Whitetail lethal, light accurate 7mm bullets

[etisll40]

Looking for the lightest lethal 7mm bullets for a single shot 7mm Whitetail load. Accuracy out to 3-400 yards. I've got a youngster with a TC/Contender rifle and want to build a 7-30 Waters load for him. Anyone done this and harvested a whitetail with it?

 

[RT2506]

120 Nosler ballistic tip is deadly on deer as long as you keep impact velocity under 3000 fps which is no problem with the 7-30W.

 

[etisll40]

RT, Can a load built be fairly accurate out to 3-400 yards, at least hunting wise. I guess I'm looing at 3/4" groups right, or better if possible. Not sure how accurate a contender can get, but my encore in 6.5x284 with a custom barrel is a 1/2" gun. But that's shooting Gamekings.

 

[Rock 29]

2nd on the 120 nosler BT. My T/C super 14 would do 2500+ w/ 748 and be at 1/2" @ 100 yards for 3 shots and were deadly for whitetails.

 

[MudRunner2005]

When I was a kid, my first bolt-action deer rifle was an old lightweight Ruger 77 stainless/synthetic chambered in 7mm-08. I shot the Hornady 139 SST's and never had any issues. They dropped deer left and right.

However, due to my horrible experience with the 139 SST's when pushed over 3,000 fps (Hornady factory loads), through a 7mm RemMag, I highly recommend trying the Nosler 140 Accubond, or the 120 Ballistic Tip.

I still hunt with 7mm calibers to this day. 7mm is, and always will be my #1 caliber of choice. The .308 Win is next. Then follows with the .257 Wby and .25-06 AI.

I have to even-out my collection a little bit, so next I'm building 2 more .30 calibers.

 

[RT2506]

You should be able to get 2800 fps of so with 120 ballistic tips with a rifle length barrel in 7-30 Waters. Accuracy has to do with barrel quality and fit. I would use a hanger bar or pillars on the fore arm to free float it. I shoot Contenders in pistols I have never had a rifle barrel one but others over on the Specialty Pistols form have them and they shoot well. I have had Match Grade Machines (MGM) make me a 14" 30-30AI Shilen Stainless barrel that is just dog nuts accurate. It will do 2670 fps with 125 Nosler ballistic tips and it SMOKES deer. It will shoot under 1" at 100 yards all day long and it is a pistol with a Weaver 2.5-8X28 pistol scope on it. If you are going to get a custom barrel I would suggest MGM and get a Shilen barrel.
My experience with the 120 BT comes from loading them at 2800 fps in a 7X57 Mauser with Varget powder for a young fellow to deer hunt with. IT WORKS. He never shot anything over 200 yards. The distance one would be able to kill a deer with the 7-30W would come from the shooters ability to actually place the bullet where it is supposed to go. Don't let a kid take a shot at game that they have not practiced for on targets from the same shooting positions to gain confidence and learn their limitations. Wounding game and having to track it down and shoot it again or loosing it can turn off a youngen to hunting quick.

 

[etisll40]

Thanks for the recommendations, I thin I will use MGM, I just got a 6.5x284 on an encore and the uy that had it, took a mulie down at 504yds using a 140 gameking. It's quite a nice little firearm and it is really nice with the flutes they did. What twist if it's a 7-30 waters at 26"?

 

[MudRunner2005]

For any and all 7mm calibers, a good rule of thumb is 1:9 twist, unless you plan on shooting those non-existant 195gr Berger VLD's. In which case you will want a 1:8.5 twist.

 

[lloydsmale]

ive used the 120bt in about every 7mm up to and including the 7 rem mag and its allways performed well even at mag velocitys. Yes its not a barnes and will expand fast but ive yet to put one in the boileroom of a deer that i didnt package backstraps the next day.

120 Nosler ballistic tip is deadly on deer as long as you keep impact velocity under 3000 fps which is no problem with the 7-30W.

 

[etisll40]

Sounds like the 120's are perfect for a little 7-30 waters. Nice little deer rifle to start with in an encore. Now I have to get a load built and try it.