Is there a best overall bullet for 7mm Mag.?

[longwinters]

I saw Big Tom's post about a good bullet/load for elk.  It prompts my question . . . I am reloading in regards to antelope and whitetail.  So I would hope to find one bullet/load that could handle the velocity of the 7mm Rem Mag. Shooting from say about 40 yds to 300 yds.  I have Nosler  140 gn. ballistic tips and Speer 130 gn spitzers.  But was considering Nosler Partitions.  Can I do it with one bullet or do I really need to work up 2 different bullet/loads :?:

[Ron T.]

I believe the 7mm, 150 grain Nosler Partition Bullet with a muzzle velocity of 3,000 fps (using a max. load of IMR4350 in your 7mm Rem. Mag.) will give you the all the pentration necessary to bring down a large bull elk with a well-placed bullet through a shoulder and into the heart/lung area.

By the same token, the front half of the Partition Bullet will open up on a small animal like an antelope at long range and, if the front half is blown off at short range due to high velocity, the surviving rear half of the fine Partition Bullet will still plow through and go out the other side of an antelope or small deer... leaving a relatively large wound channel all the way through the animal due to the "buzz-saw" effect of the spinning bullet.

Nosler Partition Bullets have had an excellent record of working well under literally ALL hunting conditions for about a half century.  Antelope, deer and elk haven't gotten any harder to kill during that time.

Good Hunting!

Strength & Honor,

Ron T.

[sharpshooter]

I have had extremely good luck with the 150 grain sierra boattail bullet with my first 7 mag. which was a ruger M77 bolt action. I traded that rifle for the encore that I have now. At the present time I have a barrel on order from Bullberry and they said that I should try the 120 to 130 grain bullets. I only hunt whitetails because I can't afford a elk hunt or anything like that. I personally like the 150 grain. I will probably try anything from the 120 to a 160 grain when I get my barrel. About three years back I was hunting on my father-in-laws property over his large hay field and I popped a doe out at about 275 to 300 yards with the 150 gr. SBT with 60.1grains of IMR4350. That by far was the longest shot that I ever made, it kind of gives you a warm feeling inside doing that with a bullet that you made yourself. I love this reloading. :grin:

[HBL]

I've had my best luck with the 160gr partition. I know the 150's are good also, but my rifle seems to like the 160 best. Plus at over 2900fps, I like the extra weight, although not much.

There is really no need to have two separate loads. Pick a bullet, get the most accurate load/velocity combo, and go with it. The 7mag will take down just about anything these states have to offer.

HBL

[Jim n Iowa]

I would use a 139 grn Hornadt sp, or the 140 Sierra. These are plenty enough bullet for Antelope or Deer. The 160 is a great bullet also, but when I started shooting coyotes in the winter, in windy Iowa I moved up to the 7mm instead the 224.s. You have plenty of bullet at what your after. Antelope usually are on the move by the time your on them. That is unless you corner them at the corner of fences!!
Jim

[Hcliff]

I like the controlled expansion bullets for most rifles that are used for big game.  Partitions have a proven record for harvesting game all over the world .  You can't go wrong with them.  I have had great sucess with the Barnes X bullet and the Failsafe also.

When buying a bullet there is two schools.  Some people like a big mushroom and rapid expansion.  On deer size game these can be devistation under the right conditions.  Some times with shoulder shots or angle body shots this tyoe of bullet dosn't perform as well as a controlled expansion.  The bigger mushroom restricts peneration but does increase would channel  size.  This is a Nosler ballistic tip, Hornady SST, inter lock, Core Lokt, etc.

The second school is to get the most peneration possible.  That is Nosler's Partition, X bullet, Failsafe, Swift A frame, etc.  This stouter construction will give deeper peneration and it will hold together under circumstances where standard bullets will fail.  Going through shoulder bone, cross body shots, the texas heart shot, etc. This is where the controlled expansion will shine.  They penerate up to tiwce as much.  With this style you will almost always get an exit hold

With a deer you can use either type depending on your perference.  I like to be able to shoot any animal anywhere so that is why controlled is for me.  

If youy are handloading try a few different one.  You can set up a box of wet newsprint and can shoot different bullet and see what happens.

Good Luck

Hcliff