Meplat
Member
Larry Ashcraft said:I'll disagree with that statement. Check your ballistics, the 7mm Rem. Mag duplicates the ballistics of the .270 Win. using only 50% more powder, with the exception of the 175 grain bullet, where it has a slight edge (and is essentially duplicated by the 30-06).
Errr....I DID check my ballistics. With the .270, one has to use 57.2 grains of IMR 4831 powder to achieve 3000 fps. (THIS IS A MAX LOAD). In order to get compararble results with a heavier bullet (160 grain .284) one needs 60.1 grains of the same IMR 4831. (ALSO A MAX LOAD) What this nets for the 7 mag at five hundred yards is a heavier bullet with a higher sectional density, larger (albeit slightly) bullet diameter, with 31% more retained energy. Trajectories are pretty close, with the .270 losing about 2" more in the drop department (not enough to matter on game sized animals) and drifting about five more inches in a 10 mph cross wind. Five inches of drift WOULD be noticable.
The difference between 57.2 grains and 60.1 grains is 4.9%...not QUITE the claimed 50%.
Not by any means knocking the .270 - it's a FINE caliber. Seen too many graveyard dead deer from it to argue that. It has not been -at least in the rifles I've owned - as inherently accurate as the 7 Mags I've owned, but then again, I don't get to shoot as many rifles as a gunwriter would, so I can't say for certain that one is more inherently accurate than the other.
What I CAN say is that the 7 Mag does indeed skunk the .270 at any ranges of five hundred yards or beyond.
And since I don't personally shoot at deer at ranges of five hundred yards (if I can't get closer than that, I don't think I'm doing much hunting), it really is kind of a moot point. I just have confidence in the 7 Mag that I carry. That is invaluable. It's not the caliber, with me it's the rifle. I'll be glad to load 4.9% more powder to have a rifle that I FEEL (yeah I know it's all in my head) I can't miss with. I know a lot of folks who feel the same way about their .270's, .30-06's, .280 Remingtons, etc., etc., etc. That's all to the good, cause any of them will cleanly take game out to any reasonable hunting range. If one feels his rifle won't let him down, it probably won't. Shooting is way too much a mental game for that to not be true.