Many outdoorsmen can perhaps nod in approval that the 7mm Remington Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum are excellent caliber choices.
This is particularly true for the field, especially when hunting large prey.
No doubt, they are both ammunition that can take down some of the most stubborn hunted animals.
Still these, two have some fundamental differences, and a lot gets lost in the advantages and disadvantages of the two during side-by-side comparisons.
The 7mm Rem Mag is a cartridge designed for carbines and rifles.
It has a heavier bullet than the 300 Win Mag, which gives it greater ballistic performance in the range of 300 to 400 yards.
It is also popular among hunters, as it delivers more power to larger game at extended ranges.
However, the 300 Win Mag has an advantage in magazine capacity, making it a better choice for long-range precision shooting.
The 7mm Rem Mag is a popular hunting cartridge and is often recommended as a caliber for beginner shooters.
The 300 Win Mag, on the other hand, is a more powerful cartridge that’s often used by experienced shooters.
Essential Differences of the .300 Win Mag versus the 7mm Rem Mag
The .300 Win Mag and the 7mm Mag are both flat shooting, powerful, and extremely precise cartridges. In this post let us examine the origins of the cartridges and their pros and cons.
Hopefully, this knowledge can give you the needed facts to know which you should arm yourself with in different hunting scenarios.
The 7mm Remington Magnum Origins
Remington made a big impact in 1962 as they introduced the Model 700 rifle.
Alongside this came the 7mm Remington Magnum.
It had a trimmed .375 H&H Magnum case coupled with a .284″ bullet.
The 7mm Remington Magnum provided notable ballistic superiority over the other available cartridges of that era.
Another point worth noting is the new 7mm Remington Magnum cartridge was compatible with a regular size rifle.
This was very advantageous since it could fit in many rifle models of that time.
Hunters everywhere were delighted.
With all those things going for it, it is clear why the powerful 7mm Rem Mag rapidly became a favorite among American hunters.
The .300 Winchester Comes To Answer Remington
The folks over at Winchester during that time realized that Remington scored an ace, and they were quick to answer.
They started to design a .30 caliber magnum cartridge with the case from the .338 Winchester Magnum.
Eventually, they unveiled in 1963 the .300 Winchester Magnum.
Akin to the 7mm Mag, the .300 Win Mag possessed notable superiority over other cartridges of its class.
It also was compatible with a standard rifle action length. Just like the 7mm Rem Mag, the .300 Win Mag endeared itself with American huntsmen in no time.
Physical Differences of the .300 Win vs 7mm Rem Mag
The dissimilarities of the .300 Winchester Magnum and 7mm Remington Magnum are quite visible evident.
The .300 Win Mag is a bit taller; but nevertheless, the two cartridges are usable in regular (as opposed to magnum) length action rifles.
They share the same rim diameter size and look practically alike.
Since they are very alike in size, the ballistics of the two cartridges are also rather identical.
The single most obvious disparity between the two is the bullets they discharge.
The 7mm Remington Magnum is equipped with .284″ slugs while the .300 Winchester Magnum is armed with .308″ slugs.
Physical Differences of the .300 Win vs 7mm Rem Mag
Recoil Traits
The 300 Win Mag is on paper to have more recoil when comparing it to the 7mm Rem Mag.
When discharged from one rifle, a .300 Win Mag load that shoots a 165-grain bullet is shown to have 25% more when compared to a 7mm Rem Mag load that discharges 150-grain slug at an identical muzzle rapidity.
The Enduring Popularity of Both Cartridges
The .300 Win Mag and 7mm Rem Mag share the equal spotlight as far as their desirability is concerned as a magnum cartridge.
Both are perennial favorites among American rifle enthusiasts ever since their introduction in the early 1960s. Due to this phenomenal success, almost all ammunition makers make available a wide range of premium ammunition for both cartridge models.
Together with options for ammunition, there is a myriad of rifles manufactured by many companies chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum and 7mm Remington Magnum.
Likewise, since the cartridges are just as long and the same rim diameter, rifle models are practically the same or almost identical.
Hunting Bear With the Two Cartridges
As long as premium ammunition and marksmanship are in play, the 7mm Rem Mag and .300 Win Mag are reliable cartridges for hunting brown bear, black bear, and grizzly bears.
It is important to note though that because both are flat shooting and powerful cartridges, the 7mm Mag and .300 Win Mag are particularly outstanding in far-shooting scenarios.
These are distances one has to aim a shot farther than 200-300 yards.
Since it is slightly smaller in caliber, the 7mm Remington Magnum is better suited for animals that are not very big.
Furthermore, the lesser cartridge recoil contributes to making the 7mm Mag ideal for smaller-bodied hunters.
It is likewise great for scenarios where an easy-to-carry rifle is required, such as on a hike or mountain trek.
Conversely, since the .300 Win Mag discharges slightly bigger and heftier diameter slugs, it has a distinct edge if going after larger, meaner, and more perilous prey.
However, this is not to say that the 7mm Rem Mag cannot down a large grizzly.
Multitudes of hunters have done so for many years and continue to do so.
By that same token, the .300 Win Mag is also often used for smaller prey or is the weapon of choice in mountain treks or backpacking.
In Conclusion
As mentioned earlier in this post, the .300 Winchester Magnum and 7mm Remington Magnum are truly great all-around hunting cartridges.
Each one however is slightly more advantageous depending on the hunting scenario.
To have to get into the nitty-gritty details of both to identify distinct characteristics shows that these two are very similar.
If truth were told, the dissimilarities of the two are certainly not night and day.
In fact, perhaps the choice between a .300 Winchester Magnum and 7mm Remington Magnum will not really depend on their respective characteristics, but rather more on personal taste.
