7x57 mauser vs 7mm mag for hunting deer. which is the better all around choice and wh

mk8tim · April 10, 2013, 08:04 PM

i recently purchased a savage model 110 7mm mag. i already have and love an interarms mark x 7x57 mauser. my nephew and i will be hunting deer together this year and i want him practicing on the gun he will be shooting, and i want to practice mostly with the one i will be shooting. i will be hunting without him at times but he will not be hunting without me as he is too young. the gun i choose is the gun i will be the best with. the boy is 16 and a big kid btw, so the mag is in his realm recoil wise. i have never shot a deer and neither has he. i hear a lot about bullets being knocked off track and the mag being weak in that area. i missed a massive buck last year with my 30-06 due to a bad yank on the trigger and buck fever. i do not intend to make that mistake this year. if given a choice between the two, which would you choose and why?

Cowboy_mo · April 10, 2013, 08:10 PM

I would choose the 7 x 57. The 7 mag is way overkill for whitetails and I simply don't like getting beat up by the rifle I am firing.

BTW, a 7 mag will not correct for yanking the trigger due to buck fever. It will however give you much more of a flinch if you practice with it very much

BigD_in_FL · April 10, 2013, 08:33 PM

What the 7X57 will do, the 7 mag will do it 100+ yards farther

musher · April 10, 2013, 09:19 PM

There is no reasonable range where a 7mm mag is needed for deer.

BUT

I wouldn't saddle a 16 yr old with the 7 mm mag either.

If you're stuck sharing those two rifles, suck it up with the magnum and let the boy hunt with the 7x57.

I would borrow the 7x57 back for most of my practice if I were you though. Just shoot the magnum enough to get familiar with it.

dahermit · April 10, 2013, 09:31 PM

Quote:

What the 7X57 will do, the 7 mag will do it 100+ yards farther

What the 7 mag is better at than the 7X57, is influencing the hunter to take shots further away than he can actually be sure of hitting. Getting within range is why they call it "hunting". I have killed many deer with a 6MM Remington, .257 Roberts, .32 Winchester spl., 7X57, etc. They are quite easy to kill with the more conservative chambering. The increased recoil, muzzle blast and sometimes excessive tissue damage of a 7 Mag. is not a desired or necessary attribute for deer hunting. Where the 7MM Magnum comes into its own is with heavy bullets and game several hundred pounds heavier than a deer.

Quote:

...i missed a massive buck last year with my 30-06 due to a bad yank on the trigger and buck fever. i do not intend to make that mistake this year...

In my less than humble opionion, by buying the Savage 110 in 7MM Rem. Mag., you are well on your way of doing it again.

Mobuck · April 10, 2013, 09:46 PM

I own and have used both rounds for deer. The 7 mag is over powered for this use but will put big deer DRT at ranges up to 500 yards IF THE SHOOTER IS QUALIFIED but ruins a lot of meat in doing so. The 7x57 with factory loads is a 200 yard deer rifle since those loads are way under loaded in deference to the many old Mausers still being used. The performance of this ammo is uninspiring to say it nicely but it provides a useable deer load at a reduced recoil level. In my Interarms Mk X and custom M98, I load the 7x57 to slightly above 7mm08 levels making it a true 300+ yard deer rifle.
We killed several deer with both these 7x57 loads last year so have recent real life experience with the performance.

mattL46 · April 10, 2013, 09:56 PM

I'd have to choose the 7 Mauser. Like everyone else has said its punishing overkill and it has a more rich history than the 7mag. (Although that won't make the deer any deader just my personal opinion) its more suited for the real life ranges we most all encounter. Deer+7mag at 75-100 yards...can't see that being very pretty.

GeauxTide · April 10, 2013, 10:23 PM

After seeing the results of pulverized deer shot under 200 yards with the 7RM, I use a 280 Rem. For me, anything under 300 yards, standard caliber. The 7x57 is in the ballistic vacinity of other standard 2 -2.5" cases, so all around is the key word. If you reload the 7x57, it becomes the ballistic peer of the '06 class of cartridges.

mk8tim · April 10, 2013, 11:32 PM

the only reason i stated that i don't intend for the "trigger yank" to happen again is because i intend to practice alot more over the summer. i should have also mentioned that in my area deer hunting is mostly field hunting. i actually don't find the 7mm mag to kick all that hard. i have a horrible habbit of clicking a trigger as if it's a bic pen. on any stiff trigger pull it seems to cause me to shoot low and to the right. both my nephew and i have fired the magnum and neither of us were bothered by the recoil. he's actually much larger than i am at 6'5" and a couple hundred pounds. i'm used to my old single shot 12 gauges so the mag rifles don't seem all that bad. i need to learn to squeeze instead of pull i guess. i will make sure they are both zeroed properly and see which one fits my nephew better and go from there. my 7x57 ammo is and always will be handloads btw. my stepfather loads them for me

tahunua001 · April 10, 2013, 11:38 PM

it doesn't matter what you go with. 7x57, 7mm-08, 7mm rem mag or even 7mm weatherby mag. no matter what you get it will kill any deer in the world within 400 yards and any farther you will need an incredible amount of skill, a very expensive setup and very firm position to shoot from. your cartridge length would be the least of your worries in that position.

Jim Watson · April 10, 2013, 11:39 PM

A friend here had his longest shot and best trophy deer with a 7x57.
A little Husqvarna with Weaver scope and Lee dot shooting handloads, it did anything you could ask of a hunting rifle.

mk8tim · April 11, 2013, 12:05 AM

the only reason i got rid of the 30-06 is because it was a rem model 710 and i absolutely hated the action of the bolt. it was sloppy at best and would bind up if you attempted any sort of quick follow up shot and didn't cycle it exactly right. i've only deer hunted the one season and after finally seeing a huge buck from across the field i went into full panic mode. i went for an afternoon ride to check my fields and at 1 in the afternoon i came upon a very large buck sniffing around on the wood line looking like a dog scouting for a place to relieve himself. instead of continuing up the road to get parallel and around 200 yards from him i slammed on the brakes, flew out the passenger door, leaned across the hood and attempted a 400 yard shot. i was a good 30 seconds getting steady enough to even keep him in my crosshairs long enough to shoot. my heart was pounding in my head and clearly visible through my scope. i had no business even being out there given the fact that i had only fired about 10 shots through my gun at about 120 yards and was inconsistent at best. i feel very fortunate that i cleanly missed instead of wounding him, that would have bothered me to no end. i hunt geese, ducks, partridge and rabbits obsessively and decided it was time to take a deer. after that i had a long talk with myself and decided next season i will be out there and have the right to be. so that's where i'm at and i am now preparing for this november's deer hunt. i intend to shoot all summer and be prepared.

tahoe2 · April 11, 2013, 12:26 AM

then by all means make it a 7x57 and practice with your nephew as often as possible.

mattL46 · April 11, 2013, 05:59 AM

MK8 very honorable of you!

mk8tim · April 11, 2013, 06:54 AM

thank you and i appreciate all of your guys comments and advice. i called my stepfather to ask him about my 7x57 ammo and he told me it's loaded "just above" .280. i guess i'm a total newb because that doesn't mean a lot to me. i do know that they're much hotter loads than factory and i'm happy about that. i'm anxious to see how i am with this little rifle. i am so hoping it fits because it's a beautiful gun. i was stuck in a mindset that it was underpowered, hence the 7mm mag, which i now own as well and actually do really like. off to the gravel pit i guess. good day all

Saltydog235 · April 11, 2013, 07:21 AM

So you flinched and made a bad shot with a 30'06, then went and bought a 7mmMag. Yeah, that makes sense. I made a reference to mag calibers, deficiencies and penis size in the .300 Mag thread, seems to apply here.

Why compare a 7mmMag to a 7X57? Sounds like you'd have been better served to step back to that wimpy 7mm08 that I like to shoot. It'll kill deer farther than most people can effectively shoot. I stoned a doe with it last year at 322yds. I own 4 7mmMags, I just rarely hunt with them for deer, the last one I shot was just about ruined from the bullet.

Or even better get a .243 and practice with it and get rid of that flinch. When it is time to hunt deer, you are good to go.

ligonierbill · April 11, 2013, 07:59 AM

I hope I read that wrong - the OP didn't really confess to a violation of the game laws in any state I know, did he? I also hope his stepfather is exaggerating about those 7x57 loads. Just to pick a common load from Nosler #6, a 140 over 51.5 grains RL19 tested at about 2,900 fps. That's max load, compressed, at 107% case capacity. That old Mauser 7 is no wimp. The .280 Rem loads the same bullet over 57 grains RL19 for 3,150, within 200 of the 7 Mag. Book values, of course, but if you could pack the smaller case with some faster powder to the point of approaching .280 velocities, I do not believe it would be a safe load.

AllenJ · April 11, 2013, 09:48 AM

MK8 you have the right idea. Practice, practice, practice, and do it on paper targets so you can see exactly what it happening. Coming from a bird hunting background when you get excited you're reverting to what has always worked, just like anyone would, and shooting like you always have. The issue is that shooting a rifle is completely different than shooting a shotgun. I can relate to your problem because in the late 90's I got to see the exact same thing with my cousin and he missed a fine bull elk on public land because of it.

As for cartridge choice either that you have are going to work fine. I've shot many rounds of 7mm Remington Mag and I don't find it uncomfortable at all. I have also seen many animals killed with the 7mm Remington Mag and all have been just as tasty as those killed with non-mag cartridges. The 7X57 is wonderful cartridge, it has a rich history and has very little recoil. Either should do what you need and I doubt the deer well know the difference.

musher · April 11, 2013, 09:55 AM

Quote:

I hope I read that wrong - the OP didn't really confess to a violation of the game laws in any state I know, did he?

Maybe, maybe not. If it's an access lane on his field, he's ok.

mk8tim · April 11, 2013, 01:31 PM

"Why compare a 7mmMag to a 7X57?" because that's what i own. and who said anything about flinching? i simply have a bad habit of "clicking" my trigger as if it's a pen. and what lead anyone to believe any law was violated? i was driving up a field road and saw a deer on the wood line. it was a dirt road far from any main road or dwelling. as long as a road isn't paved in maine you can shoot from it. also, i don't get the big deal about kick from a 7mm magnum. my 30-06 kicked worse in my opinion. look at a simple recoil chart. hardly a difference. i just got back from shooting today and my girlfriend and i both did quite well with both rifles. my 7mm has almost no kick compared to my goose gun. i'm not afraid of my gun, just not experienced with high caliber rifles and the importance of a good trigger squeeze. it also took me awhile to define my problem. i thought that maybe my rifle was off. i'm also used to a shotgun and not a rifle. i clearly need to practice. that's what i'm doing. so to be clear, i own both a savage 110 7mm mag and an interarms 7mm mauser. i'm asking advice as to which one i should be focusing on with my practice and which is the better deer rifle. i will be using one during the season and on the occasions that my nephew accompanies me he will be using the other. i have a friend who shoots deer every year with the 7mm mag, no ruined meat. if someone has no knowledge of one i would rather they didn't comment on it. i'm looking for some good advice here, nothing more

mk8tim · April 11, 2013, 01:37 PM

and thank you allenj, i think you've hit the nail on the head. i'm deadly with my 12 gauge, not so much with my rifle. i'm a pretty determined man. i got this. lol

Liambobbi · April 11, 2013, 01:56 PM

7 mag = neck shot for deer

ligonierbill · April 11, 2013, 02:02 PM

I'll grant your legality in Maine. Not the safest practice, and it will get you busted in a lot of states. That said, I had my 7 Mag out yesterday finalizing another load. Recommendation: Load a good 160. It's the right bullet to reach way out with plenty of energy, but it's less likely to ruin meat at close range. Killed my first elk at 400 with that rifle. And don't sell the 7x57 short. It's anything but weak.

mk8tim · April 11, 2013, 02:07 PM

it was simply a field road. remote and barely even a road. not public in any way. it ended at the end of the field. nothing even remotely unsafe about it. stepping into the field wouldn't have made things any safer. maybe i was unclear but the road is only for access to the field, nothing more. also not the point of my post. i am planning to use 150 grain or 160 for deer this fall.

alex0535 · April 11, 2013, 02:13 PM

7mm mag is a lot of rifle for deer, but it really depends on what species of deer you are hunting.

Whitetail, too much gun in my opinion. Your going to damage meat if you hit shoulder I would aim for the neck. Moose, I would feel confident in shooting a moose with a 7mm mag. Any species in between them is going to be takeable with 7mm mag.

My opinion is that your 7mm mag would be adequate to kill any game in North America but in many cases it is going to be overkill for anything under 250lbs.

If you are sighting in your 7 mag out in the woods, FIRE INTO A HILL! You can punch through a 5" tree trunk, knock the tree over, and it just keeps on going.

April 10, 2013, 08:04 PM	#1
mk8tim Member Join Date: March 8, 2013 Posts: 52	7x57 mauser vs 7mm mag for hunting deer. which is the better all around choice and wh i recently purchased a savage model 110 7mm mag. i already have and love an interarms mark x 7x57 mauser. my nephew and i will be hunting deer together this year and i want him practicing on the gun he will be shooting, and i want to practice mostly with the one i will be shooting. i will be hunting without him at times but he will not be hunting without me as he is too young. the gun i choose is the gun i will be the best with. the boy is 16 and a big kid btw, so the mag is in his realm recoil wise. i have never shot a deer and neither has he. i hear a lot about bullets being knocked off track and the mag being weak in that area. i missed a massive buck last year with my 30-06 due to a bad yank on the trigger and buck fever. i do not intend to make that mistake this year. if given a choice between the two, which would you choose and why?

April 10, 2013, 11:38 PM	#10
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	it doesn't matter what you go with. 7x57, 7mm-08, 7mm rem mag or even 7mm weatherby mag. no matter what you get it will kill any deer in the world within 400 yards and any farther you will need an incredible amount of skill, a very expensive setup and very firm position to shoot from. your cartridge length would be the least of your worries in that position. __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

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April 10, 2013, 08:10 PM	#2
Cowboy_mo Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2010 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,039	I would choose the 7 x 57. The 7 mag is way overkill for whitetails and I simply don't like getting beat up by the rifle I am firing. BTW, a 7 mag will not correct for yanking the trigger due to buck fever. It will however give you much more of a flinch if you practice with it very much

April 10, 2013, 08:33 PM	#3
BigD_in_FL Junior member Join Date: December 20, 2012 Location: The "Gunshine State" Posts: 1,981	What the 7X57 will do, the 7 mag will do it 100+ yards farther

April 10, 2013, 09:19 PM	#4
musher Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2005 Posts: 462	There is no reasonable range where a 7mm mag is needed for deer. BUT I wouldn't saddle a 16 yr old with the 7 mm mag either. If you're stuck sharing those two rifles, suck it up with the magnum and let the boy hunt with the 7x57. I would borrow the 7x57 back for most of my practice if I were you though. Just shoot the magnum enough to get familiar with it.

April 10, 2013, 09:46 PM	#6
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	I own and have used both rounds for deer. The 7 mag is over powered for this use but will put big deer DRT at ranges up to 500 yards IF THE SHOOTER IS QUALIFIED but ruins a lot of meat in doing so. The 7x57 with factory loads is a 200 yard deer rifle since those loads are way under loaded in deference to the many old Mausers still being used. The performance of this ammo is uninspiring to say it nicely but it provides a useable deer load at a reduced recoil level. In my Interarms Mk X and custom M98, I load the 7x57 to slightly above 7mm08 levels making it a true 300+ yard deer rifle. We killed several deer with both these 7x57 loads last year so have recent real life experience with the performance.

April 10, 2013, 09:56 PM	#7
mattL46 Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2013 Posts: 656	I'd have to choose the 7 Mauser. Like everyone else has said its punishing overkill and it has a more rich history than the 7mag. (Although that won't make the deer any deader just my personal opinion) its more suited for the real life ranges we most all encounter. Deer+7mag at 75-100 yards...can't see that being very pretty.

April 10, 2013, 10:23 PM	#8
GeauxTide Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 2009 Location: Helena, AL Posts: 4,423	After seeing the results of pulverized deer shot under 200 yards with the 7RM, I use a 280 Rem. For me, anything under 300 yards, standard caliber. The 7x57 is in the ballistic vacinity of other standard 2 -2.5" cases, so all around is the key word. If you reload the 7x57, it becomes the ballistic peer of the '06 class of cartridges.

April 10, 2013, 11:32 PM	#9
mk8tim Member Join Date: March 8, 2013 Posts: 52	the only reason i stated that i don't intend for the "trigger yank" to happen again is because i intend to practice alot more over the summer. i should have also mentioned that in my area deer hunting is mostly field hunting. i actually don't find the 7mm mag to kick all that hard. i have a horrible habbit of clicking a trigger as if it's a bic pen. on any stiff trigger pull it seems to cause me to shoot low and to the right. both my nephew and i have fired the magnum and neither of us were bothered by the recoil. he's actually much larger than i am at 6'5" and a couple hundred pounds. i'm used to my old single shot 12 gauges so the mag rifles don't seem all that bad. i need to learn to squeeze instead of pull i guess. i will make sure they are both zeroed properly and see which one fits my nephew better and go from there. my 7x57 ammo is and always will be handloads btw. my stepfather loads them for me

April 10, 2013, 11:39 PM	#11
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,534	A friend here had his longest shot and best trophy deer with a 7x57. A little Husqvarna with Weaver scope and Lee dot shooting handloads, it did anything you could ask of a hunting rifle.

April 11, 2013, 12:05 AM	#12
mk8tim Member Join Date: March 8, 2013 Posts: 52	the only reason i got rid of the 30-06 is because it was a rem model 710 and i absolutely hated the action of the bolt. it was sloppy at best and would bind up if you attempted any sort of quick follow up shot and didn't cycle it exactly right. i've only deer hunted the one season and after finally seeing a huge buck from across the field i went into full panic mode. i went for an afternoon ride to check my fields and at 1 in the afternoon i came upon a very large buck sniffing around on the wood line looking like a dog scouting for a place to relieve himself. instead of continuing up the road to get parallel and around 200 yards from him i slammed on the brakes, flew out the passenger door, leaned across the hood and attempted a 400 yard shot. i was a good 30 seconds getting steady enough to even keep him in my crosshairs long enough to shoot. my heart was pounding in my head and clearly visible through my scope. i had no business even being out there given the fact that i had only fired about 10 shots through my gun at about 120 yards and was inconsistent at best. i feel very fortunate that i cleanly missed instead of wounding him, that would have bothered me to no end. i hunt geese, ducks, partridge and rabbits obsessively and decided it was time to take a deer. after that i had a long talk with myself and decided next season i will be out there and have the right to be. so that's where i'm at and i am now preparing for this november's deer hunt. i intend to shoot all summer and be prepared.

April 11, 2013, 12:26 AM	#13
tahoe2 Senior Member Join Date: August 13, 2011 Location: Seattle area Posts: 661	then by all means make it a 7x57 and practice with your nephew as often as possible.

April 11, 2013, 05:59 AM	#14
mattL46 Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2013 Posts: 656	MK8 very honorable of you!

April 11, 2013, 06:54 AM	#15
mk8tim Member Join Date: March 8, 2013 Posts: 52	thank you and i appreciate all of your guys comments and advice. i called my stepfather to ask him about my 7x57 ammo and he told me it's loaded "just above" .280. i guess i'm a total newb because that doesn't mean a lot to me. i do know that they're much hotter loads than factory and i'm happy about that. i'm anxious to see how i am with this little rifle. i am so hoping it fits because it's a beautiful gun. i was stuck in a mindset that it was underpowered, hence the 7mm mag, which i now own as well and actually do really like. off to the gravel pit i guess. good day all

April 11, 2013, 07:21 AM	#16
Saltydog235 Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2010 Location: Pawleys Island Posts: 1,563	So you flinched and made a bad shot with a 30'06, then went and bought a 7mmMag. Yeah, that makes sense. I made a reference to mag calibers, deficiencies and penis size in the .300 Mag thread, seems to apply here. Why compare a 7mmMag to a 7X57? Sounds like you'd have been better served to step back to that wimpy 7mm08 that I like to shoot. It'll kill deer farther than most people can effectively shoot. I stoned a doe with it last year at 322yds. I own 4 7mmMags, I just rarely hunt with them for deer, the last one I shot was just about ruined from the bullet. Or even better get a .243 and practice with it and get rid of that flinch. When it is time to hunt deer, you are good to go.

April 11, 2013, 07:59 AM	#17
ligonierbill Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2007 Posts: 2,448	I hope I read that wrong - the OP didn't really confess to a violation of the game laws in any state I know, did he? I also hope his stepfather is exaggerating about those 7x57 loads. Just to pick a common load from Nosler #6, a 140 over 51.5 grains RL19 tested at about 2,900 fps. That's max load, compressed, at 107% case capacity. That old Mauser 7 is no wimp. The .280 Rem loads the same bullet over 57 grains RL19 for 3,150, within 200 of the 7 Mag. Book values, of course, but if you could pack the smaller case with some faster powder to the point of approaching .280 velocities, I do not believe it would be a safe load.

April 11, 2013, 09:48 AM	#18
AllenJ Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2009 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,766	MK8 you have the right idea. Practice, practice, practice, and do it on paper targets so you can see exactly what it happening. Coming from a bird hunting background when you get excited you're reverting to what has always worked, just like anyone would, and shooting like you always have. The issue is that shooting a rifle is completely different than shooting a shotgun. I can relate to your problem because in the late 90's I got to see the exact same thing with my cousin and he missed a fine bull elk on public land because of it. As for cartridge choice either that you have are going to work fine. I've shot many rounds of 7mm Remington Mag and I don't find it uncomfortable at all. I have also seen many animals killed with the 7mm Remington Mag and all have been just as tasty as those killed with non-mag cartridges. The 7X57 is wonderful cartridge, it has a rich history and has very little recoil. Either should do what you need and I doubt the deer well know the difference.

April 11, 2013, 01:31 PM	#20
mk8tim Member Join Date: March 8, 2013 Posts: 52	"Why compare a 7mmMag to a 7X57?" because that's what i own. and who said anything about flinching? i simply have a bad habit of "clicking" my trigger as if it's a pen. and what lead anyone to believe any law was violated? i was driving up a field road and saw a deer on the wood line. it was a dirt road far from any main road or dwelling. as long as a road isn't paved in maine you can shoot from it. also, i don't get the big deal about kick from a 7mm magnum. my 30-06 kicked worse in my opinion. look at a simple recoil chart. hardly a difference. i just got back from shooting today and my girlfriend and i both did quite well with both rifles. my 7mm has almost no kick compared to my goose gun. i'm not afraid of my gun, just not experienced with high caliber rifles and the importance of a good trigger squeeze. it also took me awhile to define my problem. i thought that maybe my rifle was off. i'm also used to a shotgun and not a rifle. i clearly need to practice. that's what i'm doing. so to be clear, i own both a savage 110 7mm mag and an interarms 7mm mauser. i'm asking advice as to which one i should be focusing on with my practice and which is the better deer rifle. i will be using one during the season and on the occasions that my nephew accompanies me he will be using the other. i have a friend who shoots deer every year with the 7mm mag, no ruined meat. if someone has no knowledge of one i would rather they didn't comment on it. i'm looking for some good advice here, nothing more

April 11, 2013, 01:37 PM	#21
mk8tim Member Join Date: March 8, 2013 Posts: 52	and thank you allenj, i think you've hit the nail on the head. i'm deadly with my 12 gauge, not so much with my rifle. i'm a pretty determined man. i got this. lol

April 11, 2013, 01:56 PM	#22
Liambobbi Member Join Date: January 24, 2013 Posts: 51	7 mag = neck shot for deer

April 11, 2013, 02:02 PM	#23
ligonierbill Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2007 Posts: 2,448	I'll grant your legality in Maine. Not the safest practice, and it will get you busted in a lot of states. That said, I had my 7 Mag out yesterday finalizing another load. Recommendation: Load a good 160. It's the right bullet to reach way out with plenty of energy, but it's less likely to ruin meat at close range. Killed my first elk at 400 with that rifle. And don't sell the 7x57 short. It's anything but weak.

April 11, 2013, 02:07 PM	#24
mk8tim Member Join Date: March 8, 2013 Posts: 52	it was simply a field road. remote and barely even a road. not public in any way. it ended at the end of the field. nothing even remotely unsafe about it. stepping into the field wouldn't have made things any safer. maybe i was unclear but the road is only for access to the field, nothing more. also not the point of my post. i am planning to use 150 grain or 160 for deer this fall.

April 11, 2013, 02:13 PM	#25
alex0535 Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2012 Location: Georgia Posts: 908	7mm mag is a lot of rifle for deer, but it really depends on what species of deer you are hunting. Whitetail, too much gun in my opinion. Your going to damage meat if you hit shoulder I would aim for the neck. Moose, I would feel confident in shooting a moose with a 7mm mag. Any species in between them is going to be takeable with 7mm mag. My opinion is that your 7mm mag would be adequate to kill any game in North America but in many cases it is going to be overkill for anything under 250lbs. If you are sighting in your 7 mag out in the woods, FIRE INTO A HILL! You can punch through a 5" tree trunk, knock the tree over, and it just keeps on going.