Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Good Whitetail bullet in 7mm Rem Mag?

The 140NPT is another jewel. It exits most of the time, though frequently small as the front turns to shrapnel at HV. Still gives em a loose drain plug.

I have shot several whitetails with a 139 Hornady BTSP over IMR 4350 and the cup and core bullet worked great. All were shot thru the lungs with a 1 1/12 hole on the other side. None went anywhere after the shot...Russ

+1

The 154g Hornady Flat base Interlock is one tough bullet. It will penetrate on quartering shots, shoot through both shoulders on broadside shots.

On our first trip to Texas, we were doing hog extermination. All of the hunters were using 7 Mags and I had loaded them all with 63.0g of IMR 4350, Rem brass, 9 1/2 primers, 154g Hornady Interlocks. We shot holes through both shoulders of large boar hogs shoulders...ranch owner was very impressed. We were not worried since we had killed many Bull elk with the same load.

The 154g Hornady interlock is listed in their "Custom" line and will not break the bank.

If you like a little premium bullet, then the 140g Nosler Partition and 150g Nosler partition will give you added confidence...your gun will have a weight that you like.

i find that 120-140grn bullets in my 7mag destroy to much meat. going up a bit in weigh really stop some of the damage and kills very well.

162 gn Hornady BTSP, have hit many many deer with that bullet in an old 7 mag I used to have.
It was very accurate and gave excellent penetration and expansion.

Gunner

Hi Bob,

Almost all of the deer in our area (Soutwest Mississippi and all along the river) are descendants of whitetails that were brought in from Wisconsin in the 30's.

Big difference between them and a Texas buck regarding size. Combine this with the fact that these deer live in a rich agricultural area and have excellent native food sources and you end up with some big animals if allowed to reach maturity.

JM: I thought some of those deer you have posted pics of looked sorta big to me...

Now I know why!

The problem you are running into is that the "soft" bullet you used was going too fast. None of the cup and core bullets work well at much over 2800 fps.
You can deal with this either one of two ways. Slow down your favorite 120-160 gr. standard bullet or run a premium at maximum velocity.
I kinda like the "slow down the standard bullet approach." That comes from killing lots of stuff with the 7X57, the .280 and a couple of 7mm magnums. Using a fast powder, you get less recoil as well. E

We've killed loads of big whitetail and mule deer with Hornady 139 gr SST's, IB's, and soft points and several others. It's just a deer......they're easy to kill.

John M......it would probably surprise lots of folks to know that the bucks we've killed over the past 12 years, way up in the TX Panhandle, have an avg. field dressed weight of 170lbs.

My mistake JG. I was referring to the South Texas bucks that I had hunted with Steve Kennedy some years back.

One thing you guys have most everyone beat on is symmetry. Our deer don't net score very well because they lack the symmetry you guys have in spades.

Best,

Jm

I'm just poking fun at you JM. You've been around the block enough to know what you're talking about. I don't question that.

I have used 160 Accubonds in a 7 Mag with good results,before that I used 160 Sierras and 160 Partitions.

They all worked and all exited close or far.


Before that I used 150 Core Lokts,they were often under the hide of the far side of dead critters.

These four bullets killed a bunch of critters over the years without any problems for me,mostly dead right there.

I think I will try a box of Federal Premium 160 Accubonds, I have searched and not many factory loads available using this bullet, a Nosler factory load is the only other I could find, I quit reloading many years ago and sold all My equipment as I didn't really shoot enough to fool with it, and when the premium factory loads that we have today hit the market I found that several were as accurate as My reloads in any given rifle.................HB

VA, I have shot those on occasion. Look and make sure the nickel plating is not flaking off at the mouth of the case or you may possibly stick a case in the chamber.

Don't ask me how I know....

They're fine, just be sure to check and make sure the nickel isn't peeling before you chamber one.

Best,

JM

No need to get fancy on Deer, there just not that tuff. I have been getting really good results with Federal Fusion factory ammo. I use the 150gr in my 30-06. I know they make a 150gr, 7mm Rem Mag load as well. They are accurate, and expand but don't explode...nice silver dollar sized whole through the rib cage..
just my $.02

Thanks JM, I will give each cartridge a looking over before I chamber a round............Mark, I think for the cheap ammo you are right, the Federal Fusion stuff is very effective, I have taken a few medium size does with the 165 Grain .300 WSM stuff with very good results, both had nice exit holes, I have also been curious as to how Winchesters new Power Max bonded ammo performs it is also very reasonable at Wally's...............HB

The 7 Mag load I have been using on deer has 160 grain sierra game kings sitting on top of some good ol H4831. So far they have done a great job.

Try the Sierra 160 SBT it just works.
Mouse

It's hard to beat the 175gr Hornady SP interlock. Works perfectly in 7x57 and 7mm mag.