Loading up all the way for the 7mm rem. mag.

[gamestalker]

Well, I'm getting my range finder and ammunition tuned in for this fall deer season and am having a some thoughts about changing my bullet. My son't and I brought home 5 deer for 5 tags last season, but, every shot displayed terrible performance compared to the Hot Core I've used since the beginning of time. I would just return to the Hot Core but Speer doesn't offer a BT Hot Core for the 7mm and the flat base doesn't satisfy my need for long range trajectories as nicely as a quality BT does.
I looked at some Nosler and really like my options there. The 145 gr. Partition with a B.C. of .434 will scream out the barrel and no doubt excel in the expansion and weight retention department. So thats one of my serious consideration. I'm also looking at the Interbond 145 gr. BT with a B.C. of .485.
Barnes has some very impressive bullets and I've noticed they are really working hard to continue to improve on ballistics and accuracy to a greater extent. They have a whole line up of some bullets with better than past numbers from back in the late 1980's early 1990's. The TSX BT with a .412 isn't a bad sounding projectile. And the one I'm most interested in and hope I hear someones experience with it is the MRX BT witha .439 B.C.. I like the sound of the tungsten core. They boast some match grade accuracy with this hunting bullet.
Basically what I'm searching for is a bullet of decent integrity, bonded core or some other process slightly better than the standard cup base design. I need something that can handle being loaded up to maximum obtiable velocity with heavy charges of RL22. My adult Son's and I are using the Leupold RX-IV B.C. rangefinder which works to near precision BDC adjustments provided in either hold ove,r or MOA adjustments, and kicks back distance in feet, meters, or yards. It also compensates the angle of the shot. It's fully functional out to 1500 yds.. Last year I loaded some 130 gr. Speer BT standard run of the mill bullets. They flew with really good ballistics and were accurate with no exception, but they just didn't have the integrity to hold together as well as I wanted. We had shots that ranged from 325 yds. out to just under 600 yds. and the TBR on that RF was dead on with the BDC numbers.
So if any of you load at or near max with a high velocity cartridge above 3200 fps and have had a real good esperience with a particular bullet(BT) shoot my a post with some velocity and other pertinent data please.

 

[huntershooter]

I've had great luck with Noslers "Accubond" in 7mm @ the velocities you're aiming for.
Accuracy was as good as their "Ballistic Tip" with superior weight retention/penetration.

 

[Skyshot]

I like the Accubonds also, I have had good results with Berger 162 VLDs and Hornady 139 grn SST and the Nolser 150 gr ballistic tip. Have not been able to get the under 1 MOA with barnes TSX pills and have had good results with Sierra 160 GMK. But the 160 gr Accubond with IMR 7828 will shoot sub MOA as far as I can shoot at a Deer in my Hunting area, I have got it shoot in 3 inches a 400 yards. I have some powerline easments that allow that shot distance here in the Mountains of East Tennessee. The problem I have is with close up shots (75 yards or under) The SSTs and Ballistic tips will come apart with a lot of meat damage and the big accubonds tend to not expand well unless you hit some heavy bone. So there is a trade off in bullet weights. But they all put the critters down quickly. I just like that superb accuracy I'm getting with the Accubond, and that translates in to more confidance for me.

 

[Beak50]

I agree with going with the Nosler Accubond.I load it in my 7 Mag and my 8x57 Mauser it's an excellent bullet.

 

[adobewalls]

Another vote for Nosler Accubonds, good bullet.

I get better accuracy with the Nosler 150 Ballistic Tips and Combined Technology 150 Ballistic Tips and use these where I know the range exceeds 200 yards.

Sierra Gamekings in 160 and 175 are also good (accurate and perform well) but probably won't meet your target velocity.

The Nosler partitions have never shot well in my rifles (about twice the group size of the Ballistic Tips) but have been plenty decent out to about 200 yards.

Years and years ago I tried some Speer 145 Boat tails and had great velocity and good accuracy, but like Ballistic Tips, the bullet was moving too fast at ranges under 200 yards to stay together. The one year I hunted with these, I put a hole in a doe at 100 yards that a softball would drop through.

 

[Clark]

I shot 3 mule deer in 2010 with 7mmRM 180 gr VLD at 3025 fps.

My groups at 500y were not as good as I would like
The groups at 100y are great.

So I think that there is a twist rate problem.

 

[gamestalker]

Hey there Clark. I saw your fps with the 180 gr. bullets and was honestly shocked. What powder are you using that is delivering that kind of velocity? That 180 gr. will deffinitely produce a very good B.C. and of course excellent penetration at extended distances out past 500 yds.. Tell me more please.

 

[Clark]

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

Ruger #1 7mmRM 1.75x6 scope,180 gr VLD moly 3.48" 70 gr Re22, 3025 fps, 26" barrel, shooting off non swivel bi-pod on the ground, 11 pounds with bi pod, scope, and sling

Alliant suggests 61 gr Re22 for 175 gr, so I am way over, but I get short brass life threshold at 72 gr 180 gr and I have shot 70 gr in (4) different 7mmRemMag rifles, and it works well in all of them for me.

 

[gamestalker]

No worries here Clark, I'm an old dog with years of loading with slow burning powders often worked up to well above published SAMMI data.
So it looks like I'm going to give the Accubond a try. I do want to remian at no more than 145 grains, and 140 grains would be right on target.
I would just use a Ballistic Tip but they just explode on impact, creating a massive hole and lots of ruined blood shot meat.

 

[Husker_Fan]

Late to the party, but I love the Accubonds as well. I've shot 140s with RL22 with very good results, and the performance on Deer was great.

While you want to stick with the 140s, I've also loaded and shot the 160s with black bear and my niece used them on a moose. They did very well on both.

 

[gamestalker]

Now we are talking. I 140 gr. bullet of excellent construction and loaded with a hefty charge of slow burning powder will put just about any animal down that lives on the North American Continent. I've sucessfully taken bear and elk with a 130 gr. Hot Core also, without any problem.

 

[Husker_Fan]

Yep. I used a 160 on the bear and my niece used the same load on moose, but the 140grn accubond would have probably done fine.

 

[Skyshot]

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=138045&d=1299796102 Here's a sample of Accubonds these are 160's but I load the 140's for a friend and they do under MOA also, My 700 rem likes the 160's best. My friends Savage likes the 140's with 63.grns of IMR4831. I don't think you'll be disappointed, Good luck!

 

[gamestalker]

Yes, that is some good grouping Skyshot! Both my 700's do that with the current bullet I'm not happy with, but I'm really thinking seriously about those accubonds for this up coming season. Accuracy has been great but the integrity of a standard grade Speer 130 gr. BT isn't worth the powder it takes to push it out the barrel. The Hot Cores have served me well but Speer doesn't make one with a BT in 140 gr. or lighter for my 7mm RM needs.

 

[Husker_Fan]

I bet you'll be happy with the 140 grn Accubonds. They shoot very accurately at hotter loadings, at least in my Rem 700.

Like I said, I was very happy with terminal performance. I've never had one fail to pass through a deer, or the bear I shot. However, my brother picked out a 160 grn from just under the hide on the far side of the moose. The bullet broke the near shoulder and passed through a lot of soft tissue and ribs on its way through. It had close to 85% weight retention and was a perfect mushroom to 2.2x its original diameter. The moose was shot broadside at between 375 and 400 yards....by a 14 year old girl.

I personally think the Accubonds are suitable for almost anything on this continent, provided you choose your shot well. A heavy partition might be better if you are shattering shoulder bones.

 

[nastynatesfish]

Look at the 139 gr sst from hornady or the gmx for a lead free. I shoot the 168 begers and love the now I figured out how to load the accuratly