it's hard to leave the 7mm behind when I have had so much luck with it.
NOTE: The 30 stands for 30cal. and the 06 represents 1906 thus, 30-06.

Answer 3

They are ballistically similar with the .30-06 shooting a slightly wider slug. Both are good for deer, but a bit of an overkill. I use a .25-06 Remington when strictly hunting deer.

Some people will tell you that the .7mm Mag. is superior, but that is a matter of opinion. The old .30-06 has its own following and has been used successfully longer (BETTER than a hundred years, now!).

H

Answer 4

A 7 MM (.284 dia.)is too fast for a close shot and doesn't expand well until you get beyond 200 yards where it slows enough. I've used partition (the front blows off and the back remains in tact) re-loads with very little success. A 30.06 (.308 dia.) is slower and fatter and does a much better job of destroying meat and retains enough velocity/energy to punch all the way through a deer at any angle. If it hits a bone or shoulder you generally get a huge exit wound allowing easy tracking. Even with a heart shot they will still run 100 yards into the brush. My preference is a .308. The same slug as a 30.06 but slightly slower and much less recoil. Most times goes all the way through and most of the energy of the bullet is absorbed by the deer and not the trees beyond it.

Answer 5

It all depends on the country you are hunting. If the area is brushy with close range shots I would chose the 30-06 as you can get rounded and heaver bullets that will cut the brush. The 7mm is well know for it's long range and flat trajectory. Both are good choices and both have a variety of loads available. Recoil on both calibers is about the same when shooting the same bullet weight out of the same gun model. I would pick the 7mm as I have a 7mm rem. mag and a 7mm STW because the area I hunt you are lucky if you get a shot within 200 yards. Hope this helps and either are good choices with the right load for the application.

Answer 6

7 Mag Rifle

Answer 7

Your 7 mag will take any game in north america, with the proper bullet.

Sure, people will say it's no good for bear, but then, how many of them have ever shot a bear? The people that rag on your 7 mag in favor of the '06 have probably never hunted with both. The only thing they know about the 7 mag is that it shoots flat. Which it does. It's a good round that doesn't see as much popularity as it deserves.

Answer 8

I am 14 years old and on November 27, 2006, deer season, I shot two deer within 1 minute of each other with a 30-06 and a 7mm magnum. The one shot with a 30-06 was down just as quick as the one shot with a 7mm. Some people consider the 7mm too much for whitetail, which it did destroy a good bit of it's insides. But so did the 30-06 150 grain Remington core-lockts. It is all up to you, both are great choices. And both have pretty heavy recoil.

Answer 9

7mm Mag is a very good deer rifle in the open, has
good stopping power, but don't use it in brush, as it tends to deflect. I like the 165 grain, it knocks em down. But don't
wait for another deer, the 7mag is REAL loud, and can be heard for a LONG way.

Answer 10

7mm Mag Rifle