To obtain a large capacity magnetic recording medium capable of recording at a super high density of 3 Gbit or more per one square inch and a magnetic storage apparatus, a magnetic recording medium is prepared by disposing orientation control layers 31, 31′ having at least a B2 (CsCl) structure on a substrate 30, disposing a first underlayer comprising Cr and a second underlayer containing at least one element selected from Cr, Nb, Mo, Ta, W and Ti and having a lattice constant greater than that of the first underlayer and then forming a magnetic layer comprising Co as the main ingredient. A magnetic storage apparatus is constituted by combining the magnetic recording medium, a magnetic head comprising a recording system and a read out system opposed to each of the surfaces of the magnetic recording medium, a unit for moving the magnetic head relative to the magnetic recording medium and a read/write signal processing system for waveform processing of input signals and output signals to and from the magnetic head.