Hi all, 1st post,

I'm looking for a good recemmondation for a 7mm rem mag. load and bullet. Ive had fairly good success with 150 grain ballistic tip bullets and RL22 powder at 65 grains.

I'm looking for a better bullet mostly but would like to hear what you guys use. BTW this load is for whitetail hunting.

I've killed a lot of whitetail with ballistic tips. Why not use what you have?

If that load shoots well in your rifle, use it! The Ballistic Tip is a very good bullet for deer of all kinds & weights. Just place it right, and it will do the job!

I went to the range Friday:

quote:

Ruger #1 7mm Rem Mag, 26" barrel, With vari-xxx-1.75x6 x32, limbsaver recoil pad, wide leather sling, double bungie chord scope lens covers, Ruger rings, condom on muzzle = 10.0 pounds
Vari X III E 1.75x6.5x32, 175 gr Hornady spire point #2850 moly, 3.345", 67.5 gr Re22, Quickload predicts 3003 fps 62.3kpsi
1.14" 3 shot group at 50y
3009fps
2982fps
2969fps
Vari X III E 1.75x6.5x32, 162 gr Hornady plastic tip #2845 moly, 3.345", 68.3 gr Re22, Quickload predicts 3064 fps 59.3kpsi
1.6" 3 shot group at 50y
3072fps
3009fps
3030fps
2.0" 6 shot group at 100y rapid fire [I can hunt with this]

Vari X III E 1.75x6.5x32, 160 gr Barnes triple shock TSX #28446 moly, 3.345", 67.5 gr Re22, Quickload predicts 3103 fps 61.2kpsi
1.6" 3 shot group at 50y
3030fps
3058fps
3051fps

Welcome!

The other posters are correct. The load you describe will kill any whitetail you care to shoot at any range you ought to be shooting it at.

On the other hand, many of us love to tinker, and my philosophy is to load the bullet in the gun that will do the biggest job I plan on doing with that gun. For example, in my .30-06, I load the 168 TSX. Inside 300 yards, it will kill anything I ought to be using a .30 cal for.

So maybe you want to be able to kill an elk with your 7mm --- or at least be ready for that or a monster pig or black bear. Then you'll likely feel much more confident with a TSX, A-Frame, TBBC or the like.

So look at the stouter bullets like that. I'm a huge TSX fan as are many of us here, but most other bullets are pretty darn good, too.

(I'd recommend something but I don't have a 7mm anymore.)

Regards,

LWD

I shoot a 7mag but don't care much for the NBT if the range may get close. For long range deer I think you are fine, but for an all round, close to far, I would want a NAB or NP.

FWIW, I've had nothing but good results on deer using a 7mm ShortMag and 154 grain Interbonds.

Probably would have simular results on deer with a number of different bullets, I just prefer Hornady.

61.0 grs of Viht N165 under a 160 gr Accubond/Partition won't set the world on fire, but it's a one-holer in my 7mm Mag and will kill anything on this side of the planet.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by fredj338:
I shoot a 7mag but don't care much for the NBT if the range may get close. For long range deer I think you are fine, but for an all round, close to far, I would want a NAB or NP.[/QUOTE

Thanks guys for the great info. I dont really like the ballistic tip on close shots either as it really does alot of damage.

What is a NAB OR NP ????

I have a custom built 7MM Rem Mag built as an Ultralight by M.G. Arms in Houston. The recipe it came with was 63 grains IMR 4350 with 150 grain Nosler partitions, and it shoots .669 inch 5 shot groups.

I also have loaded 160 grain Sierra Game King bullets with 61 grains of the 4350 and it tightens the groups.

Obviously, if you are going to change your tried and true recipe you're going to ahve experiment with both bullet and powder weight to see what your gun likes. Good luck!

quote:

Originally posted by hoyt1967:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by fredj338:
I shoot a 7mag but don't care much for the NBT if the range may get close. For long range deer I think you are fine, but for an all round, close to far, I would want a NAB or NP.[/QUOTE

Thanks guys for the great info. I dont really like the ballistic tip on close shots either as it really does alot of damage.

What is a NAB OR NP ????

Hoyt,

NAB = Nosler Accubond
NP = Nosler partition

I don't have a 7mm Mag but I do have a 7mm-08. My 7-08 likes the 150 gr NP, deer not so much! The great thing about the NP in 7mm is you can get them in either 140, 150, 160 or 175 grains. It just depends on what your rifle likes best.

Good luck!

My favorite whitetail stopper in the 7mag,65.3grs of IMR-4350,145gr Speer Grand Slam,3220fps,1/2" groups,many DRT to it's credit.

I like 160 grain bullets because they're a classic and possess the most bang for the buck. 3100f/s is a realistic goal, and a more powerful load can't be found in a larger calibre with the added cost of recoil.

Hoyt,

I have had great luck with 160 Gr Nosler Accubonds ontop of 63 grs of RL22...not a tremendously fast load..I chrono'ed the load at approx 2850 Ft/sec.. I am using a Rem 700 CDL in 26" barrel.

This load is extremely accurate, easy to shoot and drops muleys and whitetails like a ton of bricks. The lower velocity does not seem to bloodshot as much meat.


Good luck!

7 mag, 150 NBT, IMR4831....kills mule deer, whitetail, antelope dead.

In the 7mm Magnum my first choice would be the 150 interlock for deer and pronghorns.

I dearly wish Nosler had changed the name of their BTs when they toughened some for hunting....as it is all of them are BTs and some were designed for varminting. I suspect the .284 diameter 150s are hunting worthy bullets however.

I've killed truckloads of deer with a 7mm rem mag shooting 140 gr ballistic tips at 3250 fps, they work wonders. I wouldn't hesitate to hunt with the 150 gr load you have but the ballistic tips do a bit of damage at close range, which I don't really care about down here where we can shoot so many deer. Now I've switched to the 140 gr accubonds because they tend to hold together a bit better and are just as accurate as the ballistic tips. The accubonds tend to give complete penetration but still open up well and put them down quickly. I don't see any logic behind using anything heavier than 140 grains on whitetails, the extra weight isn't needed at all and does nothing but slow the bullet down ruining the flat trajectory that you buy a 7mm mag for.