I was reading an article celebrating the centennial of the 30-06. The writer noted that with modern loads the 06 is nearly on a par, ballistically, with the 300 win mag. Not having paid much attention to 06 loads, I went on line and had look. Sure enough. The higher end 06 loads land pretty much, right in the middle of the 300's. I have no doubt that hand loaders could wring a bit more out of both, and the 300, in the end would have the edge. But still, there's that pesky 06.

My next intended purchase is a 7mm mag. So I compared it to the other two. Not a whole lot of difference. The 7mm kicks a 140 grain bullet out at around 3250 on the top end, the 06 a 150 gr a few feet slower and the 300 a 150 at nearly the same as the 7's 140. That's not much difference in energy. After all energy increased with the square of velocity and is linear with is linear with bullet meass. At around 165 they're all at about 3100 give or take. And up on the top bullet weight, the 30s do the 180 at around 3000 and the 7 does a 175 at around 2900 or a bit more.

Now I recognize there is a danger in taking a lesser round and squinting at it carefully, then declaring that it's almost as good as the good stuff. Next the same can be done to the lesser with even a lesser until we're claiming a BB gun is almost as good as 458. And that's not what I'm getting at here.

What looks possible to me is that if there is a critter that one of these cartridge will kill, then with the appropriate load, the other two will kill it just as dead at about the same ranges. It suggested to me that I hold my 7mm mag fixation with some prejudice. It's not as scientific as I had thought. I could be just as successful or not, with any of these three and there are likely others that could be thrown on the pile. I'm still getting the 7 but it did make me think a bit.

I was reading an article celebrating the centennial of the 30-06. The writer noted that with modern loads the 06 is nearly on a par, ballistically, with the 300 win mag. Not having paid much attention to 06 loads, I went on line and had look. Sure enough. The higher end 06 loads land pretty much, right in the middle of the 300's. I have no doubt that hand loaders could wring a bit more out of both, and the 300, in the end would have the edge. But still, there's that pesky 06.

My next intended purchase is a 7mm mag. So I compared it to the other two. Not a whole lot of difference. The 7mm kicks a 140 grain bullet out at around 3250 on the top end, the 06 a 150 gr a few feet slower and the 300 a 150 at nearly the same as the 7's 140. That's not much difference in energy. After all energy increased with the square of velocity and is linear with is linear with bullet meass. At around 165 they're all at about 3100 give or take. And up on the top bullet weight, the 30s do the 180 at around 3000 and the 7 does a 175 at around 2900 or a bit more.

Now I recognize there is a danger in taking a lesser round and squinting at it carefully, then declaring that it's almost as good as the good stuff. Next the same can be done to the lesser with even a lesser until we're claiming a BB gun is almost as good as 458. And that's not what I'm getting at here.

What looks possible to me is that if there is a critter that one of these cartridge will kill, then with the appropriate load, the other two will kill it just as dead at about the same ranges. It suggested to me that I hold my 7mm mag fixation with some prejudice. It's not as scientific as I had thought. I could be just as successful or not, with any of these three and there are likely others that could be thrown on the pile. I'm still getting the 7 but it did make me think a bit.

Try looking though various manuals at the .280rem. (specific to bolt guns) vs. the 7mm Rem. Mag. Of couse, like the 30-06 vs. 300WM, can handload the bigger cse to keep it's lead over the smaller case, but a good handloader with a .280 doesn't give up much (if anything) to a guy using 7mmRM factory loads

Jack,

I too, have a certain fixation with the 7mm bores. I agree with RS...with the right handloads, the .280 Rem. gives up very little, if anything, to the 7 Rem Mag. You're right about the "this beats this, beats this" line of thinking. Heck, on a good day, with the right handloads, a .308 Win can outdo some .30-06 loadings. Each cartridge has it's own followers and detractors. If you're bent on a zippy 7mm, you might look at the new 7 short mags. (This coming from a guy that also owns a powder gulping 7STW!) Bottom line to all of this is that if I'm Mr. Elk or Mr. Deer, and I get freighttrained in the boilerroom with ANY of these rounds, I'm more often that not, looking for a handy place to fall down and die. Can't honestly see where 25 grains difference in bullet weight, .024" in bullet diameter, or 100 feet per second is going to matter much to my iminently collapsing carcass. That said, if I had to pick my favorite 7mm it would be the .280 Rem. Happy shooting with the 7 Mag. Let me know if any critters tell you you're undergunned. ;)

Doc Holidude.

I have gone full circle on magnums. Now, the rifles I shoot the most are the 7mm-08 and the 243 Win.
My "Big Gun" is an '06.
My 243 is equipped with a 25 1/2" shilen barrel, the 7-08 comes out of a 24". Ballistic energy and trajectory are published everywhere so I won't boar you with details but after 300 yards, who cares! Just get closer.
I hate to be sold things I don't need and I found out a long time ago that I didn't need the extra recoil and weight of the magnums. No offense to anyone who uses them. I just think it's overkill.
I am speaking as someone who has killed oops, I
mean harvested, hundreds of deer, hogs and a few antelope as well. The longest shot I've ever taken except for two animals has been about 290 yards.
Most around 125.
There are too many great classic calibers out there for me to try. 257 roberts, 6mm rem, 7x57, 6x55.
Someone mentioned the 280 Rem which is a wonderful caliber that I have always wanted, but just can't buy them all.
I'm working on it.

Was a big fan of Wyoming's Bob Mileck (sp?) until he slammed my pet 7mm RM in an article years ago, saying the .280 Rem could do anything it could. Grudgingly, he was ALMOST right - just that the .280 didn't have the pazazz and eye candy appeal (much less the magical title "Magnum") of the 7 RM. As an interesting aside, I could load my 7x57 AI up to within 50 fps of the 7 RM loads, too.

One of the best factory loadings I've ever found is the Hornady Light Magnum 30-06 with a 180 gr Interlock. That load will ALMOST do anything the .300 WM will with the same bullet.

Yes, there is a definite overlap of some cartridges with the latest powders and bullets.

- Jack, I highly reccomend you read the writings of Col. Jeff Cooper - [Gunsite-Press].

At one point, Ruger made a run of heavy barrled 280's and i picked one up. Got hard-headed and decided to use that one rifle for EVERYTHING...to this day, believe you still could (although varminting isn't it's stroung suit, for they type of varminting that has a handful of shots in a day, it does very well).

Could I have done the same with a 30-06? Sure..and I ran around with an old PreWWII BSA 26" medium barrled 30-06 that did. On that one, had an old 4X Weaver on QD mounts that allowed the base of a Lyman apature stay in place, trap dorr in the steel butt plate held the slide of that Lyman. Fold down open rear sight as well (with a spare front sight in a second tarp door in the grip cap). Running around with three sighting systems, each one set for one particular load, really did make it an all around rifle (scope for the LR 150gr. load, apature was set for Hornady 220gr., and the open sights for a 115gr. cast bullet at .22LR speeds).

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Don't seer at that 220gr. hornady JSP...given the range limits, apatue sights make sense, and everything i ever shot with it had a hole running straight through it (no bullet verring off) and a nice exit hole...so long as i placed it so it intersected the "good stuff", it worked.

The best combination BC/velocity hunting bullet for the .30-06 (a 165 boat-tail) compares very favorably to the 7mag. Just look at a ballistic chart. At any resonable hunting range, there is little difference. This is especially true if you use barrels of the same length.

I've had people tell me and my friends that the 30-06 is "inadequate" for elk, or, "...you can't kill elk with a 30-06..."!!! Guess because it doesn't have that "magnum" name on it. The small diff between the 30-06 and the 300 mags is out where you really should question actually taking a shot.

All cartridges hold some interest for me, and I do have a few "magnums" (and I certainly don't look down my nose at those that choose them), but all the miniscule performance gaps in cartridges were filled long ago. The gun manufacturer's still need to sell their products though, and new and hyped-up is one way.

The gun manufacturer's still need to sell their products though, and new and hyped-up is one way.

....Amen!!!!