Here’s why I recommend a .300 over a 7mm Mag.
The other day I sold a rifle to a co-worker. It was a beautiful Ruger .300 Win. Mag. with a Leupold 3×9 Vari-XII. with only about 10 rounds down the pipe. I won’t say how much it sold for but it was a really good deal. The fella that bought it was a first time buyer. He is one of those engineering types that has to read and research everything before he makes a decision. One of the decisions he had to make was what caliber rifle to buy. He had been looking at a Ruger but until he talked to me he was dead set on a 7mm Rem. Mag. When I asked him why it turned out that another co-worker had said that a 7mm Mag. was the one caliber to have. (Because he used a 7mm Mag!). Now before people start getting on to me for not agreeing with his choice, I want to make it clear that I have owned and killed several animals with the 7mm Mag. and feel that it is a good cartridge. However, I now shoot a .300.
When my co-worker asked me which one I would choose of course I said “The .300, no doubt about it.†When he asked why I had to think about the reasons I had switched to the .300 almost 15 years ago. I hate to say it but the first thing that came to mind was that my dad shot the same caliber! (I didn’t tell my co-worker that!) Although that may have been the reason I switched to the .300, it is not the reason I still shoot that rifle today. After many years of experience with this rifle, I just simply love this caliber. One of the main reasons is that I can load different weight bullets.
- I am able to load heavier bullets. When I went on an African plains game hunt I loaded it with 200gr. bullets,
- When I got back home I loaded some 150 gr. bullets and went on an antelope hunt in Wyoming.
- If I want to take long shots or short shots I know that there will always be enough energy down range to get the job done. Granted you can do that to some extent with the 7 mag. but bullet weights and availability are sometimes a problem.
In my opinion, and for my needs, the .300 Win. Mag. has been perfect. Would I pass up a deal on one of the super fast .300’s or .338’s? Heck no! There is always something that comes along that may or may not get the job done and I am willing to give anything a try.
Let me know what your experiences have been with different caliber rifles – good or bad. I know that there are a ton of different calibers out there that I haven’t heard of or had a chance to try for myself, so I would like to hear your feedback.