Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Looking for advice for the best bullet weight for my 7mm SAUM?

After I got my 7mm RM (1982) Big Brother and I were up shooting in the mountains. I bet him the 7 would drive a 160g Grand Slam through a foot-wide pine tree.

He lost the bet. There was a nice exit hole on the back side of the tree.

With the disclaimer that the COAL restriction of the M7 might be a bummer with a tipped 160-grain bullet, the 160 NAB is a winner.

If you can find some, the 162 AMAX will get your attention at longer ranges. Phenomenal bullet. Works great on deer too.

If I had a 7SAUM, and I do have a 7x57AI that gets 3050fps w/140gr BT, I'd be shooting the 150gr BT for everything...
especially deer and elk. Good penetration and expands well on the inside. Very short blood trails and DRT. I know some 7Mag guys that swear by the 145gr Speer. powdr

So many bullets -so little time ..

Thank you all for the good advice,

I will try the big three grain of bullets(140,150, and 160), and see which one shoots the best out of my rifle. With that being said I remember a few years ago using 120 grain Nosler ballistic tips out of my 280 Ackley Improved, and recall they shot really well. I only shot one deer with the load, but it did a number on the buck. I know the 120 BT have been talked about quite extensively on a few of the forums here on the campfire, and I just happen to have a full box laying around, so that may be a option as well to try. Thanks again, 280man

You sure have that right!

I only own one 7mm cartridge... the 7mm STW. The only bullet I load in it, is the Barnes 140gr TSX(TTSX). I've taken 5 game animals with it and it is devastating. Most are DRT. One shot was through about 3 feet of Deer, from stem to stern, broke the hind leg, front shoulder and the bullet was stopped just under the skin and didn't exit. It's my only recovered 7mm 140gr bullet. That deer was running full tilt, uphill away from me at about 250 yds, when I nailed him and he flopped over dead. As you can tell, I'm impressed with the Barnes Triple Shocks on cartridges that have ample velocity.

I would have no hesitation using this on Elk at a reasonable range. Certainly any Muleys or WT's or Speed Goats.... and as a bonus, they're very accurate.

Really like using the 162 AMax in mine. You won't kiss lands unless you have the barrel set back you can make it work in the 2.8 M7 box. 160 Abomb fits as well.

7 & 300 Shamwow

I liked the 150 partition at 3k when I ran one.

Pretty much a hammer on anything I ever shot with it.

Tony

150 gr BT or AB

OR,

Hornady 139 Interlock

IIRC, Dogzapper's friend, the late Mr. Eastman, was a 280AI man and his preferred bullet was the 120 grain BT. Since Mr. Eastman had worked for Nosler over an extended period of time, I assume that he would have known their line of bullets as well as any man, so his choice was likely a good one and worth strong consideration.

I can't disagree with the 120 NBT on Whitetails. I hunt Axis more than WT's and much prefer the 150 gr projectiles. Most of my dozen or so Axis kills were with 150 CoreLokt's.