What do the 7mm mag guys shoot for deer?

[Karbon]

Two of the hunters in our group are going to use the 7mm mags for deer this year. They were both lucky enough to win them in a charity auction this spring. Both guys have stands along the power lines and see a long way down the bluff. These new guns will allow plent of power for them to shoot 250-300 yards. BUT, most of the shots they have taken in the last 3-4 years were under 100.

So, they were asking me over the weekend what to use. They are looking to practice over the summer so they can feel real comfortable withthe new guns (one Brownie and one Rem 700 I believe). I told them to give me a bit and I'll ask the folks here.

So THR, what do most use in these situations? Both guys do not handload so I really need some good advice on factory loads.

 

[Art Eatman]

The most common loading on the shelves is the 139- or 140-grain. Plenty-nuff for deer. The 160-grain bullets have a bit thicker jackets, and are usually the preference for elk.

At close range, 7mmMags would ruin a bunch of meat if a bad hit is made. As usual, shot placement is the Main Deal.

Art

 

[Karbon]

that's pretty much what I thought. I was assuming the same principles as any fast (3000fps at impact) rifle... a tougher round, no BT's and something like the Accubonds I'm planning to use with my .270wsm.

I did stress that they should try solid vitals shots versus a shoulder shot to save some meat.

 

[dodge]

If they reload then have them try some 140 gr loaded down to 280 Remington level. These will stillwork out to and beyond 300 yards but shouldn't tear up the meat at a closer range. My nephew just bought a 300 Win. Mag. and I'm going to load his shells down to 30-06 levels just for that reason.

 

[lycanthrope]

140gr Ballstic Tips. Most guns love them and the jackets have been beefed up... a lot. I've sent them through deer at 3400fps.

 

[Twycross]

I'm currently shooting Ballistic Silvertips, but I think I'm going to change to a different load. I lost a lot of meat off the last deer I shot.

 

[Karbon]

Thanks guys.

 

[nyresq]

I use the 140gr accu tip remington for dear. With the zero at 250yrds, holding the crosshairs dead on, it will stay in a 6 inch circle out to 325 yards, any further then that and it drops too fast... but at any distance, the 7mm is going to destroy more meat then say a 7mm-08 for the simple fact it is at almost 500lbs more energy.
A 7mm mag will give you far more range then anything in the same size rifle. if you need more range then you will need to move up to the 30 cal magnums, and bullits in the 160-200 range.

The 140s are a good accurate load in my 700 BDL but you can shop arround with different brands and find what works best in their rifles. federal, winchester, hornady and black hills all make 7mm mag with 140 gr loads.

 

[Terrierman]

Tell them to borrow their daughter's 7MM-08!!!

 

[BusMaster007]

I must ask this question:

How much meat is a LOT of meat?

I keep reading this about the 7mm Rem.Mag.
Isn't it largely a choice of bullet selection?

STILL ---
So many people talk about shot placement, but the prevailing internet scuttlebutt is like HALF THE DEER IS MISSING after it's shot with a 7mm Rem.Mag.!

So, again, I ask: HOW MUCH MEAT IS A LOT OF MEAT when it's a deer?

Had to ask!

 

[lycanthrope]

Don't shoot them in the hind quarters.

It's not so much bullet selection as it is shot placement. The 140 Combined Technology Ballistic Tip has never left more than a quarter sized exit hole for me at 3400fps when placed behind the front shoulder. The 139gr Hornady can leave an exit the size of a softball if it hits a rib in the same area. Neither ruin meat with that shot and fold deer nicely and are somewhat less explosive in a regular 7mag. The bonded bullets poke small holes and don't give a much blood loss as other bullets. Deer can run in excess of 50 yards with a lung shot, but they can save you some meat damage if you pull it into the front shoulder hard.

I'd choose the round that shoots the tightest and expands enough to hammer deer. So called Premium bullets leave me sick in the stomach when I have to track a deer through a bunch of brush and other hunters without much blood loss.

 

[BIGJACK]

I had a friend who hunted with me several times in Alabama and he shot a 7mm mag. He was a crack shot but every thing he shot, we had to hunt. Seems that the bullet went through the deer so fast he didn;t even know he was hit until he ran out of gas. He sold it and got a 243, problem solved, for him.

I think, however, that the answer is really shot placement. A little higher in the shoulder and you get the spine, no run off. Low in the heart or back in the lungs he is gonna run a ways regardless of what you are shooting.

With the 7 mag I would shoot the heaviest bullet I could get and slow it down a little to get more energy into the target. Out to 300 yards with the scope set at +3 at 100 you probaly gonna be about 4 or 5 low at 300, so center of the shoulder gets the vitals from 0 to 300+.

 

[Twycross]

How much meat is a LOT of meat?

When I posted that I had lost a lot of meat, I meant the entire left forward quarter, and about half the right shoulder. I don't know how it worked out that way. I didn't shoot it at point blank range or anything.

Like lycanthrope said, the exit wound has hardly any larger than the bullet diameter.

 

[lycanthrope]

Drill a deer through both front quarters of any deer and you'll get meat loss. It will, however, ANCHOR the deer if you bust the shoulders. If you want to fold deer with lung shots you need bullets that expand...

There are very few bullets that will fail to exit the animal if shot behind the shoulder and don't hit a leg bone.....even the old type, think skinned ballistic tips (down to 120's).

 

[MTMilitiaman]

I had a friend who hunted with me several times in Alabama and he shot a 7mm mag. He was a crack shot but every thing he shot, we had to hunt. Seems that the bullet went through the deer so fast he didn;t even know he was hit until he ran out of gas. He sold it and got a 243, problem solved, for him.

I have to say, this sounds like a whole lot of BS. Deer can take an incredible amount of abuse and still stay standing long enough to cover some ground. It is adrenaline and endorphins combined with a natural flight response and a tenacity achieved through living in a tough environment. It has nothing to do with the velocity of the bullet. I've heard of deer taking 12 gauge slugs and still covering a good amount of distance, but I know enough of ballistics and my quarry that I don't try to claim it is because the bullet was too big or too slow. And to then claim that a .243 solves the "problem" by shooting smaller bullets at the same velocity

If you don't want a deer to run, you have to destroy the spine or some other load bearing skeletal structure, like one or both shoulders. That is why I prefer quartering shots.

I hunt elk and black bear with my 7mm so that influences my bullet selection as well, but regardless, I think I would be using the same thing. I prefer heavy for caliber bullets so I have used the 160 gr selections almost exclussively. These bullets are generally a little bit tougher, so they expand deeper and in a more controlled fashion, and don't ruin as much meat. I know that they can get to and through the vitals of the biggest deer from pretty much any angle. Right now I am using the 160 gr Accubonds, and they are an impressive bullet--accurate, sleak, and streamlined.
You don't need to download your 7mm Mag or anything foolish like that. Just shoot behind avoid the shoulder if you are that concerned about meat damage, or use a tougher bullet. The 7mm is an excellent cartridge, but downloading it is counter-productive, IMO.