7mm rem mag loads

[scooter1979]

Hey guys,
     Gotta say this is probably one of the most comprehensive forums/sites I've been on and everybody seems to do a great job with the site. I was wondering what kind of loads any of you all might hhave for the ole 7mm rem mag, Id like to use 140s, I've used ballistic tips, Im going to order some 140gr sierra gamekings this week. Was wondering what pet loads you all mite have and what kind of accuracy and velocity you are getting.
      Thanks

[deerandduck]

My 7mag is a Tikka 695 and I normally use the 160 gr bullets.  I found it doesn't like the Sierra 160s but loves the 160 Nosler Accubonds with a healthy load of Re22.  I don't remember the exact load. 
If I want to use 140 gr bullets, I grab my 7mm-08.
best of luck,
Deerandduck

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  With my old 7mm Rem. I used a top load of re22 with a mag. primer..and 140 grain Nosler BT BT...I used the info. from Alliant when developing the load..it listed higher top loads than any other source..turned out it was excellent..but a top load..on a day of 70 degrees + I could get 3400fps +...Very accurate, no primer pocket expansion..a deadly load..My pal who is a real 7mm Mag fan uses a max. load of IMR4350..The old Horn. manuel listed a top load of 3400fps with H4831, but it was not as accurate for me..For 160's, I use my 7mm Wea. at 3250fps. good luck..

[scooter1979]

Thanks guys, I've got some IMR4350 here and a little bit of H4831,  guess ill give em a whirl and see how they do, thanks for the info, ill give re22 a try if I don't get the accuracy I want out of these two powders, thanks again

[Darrell Davis]

I realise this is just an Ol'Coot's opinion, but it is very hard to beat the 160gr Nosler Partition in the 7mag.

Possibly also some of the other premimum bullets, but shy away from any of the cup and core offerings in the mag.  They are best left to the .280 (questionable) and smaller 7mms.

I have used the 160gr partition, and it is, without question a great selection.

Also, the 140gr bullets and those in that wt class are making a 7 mag less then it is ment to be.

Only possible exception would be if some of the mono-metal bullets were in use.

As per powder, I would consider 4350 about as fast as I'd even consider going with the proper, for cartridge, weight bullets.  Very likely the 4831s, IMR 7828, Reloader 19 or 22 will get the nod for the best powders.

Keep em coming!

CDOC

[Lloyd Smale]

I feel a bit differnt about the 7mag. I load mostly 140s and some 150s. If i want a load with a bullet heavier then that i step up to a 300 mag. Ive shot a truckload of deer with the 7mag using cup and core 140s. They work just fine. They may do a tad more meat damage if you hit a deer in the shoulder but i try not to do that and if i do its no big deal as like I said we shoot lots of deer. What i look for mostly is a load that puts them down on the spot and theres not much that works better for that then 140 sierras or ballistic tips in the 7 mag. If i was going to use it on something like elk i would probably load a 140 or 150 partition. Theres not much that that bullet wouldnt take care of on game under 600lbs and if i felt i needed more again id step up to a 300 mag. If i could only have one bullet for the 7mag it would be the 140 partition hands down. Or maybe something like the barnes 140 tsx but i havent shot anything with that bullet to really know. Another real good compromise bullet that ive killed some deer with is the 145 speer grand  slam.

[scooter1979]

Thanks for the replies, Im not at all opposed to 160's, for some reason I prefer 140s, I have no real reason other than personal preference. Re22 seems to be gettin several nods for the 7mm, im going to at least try it just to see how it shoots in my rifle, with 140s and 160s, whichever one shoots the best in my gun will get the nod from me

[Darrell Davis]

Scooter1979,

Lloyd Smale has a lot of good information on this and other forums, so it is wise to read and think about what he has to say.

In fact, although we do not agree on all points I respect his thoughts and have on a number of occasions held a personal, back and forth communiction with Lloyd providing answers to my questions. He is a good "go to" person for a great store of shooting/hunting/reloading/casting information!

So, guess you know where I come down as per advice Lloyd may provide.

However, we do differ on some things, one being on the bullet size/wt. on the 7mag.

Most of the time, after checking out the loading manuals, I choose what seems the best- all around - for a bullet wt. for all game hunting I may do with that rifle.

I totally disagree with those who use this bullet for deer, that one for elk and maybe still another for moose.

The reason is, the best results over all are obtained with a rifle you are completely at home with, one which you pick up and with out question or thought pick the proper aiming point on your critter, be it deer, elk, moose etc.

When a person is changing bullet wts. from critter to critter, there is always the possibility of needing to do some mental gymnastics as per point of hold, or just in the rush of things forgetting it all and making a poor hit.

For that reason if no other, read all you can, study all the books/charts you can get your hands on and choose one bullet for all game hunting with any one rifle.

Remember, "KISS" (Keep it simple stupid).  There is a lot to be said for that way of doing things.

Now years back, when I made the choice to start with the the 160gr Nosler partition, the choices for quality/premimum bullets was very small (Nosler, Bitterroot and maybe a couple others??).  Therefore, the Partition got the nod.  Today, there are a good/LARGE number of bullets with integrity, making the choise much broader.

AS per using cup an core bullets for game, there can be no question that they, in most cases, will put a game animal down.

However, I go back to the selection of one bullet for one rifle and want a bullet which will not only put a critter down "in most cases," but one which will give me the edge/advantage, should anything not go according to plan.  Believe me, hunt long enough and it will happen to you or someone in your party.

Larger and better constructed bullets as a whole provide less meat damage, I AM A MEAT HUNTER, and can pull the fat out of the fire where a lessor bullet will not.

Lloyd shoots far more game, given his location, then I ever will, so he has "on the ground experience" well beyond most of us.  That fact alone gives him the option to do a bit of testing/expermenting.

The few shots I get are important, I want that meat as I, like most folks, am very limited in the number of tags I get.

In short, I don't want to second guess my bullet choice, saving pennies is just not worth it, IMHO.

Keep em coming!

CDOC

 

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  Darrell, that is some pretty good advice...picking one load for your rifle and sticking with it..In an area where deer are about the only big game, the cup and core bullets would work fine..but in the west where a guy might shoot antelope today, mule deer tomorrow, and elk or moose later in the week, the premium bullets are the way to go..I also think a long for caliber bullet is a real advantage as you have pointed out..Unforturnately for me I did not learn this many years ago, and as a result, have a big supply of bullets for my rifles starting with .25 and going though .30 caliber, of various bullet wts for each caliber... For a time I had everything from 100 grain hollow points thru 175 grain Part. for my 7mm mags...that I wish I had selected either a 160 or 175 grain Part. and just stocked up on those...I would have made me a better shot with that rifle and load, and then I wouldn't have all these bullets lying around that I have very little use for...Where were you 30 years ago when I would have benefited so much from this advice?

[Darrell Davis]

Afternoon Hunter,  Haven't heard from your direction for awhile.

By the way, there ain't no such thing as tooooo many bullets, just like noth'in like tooooo dead!

Now, as folk will notice who read many of my posts will see, I am real fond of High Quality Bullets.  Yep, real fond!!

However, I do have some lessor bullets on hand.

Fact is, when this Obamanation started and while I needed only wait a little while for my B.O. bullet order to arrive, I did lay in a bit of stock of the Hornady Interlock.

It is a good bullet, not great, not Partition or bonded or -------------- quality,  but with the way things were go'in, any bullet of reasonable quality is better then no bullet at all.

Fact is, the present Interlock is a way better bullet then the Hornady which got me started with the Nosler Partition back in the 60s.

Then, we could go to the current Speer "B.T." if we really want to send a meat grinder into the critter.

Son has one of my past #1s in 270.  It is a real shooter with that load worked up way back, but if Jeff uses it for critters, he knows he better really pick his shot or figure on cleaning up a mess.

Anyway, I proudly sit on my little stash of my "just in case bullets", but the first choice is still the premimum offerings.

Oh yes, Then we come to the current adventure of working up cast Boolit hunting loads for my 45/70.

Ain't there yet, but thanks to Lloyd    and some others willing and able to answer a lot of questions, think I'll arrive this year.

Keep em coming!

CDOC

[Lloyd Smale]

keep in mind a few things when reading my advice on this. First my 7mag isnt used on anything heavier then whitetail. If im going to hunt bear or even elk im sure i would take one of my 300 mags or my 8mag. Not that there needed but its an excuse to use a different gun. Most of my hunting and loading revolves around crop damage deer shooting and thats my primary consern when im working a load up for any gun. Shots routinely are past 300 yards and its rare to have a shot under a 150. When doing crop damage shooting dropping deer in there tracks is more important then a little meat loss. We shoot lots of deer every year and if i loose a couple lbs of burger meat its not a consern but the farmer likes us to dump the deer before then get into the crop so were not wadeing around in his potatoes. Theres a few guns that have just proven themselves over the years to dump deer where they stand and the 7mag with 140 cup and core bullets or even partitions are one of our favorites. A couple more are the 2506 and 257 wby using 100s and the 300 mag using 165s. Now if i was going to hunt elk with the 7mag or the 300 about the only consession id make is to load something like a 140 partion in the 7mag or the 165 partition in the 300. If i had to find a load for either and could only use one load for the rest of my life it would be the partitions but its just to much fun trying diffent loads and bullets. Usually every spring i go to work on a new load for each gun i use to do just that. Ive got 9 cofffee cans full of loaded rifle ammo right now in different calibers to work with this spring.

[Lloyd Smale]

One other thing ill add is that i hear all the time guys saying premium bullets are needed in a mag and id bet my life that most of them havent shot but a couple animals with cup and core bullets out of them. Maybe they had one experince where something didnt work out right and the passed judgement right then and there. Most of the time it can be traced to a marginal shot. There isnt a deer alive that will live after a hit in the boiler room by a 140 sierra or bt shot from a 7mag at any range under 500 yards and as to meat damage, put the bullet in the lungs and it wont do anymore damage then a 270 or 06 and put one in the shoulder and no matter what gun your using your going to loose meat. This isnt advice picked up on the internet from a bunch of wet behind the ear self proclaimed experts and its not advice gotten from shooting 2 deer. I know just in the last couple years ive shot and seen shot at least a 100 deer with the 7mag and 300 mag. Now im no expert in ballistics myself. Im just a hunter that is fortunate enough to get the oppertunity to shoot enough game to get a solid idea of what works and what doesnt. Threres nothing wrong with using premium bullets if thats what you want to do but dont think that spending twice the money on some flashy bullet that some company paid a profesionaly hunter to brag up is buying you a whole lot more performance. I shoot alot and am not going to shell out 40 bucks for a box of 50 bullets that dont do anyting more then bullets at half the price and in alot of cases dont even shoot as accurately as the cheaper ones.

[TXSPIKE]

My 7mag 140gr pet loads,69.0grs of Reloader-22 and 65.3grs of IMR-4350.Remember,always work your way up to loads that are listed.

[Eltweed]

I have settled on 160 grain TSX Barnes in front of a near maximum charge of H1000 set off by WLRM primers.  It shoots very tight groups out of a SS Classic M70 and has been used quite successfully on elk, antelope, and deer.

[charles p]

Sierra gameking is a good bullet for use on whitetails.  I load H 4831 and IMR 48331 mostly.

[Tom W.]

Mine does really well with a 150 gr C/T ballistic silvertip, 66 grains of IMR 7828 and a federal match magnum primer. I tried the 140 gr bullets and while they did o.k. my rifle shoots better with the above mentioned load. I suppose I'm one of those "one load" people. There isn't anything larger than deer or feral hogs in this area..