7mm bullets

CHRIS MCBRIDE

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2019
Messages
86
Location
Browns Summit, North Carolina
Ok looking for suggestion on 7mm bullets for new loads. Multiple uses and multiple guns so any suggestion for one or all is great
1st up. 7mm-08. Gune is AR-10 with 22" McGowan Barrel 1:9.5 twist. My main use as all of my guns Deer hunting. Only two concerns are accurate hits with maximum effective kill.400 yrd or under.
2nd same gun but some longer range not really long. 600 to 800 yrd friendly competition.
3rd even if ahould have listed first. Weatherby Vanguard 7mm Rem. Mag. Most shot under 500 yrds, but will not pass up big deer if farther out. Gun is well used but still shoots tight groups at 250 yrd(avaible range limit)
would like 1000 yrd capable load for it too.
4th Old 7mm Mauser. 1895 design with all 1895 pieces on the custom stock with a timney trigger added. Pretty much just occasional hunting rifle. A 7mm Mauser will never out do a 7mm-08 for accuracy but no reason not to get all she has. While old it still very effective and round. Accuarate and hard-hitting round only concern here.

Ok let me hear you favorite or least favorite bullets for one or all.
 
Since you seem to be focused mainly on deer, and within the ranges you give, you might be able to go with "One bullet to rule them all" in the 160 grain class.

If I were in your shoes, I'd try the following and hope I got lucky and all three guns liked one of them to simplify my supply chain...

162 ELDX
165 Tipped GameChanger
160 Ballistic Tip

All three of those should deliver 2000 fps at 400 yards and stay above transonic at 1000 yards in a 7mm-08 at sea level standard atmosphere, and are peachy in a 1:9.5 twist. In the 7 Rem Mag, all three would be "death rays" out to >500 yards.
 
One bullet for all your applications probably isn't the best option.

Keeping the AR's to 2.800" COAL for the magazine, i'd probably recommend something in the 120-130gr weight. Maybe 140gr.

Any heavier and the longer bullet gets pushed way into the casing.

As for the 7mm Rem Mag, it would depend on your freebore and magazine length.
Again, short magazine length will push a heavy bullet far into the case.
As far as rifling twist goes. Even the 1:10 twist on my Weatherby Mark V lets me shoot up to the 175gr bullets.

Mostly though, for that & my 7mm Rem Mag i shoot 150-168gr bullets.

I don't know why you would think a 7mm Mauser wouldn't be as accurate as a 7mm-08?
Would depend on the rifle and shooter.

Daughter is using 120gr Nosler Ballistic Tips in the 7mm Mauser i built for her.
 
Agree with @entoptics, 160 class bullets would serve you best as a one for all. While a 140 class may benefit the 7-08 & 7x57 in the short game, at longer distances they will run out of gas.

I'd also add the ELDM and the Nosler Accubond.
 
For the 7mm mag. I shoot the 168 gr. berger vld (Hunting bullet orange box) with a max. load of h4831, my rifle is a Rem. 700 with a 28" Bartlein barrel and Harrel brake. So far I have shot 4 bucks and a Antelope with that load and bullet all one shot kills and DRT. The longest buck was 615 yards 2 bucks were a little over 400 yards and the Antelope was about 200 yards. Two of the bucks were whitetails and one was a muley.
Drags
 
Partial to the 145gr LRX for my 7-08 and my hunting partner uses the same for his 7 mag. Bullet on the left is from my sons Mule deer and on the right is my partners from a 7 mag recovered from an elk he took at 300 yds.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_4513.jpeg
    IMG_4513.jpeg
    177.6 KB · Views: 42
  • IMG_0038.jpeg
    IMG_0038.jpeg
    253.1 KB · Views: 38
never said I was going to be shooting deer at 1000 yrds. I more than understand what is involved. I would not take 1000 yrd shot at deer due to lack of energy for a good clean kill.
As for capable yes. I have shot 1000 yrd shots before with a guy who use to shoot 1000 yrd competition, unfortunately he is no longer around or I would have asked him for help in developing a load for it.
 
Top