Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7mm Rem Mag- one deer/elk bullet?

I picked up a Sako AIII in 7RM but it is too pretty to hunt. So I grabbed a lightly used Stainless Vanguard S2 in same chambering to hunt with.

Now my question is this: Is there one bullet that will do mule deer and elk efficiently?

I know it's a high velocity cartridge and I am looking to try out a bullet that will handle both. I'm more of a "one load per gun" kinda reloader being short on time and long on rifle options/chamberings. Or I can always use the .257 Bob I have on layaway for mulies and the 7RM for elk. Looking for opinions and know they're worth what they cost me:). What says yous?

I could easily live with a 150 or 160 Partition and be done with it.

I've never owned a rifle that was too pretty to hunt with. Kinda like buying a car that's too pretty to drive. My 7's shoot 160 partitions or Grand Slams, whichever is most accurate.

OK- The Sako ain't too pretty to hunt. It will get hunted... Lightly. Like from a stand or the front porch of a cabin we frequent on private property in eastern WA.

I was thinking on the 150/160 NPT. Anyone else have an opinion want to chime in?

For elk and deer, I like partitions..either 140's or 160's..never shot the 150's..Might be a good choice also..That said, I have shot lots of elk with Balistic Tips and plain old Serrias..But I often hunt open country where I can pick my shot..Otherwise, partitions..

While I like partitions, I like the accubonds a bit better in my 7mag. 160 accubonds perform well on elk and will perform admirably on deer too. Good luck out there!

This...

Barnes 145 LRX ....

160 grn Accubond when I used to think I needed a big 7

Another vote for the Nosler 160 PT.

Three bull elk and about a dozen mulies and whitetails might disagree......

140 gr TTSX or 139 gr GMX. I used the 139 on a moose at about 80 yards last fall. Worked fine. Can't imagine needing anything heavier. Might consider the 145 LRX if long range is in your style of hunting....

It's looking like 160NPTs- which was what I was originally thinking.

This rifle will be used where longer shots in open country are the norm. For the wetter and more forested western part of WA, I have a 45-70 shooting 350gr cast loads.

Anyone have experience on deer or elk at very close ranges with the 160 partition from a 7 magnum? Curious to see how the front half performed at close range.

150 BT.

Cheap, accurate, tough.

I haven't caught a 160 partition yet to tell you what the nose looks like. Most of my shots have been 100yds or less too. Thats one of the best bullets for 7RM IMO.

Between friends and I we have used the 160 NPT quite a bit on animals up to elk size...as I recall I have found one that hit brush, tumbled,and was recovered from a canadian buck.

Other than that,I have never bumped into another and pass throughs are pretty common even on elk if the bullet stays nose on...black bears and largest deer won't generally stop them regardless of distance.My last bull was killed at about 180 yards with that bullet and he collapsed at the shot and rolled down the mountain.

If they are at all like other partitions they will expand the nose back to the partition and continue to penetrate well...and will do this pretty consistently up close or out far.I have seen that bullet pole ax a big bull elk at about 500 yards...bounced him in mid bugle.

The only pill in the cart I've ran through both is the 160NAB and it did quite well. Big bodied deer and elk were no match and the accuracy as well as BC were quite welcome. Spoke to a fellow hunter that liked them on Moose as well.

How's knife throwing distance? I hit a bull in 1996 at around 9 paces. Hit him in the chest right behind the right shoulder as he was exiting the scene. The problem was he was quartering to hard and the bullet exited right in the middle of his sternum & not recovered.
Second bullet hit him in the right hip busting the joint, bullet was completely destroyed,so wasn't his hip, shot distance was maybe 50 yards.
Third bullet hit at the middle of the neck and stopped under the skin on the left side of his nose. Bullet was a perfect mushroom. Shot distance was about 30 yards.

I must admit the bullet did exactly what I wanted, but the 7mmRM was never used on elk again. Shortly after that I went a little bigger from 284 to 375 diameter bullets, 375H&H. Not because of the 7mmRM didn't do its job...I just think it doesn't allow for Murphy where the 375 cal bullets do.

Cheers,
Wild Bill

any decent 160 or 175 grain bullets...

a 175 grainer is about the ultimate do anything bullet in 7mm...

one doesn't need a partition, but they sure don't hurt...

heck any old cup and core 175 grainer works pretty darn well on anything in North America...

My first choice would be the 160 partition just as others have said. The 160 AB would be 2nd.

One thing I like a lot about the 160 partition is it shares a BC with the .30 cal 165 boat and .30 cal 180 grain flat base, as well as others, so for any given velocity, within the ranges we shoot most of the time, you only have to learn one trajectory and you're good enough for 350 yards or more. There's a lot to be said for keeping things simple and same when you're in a hurry. If you're shooting past that, then you better have time to think about your cartridge's specifics or you shouldn't be pulling the trigger.

Tom

The bullet I used for this very thing for years with no complaints (except for the deer and elk, they did not like the temperature of my freezer) was Hornady's 154 interlock.


Any HUNTING bullet from 150 grains to 175 grains will do the job fine. In other words all of the above and the tougher 140s. Neither deer nor elk are armor plated. One in the vitals and you will need freezer paper.

8mmwapiti