Author Topic: 7mm mag performance own deer (Read 3194 times)

varmithunter06 · « **on:** February 25, 2006, 09:54:09 AM »

HI, i just buyed a 7mm mag and i will be shooting 150 gr federal prem nosler partiton, i would like to know what this will do to a deer and what the exit hole might be, i heard this cartridge is known to leave a huge exit hole own deer .

NONYA · « **Reply #1 on:** February 25, 2006, 10:02:37 AM »

DEPENDS ON YOUR BULLET SELECTION,THE PARTITION is a great round,it wont leave a huge exit wound,I use barnes triple shocks out of my 7 mag,they leave a bit smaller exit because they dont expand quit as large.It will drop deer out to 600 yards,thats a fact.

JD338 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 04, 2006, 07:36:36 PM »

The 160 gr PT from your 7mm Mag will kill deer with ease. The exit wound will be about the size of a dime.

JD338

Chuck White · « **Reply #3 on:** March 05, 2006, 02:04:15 AM »

varmithunter06

I've used 150 grain Nosler Partitions in my 7mm Rem Mag and a shot through the center of the ribs with it will usually drop the deer right where he was when you pulled the trigger!

The biggest exit hole I've had with this hit was about the size of a golf ball and the smallest, about the size of a dime!
Hitting a rib will make that difference!

All-In-All, I feel this is a good gun/bullet choice!

srwshooter · « **Reply #4 on:** April 23, 2006, 12:17:08 PM »

but , if you hit the shoulder blade there may not be a shoulder on the other side.i had this happen twice on whitetails that were running at less than 100yds. i like reach of the 7mm but they can tear up some meat if you don't hitum perfect.

K.K · « **Reply #5 on:** April 23, 2006, 12:56:36 PM »

I like the Partition as well, though I recently switched to the Nosler Ballistic tips. (they are more accurate from my rifle). Most exited, but many did not, dumping all energy into the body cavity. The ones that did exit left huge exit wounds. I guess it depends which school of thought you are from. If you like exit holes (of varying sizes), the partition will usually give them.

257 roberts · « **Reply #6 on:** April 23, 2006, 04:48:15 PM »

I've used a 7mag for a couple of years(shot 3 deer using the Federal Prem. 150gr Ballistic Tip )I feel its more gun than needed for deer BUT to each his/her own. :grin:

tscott · « **Reply #7 on:** April 24, 2006, 05:34:47 AM »

I agree with the shoulder deal.... If I miss just a tad forward, I got shoulder jelly. While I hunt large bucks, I'd stop deer hunting If I continually lost meat. I'm back to .300 Savage!!!

wijim · « **Reply #8 on:** June 12, 2006, 08:40:52 AM »

i use 150 gr sp out of mine on white tails. works great. i started shooting ballistic tips and i didnt like them. too much inconsistence....they were 140 gr. i had bullets either not hitting bone and then very little expansion...or...they hit bone and the bullet blows up creating too much meat damage by forcing bone chunks and bullet fragments into front quarters. i shot one right in the double lung area...with those ballistic tips i had an exit hole the size of a baseball as a chunk of rib got forced out the other side and in butchering found a bullet fragment in a hind quarter......thats alot of travel for that fragment.

NONYA · « **Reply #9 on:** June 12, 2006, 02:46:09 PM »

THOSE BALLISTIC TIPS ARE A JOKE,NOT A BIG GAME HUNTING BULLET IN MY BOOK

Don Fischer · « **Reply #10 on:** June 12, 2006, 06:27:16 PM »

I've used quite a few different bullets in the 7mm Rem Mag and I found that the best bullet was the 160gr. It penetrates everything but is awful hard on editable meat. Bullets lighter than 160gr do way to much damage. I quit using one years ago and at that time switched to the 280 Rem and a 7x57. Lower recoil, bullets held together better, less damage in editable meat, less recoil and you can kill deer just as far away with no problem.

The 160gr bullet I used was the Speer Hot Core. I tried the Sierras but to much damage. I'll even give you the load: 69grs N205 CCI200. Bullet loaded to the base of the shoulder. The thing was long throated. I'd recommend long throating to anyone using 160gr and heavier bullets if you magazine well will handle it.

wijim · « **Reply #11 on:** June 13, 2006, 03:28:39 AM »

Quote from: NONYA

THOSE BALLISTIC TIPS ARE A JOKE,NOT A BIG GAME HUNTING BULLET IN MY BOOK

i cant speak for other calibers....but in my 7mm rem mag....you are completely correct.

beemanbeme · « **Reply #12 on:** June 13, 2006, 04:06:00 AM »

All the deer I have shot with a 7mag have been shot using a 160gr bullet because the hunts were usually in conjunction with an elk hunt. I have used both NP's and Speer Grand Slams. The NP's worked well and I never experienced any great meat destruction. The Grand Slams, if anything, seemed a bit hard for mulies. They killed well enough with a proper hit but you couldn't "shoot to the big middle" and not expect a tracking job.

NONYA · « **Reply #13 on:** June 13, 2006, 09:34:33 AM »

I went from years of Nosler partition use to about 3 months with the BS ballistics,after one season with the 160 gr barnes xxx I wont be swithching again,ever,they are a real predictable bullet with more penetration than I have ever experienced out of an expanding bullet.

wijim · « **Reply #14 on:** June 13, 2006, 10:00:28 AM »

Quote from: NONYA

I went from years of Nosler partition use to about 3 months with the BS ballistics,after one season with the 160 gr barnes xxx I wont be swithching again,ever,they are a real predictable bullet with more penetration than I have ever experienced out of an expanding bullet.

i hunt whitetails with mine mainly....just a federal classic 150 gr softpoint works perfectly fine for me and my gun likes those so i can shoot out long pretty good. i have dropped a doe at 456 yards with it...knowing the ballistics of course. but must of my shooting is within 100 yards...i have taken several at 200....and have had great performance...lol...and they will blow up a 16" diameter frozen pumpkin real nice.

Don Fischer · « **Reply #15 on:** June 13, 2006, 04:53:16 PM »

What's a tag cost for "frozen pumpkin pie"? Can you kill one with a 6.5x55?

Buckfever · « **Reply #16 on:** June 14, 2006, 03:26:58 AM »

Yes you can! But you must use one of the new Cranberry coated 47 shock twister in a whipped cream casing!!! Buckfever

Siskiyou · « **Reply #17 on:** June 14, 2006, 09:29:53 AM »

Quote from: tscott

I agree with the shoulder deal.... If I miss just a tad forward, I got shoulder jelly. While I hunt large bucks, I'd stop deer hunting If I continually lost meat. I'm back to .300 Savage!!!

I'll leave the .300 Savage home this year and take the 7MM Rem. Mag. hunting. I am concerned about excessive meat damage. I have a good supply of 145 grain Speer Hot Cores but Speer no longer recomends them for deer size animals. History tells me that 150 grain bullets are rather explosive. So I have a few of choices in my bullet box. I have 160 grain bullets from Speer, and 175 grain bullets from Remington, Speer, and Hornaday. They all shoot good. My problem is that "you" have me concerned about blowing up the deer. Both the 160 grain bullets and 175 grain bullets work on Black bear which might become a factor during the hunt. At this point I find favor with the 160 grain bullets. At what point does a clean kill with meat damage become excessive? As the World Turns.

wijim · « **Reply #18 on:** June 14, 2006, 04:50:44 PM »

Quote from: Don Fischer

What's a tag cost for "frozen pumpkin pie"? Can you kill one with a 6.5x55?

they actually have a bounty on frozen pumpkins in wi. you wouldnt believe the crop damage those lil b*st*rds will do after halloween.

wijim · « **Reply #19 on:** June 14, 2006, 04:52:36 PM »

Quote from: Buckfever

Yes you can! But you must use one of the new Cranberry coated 47 shock twister in a whipped cream casing!!! Buckfever

i load mine with an 09 chocolate chip primer and 68 grains of nutmeg.

beemanbeme · « **Reply #20 on:** June 15, 2006, 03:05:37 PM »

If you use a heavy for calibre bullet in a magnum, the meat damage will be considerably less than if you use a light for calibre bullet at some sort of boyhowdylookwhatIcando velocity!!!!!!!

wijim · « **Reply #21 on:** June 15, 2006, 03:21:22 PM »

Quote from: beemanbeme

If you use a heavy for calibre bullet in a magnum, the meat damage will be considerably less than if you use a light for calibre bullet at some sort of boyhowdylookwhatIcando velocity!!!!!!!

hey man...you rippin on my nutmeg filled pumpkin blower uppers?

:lol: :lol:

rockbilly · « **Reply #22 on:** June 17, 2006, 11:27:30 AM »

It depends on where and what you are hunting, but, in my opinion, the 7mm Mag is too big for whitetail. I hunt whitetail in West Texas, the deer are fairly small and most shots are below 300 yards, a .243 works well here, on occasion I do go to one of my big guns, a .244.

Over the years I have killed deer with just about every standard cartridge you can think of from .222 to .300 mag. I settled on the .243 because it works well for my hunting..............and my shoulder is not bruised after 30-40 rounds at the range. :roll:

NONYA · « **Reply #23 on:** June 17, 2006, 01:06:18 PM »

Our WT are about twice the size of the TX WT and the 7mag is a perfect choice for them,it depends on the shooter,i use it on antelope every year and i dont get any more meat damage than I do with a 25-06,how much meat is on an antelopes front shoulder?About 2 pounds.

wijim · « **Reply #24 on:** June 19, 2006, 02:45:39 AM »

Quote from: rockbilly

It depends on where and what you are hunting, but, in my opinion, the 7mm Mag is too big for whitetail. I hunt whitetail in West Texas, the deer are fairly small and most shots are below 300 yards, a .243 works well here, on occasion I do go to one of my big guns, a .244.

Over the years I have killed deer with just about every standard cartridge you can think of from .222 to .300 mag. I settled on the .243 because it works well for my hunting..............and my shoulder is not bruised after 30-40 rounds at the range. :roll:

a good wi buck will weig 180-225 pounds dressed. does, about 120-145..(i shot a doe last year pushing 165 though). i have really no trouble being "over gunned" with my 7mm rem mag. i dont have a ton of guns nor do i aspire to own a ton of them...so i opted for a goo all purpose caliber that would take deer, elk, and pigs if i ever get to go again. the 7mm fit the bill and i shoot it well....so as for the best gun for the job..its the gun that you are most comfortable with.

NONYA · « **Reply #25 on:** June 19, 2006, 05:53:02 PM »

Thats the beautiful thing about the 7mag,apt,long range accuracy with enough down range energy to get the job done on anything in the lower 48 with one load,I dont need any other rifle for the entire season and I am so comfortable with the one i have I dont ever plan on switching calibers or rifles,being comfortable and secure with one rifle is far mor important to me than owning a room full of guns and having 20 loads worked up for each one,one rifle, one load,GIDERDONE. :wink:

nabob · « **Reply #26 on:** June 19, 2006, 11:41:16 PM »

Here in the NE pine woods, with shots less than 100 yards, the 7MM mag blows up too much meat. Lots of times, we can't pick our shots quite as easily as folks can in more open areas. We end up taking some poorly presented shots or fast followup shots, often at short yardage before the deer ducks back in under cover.

No one I know uses a 7MM mag for that. It just ruins too much meat under these circumstances. I know there are guys who DO use these sort of uberbangers in the woods but most stick to the less intense calibers.

Just different terrain, that's all, so they tend to use a different tool.

wijim · « **Reply #27 on:** June 20, 2006, 02:44:03 AM »

Quote from: nabob

Here in the NE pine woods, with shots less than 100 yards, the 7MM mag blows up too much meat. Lots of times, we can't pick our shots quite as easily as folks can in more open areas. We end up taking some poorly presented shots or fast followup shots, often at short yardage before the deer ducks back in under cover.

No one I know uses a 7MM mag for that. It just ruins too much meat under these circumstances. I know there are guys who DO use these sort of uberbangers in the woods but most stick to the less intense calibers.

Just different terrain, that's all, so they tend to use a different tool.

bullet sellection bullet selection bullet selection...........its all i can say. but that said......yeah i dont know if the 7mm mag is right for every situation....i mean mine is scoped...so i would really wanna use it in close cover still hunting....i think id go for the open sights.

but for real nabob....what do you use to make your bad shots on? i cant see taking shots that are marginal or bad regardless of caliber.

NONYA · « **Reply #28 on:** June 20, 2006, 07:17:22 AM »

If you are that concerned about loosing a couple ponds of grissle off the front shoulders use a 140 gr solid orslightly expanding bullet like the core lokt from Rem.

nabob · « **Reply #29 on:** June 20, 2006, 12:43:43 PM »

"Bad shots"? Sounds like you are looking for a fight, not a discussion.

Sorry, but I won't play.

Take care.