I have shot a 7mm RM for years on whitetails and mulies. I too started out with the 140 grain load but pretty much shifted to the 160 Nosler Partition for everything. The 140 grainers made the 7 mag a deathray, but it is with the 160s too. BTW, I get 3080fps. with H-870 in a 24in. bbl. and acceptable pressures. Brass has lasted several loadings and its <1" at 100yds. The 7 Mags were pretty much made for 160s, I think.

Just for the record, I shoot 150 grain Nosler solid bases (along with 175 grain Woodleighs). If anyone remembers the solid base, it was a boat tail cup and core bullet that was ultimately replaced by the Nosler Ballistic tip.

Now I know the question pertained to 140's but I shoot 150's at 3260fps over a stiff dose of Rel22.

I have killed all manner of medium / large game with this round out to 450 meters. It shoots flat and hits hard. If you check the ballistics you'd be amazed at the velocity it carries at 400 meters, it's close to 7x57 ballistics at that distance.

This is a fairly standard bullet, but I think is well designed, I'd bought 600 of them on sale, hence why I keep using them. They have NOT failed on anything I've shot so far and I have complete confidence in them.

Load a good bullet, try it, chances are it will work to your satisfaction. We as hunters make far to much on bullet choice at times....

amen to that statement. Ive killed a bunch of deer with 7mags using 140 cup and core bullets and have never not eaten venison the day after pulling the trigger. I may loose a lb or 2 of hambuger but it isnt like they cut a deer in half. Put a 100 grain 243 in the shoulder of a deer and you aint eating much sholder meat. Im another that doesnt buy into the 7mag being designed around a 160 grain bullet. As a matter of fact i doubt they were even available when it was introduced. IF you think that your going to get a bullet failure on a deer with a 140 out of a 7mag you just havent shot enough deer with them. We shoot crop damage and short of the .257 weatherby the guys i hunt with will attest to the fact that the 7mag puts them down like no other using 140s.

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
"bullet placement trumps bullet performance". Too true. Do we want to talk about folks that think a "magic" bullet can compensate for poor marksmanship??

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
The big 7 was made to shoot 160gr bullets. You're not accomplishing anything by launching a lite for calibre at warp speed.


I'm not a big fan of BT's as you do get allot of bloodshot meat at under 100 yards. The Hornady 139gr boat tail interlock has worked great as has standard 150gr SP bullets. As far as the 7mm Rem Mag being "made" for 160gr bullets, they did not exist till many years after the caliber hit the market. 175gr was the standard for large game back then. Even looking at 2 Barnes bullets, a 140 and 160 TSX the advantage goes to the 160 after 400 yards. The 140gr does out standing from 0 to 400.