7mm Mag

[Billdogge]

Is this anyone's cartridge of choice during deer season? What ammo are you using?

 

Thanks

Bill

Edited July 1, 2016 by Billdogge

[Rattler]

It's a cartridge of choice.  Caliber is just a measurement.  There are many 7mm rounds for deer.  You can shoot 7x57 Mauser, 7mm-08, .280 Rem., 7mm Mag, 7mm WSM, etc.

 

Personally, unless you are shooting these 7mm bullets at deer beyond 300 yards, I don't feel you need more than a 7mm-08.  Looking at a ballistics table will show you how effective a 140 grain 7mm bullet can be without shooting it out of a magnum case.

 

Whitetail deer at reasonable range, do not need the velocity and energy produced by a magnum round to be killed.  If you want to use it, it will kill deer, but it produces more recoil, muzzle blast and meat damage, than the slower 7mm's will, and it costs more to shoot.

 

I know people will say that wasn't the question.  To answer the question, I would use a downloaded 7mm Mag round that mimics the velocity of a 7mm-08 for deer.

 

[ATbuckhunter]

My friend uses a 7mm from his browning x-bolt. I believe he uses 175 gr corelokts. Its defiantly a deer killer.

[Doewhacker]

160grn Sierra Game king hand loads. Bonded bullets or Copper are the way to go if you do not want a grenade effect other wise anything in the 160grn family is good.

[Bowguy 1]

Rattler gave a really good answer. I'm a fan of more gun, more velocity n normally use a .300 but he is correct. The only thing I'll say is the meat damage thing to me is not a giant consideration if you hit them in the shoulder. Yes you will ruin some meat but hit em w a .270 ballistic tip so commonly used. A lot depends on loading

[airedale]

The 7mm family of hunting cartridges is versatile and well suited for a wide variety of big game including Deer. The 7 mags are at the top of the heap when it comes to power and trajectory. I think the 7 mag is a good choice when hunting an area with the possibility of long range shots that may occur such as hunting stands over looking large fields where shots may be several hundred yards. Also if a hunter has it in his head to some day take a trip out west or hunt Canada for Moose or Caribou a 7 mag would have you covered.

 

My personal experience with the 7 mag is only one Moose but I have been a long time user of a 280 Remington that I handload for and for all intents and purpose I can pretty much duplicate factory 7 mag ballistics. With that cartridge I have taken a bunch of Deer and several Moose with total satisfaction. I do not like explosive bullets for big game, I like and stick with the proven performance of Nosler partitions that combine reliable expansion and penetration for good clean kills.

 

Al

Edited July 1, 2016 by airedale

[dbHunterNY]

it's more gun than needed but one that can be put in a safe, ready to kill anything in north america.  I'd go pretty light on bullets for deer. definitely a flat shooting gun.  I know of some that shoot stout heavier jacketed bullets that just punch through.  light bullets shed energy once entering the deer a lot quicker.  this all turns to shock.  as long as you got penetration you're fine and on a deer it's not hard to get.  never shoot it in the shoulder.  it wastes a ton of meat.  you don't want to be chewing on bone or lead fragments and blood shot meat.  aim just behind and right through the lungs.  shoot into anything solid, as in any quarter or chest, and you're probably doing lots of destruction and meat loss.  my take.  I can go out with a 300 win mag which is nice but it honestly just sits in the safe.

[Billdogge]

I was thinking of Barnes TTSX or one of the other all copper offerings.

Edited July 1, 2016 by Billdogge

[airedale]

Barnes bullets are good ones, if they shoot well out of your rifle you are all set.

 

Al

[Rattler]

The Barnes bullets are a great choice, but remember to go lighter with copper bullets.  Copper bullets of equal weight to lead ones will be longer and may not shoot as well in your rifle.

 

I use 140 grain Winchester Supreme Ballistic Silvertips in a 7mm-08, but will drop down to 120 grain Barnes bullets when I reload them.  The accuracy is the same but I get higher velocity and a flatter trajectory with the copper loads.  Comparing both bullets side by side shows they are of equal length too.

 

[Pygmy]

First let me say that that the 7MM Rem Mag is a very popular and effective chambering.

 

However , in the hunting I have done over the years, I have never been a fan of any of the belted magnums.

 

There are many " standard" cartridges that will do 90% of what the magnums do, and while doing it, they will burn considerably less powder and have considerably less recoil and muzzle blast.

 

The belted mags have their niche, which is delivering relatively heavy for caliber bullets to game animals at long range.

 

However, at the ranges that most of us feel comfortable shooting, let's say out to about 350 yards or so ( which is quite a poke) standard chamberings will get the job done as well as the magnums and more efficiently, considering the amount of powder expended.

 

 

[Buckmaster7600]

First let me say that that the 7MM Rem Mag is a very popular and effective chambering.

However , in the hunting I have done over the years, I have never been a fan of any of the belted magnums.

There are many " standard" cartridges that will do 90% of what the magnums do, and while doing it, they will burn considerably less powder and have considerably less recoil and muzzle blast.

The belted mags have their niche, which is delivering relatively heavy for caliber bullets to game animals at long range.

However, at the ranges that most of us feel comfortable shooting, let's say out to about 350 yards or so ( which is quite a poke) standard chamberings will get the job done as well as the magnums and more efficiently, considering the amount of powder expended.

And they require long barrels

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[Pygmy]

And they require long barrels

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That is correct...In order to gain any benefit from the extra 10-15 grains of powder, you need at least a 24" barrel...26" is better....

 

A 20" OR 22" 7mm Mag is basically  a LOUD, fire breathing, powder wasting .280 Rem...Check out the barrel lengths on most commercially produced belted mags. Most are at least 24" ..There is a REASON for that.

 

As I said, they are a niche cartridge...Good at killing stuff at longish ranges, but to achieve the ballistic advantage you need a longer barrel  to take advantage of the slower burning powders that produce the higher velocities.

[Billdogge]

Pygmy what is your go to deer cartridge/rifle?

[bugsNbows]

For deer at "regular, normal" ranges, the 7mm-08 is about perfect IMO. For longer shots, the mags (belted or unbelted) may be a better choice. Just my $.02.

[Pygmy]

Pygmy what is your go to deer cartridge/rifle?

7MM08  in a Rem 700 Mountain rifle is the rifle I use most often for whitetail hunting.  I am currently loading Barnes TSX  120 grain bullets at   about 3000 fps muzzle velocity.  It is accurate , mild recoil and does not tear up a lot of meat.  Kills as well as any rifle I have ever used.

 

My second most used rifle  , which I tend to carry when hunting more open country, is a .280 Rem in a Win M70 lightweight.   I am currently shooting Barnes TTSX 140 grainers in it, at a muzzle velocity of about 2950 fps..It is a deadly combo, and I have killed everything with that rifle from woodchucks to Alaska bull moose..

Edited July 3, 2016 by Pygmy

[Buckmaster7600]

7MM08 in a Rem 700 Mountain rifle is the rifle I use most often for whitetail hunting. I am currently loading Barnes TSX 120 grain bullets at about 3000 fps muzzle velocity. It is accurate , mild recoil and does not tear up a lot of meat. Kills as well as any rifle I have ever used.

My second most used rifle , which I tend to carry when hunting more open country, is a .280 Rem in a Win M70 lightweight. I am currently shooting Barnes TTSX 140 grainers in it, at a muzzle velocity of about 2950 fps..It is a deadly combo, and I have killed everything with that rifle from woodchucks to Alaska bull moose..

If someone needs more than 120gn's traveling 3000ft/s to kill a deer that persons needs not be trying to kill a deer! Now I much prefer a 220gn 35 cal bullet at about 2800ft/s but I don't them ink they kill any deader than a 7mm-08.

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[Billdogge]

Pygmy some nice rifles. I was looking at getting a Remington Seven or a 700 Mountain in 7mm-08.

[eagle rider]

If you haven't already bought it, consider a 30-06 or 308.  There is nothing that either can't do and the price of ammo is 1/2 of what the 7mm Mag will be.  So you'll shoot more and become more proficient with it.  In my younger more stubborn days I had a couple of Ruger 77's both in 7mm Mag with 24" barrels. Without a doubt it was the most violent recoil I ever encountered.  Worse than 300 Win and Wby (which I also owned at one time or another) and worse than 338 Win Mag.  The only mag I own now is an unbelted 270 WSM.  Its very similar in recoil to 30-06 and I load for it.  Other than that I use 30-06 or 270 Win for everything now.  I hunt NY, SC, and VA.  So predominantly whitetail.  If I were to go out west or up another I'm still covered with the 30-06, with probably the exception of brown bear in which case the sectional density of the 7mm Mag wouldn't do and I'd need to be 30 cal or above.  If you need to own something 7mm, the 7-08 looks to be the sound choice.  My NYS black bear this year was 465 pound live weight.  I'm sure a well placed 7-08 would have done well but I much preferred the 30-06 180 gr whizzing through the fiddle sticks at him.  

[Padre86]

7mm strikes me as a caliber that hunters out west use to deal with the long distance shots they are more likely to take out there.

 

I find that any shot beyond 200yards is not the norm for hunting here in the Northeast, and as such, something like 7mm might be an overkill, though there is certainly nothing wrong with that.

 

Personally, I use .308 150gr Federal Soft Points.  I find this grain and make put more than enough energy on target within the distances I'm likely to take a shot.  And, in the off chance that I need a little more reach, there are grains and makes that perform easily out to 700-800 yards (not that I would ever see myself taking a shot of that distance in NY).  

 

I also target shoot quite a bit, so my inclination to use .308 is also motivated in part by the ammo's availability, cost, and established history and loading data.  I know a few other, more traditional hunters, who prefer 30-06 since they view it as a jack-of-all-trades cartridge, capable of taking down most game that inhabit North America.

 

 

 

 

[DirtTime]

I am on board with the 7mm-08 crowd. I have  Howa 1500 Ranchland Compact that I shoot Hornady American Whitetail 139gr Inter Lock's out of. The rifle likes the ammo is very accurate.

 

My next is a Savage Axis XP Stainless in 25-06 that I am going to try the Federal Fusion in 120gr in. I would much rather be using Hornady AW's in 117gr, but haven't picked any up yet. Have to find a bullet the rifle likes. This might end up as a favorite as it's good from chucks to whitetails.

 

I don't need anything bigger then either of these for the areas and game I hunt. I also like the lower recoil.

 

If the day comes where they open moose season I will have to get another. That would be a tough one between the 7mm mag or the old faithful 30-06 for me personally.

[eagle rider]

We've down south, shooting across bean fields, a lot of guys like the mags.  Honestly all the times I hunted in S. Carolina it's been 30-06 and once 270 WSM.  Which honestly performed no better or worse than the 30-06 did for me.  I don't want to hijack the post, he should buy what he wants but when I owned 7mm Mag it was a round I really needed to teach myself to shoot well.  Recoil was wicked.  If you're gonna hunt deer and you need to own a magnum I'd look more towards the short mags. The only mag in my safe by way of a long gun is a 270 WSM.  It's a Weatherby.  It's very accurate and no worse in recoil the Weatherby than a lightweight 30-06 or a smidge more 308 would likely be. Hell I had a Remmy Mountain 700 lightweight 308 that you couldn't hang onto when you squeezed the trigger, had a couple of synthetic Browning A-Bolt II in 30-06 that were the same way.  The added pounds adds a lot of stability....  There you go, get a 12 pound 7mm Rem Mag and it'll be a dream to shoot! 

[Buckmaster7600]

The funny thing about recoil is everyone's perception is different. I have a buddy that hunts with a 300wby mag that won't shoot my 6lb 35 whelen carbine because he says it kicks too much. I don't find it to kick bad but it is "jumpy." The rifle makes as much difference as the cartridge.

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[eagle rider]

The funny thing about recoil is everyone's perception is different. I have a buddy that hunts with a 300wby mag that won't shoot my 6lb 35 whelen carbine because he says it kicks too much. I don't find it to kick bad but it is "jumpy." The rifle makes as much difference as the cartridge.

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That is true.  I had an old Mk V 24" in 300 Roy.  You could light a cigar with the flame that ripped out of that rifle.  There was no doubt that its recoil was harsh, but no worse than a 300 Win Mag which has less chamber pressure due to on a single radius on the shoulder of the cartridge as compared to the Weatherby loading which is doubled (much sharper shoulder 90 degree vs 45 degree).  But the design of the Mk V stock made the barrel lift more than shove back.  Both of the 7mm Rem Mags I had were Ruger 77's.  Pretty much a straight line from the bolt face to the meat of the shooter's shoulder.  Definitely hits hard and fast in the Ruger style stock design.  

 

There is an article and table that Chuck Hawks has about recoil. It says that stout slow recoil isn't perceived to be as hard as fast snappy recoil.  Basically the speed of the recoil is what people perceive to be more violent (link below).  If you think about it, it does make sense.  A 35 Whelen gives a good shove back, where as a 300 Win Mag has about as much recoil force but comes back faster.  More people would describe the recoil of the 300 Mag as worse, but its only because of the speed of the recoil, the energy is about the same.  

 

I've shot a friends 338 Win Mag, and a 300 RUM and I can attest to the fact that they aren't pulled in tight you will need to see a dentist with the "violence" coming through the top line of the stocks.  Those are both Model 700's and the weights on the heads are of this are 225 gr and 180 gr respectively. He hands ag properties in Cherry Valley, takes far shots with confidence in doing so because both rounds in his mind carry the mail that he needs to 300 yrs plus.  I can't say because I've never hunted with him, only shot at th range.  But he has the pics in his phone and taxidermy bills to make one believe him.

 

I have also shot 338 Lapua a few times in LE configured bolt actions.  Heavy rifles and in lead sleds when I tried them, I have video of a muzzle rise in one.....  WOW!!!!  

 

The 7mm that this all started around isn't the worst thing in the world, but if its gonna be mostly to hunt deer in the northeast there are more reasonable and comfortable choices for hunters.  In my own experience, if 7mm rifles I had by design did a better job with recoil I'd likely still own them today.

 

http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

[Pygmy]

I agree that Ruger 77s are kickers.. I had one in .338 Win Mag that brutalized me shooting off the bench.

 

I had it ported, and that reduced the felt recoil somewhat, but it STILL kicked pretty bad, and it was loud as hell after that.

 

I finally sold it and bought a CZ  in 9.3 x 62.  That is kinda like a .35 Whelen on steroids. I shoot 250 and 286 grain bullets and the recoil is much more comfortable than my .338, OR any .300 mag that I have shot.   It doesn't have the range of the .338, but it still shoots flat  enough for the odd 300 yard shot and  it delivers enough energy to cleanly kill any North American game, including the big bears.