Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Favorite 7mm Mag Loads

I always shot Federal Premium ammo with a 160 Nosler Partition in a Browning A-Bolt. My Gunwerks RevX likes 168 and 180 Bergers in HSM factory ammo.

The 175s don't give up much to the 160s for conventional bullets, but in the VLD types the 175 & 180s will out distance a 160. The 168 ABLR looks to be a good compromise at least for longer ranges. Usually I could get 160s and 175s to shoot near the same point of aim at 100 and used the 175s in timber and the 160s in open country but either would work.

I have only used a few 150 Corelokts in the 7RM on deer maybe around 30 or so and expansion was pretty quick but all exited. Anything will work on deer but not my first choice for larger game. JOC thought they killed quicker than the 175s. But this may be due to the time when the 175s were less aerodynamic and were down loaded slightly by Remington in response to meat hunters who thought the 150s too destructive. This was when the listed velocity was changed to 2,860 fps. down from 3,070 for the 175. I don't know how long that load was made. The reduction was also due to the pressure change reduction by SAAMI so not sure which version is correct, meat hunters vs SAAMI or both?

Warren Page used the old Nosler 175s for everything in Old Betsy. This screw turned semi spitzer was no great shakes as far as BC but they sure worked on game. His lifetime game list is impressive and not exceeded by many others. It could not be duplicated now as some of the spiral horned antelope are off limits like the Black Face Impala, Addax, Arabian Gazelle and others.

Pharmseller posted below.


"For when you reload:

3,000 FPS mv"





I really like this group & load. Definitely WILL give it a whirl.

My fav loads are not in any books so......................I'll just keep usin em.


Jerry

Shot 160's for a couple decades and then some. After getting some .30 caliber rifles that shot 150-180g bullets (.308 .30-06, .300WM), i dropped to 140's in the 7mm RM. (Still have a bunch of 160's loaded on the shelf, though.)

Here's some of my favorites combinations, all using Federal brass and CCI 250 primers, all very accurate:

3246fps = 120g Barnes TTSX, IMR 7828SSC
3214fps = 140g North Fork SS, IMR 7828SSC
3048fps = 160g North Fork SS, H1000

Did this today, 3030 FPS




.405”

The lower hole is two shots.





P

That cannot be a 7mm RM target. People can't shoot magnums well.

First thing I do with a Tikka is toss the factory hockey puck for a Limbsaver. Makes all the difference in the world.





P

I have 2 Tikkas. T3 Lite SS 270 ; T3X Lite SS 7mm RM

Both have Tikka composite stocks. NO problems.


Jerry

I think I will definitely try the R26 I 7mm mag, probably first with a 160 gr or 175 gr bullet. I am eager to try it also in my 243 with 100s and 30-06 with 200-220 gr bullets, R26 looks extremely promising in all three cartridges.

Come to think of it, with R26 potentially pushing a 243 100 gr nosler partition at 3100ish fps, the 7mm mag 160 gr NP at 3000-3100 and the 30-06 with a 200 NP at 2750 fps, that could pretty well cover all my bases for BC (or any N American) hunting I'd be doing.

Agree and don't give up too soon on accuracy testing. R26 is one of those powders that can benefit from a change in primer, so much so that now I start load work with a magnum primer and it has panned out most of the time. With a hot primer and determining maximum charge and length then I can work backwards from there and usually find an acceptable load within 20-60 rounds.

I checked my local reloading shop today. NO Rl 26 but I get eMails and know where it's available.
Will be ordering SOON.

RL 26 works great in .300 Weatherby. I switched my hunting load to RL 26 from MagPro and it is just as accurate as MP was at about the same velocity. My son’s 7mm Remington Magnum shoots great with 160s using RL 25 so 26 should work well, also. Happy Trails

Got Order Off today. $ 5.00 - Shipping + Hazmat --- 4 one pounders.

Me too. None of my 7 Wby’s have ever fired a commercial load.

Last Factory Ammo I bought -- 2007 > 270 Win;------- 2008 > 300 WM
BOTH to get brass.

Pharmseller posted below.

3,000 FPS mv"


------------------------------------------------




THANKS Pharm - I've recorded these loads for my 7s when I get started with 26. I know, approach w/caution.

I did this today, after adjusting the scope based on the above placement:



Two clicks down, different target:



That’s .088”






P

Pharm

I have a box or 2 of 162 H B T S P that I'll begin using in my testing.

>*>* For ELK -- I don't which to get serious about. the ELDX or ACCUBOND.
Any recommendation between these 2 ?


Oh, just remembered I have some 160 N P as well. If they group well aka less than 1", I'll stick with them.

How far are you shooting? If ballistic coefficient doesn’t matter, pick whichever shoots best. I killed a big mature 6 point bull last year with the ELDX at 200 yards, he died right now. The next day my brother shot a big cow, same bullet, 350 yards, she went down fast. I have confidence in the ELDX. The history of the PT and AB needs no discussion.








P

Pharm

I love the MASS & Chocolate on that bull. Great. Congrats.

I think I'll try the ELDXs too.

Thnx