I have a Ruger m77 in 7mm rem mag.I am wondering if anyone has found a load for this cartridge that will be effective and accurate on elk and mule deer to 200 yards.I am looking to minimize recoil after getting scope bite twice from this rifle with hotter ,heavier loads.Willing to try any bullet and powder combination.

Hello fellow Canuck. I would suggest you have a muzzle break installed. I have a 30-378 Weath mag,with the Weatherby break and it is one of the most pleasant rifles to shoot that I own.I would compare the recoil to that of a 280 Rem. The noise is a little loud,but with ear protectors it is just fine.

If you are a handloader, you have many options without a muzzlebreak. If not, just try a lighter bullet, a 140 grain nosler partition will kill all you need and not kick as hard as the 160 and 175 grain loads. If you reload, check out the tables and find a load that simulates 7mm-08 or 7x57 ballistics and you will find your recoil reduced significantly. Some folks will tell you it's hard to find an accurate reduced load, but that hasn't been my experience with the 7mm mag.

good luck,
graycg

The reasion I suggested a muzzel break is because elk are very big tough game. There is no better bullet weight in the 7mm for this than the various 175gr or 162gr bullets and 200yds is a long way .

I suggest you recheck you scope and adjust it properly then you can shoot any load you want and not get bit.

Check the Lyman manuals. Any mid range powder, IMR 4064, 4895, 4320, RL 15, H 380, W 748, will easily give you more than enough velocity for a 200 yd shot. Less powder will also kick less, and with these you are using in the 55 to 60 grains range for 200 yds.

Contrary, to posts above, these powders will still accelerate a 160 or 175 grain bullet more than enough for taking an Elk at the 200 yrds mentioned.

If you are not hung up on Foot Pounds as a killing indicator, any bullet over 24 caliber, with a muzzle velocity of 2300 fps, when zeroed 3.5 inches high at 100 yds, will be dead on at 200. 3.5 inches high at 100 is the maximum of its trajectory arch.

For the critics, yeah a 30/30 150 grain or 170 grain will be an exception. But we are not talking about a 30/30 here. At 2500 fps with a 175 grain bullet, you will decrease you "perceived" recoil by about 35 to 40 %.

Good Luck ( eh! since you are Canadian)
Cheers.

I had a Kleingunther brake put on my 7mag and recoil doesn't feel much more than a hot loaded 223.

Even with full load 160gr and 175gr bullets, I get to watch the deer fall in my scope.

I would try loading 56 grains of H4350 with a 140 gr. Barnes X bullet. This bullet will still penetrate deep, similar to a full power 160 or 175 gr. bullet. Around 2800 fps would be about right with the 140 gr. bullet for 200 yard shooting. This is basically 7mm-08 speeds, and recoil would be quite mild, much less than a full power 160 or 175 gr. load.

Shot my 7RM yesterday with the 154 gr Interbond (accurate but crap in the game I shot, very fast expansion at 3100 fps mv) propelled by 26 gr of AA 2400, its like shooting a rimfire.... 1 moa accuracy at 55 yards. Did not measure velocity, but I guestimate 1900 fps, good hunting load, just stalk closer..

Tron

Looking for a milder load to keep from kissing the scope is not an option. Install a thicker pad and/or a spacer to lengthen the pull - also make sure scope has long eye relief - why Leupolds are a favorite - or fixed power Weavers are excellent - install the scope far forward - where your neck is fully extended forward shooting offhand and you still have full field of view in the scope. I creep a stock pretty well and have had "all" my rifle stocks lengthened. Even with 338 WM shooting prone I will not eat the scope.

What rifleman1 said. I had the same problem with the same caliber several years ago and now I realize that a Leupold would have fixed it. You need a longer eye relief scope.

BTW, a 7mm Rm reduced load is called a 280 Remington.

I have an accurate "practice" load with a 145 Speer BT with a mid-level load of RL 22 (about 3050 fps from a 26" barrel) and mild recoil. Bacically a 280 Rem equivalent load. For elk, if I wanted mild recoil, I would work up an equivalent load with the 140 Nosler partition.

Your best bet is a scope with longer eye relief - It makes a big difference. I use Leupold, but there are others with long eye relief.

Muzzle breaks do make a big difference, I shot a 7 Rem mag with a brake - recoil of 243 win - noise beyond belief.

Seafire

I actually started to play with reduced loads with AA2400 and V-V N-135 for fire-lapping my 6,5x55, then started to use them a bit for practicing to avoid washing out the barrel by burning lots of powder.

I think Hodgdon publish, or recommends at least, some reduced loads with their H4895, also the Lyman reloading manual has lots of reduced loads for various calibers. I practice a lot on an indoor 55 yard range in the winter (Norway�s cold and dark in the winter...) so the reduced loads are perfect, and I get to keep the accuracy of my slender but accurate 7RM barrel for a long time.

Tron

Thanks TRB;

I also use downloads quite a bit, Never had any accuracy luck with H 4895 tho.

I am sure indoor ranges are the thing to do in Norway. I lived in Minnesota for 18 yrs, and had enough of winter. At least did not have to put up with 4 to 6 hours of day light there.

I can see why my ancestors left Norway back in the late 1770's. Actually they were some of the first Norwegian immigrants into the USA, got out of that darkness and cold early.

Will load up that 26 grains of 2400 this weekend with 165 or 180 grain bullets in my 300 Mag and see how it likes it.

Take care and good hunting always.

If you have any eye relief at all, you shouldn't get hit by the scope with a 7MM Mag. I've also never been one to download a magnum cartridge, kind of like loading a .220 Swift to 3400 fps, if you want to go this speed, shoot a .223. I'd sure check your scope mounting and move it forward until you can just see the full view throught it, it shouldn't mark your eyebrow on a rifle with this light of recoil.

you can get one of those recoil pads that goes on the shoulder [costs about$45].also have your scope mounted properly.read your scope makers owners manual and get a ruler.loosen your scope ringsjust enough to be able to slide your scope forwards or backwards.now shoulder your rifle and hold it as if you are hunting.get someone to hold up the ruler and measure from the end of the eyepiece to the side of your eye.slide the scope away from the eye and when the scopeis about 3-3.5 inches away you should just about have it right.now take the gun and tighten the rings as before [make sure that you use blue loctite on scope ring screws] .it really helps to keep scope from moving.the blue loctite is the easier removable stuff.if you use the red loctite you will never be able to remove scope,so remember the blue loctite[helps in keeping scope from moving and being able to remove scope if something happens later on].if you follow instructions you should not have anymore problems with scope crawl.after scope is tightjust use eyefocus [every scope has one]to fine focus and good luck.you will have to sight in gun again.

i forgot to add that i hunt with a recoil pad[the one that you wearand i shoot a7mm mag,a270win,and also a300wby and i have never had a problem with scope crawl on any of them.iam 42yrs old and have had4 surguries on left shoulder[i am a southpaw].i have not had a problem since i started wearing the recoil pad[a past magnum model].there are lots of solutions.out there.isee that you shoot a ruger [and with scope probably wieghs about 8-8 1/2 pounds.you could add some wieght to stock [drill a hole in back of stock and add some lead].wear a recoil pad, or at last resort,consider a caliber that doesn't kick as bad [30-06,280,270,25-06,7-08,308] good luck

I'm another guy with surgery on my shooting shoulder. (Wrapped my right arm around my back after getting off my Harley while it was still moving. Have a metal replacement for my upper humerus.) I'll second the recommendation for the Past Magnum Recoil Shield. I shoot heavy loads with heavy bullets in 7mm Remington Magnum and .300 Weatherby Magnum off the bench with no problems with that. It can't make up for the badly curved hard buttplate of my 1895 Marlin, but it makes it easier to shoot, too. (The toe of that one leaves a big, long-lasting indentation in the Recoil Shield with heavy loads. Better that than an indentation in my shoulder.)