I am just starting into handloading, and am focusing on my 7mm Rem Mag (my rifle is a Winchester 70 Classic w/Boss). I will use it for an antelope hunt this fall, and yearly whitetail hunting in Missouri. I want a bullet that will lean towards minimal meat damage in case of a non-heart/lung shot; I would prefer a lighter bullet so as to have reduced recoil, and I am captivated with the idea of trying to get a really fast (yet accurate) load with a light bullet. My shooting distances would most likely be open shots of 100 yards or more (I will use a different, handier rifle for woods hunting from a treestand).
So, would a 140 grain ballistic tip fit the bill as described above?
Please give me your thoughts and recommendations, not only for the bullet, but also for powder type and load. Any other relevant comments would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Seriously the Rem Corelokts from those discount mailorder houses are very accurate and cheap also. They do expand very well and don't loose their cores. I could not imagine a better standard bullet.
Don't worry about meat damage. Just aim your shot behind the shoulder and get the game. Better to blast it down than have it run off and have 100% meat damage.
I really like the 139 gr. Hornady SST. It is a very accurate, yet tough bullet. I usually only shoot one bullet out of my 7mm Rem Mag, and that is the 175 gr. Nosler partition. Meat damage on deer and antelope hasn't been too bad, and it's high ballistic coefficient allows quite flat shooting out to ranges of 400 yards or more, when properly sighted in.
Check out our 7mm Rem Mag page for lots of info.
Joel Slate
Slate & Associates, LLC
www.slatesafaris.com