Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7mm Rem Mag ?

I have a 1962 model Remington 700 in 7mm RM and had two other 7mm RM's. (One of the others was also a 700 which was one of the most consistently accurate rifles I've owned. My son-in-law has that rifle now.) he other 7mm RM I have is a Ruger 77 with an after market stock.

That 1962 model likes various loads, from 139 gr Hornady IL, 150 gr Nosler Partition, 154 Gr Hornady IL, 162 gr Hornady IL and 168 ABLR.

Depending on game each will work well (though the 139 grain may be a little light - I've only shot two white-tails with that bullet, both neck shots.)

The load I've been using lately is the 168 gr ABLR with 71 gr Magnum powder with Win LRM primers in FC cases. I have not tried this load on game larger than deer.

All the above loads are 1 MOA or less in that rifle.

I think the 7mm RM is an outstanding long range cartridge.

The 140-class bullets are great in the 7 mag. I have never really pushed them to the max. I load the 139 Interlocks to 3100 fps and they work real well on deer and antelope. Reloder 22 and IMR7828 are real good powders for that bullet. I think that Reloder 26 would be real good, IF you can find it. If you decide to step up to the 160, Reloder 25 and 33 will both get you to 3000+ easily-especially from a 26-inch barrel.

Has anyone use high speed 120 gr bullets in their 7mm to knock things in the dirt?

I loaded 140 Partitions for years with 65 grains of IMR 4350. It hammered anything I shot with them. I went to the Ballistic tips when component got hard to find. They killed just as well.

I went on a 120 grain X-Bullet stint and they performed well. The largest game I shot with them was a 350 lb. sow and I did recover a bullet that went lengthwise from rooter to pooter. Stopped over the hams and was a picture perfect mushroom. Some of the others would shed petals but I didn't recover any.

I am going to go back to a 120 Barnes and also the 120 BT which can stand the velocity of a 7RM well. There is a noticable reduction in recoil compared to the 175s at near 3,000 fps.

Not sure a 140gr bullet would offer any significant advantages over the 160gr for long range deer, unless it shoots better in your rifle. Often I prescribe the old school, tried-and-true combo of a 160gr Nosler with 4831 for deer and elk. If dedicated to just deer, the 160gr class of bullets still work great, but now you can open up the bullet selection to whatever you want - Berger, Sierra, Hornady, etc., etc.

140 ab or a 120 ballistic tip.