need 7mm Mag load suggestions for white tail

O

Ocraknife

New member
I was given a deal I couldn't pass up on a 80s Ruger 77 in 7mm Mag but I don't know much about that chambering. I've read some articles and such and while there is a plethora of technical information I just need some practical advice.

I'm looking to take white tail and perhaps boar within 200 yards - most of the places I would hunt are too wooded to give me much more than a 200 yard shot.

Seems to me that pretty much any commercial 7mm Mag round would be powerful enough to do the trick but do you have any suggestions that would work better? Should I look for lighter bullets or heavier? Would there be much recoil difference between say a 135gr. vs a 150gr?

I have purchased some dies and will be reloading for this rifle too so any recipes you have for that would be helpful too.

Thank you!
 
I load 160s at just under 3,000. A little slower up close - maybe they won't shoot up as much meat - but better BC for long range. I like Reloder 22, CCI 250, and either Accubond or SGK. If you get the Sierras, get the one made for magnum loads. They make two different 7 mm 160 gr bullets.
 
My most accurate load is a 160 Sierra btsp, but the nosler 160 partition is a great choice also .anything from 140-160 will work nicely
 
In a 30-06 a 150 gr bullet is considered a light bullet. In 7mm 150-160 gr bullets are starting to be heavy bullets. They are better options for elk size game, but if I only wanted to use one bullet for everything I'd probably go with a good 160-162 gr bullet. They give the best combination of trajectory and energy at long range.

As a deer load I'd be looking at 139 or 140 gr loads. Recoil will be less, they shoot a little flatter and have more than enough power for any deer. The 175 gr bullets are really for elk, moose or large bear.

Even though it has the work "magnum" stamped on the barrel and cartridge, any 7mag has tolerable recoil. With the same bullet weights it is almost indistinguishable from 30-06.
 
In a 30-06 a 150 gr bullet is considered a light bullet. In 7mm 150-160 gr bullets are starting to be heavy bullets. They are better options for elk size game, but if I only wanted to use one bullet for everything I'd probably go with a good 160-162 gr bullet. They give the best combination of trajectory and energy at long range.

As a deer load I'd be looking at 139 or 140 gr loads. Recoil will be less, they shoot a little flatter and have more than enough power for any deer. The 175 gr bullets are really for elk, moose or large bear.

Even though it has the work "magnum" stamped on the barrel and cartridge, any 7mag has tolerable recoil. With the same bullet weights it is almost indistinguishable from 30-06.
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Thanks, that's good to know. The recoil is only going to be an issue for me during sighting in. After that, it wont get shot much - unfortunately...
 
A starting load of H4350 with a 140gr bullet is a comfortable 2,800 fps. That's plenty of oomph for white tail deer. A starting load of H4350 with a 160gr bullet is also plenty of oomph for white tail.

If you want better case fill, H4831 is also in the comfortable recoil range for those bullet weights.

But, no need for high velocity and lots of meat damage. The lower pressure rounds will save on barrel wear too.

Jimro
 
What powder do you like?
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The three powders that worked best for me are all IMR - 4350, 4831 and 7828; but then I started loading 7mm back in 1980; some of the newer powders weren't out at the time so I can't speak to them.
 
A starting load of H4350 with a 140gr bullet is a comfortable 2,800 fps. That's plenty of oomph for white tail deer. A starting load of H4350 with a 160gr bullet is also plenty of oomph for white tail.

If you want better case fill, H4831 is also in the comfortable recoil range for those bullet weights.

But, no need for high velocity and lots of meat damage. The lower pressure rounds will save on barrel wear too.
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Thanks. My hope is that I can work up a load that is on the lower end of the power spectrum and stay pretty accurate. Ideally, I'd have something right in the .270 power range. I'm not as worried about bullet drop as I doubt I'll be taking any shots past 200 yards.

Before I get asked why didn't I just buy a .270 in the first place, the rifle I'm getting is a gift from my brother so the price was too good to pass up :D
 
I can tell you that MY best accuracy with the bullets I mentioned above was right at the mid-range load levels as I prefer to load for accuracy and not just velocity.
 
My best recommendation for your 7mm Rem Mag hunting white tail in the woods of TN:

Remington or Winchester 150 gr. bullet in .30-30.
 
consider using imr4064 powder,

then you caun duplicate 7x57mm loads.

you should touch the bullet to the 'leade' of the throat for best accuracy,
 
my rem 700 in 7mm mag with a 150gr bullet at 3000 fps with a load of imr 4350 and 4x12 leupold shoots three shoots into 1-1.5" groups at 200 yards. and its plenty flat for out to 400 yards if needed. eastbank.
 
The late gun writer John Wooters did an article on "Stairstep Loading the Magnums" in Bandleader Magazine #44 July-August 1973
For the 7MM Rem. Mag
140gr. bullet
duplicate .280 Rem./.284 WCF 57.0 gr. IMR 4320
7x57 Mauser 54.0 gr. IMR or H4895

160 gr. .280 Rem./284WCF 52.0gr. IMR4064
7x57 Mauser 50.0gr. IMR or H4895

175 gr.
.280 Rem./284 WCF 51.0gr. IMR 4064
7x57 Mauser 50.0gr. IMR4320

You will probably have to tinker a bit with those loads to find where your rifle is happy, probably plus or minus a grain or fraction thereof. The nice thing with these loads is recoil will be noticeably reduced and accuracy not all that bad. all plenty good enough for whitetail deer out to the ranges you specified.
I don't have a 7MM Rem. Mag. but I have tried his data for the .300 Win. Mag. and they worked just fine.
Paul B.
 
My best recommendation for your 7mm Rem Mag hunting white tail in the woods of TN:

Remington or Winchester 150 gr. bullet in .30-30.
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Meaning I should ditch the 7mm Mag and buy a 30-30? .30-30 is a fine round and I wouldn't mind having a rifle chambered in it for sure but another rifle is out of my budget it for now. Unless I sell another guitar...
 
No don't ditch the 7, as a matter of fact jmro gave you a good start,.

Before anybody wants to post to crush your dreams or say 7mag is way too big, tell em bull------!, the 7mag is a quick clean killer and with a decent bullet, ( I use the 160 grn Accubond) the kill is swift and sure. I like the Accubond because it almost always passes through with a ton of internal a big sprinkler working on both wounds. Tracking usually none, quick clean kills with properly placed bullet. My 170 inch whitetail buck I took at 200 yds broadside, the bullet struck him behind the knee, so to speak, took the top 1.5" off his heart with a 50 cent piece exit hole.....
You can't find any experts that can show me how a whitetail buck could have been taken cleaner or quicker.....it was beautiful.
Also this bullet coupled with the low side powder charge of IMR 7828 is so consistant in my model 70, I don't look to improve it.
 
For many years I terrorized the deer woods with an old Rem 700 ADL in 7mm Mag, reloads were 139 gr hornady on top of heavy charges of IMR 4831, later on I loaded some 160 grain Partitions, pure death on white tails.
 
I would use the listed starting load in the reloading manual for a 139 or 140 grain bullet.

This will give you velocity like a hot 280... About right for whitetail.

Less wear and tear on both you and the rifle. Less meat spoilage.

Save the full-power loads for elk or for long shots at pronghorns.

That's what I would do. - YMMV
 
i just got home from wyoming on a prong horn hunt and used a 7mm08 with a 120gr nosler BT and 3000 fps and it killed like chain lighting, with complete pass threws. one at 310 yds and one at 280 yrds, both center chest hits. the nice thing about the 7mm mag is it can be loaded up to kill large herbavores and bear in a pinch and down to ground squirrels, i have done it with my rem 700 7mm mag. eastbank.
 
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