Why so little love for 7mm?

Read a post where a guy wants to convert his 7mm RUM to a. 6.5. Thinking to myself why?

Talking with a good buddy who has been shooting 6.5 caliber for 25 years. He was shooting with a buddy from work and all he could say was at 800 yards my 6" group wasn't tight enough to best the other guys factory 7mm RM. Is it the mags recoil that keeps people away? I know 20-30 rounds is about enough fun for me with mine. But what a rush!

To me the Big7 just seems like the caliber everyone is measuring against yet it yet it gets so little love.

Because it's not the latest and greatest. It's just like how the .30-06 and 6.5x55 get no respect anymore, they're not new so they're not cool even though they'll do the job just as good (and often times better) than the new-fangled stuff.

My hunting partner uses a 7mm Rem Mag as his main hunting rifle and taken numerous deer and elk, as well as antelope, with one.
Another buddy that's been to Africa more than eight times, and used one there, can't stand the 7mm RM. He says it's too explosive up close and lacking in oomph downrange. Who knows? Granted it's acquitted itself well over the years here in the States. To me it's the European version of the 30-06. The 30-06 is somewhat pedestrian. I have one but it's for specialized use as a truck, bad weather, brush country rifle where a longer barrel would be a detriment. Do I love it? No, I have a .338 Win Mag I love but it's too nice, and rare, to be a truck gun.

Recoil
Disdain for belted cases
Not a new design
Bullet availability (175gr SMK are unobtanium and 180gr Hybrids are just as bad)

That said, If I were building a ELR rifle I would choose a 7mm Rem Mag over a 300WM every day and twice on Sunday...equal or better ballistics for a good bit less recoil.

Just the like the gals won't be caught dead buying last years purses, we men yarn for the next/newest caliber, most of the caliber choices happen in the holiest of holy place (camp fire) after adequate consumption of liquor. Few will build/buy a dedicated paper puncher or research BC of a projectile or efficiency of a chamber.
There was a thread here many moons back by gacop (is he around anymore?) I belive, he wrote about the little truck rifle that could, he won a local competition with his trusty rusty savage in 243 win. At the end of the shoot his fellow shooters came by to his rifle and caliber. The custom rifle dudes where "unhappy" to see that 243 win beat them.

7mm has some great bullet selection, I had no interest in 7 mm as per bullet cost is bit higher, but after I read about the high bc bullets, I bit.

I like 284 win and not 7 mm ;-),

I'm doing my part in the 'love' dept. Current project is a used 7mag I picked up about four months ago. I've wound up doing a lot more than I originally intended but in the end, it should be a great shooter with a lot less recoil. Its intended use is for long range (~400+ yds) antelope and longer range paper punching.

I think alot has to do with shooter knowledge today. We can thank computers and sites like this for expanding upon shooter knowledge.
There will always be opinions however. Right or wrong its hard to change mindsets and opinions. There seems to be more excitment over
ackley version chamberings today on cartridges like the 280 for example. Possibly that can be attributed to the increased knowledge situation.
A 280ai is very close to a 7 rm balisticly while using less powder. Is the slight difference worth it for the average guy? then we have other 284 cartridges
like the 7 rum, the 7stw, 7wsm, 7x300 win mag, 7x300 weatherby, 7mm dakota and no doubt others all better known about thanks to computers.
serious long range shooters/hunters however are gravitating away from the 284 due to quality bullets in other calibers. hence the popularity of the various 6.5s today.
from the long range perspective however the 338 is stealing most of the thunder and maybe rightfully so. Bottom line is if you own a 7rm or any 284 and your happy dont worry much about what others think.

I think alot of people don't need the range, so they pass on the recoil. Its also expensive to shoot alot like I like to do. If you reload its a powder eater! In eastern NC i see alot of people hunting with one, but they dont really need it here for a 300 yard whitetail. Its mostly the hunters who dont shoot but 5-10 rounds a year and miss with most of them and they like to say " its a 7mag". Not that I dont respect it, its just that alot of these guys dont need a 22, much less a 7mag! I hear them brag about a 400 yard kill on a deer and then I go to the field and its about 280 to the woods!

it's a "barrel burner". :p

Quote:

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Originally Posted by the Ranger

it's a "barrel burner". :p

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Actually it isn't. There are many ways to roll yer own and yet take the game you are targeting. It's one of the things I like about it, I can load very light to OMG, where's the tank. I know of many calibers that qualify as barrel burners, the 7mag isn't one of them. Just my .02. kb

Quote:

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Originally Posted by COplains

Actually it isn't. There are many ways to roll yer own and yet take the game you are targeting. It's one of the things I like about it, I can load very light to OMG, where's the tank. I know of many calibers that qualify as barrel burners, the 7mag isn't one of them. Just my .02. kb

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of course. my comment was very tougne in cheek.

It's true of the overbores rum, stw and even the 7 Practical only claims a 1000-1200 round barrel life. Thats still more then a.couple years for a serious hunter. RM, 7-57 and 7-08 should be significantly higher.

Just seems like on running game with modern bullets the wind cheating 7 still brings a lot to the table. Literally!

Thanks for indulging my harmless musing.

I love my 7mm rem mag But would like to have the RUM to get away from the belted case. And the bullet selection has greatly improved for the 7mm over the past few years.