Factory ammo recommendations -- help!

Brydawg512 said:

Hello all,

The rifle is an older, wood stock Winchester Model 70 in 7mm rem mag. I am looking for factory ammo recommendations capable of MAX 650-700 yard shots on the game I hunt (includes deer, elk, bear, cougar). It would also be enjoyable if I could plink with this gun out to about the 1,000 yard mark as well. Need to test my twist rate, but I'm assuming a 1:9.25.

Please let me know your recommendations!

Thank you.

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Wouldn't hurt to check out Hornady's Precision hunter ammo. Never used it as I reload but looks pretty good.

As a 30 year ( addicted ) reloader I would agree to all the post about hand loads worked up in YOUR gun. That is the goal to create what you want . I agree that 500 round consistency may be a stretch from factory Ammo BUT....... I have often found that factory Ammo CAN shoot consitantly in a factory rifle with surprisingly good results . I set up guns for friends that hunt every year but they are not reloaders & they may only shoot 100 rounds per year .Get some factory hunting loads with PRIMIUM HUNTING BULLETS and shoot group with each type . Id try 5 different brands and try to stay heavy for caliber. Shoot groups with each at 100 then do the same at say 500 yds . You say you like to plink so buying ammo shouldn't be a huge deal , you get to shoot a lot and you will learn a lot as well as good practice. Most factory guns I have set up will often shoot 1/2 MOA and some better . With modern CNC equipment with newer guns are machined very well . Older guns can still surprise you also as I have found many sweet shooters! Just buy some ammo and go practice! See what happens and I'd bet you will find something you will like as well as finding your limits . Then with time I'll bet you get into hand loading ....then enjoy the cost savings after the initial investment !

Almondgrower said:

As a 30 year ( addicted ) reloader I would agree to all the post about hand loads worked up in YOUR gun. That is the goal to create what you want . I agree that 500 round consistency may be a stretch from factory Ammo BUT....... I have often found that factory Ammo CAN shoot consitantly in a factory rifle with surprisingly good results . I set up guns for friends that hunt every year but they are not reloaders & they may only shoot 100 rounds per year .Get some factory hunting loads with PRIMIUM HUNTING BULLETS and shoot group with each type . Id try 5 different brands and try to stay heavy for caliber. Shoot groups with each at 100 then do the same at say 500 yds . You say you like to plink so buying ammo shouldn't be a huge deal , you get to shoot a lot and you will learn a lot as well as good practice. Most factory guns I have set up will often shoot 1/2 MOA and some better . With modern CNC equipment with newer guns are machined very well . Older guns can still surprise you also as I have found many sweet shooters! Just buy some ammo and go practice! See what happens and I'd bet you will find something you will like as well as finding your limits . Then with time I'll bet you get into hand loading ....then enjoy the cost savings after the initial investment !

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Absolutely true. The only drawback to premium factory ammo, is price. Obviously bullet selection and to many, velocity may not be what you want but accuracy will be there. IMO, once you've got the accuracy you seek, all there is after that is dialing the rifle in at the ranges you will shoot.

I might say that plinking with your 7mm and factory ammo is going to get hard on your bank account quickly. If your budget would allow, I would suggest you pick up a 223 bolt gun and get more trigger time behind it. There are quit a few budget guns out there now. Most have decent barrels and triggers and shoot better than you would think. Check out the Savage Apex, Ruger American or Howa 1500 and a few more. 223 ammo is cheaper to shoot and plentiful. You will build up more experience with more trigger time.

Brydawg512 said:

Hello all,

The rifle is an older, wood stock Winchester Model 70 in 7mm rem mag. I am looking for factory ammo recommendations capable of MAX 650-700 yard shots on the game I hunt (includes deer, elk, bear, cougar). It would also be enjoyable if I could plink with this gun out to about the 1,000 yard mark as well. Need to test my twist rate, but I'm assuming a 1:9.25.

Please let me know your recommendations!

Thank you.

Click to expand...

From reading your thread, you have a bunch of things going on. I do like the cartridge, have always found the 7mmRemMag to perform well in the accuracy department. You haven't mentioned sights at all, what do you have for glass, if you're planning on 1000yd shooting, you'll probably want something really good on it. Is your rifle glass bedded? My thoughts are that out to 650-700 yards you're taking a pretty long poke with what you are using at the present time without some modifications to the rifle. When you mentioned about reloading and not knowing where to start, you are in the right forum for that (this is something that you wrote in one of your responses). I recommend that you go in to the forum searches and punch in, "new to reloading where do I start?" You will be overwhelmed with the information and suggestions on everything from where to start, to reloading equipment. My only suggestion on buying new equipment is to purchase quality stuff and do not go to the cheap stuff; you get what you pay for. Try to buy good basic equipment to start off and then add to it as you progress with your abilities to reload. I've been reloading for 57 years and I'm still buying new stuff to add to the bench. And...I strongly suggest that if you belong to a gun club try to find someone who is an experienced reloader and ask for some help; a mentor. A reloading mentor can open a lot of doors, answer a lot of questions, save you from making a lot of mistakes, and save you a lot of time and money.

CVCOBRA1 said:

I might say that plinking with your 7mm and factory ammo is going to get hard on your bank account quickly. If your budget would allow, I would suggest you pick up a 223 bolt gun and get more trigger time behind it. There are quit a few budget guns out there now. Most have decent barrels and triggers and shoot better than you would think. Check out the Savage Apex, Ruger American or Howa 1500 and a few more. 223 ammo is cheaper to shoot and plentiful. You will build up more experience with more trigger time.

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If not hard on your shoulder (shooting a lot of 7 mm mag in a hurry) just my two cents. The .223 is an excellent option, would be even better if one could find a similar model 70 to the 7 mm in .223 to shoot for every day purposes.

I have a Winchester model 70 7mm rm that I have had for many moons . It is a tack driver at 200 yds but I load my own ammo . I never had much luck when it was new with factory ammo but they have come a long way , would I go back to factory ammo , not a chance . Your going to need good optics to even consider shooting the yardage your talking about . Just my two cents
Good luck with your venture

Brydawg512 said:

Hello all, the rifle is an older, wood stock Winchester Model 70 in 7mm rem mag. I am looking for factory ammo recommendations capable of MAX 650-700 yard shots on the game I hunt (includes deer, elk, bear, cougar).

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Hey Brydawg, in answer to your first request you've been told about the HORNADY 162 Grain ELD-X PRECISION HUNTER, which is a great choice. Another 'possible' option is the HSM TROPHY GOLD 168 grain BERGER HUNTING VLD HOLLOW POINT BOAT TAIL. Both of these factory loaded options would have the capability to take the game you are considering at 650 to 700 yards. Whether your rifle possesses the accuracy to do so and whether you have the skill to do so is entirely up to you to figure out. But that's two choices to at least test and 'see' how things go.

Brydawg512 said:

It would also be enjoyable if I could plink with this gun out to about the 1,000 yard mark as well. Need to test my twist rate, but I'm assuming a 1:9.25. Please let me know your recommendations!
Thank you.

Click to expand...

As I read this, you are looking to PLINK out to 1000 yards and that sounds fun to me. Just casual shooting to see what you can (or can't) hit at 1000 yards. Since the goal is just PLINKING, then whatever ammo you can find that meets your budgetary goals would work. You can then figure out the trajectory/drop figures for the ammo you bought (along with wind drift info) and go have fun PLINKING at 1000 yards with it. It's just plinking for fun, so no need to overthink it too much.

I hope you get some ammo to go test your rifle out and see what it can do. Would love to hear back once you've had a chance to fire some rounds to see how the 'old' Win 70 shoots. Best of luck.

WWP2012 said:

First off your replies come off as a new shooter. You said haven't shot much Target time with it. Before you start looking for ammo to shoot 6-700 yards on game you need to see if your even capable of shooting that far. Ethical harvest of game that far takes good equipment, practice, and a knowledge base of ballistics.

Start at 100 and if you find a Ammo your gun likes and it is under a 1" 3 shot group move on to 200 then to 300 and so on.

You will be surprised to learn just how far 700 yards is and just how big of a area your cross hairs take up at that distance.

The animals life deserves your due diligence in practice.

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My apologies for not including that in my post. I REFUSE to shoot at any animal if i am unsure of my capabilites to make an ethical kill. I am more asking for a round CAPABLE of making an ethical kill at that distance.. want to target practice with the round I plan to hunt with

A buddy had a nice Sako LR Hunter in 7RM. We tried 3 quality factory ammo types.
HSM Gold w. 168 Berger @ 3.5 MOA
Nosler Trophy Grade w. 160 Accubond @ 1.1 MOA
Hornady Precision Hunter w. 162 ELD-X @ .9 MOA
Then I handed him 3 of my own personal handloads. 180 Hybrids over H1000, which is a mild load in my rifle. .5MOA. With no load development at all for his rifle. We fine tuned them down to .3MOA in his factory rifle.

Handloads, if done right, and consistent, will outperform 95% of factory loads.

Brydawg512 said:

Hello all,

The rifle is an older, wood stock Winchester Model 70 in 7mm rem mag. I am looking for factory ammo recommendations capable of MAX 650-700 yard shots on the game I hunt (includes deer, elk, bear, cougar). It would also be enjoyable if I could plink with this gun out to about the 1,000 yard mark as well. Need to test my twist rate, but I'm assuming a 1:9.25.

Please let me know your recommendations!

Thank you.

Click to expand...

Try the hornady precision hunter - I think it should work for what you want to do. I handload, but recently have found some federal premium and hornady precision hunter ammo that hold 1/2 moa in a couple guns. I stopped loading for them since all I do is hunt with those rifles and find 1/2 moa adequate for my purposes.

I'm a hardcore reloader, but when I find a good price on factory, I'll try it. I saw some Barnes TSX ammo for just under $22.00 a box. I don't think I can reload with a premium bullet for that price. I was going to order some, but didn't get around to it. It had good reviews. I think it was 165 or 170 grain. Published ballistics were impressive. I helped field dress an elk that was shot broad side through the lungs with a .300 RUM TSX bullet. A different caliber, but same type bullet. I thought it performed really well. About a two inch hole in and out and the lungs were mush. The elk didn't go very far. If I can find it again, I think I'll order some.

Brydawg512 said:

My apologies for not including that in my post. I REFUSE to shoot at any animal if i am unsure of my capabilites to make an ethical kill. I am more asking for a round CAPABLE of making an ethical kill at that distance.. want to target practice with the round I plan to hunt with

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Here is a very good video to watch that really gets into what it takes to shoot that far on game. It a long video so set some time aside to pay attention to it. It should answer all of your questions.

L.Sherm said:

Anybody who thinks factory ammo can run with GOOD handloaded ammo is kidding theirselves. Way to many ways to fine tune neck tension, seating depth etc.

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L.Sherm said:

Anybody who thinks factory ammo can run with GOOD handloaded ammo is kidding theirselves. Way to many ways to fine tune neck tension, seating depth etc.

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HSM Trophy Gold 25-06 with 115gr Berger's made me give up handholding for that caliber. They are just as accurate as my best handloads and everything I've shot with it fell dead. It's more costly but it saves me hours at the reloading table.