Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game 7 Mag factory ammo question

A friend of mine has a 7 Rem Mag that he hunts whitetails with. I invited him to come to the range with me this weekend, and we started to talk about guns.<BR>He said that he wants to keep using his 7 mag for deer, but he has a problem.<BR>He said that in the past when he shot a deer, they always ran off and died a good ways from where he shot them. He said he only takes shoulder shots, and never has gutshot one. He seems to think that the bullets he uses are too light, 150 gr. WW PP are what he generally uses. He wanted to know what I thought so he could buy some new ammo before we go to the range this weekend. I know little about the 7 mag, or 7mm's in general, in terms of which bullets work good and which ones don't.<BR>My friend doesn't reload, and it would be a mess to gear up to load for him because I don't see him very often (he's a truckdriver with a very wierd schedule).<BR>Is a heavier bullet in order? Does anybody make reduced loads for the 7 mag? His shots are usually 100-200 yards, and the deer around here are in the 150# max range.<BR>Is there a good factory loading for this purpose or should he just keep doing what he is doing?

cs- I have made many shots on whitetails with a .280 Rem. The 150 grain Nosler Partition works well for longer range shots. Close in I use the 165 grain Remington core-lokt. The deer all seem to run 40-50 yards if hit in the heart or lungs. If you hit them in the neck or backbone they will fall within 10 yards. Usually the bullet just passes through them so quick the exit wound is small. He might want to try a lighter ballistic tip. It may do more damage within the deer. I hit one twice in the chest at about 20 feet and the deer still ran several miles. I have started to prefer my .44 Mag bolt action for the thick woods. They usually don't go anywhere. Good luck. Bob

cs, I am a little confused as to why ANY deer would run very far after being shot through the shoulders with a 7mm magnum with any bullet. I have used the 7 mag extensively for everything from deer to moose and have never had any trouble dropping any deer within 30 yards even with marginal chest shots much less a shoulder shot. Even the factory loaded 150 grainers should completely shatter both shoulders of a 150# deer at even the longest ranges. I currently use the 160 Nosler partitions that come factory loaded in the Federal Supremes. They perform flawlessly. I shot several deer with that loading last season. 2 were shot through the shoulders at 35 and 125 yards. Both fell in their tracks. I would say that if the deer are running very far your friend is missing either the heavy bone or major vital organs. My experience with the 150 factory loads has been that they seem to expand rapidly and do major damage especially at close range (0 to 150 yards). The remington core-lokts are good at this. I do not completely trust these bullets for extended range penetration though. Your friends set up seems to be more than adequate for the type of shots and type of game he is hunting. Good luck and shoot straight. HOSS

It sounds to me like maybe the bullet is a little too stout instead of light. You didn't describe the kinds of wounds he's experiencing or how far the deer are actually going before succumbing. If he doesn't see alot of meat damage or at least two caliber exit wounds it might be that the bullets are not expanding ENOUGH. As well, shots through the shoulders can sometimes be too far forward of the vital area and may only be causing damage to minor arteries. Even so, a deer can sometimes go 100 yards after taking a solid hit to the heart/lung area. He could try 140 gr ballistic tips and try for the boilerroom instead and see if he gets quicker kills. Now there are some here that might believe that the heavier bullet at a lower velocity is the ticket. He should experiment, if the ballistic tips don't do it maybe 160gr partitions will. I'd still recommend shots to the boilerroom instead of through the shoulders, but sometimes you have to take a shoulder on a quartering shot.

The absolute best bullet that I have found is the 140 or 160 grain Federal Trophy Bonded factory load. In the last 2 years my buddy and I have snuffed 35 head of game with this bullet. We have taken everything from jackals to wildebeast with it (elk, deer, antelope and moose included). Stunning performance is the result EVERY time. It doesn't matter if you hit shoulders or soft tissue, the bullet always expands, but NEVER blows up. Nickel to quarter sized exit holes are the norm with large wound channels. They provide a much larger wound channel than the partitions with more terminal performance. Flinch

first deer i shot was w/ 7mag at about 30 yards. used federal classic 150 grain hi-shok bullet. result was dramatic and fast. deer simply fell down.<P>after that i switched to hornady light magnums - 139 grains. i have yet to have a deer travel after being thumped w/ one of these, though i think they come unglued at close ranges (less than 40 yards) at 7mag velocity.<P>if i still used factory stuff, i'd shoot the hornady.<P>------------------<BR>Hunting is not a matter of life or death. It is much more important than that.

<BR>At what point in the animal's death did the bullet fail? The reason I say this is because I feel that it is oft a highly overrated expectation to see an animal drop in its tracks. <P> At the ranges you describe, the 7mm is delivering max velocity and energy. High-powered rifles kill by shock and trauma, and having used a 7mm for 13 years I find I get the best performance from 160 gr. Nosler partitions in Federal Premiums. <P> I guess the 1000 dollar question is what is a 'good ways' (as your friend puts it) for the deer to run before it expires? Most of my deer are shot under 100 yds and I usually take heart/lung shots. While the majority do drop in their tracks, occassionally one will scamper off..... but never more than 30 yds. And thats acceptable to me!<P>------------------<BR><BR>One time I knew this one guy who....<BR>

CS, I've owned, and used, two 7 Mags. Your friend's having trouble killing deer at those ranges with shoulder shots ? They run off quite a ways ? Frankly, he's not hitting them in the shoulder. The 7 Mag, with that load, should shatter one, or both shoulders, and dump him like he's been struck by lightning. I suspect he isn't hitting them where he says. Deer can go a long way with a good hit. If they are running in panic, under fire, etc., they can. Then, rarely, only a shoulder shot, breaking the shoulder blade, or a central nervous system hit ( neck, spine, or head) will do the job. Most of the time, with a fast opening deer bullet, which the 150 gr. PP certainly is, even a gut shot, at close range, puts'em on the deck. I think your friend isn't hitting them where he says. Once in a great while yes, they can run off. But very seldom. E

I have asked him more specific questions concerning this, and he admitted that he doesn't always hit them where he is aiming. Guess not everybody hits them where they want to everytime like me (right).<BR>His main concern is that the deer always run onto someone else's property, due to where his stand is located. Mostly they run about 100 yards, but it takes him a few hours to get over to where they fall. Thats not really desireable when its 80 degrees outside, like it normally is here during most of deer season.<BR>I think I will advise him to try some Ballistic silvertips, but I told him he needs to rethink where he has his stand.<BR>If all else fails, he can always just get a little closer and use his 35 Rem (that he won't let me take off his hands).<BR>Thanks for the opinions.