7MM Rem. Mag. - How Loud is It?

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Paul7

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Thinking of buying a 7mm Mag. for an upcoming Oryx hunt, but have heard they are pretty loud. How would a 24.5" barrel 7mm Mag. compare to a 22" .30-'06 as far as muzzle blast?

Thank you
 
Yes, the 7mm RM will be louder but I couldn't tell you how much louder. For hunting I'd take the .30-06 as you have a larger choice of bullets.

I owned a 7mm RM but sold it, just felt the recoil was horrible compared to a .30 magnum.
 
I'm hoping someone with a dBC peak hold sound level meter will respond.
Subjectively (IMO) the 7 mag, with a decent length barrel and without a brake, isn't all that loud. I think in the OP example, they would be pretty similar.
A particular 7 mag might have more recoil than a particular 300 mag, but an assertion that this is generally true would be absurd.
 
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I'm hoping someone with a dBC peak hold sound level meter will respond.
Subjectively (IMO) the 7 mag, with a decent length barrel and without a brake, isn't all that loud. I think in the OP example, they would be pretty similar.
A particular 7 mag might have more recoil than a particular 300 mag, but an assertion that this is generally true would be absurd.
Just to clarify, I'm comparing the muzzle blast of a 24.5" barrel 7mm mag with a 22" .30-'06, not a .300 Win. Mag.
 
Muzzle blast from any magnum can be felt by a shooter 10ish feet from the thing. Not so with an '06.
An oryx runs 250 to 390 lbs. That's less than a bull elk. Way less than any moose. No magnums are needed.
 
Thinking of buying a 7mm Mag. for an upcoming Oryx hunt, but have heard they are pretty loud. How would a 24.5" barrel 7mm Mag. compare to a 22" .30-'06 as far as muzzle blast?

To state the obvious, a round isn't louder - or recoils harder - just because it has "magnum" in its name.

We humans are susceptible to the power of suggestion and the marketing folks know it. We are conditioned to believe that "magnum" means "more" whether it is noise, recoil or performance. And in some instances, it certainly CAN mean more, but...

Pick up your favorite reloading manual and compare loads for the two calibers you are suggesting using similar bullet weights. Some powders work well in both and if you compare charge weights, there is only a couple of grains difference which isn't going to mean much for either recoil or noise level.

Barrel length is indeed a factor for muzzle blast, but but for the two rounds and barrel lengths listed above, I think you would be hard pressed to tell much of a difference between them if you took them both to the range at the same time.
 
Recoil and noise are part of shooting sports. Just wear proper ear protection. And enjoy ...
 
If "loud" is a concern, wear ear protection.

I`d be more concerned about the ...........recoil.

All that being said, it`s a great round.
 
I only fired one 7mm mag it belonged to my next door neighbor. It did recoil a little harder than my .30-06. It was also a little bit louder. He loves it. I tend to think I'm fine with my .30-06.
 
THe little brother of 7 mm magnum is the 7mm 08 which i have , too. They all do the job if its placed on the right spot .
 
Muzzle blast from any magnum can be felt by a shooter 10ish feet from the thing. Not so with an '06.
An oryx runs 250 to 390 lbs. That's less than a bull elk. Way less than any moose. No magnums are needed.
Not true, males can run up to 650 lbs. and are MUCH tougher than a bull elk. In Africa they are known as about the only animal that can kill lions. My guide won't let clients go out with under a .30 cal., (or 7mm mag.) he's seen to many horror stories of wounded animals.
 
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I have both and don't find a noticeable difference in either noise level or felt recoil.
I also have a 22", relatively lightweight, 30-06 and a 26" 7 Rem mag, neither with brakes, and and I concur.
 
I'd expect that the 2" of extra barrel on the 7mm mag would help offset much of any inherent loudness difference vs. .30-06. That of course is assuming that neither rifle wears a muzzle brake; a brake makes any rifle dramatically louder than an unbraked rifle.
 
are MUCH tougher than a bull elk.

My guide won't let clients go out with under a .30 cal., (or 7mm mag.) he's seen to many horror stories of wounded animals.

How much longer do they live when shot in the lungs as compared to a bull elk?

Does this thing simply bleed slower? How is it so much tougher than a bull elk?

Several sites list the upper range of an Oryx at 390 lbs...including the African Wildlife Foundation and Wikipedia. The National Zoo and San Diego Zoo list an upper end of 460 lbs. Chuck Hawks site lists 460 lbs. I don't see anyone listing 600+ as representative of the breed. I'm not saying one couldn't get that big...but I'm not seeing any qualified source listing that as realistic.
 
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My guide won't let clients go out with under a .30 cal., (or 7mm mag.) he's seen to many horror stories of wounded animals.

Fire that guide and find one that knows what he is doing.

30-06 and 7mm magnum are essentially the same in all regards. The 7 mags will shoot ever slightly flatter and on paper give a tiny bit more energy at longer ranges. But they are so close I can't see any game animal ever noticing.

The difference of .024" in bullet diameter is a non-factor, other than making it possible to have light bullets with good BC's.
 
How much longer do they live when shot in the lungs as compared to a bull elk?

Does this thing simply bleed slower? How is it so much tougher than a bull elk?

Several sites list the upper range of an Oryx at 390 lbs...including the African Wildlife Foundation and Wikipedia. The National Zoo and San Diego Zoo list an upper end of 460 lbs. Chuck Hawks site lists 460 lbs. I don't see anyone listing 600+ as representative of the breed. I'm not saying one couldn't get that big...but I'm not seeing any qualified source listing that as realistic.
About 200 yards farther. From someone who HAS hunted them:

"I killed my 38" bull At White Sands NM in 1995. I shot him at about 150 yards with .30-06 using 180 TBBC bullets. The first round broke his on shoulder and double lunged him. he went down at the shot then got up and tri-podded for about 200 yards before going down again . I had to shoot him twice more to kill him. They are TOUGH."

Gemsbok
Animal
The gemsbok or gemsbuck is a large antelope in the Oryx genus. It is native to the arid regions of Southern Africa, such as the Kalahari Desert. Some authorities formerly included the East African oryx as a subspecies. Wikipedia
Scientific name: Oryx gazella
Higher classification: Oryx
Mass: 490 – 660 lbs (Male)
Height: 3.9 ft. (At Shoulder)
Speed: 37 mph maximum (Running)
Body length: 6.2 – 7.9 ft.
Rank: Species
 
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I dont know about noise and recoil as perceived by the shooter, but i have been the spotter for a friend shooting exactly what you are asking about. My friend wanted help sighting in 2 remington 700's. One was a 30.06 with 22" barrel. The other a 7 mag with a 26" barrel. From my position to his left and slightly behind him, the 7 mag was MUCH louder. I dont usually use ear protection when shooting outdoors, but I needed them that time.
 
Fire that guide and find one that knows what he is doing.

30-06 and 7mm magnum are essentially the same in all regards. The 7 mags will shoot ever slightly flatter and on paper give a tiny bit more energy at longer ranges. But they are so close I can't see any game animal ever noticing.

The difference of .024" in bullet diameter is a non-factor, other than making it possible to have light bullets with good BC's.
Reread my post, I said he did approve of 7mm mag. They are one of the most experienced guide services in NM, with 26 years experience.
 
I dont know about noise and recoil as perceived by the shooter, but i have been the spotter for a friend shooting exactly what you are asking about. My friend wanted help sighting in 2 remington 700's. One was a 30.06 with 22" barrel. The other a 7 mag with a 26" barrel. From my position to his left and slightly behind him, the 7 mag was MUCH louder. I dont usually use ear protection when shooting outdoors, but I needed them that time.
Thanks, that helps make my decision against the 7mm mag. The rifle I was looking at is 1.5" shorter than the one you describe.
 
My 700 BDL in 7 mag with 160gr max'd out was way nicer on the shoulder than my 700 BDL .300 mag with factory 180's.

I never shot lighter than 160's in my 7mm Mag. Dunno if the lighter stuff makes for more roar. I would think so.
Never understood shooting that stuff in a 7 mag anyway. You get a 7 mag for the heavier bullets and higher BC.

Gun flips a bit at the muzzle compared to .270 or .30-06 BDL but isn't that much more. Boom is louder. Factory magnums had recoil pads that worked well.

Newer pad materials probably help even more.

Any deer capable cartridge of high pressure is gonna be loud.
Like somebody else said, wear ear protection and enjoy.

Electronic stuff readily available these days, for less than 40 bucks for basic. So one could wear the stuff afield.

If not wearing any during hunting...........you won't notice much boom when shooting at game. If you do, then you were next to something that reflected the blast and or you weren't concentrating on the dang shot.

I find my guns to be pipsqueaks when nuking critters.

BTW, for $40 electronic ear protection when hunting sounds like a fantastic buy.Always wore ear protection when on the range, but not afield.
Damage is done.

Wear some at all times now.
 
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About 200 yards farther. From someone who HAS hunted them:

"I killed my 38" bull At White Sands NM in 1995. I shot him at about 150 yards with .30-06 using 180 TBBC bullets. The first round broke his on shoulder and double lunged him. he went down at the shot then got up and tri-podded for about 200 yards before going down again . I had to shoot him twice more to kill him. They are TOUGH."

No tougher than a bull elk. Either is capable of absorbing lots of hard hits and moving down the road. I shot an elk last week through both lungs, then pounded him through the heart and into the far shoulder. My buddy shattered his left rear leg with his 7 mag (I pulled no fewer than a dozen large bone fragments from the wound)...and he continued to run as if he wasn't hit.

Big animals can take some pain. Hit it in the right spot with a good bullet and it will die shortly.
 
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