Bullet selection for Axis deer/7PRC

JMHNL

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Apr 6, 2015
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232
Hi,

I just put together a 7PRC and want to get some input on which bullet to look at for axis deer. I have been shooting a 6.5PRC for a few years now and the 156 EOL has been a perfect bullet for the job. Basically a Hammer of Thor, high shoulder hold and they flatten.

I want to stick with Bergers, and have been taking a hard look at the 168 VLD, the 175 Elite, the 180 hybrid and the 180 VLD. Certainly they would all work, but would the 180 class be too much? We shoot a lot between 300-600yds, and deal with wind as well. It kind of seems like there may be no discernable difference from what I can gather, but I appreciate your thoughts nonetheless. Please keep in mind light, thin skinned game, we are not talking about elk here.

And before anyone asks, I couldn't resist the latest and greatest, that's why I built a 7!!

Thanks in advance!
 
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I would lean towards the 180 VLD-H for a smaller thin skinned animal like that. They fragment almost immediately after entering from my experience. So that, or a 162/180 ELDM.
 
175 or 168. My wife's will be running the 175 or 180 hybrids. If just thin skinned game that 168 was a killer for a long time and the 175 I've heard is very similar.
 
Here's the new whip 😬
 

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Eldms work great on axis. Especially with subpar shots. I've used 140 eldms out of a 6.5 cm and 225s out of a 30 Sherman mag in axis, black bucks, whitetail and mule deer. Used 245 elites on mule deer and coyotes too. All very thin jacket fragmenting bullets are awesome. Bonded bullets like partition and thicker jacketed ones like hybrids and ELDXs are not as good on thin skinned game, especially when thick brush is close by and you can't see for miles.
 
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