Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 7mm magnum ammo for whitetails???

Was wondering what would be the best 7mm mag ammo for whitetails? Most shots will be between 25 to 100yds, but some could be out to 300. Looking for something that won't fragment, but will penetrate and leave a nice exit wound. Was thinking about accubonds, tsx, or ttsx. What's your recommendation? I do not reload.

120 or 140 TSX or TTSX. Whatever you can find in factory, since you don't handload. Both work very well out of a 7 Mag, using 20-30 deer & hogs as test subjects. I happen to like the 140s better in the 7 Mag & 120s in the 7-08, but that's just personal preference. Any of those will do what you seek. (Even Accubond...)

I'd nominate the Remington reduced recoil ammo. Basically it duplicates 7mm-08/7x57 140 grain ballistics

Layne Simpson did a piece in a 2011, Petersen's Hunting about a 495 deer kill, 20 year tally by a SC outfitter by the name of Simmons.

IIRC, lung shot deer hit with soft bullets traveled about half the distance as those hit with harder, premium bullets.

So, for a "soft" target like a Whitetail, I'd not use premium bullets, but would go with C&C lead. I'm using 168 VLD's in my 7RM and 140 VLD's in my 6.5's.

IMHO.

DF

DF: here's a link to a good summary of the Cedar Knoll Deer Study:

http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/deer/articlegad.html

Thanks for that link. I have the Layne Simpson article, never saw the base study.

DF

Edited to add, when I reported this article on other posts, I contended that the .25 cal advantage reported wasn't statistically significant. I based that on the subtle differences being tested and the relatively low cohort sampling number.

Seems my instincts were correct, as the study concludes that there was no difference in the effetiveness of various calibers/rounds, but a significant difference between bullet types.

From what I've seen, velocity plays an important role in how a specific bullet performs. Sometimes a lot is not better. Case in point, the effectiveness of some of the moderate velocity rounds for Whitetails. When velocity for bullet type is optimal, a plan really does come together...

Not sure if my gun will shoot the reduced recoil loads since its a browning bar.

Winchester Supreme with the CT BT

With a BAR, and not reloading, I'd just get me some W/W Power Points or Rem Core-Lokts and go hunting. Or the cheapest C&C hunting bullets I could find. This day and age, you may just shoot what you can find. I don't think it'll make that much difference. Cheap, as in NOT premium ammo for deer.

DF

I used 140 gr Accubonds on Antelope. Killed two. Funny thing was both critters died with in 20 yards but there was just a little hole punched in them. No exit wounds. This has me reconsidering the Accubond for deer. I'm thinking of trying the 150 gr Fusions next.

140 Ballistic Tip, yes a small amount of blood shot meat but not as bad as most would think, you can always try a partition as well.

Federal Fusion 150 grain

Coach,
My rifle liked 160 Accubonds, when I shot through both lungs of a buck from broad side it left a rather small exit hole and he went more than 60 yards before piling up. I thought that was no better than an arrow.

I would get one box each of Federal Fusion, Federal blue box, Hornady SP interlock 139 as well as 154 and see which of these your rifle likes best.
Mine liked the 150 Fusion and holds MOA out to 400 yards. I shot a large bodied Alberta buck that was so close I was worried about him hearing me breathe. He dropped at the shot and died before I could shoot him again.

Probably not. My bad

I am a "develope a good load and use it on everything" kinda guy. A 160gr partition work on elk and they work on antelopes, and everything in between.

Day in, day out, big stuff, little stuff, hard to go wrong with NPT's.

DF

I shoot the Nosler Custom load out of my 280AI with 140 AB's. It has been instant death on a couple of bucks. One big 9 pointer went about 40 yards but it just grazed the back of a lung and blew out the liver. The best part is very little shot up meat.

+1. Deer hate them.
I reload but I have shot many deer with the nbt out of serval different 284 and have had very good results

These are my two go to rounds in a 7 mag for deer. I have tried other rounds and find that I always come back to these two bullets.

Federal PowerShok 150 grain Soft Points - groups well, leaves a dime to quarter sized exit hole

Federal Premium 150 grain Sierra Gamekings - my personal favorite, super accurate, leaves a baseball size hole, I have killed a pile of deer with these all the way out to 325 yards, and the deer pretty much drops right there and if they do run, it leaves a lot of blood on the ground.

I keep it simple, I use the 160 grain Nosler Partition for everything. Works great on any deer, not too destructive, nearly always a pass through. The only one I recovered was on a mule deer quartering away, found under the hide at the base of the neck.

Perfect elk medicine also...