Help me fill a gap, 7mm rem mag or 300 win mag, or…

[snert]

I am an old cartridge guy too. I have experieice with both the 300 and the 7 mag in sendero's. I like the 7 for whitetail, and my partner shoots a 300. Shooting both side by side for what you are talking about, I would borrow his 300 for what you want. I've taken whitetail to 625 yards, and several in the 500 plus range and I have him backing me every time, ready to put another in.

The heavies retain energy, and you need energy. so, 300

 

[slm9s]

I wouldn't let brass that you already have dictate cartridge choice. For a hunting rifle, 100 pieces of brass would last a LONG time for most and 2 boxes of brass and a set of dies are CHEAP compared to the price of building a custom rifle, or even buying a nice factory rifle. You might as well get what you want.

If it were me, if I was going to be putting a brake or a suppressor on it, I'd go 300.

 

[LHSmith]

Well times have changed and the future of getting reloading components looks bleak in the near future. I just checked some vendors supply and brass in those 2 selections is very limited. I have had several .300 WM's and it is the cartridge I would use for LR big game. I had a 700 Sendero SS SF when they first came out ~late '90's. It replaced a .300 BDL SS with tupperware stock. Never could get accuracy from the Sendero, but the BDL SS was the most accurate out of the box 700 I ever owned -and we're talking dozens. The Sendero was heavy due to the aramid stock material and the stock design did not lend itself for off- hand shooting. With the proper bullet the .300 WM is just fine for whitetail.

 

[Adam0321/0306]

I certainly appreciate everyone’s replies. I guess a more appropriate question would have been which caliber for that specific rifle. I have a 25-06 Sendero and that is one of the most accurate rifles I have ever shot.

Trust me, I get the thing about carrying a heavy gun. Like I said, I used to hike and m40 A5 or a M1A1 DMR for miles. It seems like the area I am hunting will be limited movement. We shall see.

Thanks again.

 

[CharlieNC]

Both will do a good job, and to be becomes more about the available rifle you like best. For hunting my old Tikka 695 in 300WM Whitetail offered a great combination of weight, accuracy, smooth action, trigger, etc. It was the perfect elk rifle IMO.

 

[dk17hmr]

Id worry less about the caliber/cartridge and more about the gym. I live in elk country and get to hunt them every year. I have killed them with pretty small cartridges and pretty big cartridges. Short range and long range. One thing that they all seem to have in common is that they are heavy and die a pretty good distance from the truck.

I have shot them at over 500 with a 338 Lapua with a 300gr and a 6.5 Sherman short with a 122gr...it really didnt make a difference

 

[jackieschmidt]

Both will do a good job, and to be becomes more about the available rifle you like best. For hunting my old Tikka 695 in 300WM Whitetail offered a great combination of weight, accuracy, smooth action, trigger, etc. It was the perfect elk rifle IMO.

A couple of years ago, I helped a business associate sight in and choose Factory Ammo for a really light Tikka in 7mm REM Mag. He was going on a guided Elk hunt that the guide required suitable Factory Ammo, no handloads.

He met me at Tomball with 4 different brands of Factory Ammo. That rifle was really light.

The most accurate we found was good old 150 grn Remington Core Lokts.. With it, We could shoot 1/1/4 three shot groups. It was, however, not fun. I doubt that rifle weighed 8 pounds with the Leupold Scope mounted.

He bagged a nice Elk at what he said was around 300 yards with one shot.

 

[nakneker]

Remington Sendero , first or second gen, are great rifles. I’ve owned four and all of them shot very well including a 338 RUM I wish I still had. If your ok packing the weight it’s a great choice. You already own several good elk cartridges but if your stretching to the distances your talking about then 7mag and 300mag are good choices. They certainly are classics and they both do a good job. Seems like most are voting 300 mag, if it was me I’d be going with a 7mag. I’m not familiar with the twist rates in those rifles, you might want to check that to make sure you can shoot the heavies in the cartridge you want to use. I’m sure you’ll have a fast enough twist for 180-200grs in the 300 and 160s in the 7 mag but check the twist if your wanting to shoot 210-230s in the 300 and 175 plus in the 7 mag.

I will also add that elk hunting can be challenging no matter where you are. Late elk hunts out west in New Mexico can mean long days with lots of elevation in your hikes, the better shape your in the better your odds of filling the tag. I compliment you on a solid choice for a retirement gift! Elk hunting is good stuff. If your lucky enough to hunt them in the rut that changes everything but I’m guessing your hunting late season. Either way, it’s good for the soul.

 

[CharlieNC]

A couple of years ago, I helped a business associate sight in and choose Factory Ammo for a really light Tikka in 7mm REM Mag. He was going on a guided Elk hunt that the guide required suitable Factory Ammo, no handloads.

He met me at Tomball with 4 different brands of Factory Ammo. That rifle was really light.

The most accurate we found was good old 150 grn Remington Core Lokts.. With it, We could shoot 1/1/4 three shot groups. It was, however, not fun. I doubt that rifle weighed 8 pounds with the Leupold Scope mounted.

He bagged a nice Elk at what he said was around 300 yards with one shot.

Load development was not fun with that WM, but I never noticed the recoil when shooting an elk! I'm not recoil sensitive, but I'm sure those who are could likely flintch when shooting at game due to a conditioned reflex. Another variable to consider for sure.

 

[std7mag]

Yeah, the gym is a definite good idea!!
Being a flat lander living in the 1,600 ft elevation then going to Colorado and trying to play with the kid in the snow at 10,000ft really leaves you gasping for air!!

My bad dilemma if i get to go out west to elk hunt is what rifle i already own do i take?

Savage 111 in 257 Roberts AI
Browning A Bolt SSA in 25 WSSM.
Ruger 77 MKII in 25-06.
Weatherby Mark V Ultra Lightweight in 257 WBY Mag.
Stevens 200 in 7mm-08AI.
Ruger 77 MKII in 280 Rem.
Savage Axis II in 284 Win.
Savage 111 in 7mm Rem Mag.
Weatherby Mark V Weathermark LT in 7mm WBY Mag.

 

[Adam0321/0306]

Id worry less about the caliber/cartridge and more about the gym. I live in elk country and get to hunt them every year. I have killed them with pretty small cartridges and pretty big cartridges. Short range and long range. One thing that they all seem to have in common is that they are heavy and die a pretty good distance from the truck.

I have shot them at over 500 with a 338 Lapua with a 300gr and a 6.5 Sherman short with a 122gr...it really didnt make a difference

Thanks. I tend to stay in pretty good shape. Can’t account for the altitude here, but I work out 5-6 days a week.

 

[Adam0321/0306]

Remington Sendero , first or second gen, are great rifles. I’ve owned four and all of them shot very well including a 338 RUM I wish I still had. If your ok packing the weight it’s a great choice. You already own several good elk cartridges but if your stretching to the distances your talking about then 7mag and 300mag are good choices. They certainly are classics and they both do a good job. Seems like most are voting 300 mag, if it was me I’d be going with a 7mag. I’m not familiar with the twist rates in those rifles, you might want to check that to make sure you can shoot the heavies in the cartridge you want to use. I’m sure you’ll have a fast enough twist for 180-200grs in the 300 and 160s in the 7 mag but check the twist if your wanting to shoot 210-230s in the 300 and 175 plus in the 7 mag.

I will also add that elk hunting can be challenging no matter where you are. Late elk hunts out west in New Mexico can mean long days with lots of elevation in your hikes, the better shape your in the better your odds of filling the tag. I compliment you on a solid choice for a retirement gift! Elk hunting is good stuff. If your lucky enough to hunt them in the rut that changes everything but I’m guessing your hunting late season. Either way, it’s good for the soul.

Yeah, this will be the end of a 21+ year career in the Marines. Been planning this for some time.

 

[dk17hmr]

Thanks. I tend to stay in pretty good shape. Can’t account for the altitude here, but I work out 5-6 days a week.

Solid that's usually the issue I see with nonresidents out here Off the top of my head a list of cartridges I have used to kill elk in the last several season.

6.5ss
260
6.8spc
280
308
30-06
300wsm
300 win mag
338 Win mag
338 Lapua
45cal smokeless muzzleloader

Id use them all again. The only one that was disappointing (even though it did work) was the 338L shooting 300gr smks, switched to a 230gr eldx and had a much quicker kill on the second elk that season.

 

[Adam0321/0306]

Solid that's usually the issue I see with nonresidents out here Off the top of my head a list of cartridges I have used to kill elk in the last several season.

6.5ss
260
6.8spc
280
308
30-06
300wsm
300 win mag
338 Win mag
338 Lapua
45cal smokeless muzzleloader

Id use them all again. The only one that was disappointing (even though it did work) was the 338L shooting 300gr smks, switched to a 230gr eldx and had a much quicker kill on the second elk that season.

I wonder if that was due to the SMKs?

 

[dk17hmr]

I wonder if that was due to the SMKs?

Without a doubt...I didn't hit heavy bone and the first shot penciled through at a bit over 625. The second shot in the side of the head worked though. 230gr eldx from the Lapua did a much better job.

 

[nakneker]

Yeah, this will be the end of a 21+ year career in the Marines. Been planning this for some time.

Well deserved then, thank you for your service!

 

[Webster]

Hello everyone, as a retirement gift to myself, I am finally heading out west and going to go elk hunting. I know that the weight of the rifle will be a factor and that I will spend more time hiking it than shooting it. But here is my dilemma. I have always wanted a rem 700 Sendero SFII. Love that gun. I can commonly find them in 7mm rem mag and 300 winmag. I currently own a 25-05 Sendero, a 30-06 BDL 700, and a 700 chambered in 280 rem (not AI).

I was pretty set on getting the rifle in 300 WM. I also have several hundred pieces of once fire 300 WM brass.

But, I am reading a lot about the 7mm rem mag, which would also be better for white tail here in the east. But I am thinking that with already having a 6.5cm, 308, 280, 25-06, and 30-06, the 7mm rem mag is so close to the 30-06 and 280, I would be better off with the 300 WM.

Where I am going I am being told that I can expect shots out to 600-800 yards. I am comfortable out to about 600 on an elk as I have taken a few white tails with my 25-06 in the 450-500 range. I shoot almost every weekend and will put the time in. I am blessed to have access to a 1000 yard range with tons of steel.

I know some will say 7mm PRC or 300PRC, but I like the older calibers and really am looking at that particular rifle, the Sendero SFII.

Thanks for any and all input.

Many of the new Rem's have cheap crappy tupper ware stock.

 

[std7mag]

Many of the new Rem's have cheap crappy tupper ware stock.

You've seen the stocks Savage puts on their rifles, right??!!

 

[David Milisock]

Hello everyone, as a retirement gift to myself, I am finally heading out west and going to go elk hunting. I know that the weight of the rifle will be a factor and that I will spend more time hiking it than shooting it. But here is my dilemma. I have always wanted a rem 700 Sendero SFII. Love that gun. I can commonly find them in 7mm rem mag and 300 winmag. I currently own a 25-05 Sendero, a 30-06 BDL 700, and a 700 chambered in 280 rem (not AI).

I was pretty set on getting the rifle in 300 WM. I also have several hundred pieces of once fire 300 WM brass.

But, I am reading a lot about the 7mm rem mag, which would also be better for white tail here in the east. But I am thinking that with already having a 6.5cm, 308, 280, 25-06, and 30-06, the 7mm rem mag is so close to the 30-06 and 280, I would be better off with the 300 WM.

Where I am going I am being told that I can expect shots out to 600-800 yards. I am comfortable out to about 600 on an elk as I have taken a few white tails with my 25-06 in the 450-500 range. I shoot almost every weekend and will put the time in. I am blessed to have access to a 1000 yard range with tons of steel.

I know some will say 7mm PRC or 300PRC, but I like the older calibers and really am looking at that particular rifle, the Sendero SFII.

Thanks for any and all input.

Retirement and the gift of a hunt, good for you. Let me suggest this, for the hunt you already have what you need to take elk. Maybe you buy a rifle that you can shoot regularly at the range and do some hunting with?

Since I retired I try and shoot more and my heavies get less attention than my lights because of the weight of the rifles, the recoil and my smaller calibers can be shared with my wife and grandchildren.

 

[msalm]

300 Mag would be my choice. 175 or 200gr Terminal Ascent would be my choice of bullet if I could find them. Never warmed up to Bergers personally.