7mm or 300 Win Mag for elk, moose, possibly bear?

[kyle7735]

can you shoot the 300 win mag or 7mm better

thats what matters

[haroldoconnor]

for north american big game the 7mm diameter bullets have much higher BC's than the .30's or the .338's for reasonable hunting weight bullets.
the 7mm rem mag loaded with the remington case with hodgdons retumbo powder outperforms the .300 remington ultra mag at 1,000 yrds! the difference is a BC of 0.0640 for the 7mm verses 0.0410 of the .300 for long range shooting . remember bullet shape is important.... a guy hunting wyoming elk shot 1140 yrds at a bull elk killing it one shot. the first alaskan moose i killed i used a 22-250 ruger 77 loaded with winchester hollow point 40 grain bullet. shot placements a real key to baging big game. what ever u are comfortable shooting with will get the job done..

[rudyglove27]

.300 Win Mag!!!

[Pecos Flats]

All of these opinions can be amusing!
It is always easy to tell who owns what caliber by the way they extol its virtues, while criticizing other calibers.
What I am about to tell you is in regard to hunting and not long range shooting matches at Camp Perry, Wimbledon and Palma Match.
For big game hunting I own two; .338 Win Mags, two; .300 Win Mags, two; 7mm Rem Mags and one; 30.06. So I can say a little about each.
The 30.06 is a time proven round that is perfectly capable of taking all of the game you mention. The wide array of bullet selection makes it very versatile. If you are recoil shy, it may be for you.
The 7mm Rem Mag is as fine of caliber as there ever was. It is the equal of the 30.06 in terms of knockdown and ballistics. Where it really shines is long range. Out past about 350 to 400 yards the 7mm will begin to leave the 30.06 behind in terms of bullet drop and energy. It is still packing a lot of freight and hit with authority when you choose the right bullet weight. It is probably the most efficient aerodynamic designs ever to come along. Remember, long range is where it really pays dividends.
The 300 Win Mag is basically a souped up 30.06 on steroids. It is an absolutely great round for elk, moose and black bears. It is a hammer on deer size game. Just like the 30.06, there is the widest range of .30 caliber projectiles to choose from.
The .338 Win Mag is a hammer! It will take any game on the continent and with plenty of authority. Some people do not realize it, but you can load bullets ranging from 180 grains to 300 grains. However, as with any caliber capable of shooting such a wide choice of bullet weight, rifle twist will determine which ones work best.
After 30 years of hunting with all of these calibers, if I were to have to choose one caliber it would be my .338 Win Mag.
One thing is for sure. Each of these calibers I have mentioned has its virtues and its limitations.
However, if you are going after elk, just remember they can die quickly or at times run to the next county after being hit hard. It is why I take my .338 and leave the others at home. But it is just my preference and not a slight toward the others calibers.
The .338 will also hammer moose and bears as if hit by a Mac truck moving at the speed of lightening.
Do not get caught up in the old argument that it is too much caliber. I have never interviewed game shot by my .338 that complained of being too dead.
My vote is the .338 Win Mag based on your statement that you will be hunting elk, moose and bear.

[Cabochris]

I used to hunt with BIG guns... 338, 375, 416. For Big bears I would use my 416 Rem, as the 338 and 375 are not Stopping guns! No way, no how! For elk the 338 smacks them good with 210 Nos, yet I've shot big game like MuskOx that were not that impressed with 338 X bullets. Neither was my last moose and African Blue Wildebeast hit solid with a 375 HH! The called in moose stood in defiance 40 yards with 5 well placed 300 gr bullets through him and the African blue beast went some 200 yards with a double lung shot! You can kill a big bear with a .22, but a 416 or 458 would make me feel more secure.
These days I've simmered down a bit for lots of my hunting. I like the 7 mag, but feel 30 cal performs better on big game. I started hunting with a 300 Win and used to shoot 180s/200s. No need to anymore. I now use modern bullets and favor the Hornady loaded ammo with 150 and 165 GMX bullets. The factory loaded 150 GMX Superformance leaves my bbl pushing 3400 fps and will drop elk way out there! Plus there is less recoil and good accuracy! I will use the 165 GMX loadng for my next moose hunt. For 1 hunting all round gun, my choice would be the 300 Win Mag, shooting modern bullets and loads. Good friends have told me to try the Berger VLDs, as they kill big game like lightning... another example of the greater killing power with high tec bullets. I also like the 300 RUM, but I'm more of a hunter than a sniper and am not interested in shooting big game much beyond 400 yards. For me the 300 Win Mag is well balanced for most elk and moose hunting situations.

[web1350]

As has been said ad nauseum, bullet placement is vital but too many posters espouse their personal weapon as the best and others inferior. Any high-powered caliber rifle will do the job they're intended for. The 7mm Remington magnum is a great all around caliber just like the 30.06. For those of you not giving the 7mm their due, pull up some videos on YouTube and see its capabilities. I think many of you will be surprised to see its performance often surpasses larger calibers with higher ballistic numbers. Again, shot placement is crucial, but what the bullet does once it hits it's target is just as important.

[Boltman21]

All of these opinions can be amusing!
It is always easy to tell who owns what caliber by the way they extol its virtues, while criticizing other calibers.
What I am about to tell you is in regard to hunting and not long range shooting matches at Camp Perry, Wimbledon and Palma Match.
For big game hunting I own two; .338 Win Mags, two; .300 Win Mags, two; 7mm Rem Mags and one; 30.06. So I can say a little about each.
The 30.06 is a time proven round that is perfectly capable of taking all of the game you mention. The wide array of bullet selection makes it very versatile. If you are recoil shy, it may be for you.
The 7mm Rem Mag is as fine of caliber as there ever was. It is the equal of the 30.06 in terms of knockdown and ballistics. Where it really shines is long range. Out past about 350 to 400 yards the 7mm will begin to leave the 30.06 behind in terms of bullet drop and energy. It is still packing a lot of freight and hit with authority when you choose the right bullet weight. It is probably the most efficient aerodynamic designs ever to come along. Remember, long range is where it really pays dividends.
The 300 Win Mag is basically a souped up 30.06 on steroids. It is an absolutely great round for elk, moose and black bears. It is a hammer on deer size game. Just like the 30.06, there is the widest range of .30 caliber projectiles to choose from.
The .338 Win Mag is a hammer! It will take any game on the continent and with plenty of authority. Some people do not realize it, but you can load bullets ranging from 180 grains to 300 grains. However, as with any caliber capable of shooting such a wide choice of bullet weight, rifle twist will determine which ones work best.
After 30 years of hunting with all of these calibers, if I were to have to choose one caliber it would be my .338 Win Mag.
One thing is for sure. Each of these calibers I have mentioned has its virtues and its limitations.
However, if you are going after elk, just remember they can die quickly or at times run to the next county after being hit hard. It is why I take my .338 and leave the others at home. But it is just my preference and not a slight toward the others calibers.
The .338 will also hammer moose and bears as if hit by a Mac truck moving at the speed of lightening.
Do not get caught up in the old argument that it is too much caliber. I have never interviewed game shot by my .338 that complained of being too dead.
My vote is the .338 Win Mag based on your statement that you will be hunting elk, moose and bear.

Dude, you are so funny. I laughed at the last part of your post.