Well, I got my first 7mm mag, and what is your favorite bullet choice for whitetails? What kind of velocity are you getting? crimp? Wheight? Accuarcy? Price? Oh, and by the way I wanted to thank everyone who has helped me get started wiht this addictive hobby. My warden I mean wife might not say thank you but, I must say you guys are a wealth of knowledge which has been beyond helpful. -Ben

Depends on where you're hunting. I presume you're in open country, lest the 7 RM would probably stay in the safe. The 140 Partition would be a good all around choice and would penetrate well from most any angle and would hold up well at 3200 fps....

No crimp, no cann.

The area I hunt has some open country(300yards),That is open county to me anyway. I do hunt some fields that offer shot opprtunitys that I would and have passed up due to range, I usualy stick to a ridge top over looking a draw and the next rigde top is appx 100-200 yards away. I see alot off deer on top of the ridges but I often see them running the draws in the evening. So I guess my longest shot would more than likely be within 300 yards with light to moderate brush and knee high vegitaion.

It would be hard to go wrong with the 140 Partition under those conditions...

I myself prefer a 139 Hornady, but I also prefer 7mm-08 and 280...

I thought IA was a shotgun/hanggun only state?

9.3X62,

My friend, you are right about Iowa being a shotgun/hand gun only state. With one little exception. This year in most of the southern counties in Iowa there is a 7 day antlerless only Rifle season. I am truly overjoyed. The Antlerless only season extention runs from Jan23-Jan29. Here is the link to check it out if you would like. I am stationed and live in Lee county.-Ben
http://www.iowadnr.com/law/regs/05deerhunting.pdf

223 V-V,
The 7mmRM can sometimes be "finiky" about the pill you throw. Check the twist rate. 1:9 will stabilze 140 and greater, 1:11 will stabilize 140 and under. I know there is a 2" difference in these two so you might be in the middle.
I have a 1:9 1/2 that seems like the 140 is not going to spin corrrectly.
I am going to try a 160grnr, a good wieght to length for a Seven. I will be choosing the Nosler Accubond. I had good luck, nice whitetail, with a 110 pill from my 25-06 with great performance.

Smedley

I like heavier, smei premium bullets in the 7mag, especially if there is a chance of a shot under 100yds. The 150gr Nosler partition is a good compromise of wt. vs vel. You should expect close to 3200fps, maybe a bit less. The 160gr NP is also a great bullet offering total penetration form just about any angle, it's my choice for elk & big deer. You can drive these near 3100fps. Try RL22 & IMR7828 for either.

My brother shoots a 7Mag. He has been using BT's, but with the power of that round, they cause a whole lot of damage on whitetails. For instance, one he killed this year had nothing left of either front shoulders(you could put your fist through the entry wound), and a bullet fragment went into the neck and broke the spine just beneath the head. I am going to work up some loads for him to try next year using the 140gr TSX. They don't usually fragment, but cause a lot of damage. I would say either the partitions, or the TSX. Also, what has been said before about twist is important. Find out what your twist rate is to select a good weight.

I like 150 grain Nosler Partitions! That is when I can find them locally and the price is right!

But, The one I usually use is the 154 grain Hornady Spire Point!
This is the most accurate bullet in my Rem M-700 BDL! I can shoot "dime-size" 3-shot groups with this one!

The only thing that ever comes out of the end of my 7mm Magnum is the Sierra 168 HPBT.

Chuck--that is interesting re the 154 hornady.
It has been a very accurate bullet in several 7mm's for me too. Shoot em behind the shoulder and shouldn't be meat damage. AND this bullet is sure priced right!!

My 7mag absolutely loves the 160 Accubonds for accuracy. Whitetails here in ND don't care for them nearly as much . Same rounds did a great job on African plains game a few years back. Great balance of penetration and expansion/performance.

kraky;
As far as I'm concerned this is an excellent choice!

One of the 154 Hornady SP's through the ribs won't damage any more meat than any other caliber out there!

I have taken deer with the 154, from 30, out through 350 yards!
They don't go far, usually they're on the ground within mere feet of where they are when they get hit! If they are standing still, they usually hit the ground right there!

I had been using the 154gr Hornady Spire point, but this year I took a good muley buck with some 139gr Hornady SST that I bought a few years back. I was using 68grains of MagPro with CCI Mag primers. I would guess velocity was in the range of 2900-3000fps.

At the time I bought them I thought the SST were the Interbonds, boy was I wrong. The deer was quartering away and the bullet went in behing the left shoulder and ripped a bunch of meat out of the right shoulder. I can say that the deer did not move once he got hit and if you are looking for a bullet to absolutely open up in a deer the SST is the way to go.

Work up a good load with a 160gr bullet and use it on everything. If you want to shoot a 140gr bullet, get a 7-08 or a .280.

A 150 Remington Corelock in front of 68 grains of H1000 seem to work OK.

It depends on the distance you want to shoot. A lighter bullet will shoot flatter and faster, but the wind will mess with it more. A heaver bullet will not shoot as fast and not as flat but there is something to be said about heavy bullets. My friend likes to shoot 140gr Nosler Partitions but I like 130 gr HP bullets in the 7mm Win mag. He also shoots a 300WinShortMag with 150gr Nosler Partitions.

quote:

Best 7mm mag bullet for whitetails?

Well, myself, I prefer norma 7 mag...

take the brass, trim to 1.2", cut the belt off, fill with wheelweight lead and swage to .510....

yep, 7 mag cases.. make great 500 jeffe bullets!!!!!

I personally don't see the need for a heavy bullet for whitetails. I was say use a premium or semi-premium bullet in 140gr range. I prefer the bonded bullets for magnums just in case you have a sub 100 yd shot. That being said, I know a lot of people who kill deer with btips in the 7 mag.

So, get some 140gr accubonds, tsx, interbonds, or partitions (my stw did not like partitions at all) and go hunting and don't fret about bullet performance. I've had personal experience with all of the above except the 139 gr interbond, but what I've read, should not be a problem.

quote:

Originally posted by .223 VARMINT-VENTALATOR:
Well, I got my first 7mm mag, and what is your favorite bullet choice for whitetails? What kind of velocity are you getting? crimp? Wheight? Accuarcy? Price? Oh, and by the way I wanted to thank everyone who has helped me get started wiht this addictive hobby. My warden I mean wife might not say thank you but, I must say you guys are a wealth of knowledge which has been beyond helpful. -Ben

I like IMR 7828 with Nosler 140 grains in both persuasions; BT for lighter game, Partitions for elk and bigger mulies. No need to fool with the scope for reasonable distances.

Well as you can see when you ask a question like this the flood gates open wide.. lol.

Bill Mc has kindly provided a nice pic of what a deer carcass looks like.. As you can see there isn't that much to it.. a rib cage, some internal organs (removed) and hide. To penetrate this animal with the modern high power rifles we use today is really no problem at all. A 30/30 Win will do it.. A 7mm Mag will do it.

A short story if I may..
I was hunting deer in Eastern Oregon one year and, at first light, was on my way up to a ridge where I could view a wide area, expecting a shot at 350 yds maybe a little more. I was carrying a Mod70 7mm Rem Mag using a load of 140gr Nos SB at 3200 fps. Well stumbled across some bucks at about 100 yds that my Dad unknowingly spooked. I took a shot at a nice one quartering away from me. The deer went down as fast as I've ever seen one go down. The bullet mostly hit the liver first then the lungs. The exit wound was rather large. When I opened the deer up, what a %$&** mess! It was just soup inside. The bullet did the job, it killed the deer, I mean the deer didn't have a chance.. Did I need all that velocity..?
Another season I was hunting the West side in Oregon close to the West/East border. We were after what we call 'benchlegs'.. Blacktail crossed with Mule Deer. They are larger than the coast Blacktail. I decided to take a 30/30 along because I was going to sit on a trail opening morning. Sure 'nough some deer came trotting down and a buck was with the group. Took a lung shot on the buck and about twenty steps later it collapsed. It done died. Distance was about twenty yds. Field dressing this deer was a breeze.. Quick and easy.

Ok, my only point here is about terminal velocity. The faster the terminal velocity, the more hydrostatic shock and tissue destruction you will see on the animal.
The differences between the above scenarios are 3000 fps for the 7mm Mag and 2000 fps for the 30/30.
How much velocity does one need to kill deer?
I guess that is a matter of personal opinion and beliefs. The more deer you kill with the 7mm Mag the better idea you will have about what you really need.

I had two loads for my 7mm Mag. One was using a 175gr Nos Partition at about 2800 fps. It killed elk and deer very nicely. For deer the load wasn't as fast as lighter bullets but it did the job at close to moderate ranges cleanly.
The other was the above mentioned 140 gr Nos SB. It was solely for antelope and long range deer. At 300 yds the bullet would be traveling at about 2500 and at 400 yds about 2300 fps. Good bullet and adequate velocity for a clean kill on deer and antelope. I wouldn't attempt a shot any farther than that.

So the choice is yours to make. You have heard a lot of different opinions. The 7mm Mag is a fun rifle to tinker with, so just choose a well constructed bullet, find a load and go for it.
Good luck.

160 AB's with 64 gr of RL-22 and CCI200 primers. It killed all my game this year. Oh, btw I really don't think it matter too much on deer which bullet you use. Throwing rocks may work as well as anything. As stated above deer aren't the biggest baddest creatures around. Any bullet that shoots straight in your rifle will be dandy.

Well, deer may not fight back, but they are at least here in the Bible belt, tough SOB's. I ahve Double lunged deer with Bow,12 GA, ect and they might still run a long ways. I shot a doe in the neck face to face at appx 5 yds and the arrow exited out just in front of her ass, the arrow went clean through a lung and tore her neck up real good she still ran 100 yds. I saw her drop. So I went to her and she got up. I pushed her down with a good fight from her, Shortly there after I kicked her in the neck, breaking it. End of story. And this was a yearling doe. And last time I checked Midwest white tails were as big bodied if not bigger than the sacared mule deer. On top off all that I assume that just about a bullet will cause a fair if not excessive amount of damage to a white tail. I just want to have a well rounded handload for long and short shots. Thanks for all the great replies. And If I sound like I am being harsh on Mule deer, forgive me. maybe I am just jealous Becuase where I am stationed now all I can hunt (as far as big game) is whitetail. I have been stationed in tx and I should have utilized my geographic oprotunity to slay the sacared mulie....hindsight is always 20-20.-Ben

I've shot 10 or so whitetails with my 7mm mag, and Hornady 139gr boattails, they are amazing, kills deer fast, and don't ruin much meat, getting 3200 fps at the muzzle

I have loaded and hunted whitetails with a 7 mm mag for more than 20 years. I have loaded 154, 160, 145, 140, 100, 110, and 139gr bullets. My opinion is this, 200 yards and under, the speer 145 gr. spitzer is the bullet that killed the best. For ranges from 200 to 400 yards the 140 gr. sierra boatail and the hornaday 139 gr boatail with 67 gr of H4831 has worked the best for me. Work up to this powder load.

In my 7MM Remington I use a 139 Gr Hornady Interlock with 68 Gr. of IMR 4350 the load is from Hornady Vol. II 3300+ Fps. I've shot 18 deer with this load they all dropped like a rock. Longest shot in Wyoming 500 yards.

i shot a 7 mag for years,the closer i shot any deer with any kind of balistic tip including accubonds caused too much meat damage. i have had hornadays, corelocks etc not even penetrate. so i stay with partitions in the 150-160 range and run reloader powder behind them. always one shot kills with partitions from elk to all 3 species of deer and minimum dammage. alot less damage than the pic of the core lock in this post

I shoot one load out of my 7mm RM... a 162-grain Nosler original SB in front of 79 grains of AA 8700. It isn't the fastest load around, but it shoots to one hole at 100, and nothing is going to walk away from it. Besides that, based on what I have seen so far, there is every indication the SB is going to stay together, unlike some other typical cup and core bullets...

I shoot 160 speer hot cores & sierra boat tails with imr 4831..I have shot deer & hogs close and far with excellent results..if i want to shoot a lighter bullet i drop to a 280 or 7x57.

.223 V-V:

As smedley said: check your 7mm RM's twist rate - of the utmost importance to select the best bullet.

I use GSC HV 130gr and get excellent results - virtually no meat damage - very good results over distances up to and even over 400 meters.

Vist GSC's web site and get more detail on their premium bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by nwwash:
i shot a 7 mag for years,the closer i shot any deer with any kind of balistic tip including accubonds caused too much meat damage. i have had hornadays, corelocks etc not even penetrate. so i stay with partitions in the 150-160 range and run reloader powder behind them. always one shot kills with partitions from elk to all 3 species of deer and minimum dammage. alot less damage than the pic of the core lock in this post

nwwash;
Where the heck do you find a deer that the above mentioned bullets will not penetrate????

Also, if you hit them in the middle of the ribs, the amount of meat loss will be insignificant!

My personal Favorite has been the 150 Grn NBT in 7RM @ a MV of 3110-3115 fps 12'-15' from Muzzle.

I've tried several different types of bullets from my 7RM and the 150 NBTs have been the most effective on whitetails and feral pigs as well as the most accurate bullets I've tried in this particular rifle and other rifles too.

Regardless of what some say, I've shot literally piles of whitetails w/ the 150 NBTs and Damage was no worse than the other bullets tried such as SPILs and Rem CLs, as a matter of fact they penetrated better IMO due to the Solid Base. The NBTs would punch on through when the other cup-n-cores would tend to shed the jacket at impact.

I shot 8 deer this year w/ Ballistic tipped bullets and all of them were full penetrations w/ the exception of one that busted through both shoulders and stopped just short of exiting. My wife and a Friend both tagged deer w/ a 270 of mine w/ NBTs as well and had great performance.


I loaded the Accu Bonds for 3 friends that had excellent results on Mulies, Whitetails, and Pigs. From what I've seen w/ the ABs, they give good penetration and expansion. You may want to give them a whirl if your are alittle hesitant of the NBTs.

Good Luck

Reloader

super advice above ....i''d say try speers hot cores 145 spz or their 160 spz. they won''t let you down,the 154 hornady spz spire point is also excellent. the bonded cores are fantastic but more money partitions are great,the best of the BEST is barnes X''. enjoy your adventure , regards jjmp...