7mm rem mag
11-30-2003, 11:02 AM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: fort mcmurray alberta canada
Posts: 5,667
RE: 7mm rem mag
The 7mm is larger than necessary for deer but is a good versatile cartridge for most north american game.It shoots flatter than the 30-06 with very manageable recoil.
12-01-2003, 07:33 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: MB.
Posts: 2,984
RE: 7mm rem mag
I always thought the 7mm Rem. Mag was overkill for deer hunting until this year. I had an opportunity to shot at a buck that was quartering towards me and I placed the shot inside the front leg towards the brisket at 30 yards. I couldn’t believe it. There was no blood trail but he had only gone about 20 feet.
After skinning the buck I found the bullet between the hide and the meat in perfect mushroom form and in tack. I hadn’t hit any bone with this 160 grain Sierra game king bullet but still couldn’t believe that the bullet had not gone thru at such close range. After telling this to my uncle he smiled and asked if I shouldn’t get a larger gun.
So the answer to your question in my opinion is no, I don’t think it’s overkill.
After skinning the buck I found the bullet between the hide and the meat in perfect mushroom form and in tack. I hadn’t hit any bone with this 160 grain Sierra game king bullet but still couldn’t believe that the bullet had not gone thru at such close range. After telling this to my uncle he smiled and asked if I shouldn’t get a larger gun.
So the answer to your question in my opinion is no, I don’t think it’s overkill.
12-01-2003, 08:18 PM
#5
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,052
RE: 7mm rem mag
I have NEVER seen ANY game animal killed TO DEAD!!! Trailer' s example is' nt fair btw. The Gameking while a great bullet, is' nt indicative of the 7s overall performance on big game. Were that a Xbullet, FailSafe, Trophy Bonded or similar bullet, that bullet would' ve exited the other end of that deer and perhaps would' ve dropped him in his tracks. I' ve driven deer length-wise at up too 200 yards with 140 and 150 grain bullets of aforementioned design from my 7mag and NONE of them went anywhere but straight to the ground.
While I have several rifles and one much more powerful than my 7mag, I will go to my grave arguing the merits of the " plain ole 7mag" . It will kill ANYTHING inside of 300yds (and yes 400 yds if you spend enough time on the range with it!), is easily managable, is economical to shoot compared to most magnums and will do anything most calibers between a 22-250 too a 338 Mag will do given proper bullet selection and proper bullet placement.
I shoot other guns because I choose too, were I relegated strictly to my 7mag I doubt I would kill that many less heads of game per year!
RA
While I have several rifles and one much more powerful than my 7mag, I will go to my grave arguing the merits of the " plain ole 7mag" . It will kill ANYTHING inside of 300yds (and yes 400 yds if you spend enough time on the range with it!), is easily managable, is economical to shoot compared to most magnums and will do anything most calibers between a 22-250 too a 338 Mag will do given proper bullet selection and proper bullet placement.
I shoot other guns because I choose too, were I relegated strictly to my 7mag I doubt I would kill that many less heads of game per year!
RA
12-02-2003, 07:25 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: MB.
Posts: 2,984
RE: 7mm rem mag
The 7mm is an excellent choice for hunting as mentioned but in all the years of hunting deer,
I have never had a deer drop in it’s track with the exception of only once. I had hit the deer and broke it’s back. Other then that the deers have always gone a little ways. I know that bullet placements is important and hitting the shoulders will drop the deer, but the meat is #1 in my books so I will always go for a lung shot.
Red, I was thinking of using xbullets but I’m concern for deer hunting, that the bullet will not expand enough, especially if I go for the lungs. Have you had any experience with lung shots with the xbullet ?
I have never had a deer drop in it’s track with the exception of only once. I had hit the deer and broke it’s back. Other then that the deers have always gone a little ways. I know that bullet placements is important and hitting the shoulders will drop the deer, but the meat is #1 in my books so I will always go for a lung shot.
Red, I was thinking of using xbullets but I’m concern for deer hunting, that the bullet will not expand enough, especially if I go for the lungs. Have you had any experience with lung shots with the xbullet ?
12-02-2003, 08:41 PM
#7
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,052
RE: 7mm rem mag
trailer yes I have had some experience with both the 140 Fail Safe (Xbullet copy) in my 7mag. And in my Lazzeroni Warbird with 130 Xbullets and just this Sunday I shot 3 does with the new 150 Lazerhead (Barnes' new Lazzeroni offering). ALL deer will go straight to the ground with neck, frontal, rearentry/TX heartshots and direct shoulder shots. But a true lungs only nothing else, is just flatout nearly impossible to drop them instantly, yet on occasion it has happened. Just not nearly enough to call it a "given".
The first doe I lungshot Sunday with the 150 was broadside at 215yds and she ran about 60 yards before piling up. The third doe I shot was at 80yds and also a broadside lungshot. She miraculously ran about 70-80 yds or so before piling up just inside the woods. I know from experience with both the 7mag and my Warbird that when placing those bullets directly into the shoulder it results in LIGHTS OUT where they stand kills. I typically like to break them down and kill them instantly, but knew that I would be keeping these two does for a trip to the processor so I didnt want to poke any holes in their shoulders. In both cases while dressing the deer I noticed that their lungs had been reduced to DARK blackish/purple lumps of Gello so their time "afoot" was quickly lessoning.
What I like about the Xbullets is their incredible toughness. Even when fired near 4k fps like in the case of my 130s, they held together and that was even in one case a couple of years ago when I shot a large buck dead in the shoulder at only 45 yards. If a bullet WONT come apart at 3900fps when hitting two large shoulders, it AINT comin apart ever. Likewise I have shot several lengthwise with that 130 including a doe lastyear facing dead away from me at 308 yards. The bullet entrance hole in her "rearend" (you might call it an emergency hemroid operation!) was not much smaller than the exit hole just ahead of her left shoulder. The bullets simply wont mushroom on whitetails at high velocity. Maybe elk would be another story, but from stories I hear from John Lazzeroni and others that have used them on such critters, the end result is much the same. I go along with the opinions of most professional hunters who do it for a living in Africa... PENETRATION and a bloodtrail that Ray Charles could follow if they dont drop right there!
I have driven bucks lengthwise as well with both my 7mag/140 FailSafe (the last being at 300yards on a south TX deerhunt in 99) where I caught an old 6.5 year old 8pt just under the spine and the bullet traveled under the spinal column to exit about halfway back on the body. The first deer I ever killed with my Sako/Warbird was a LARGE bodied 20.5" 6pt TN "cull" that I shot in the chest at 85 yards and the bullet exited just ahead of his right rear hip. At such ranges I know of no other bullets that would still penetrate full length yet still hold up at close ranges under 3500-4000 fps velocities. I dont like bullets that shed their noses like Nosler Partitions and the like but realize that some guys do!
Now if only Oct will hurry up so I can try these 150 Lazerheads on some WY mulies and "sagegoats"!
RA
The first doe I lungshot Sunday with the 150 was broadside at 215yds and she ran about 60 yards before piling up. The third doe I shot was at 80yds and also a broadside lungshot. She miraculously ran about 70-80 yds or so before piling up just inside the woods. I know from experience with both the 7mag and my Warbird that when placing those bullets directly into the shoulder it results in LIGHTS OUT where they stand kills. I typically like to break them down and kill them instantly, but knew that I would be keeping these two does for a trip to the processor so I didnt want to poke any holes in their shoulders. In both cases while dressing the deer I noticed that their lungs had been reduced to DARK blackish/purple lumps of Gello so their time "afoot" was quickly lessoning.
What I like about the Xbullets is their incredible toughness. Even when fired near 4k fps like in the case of my 130s, they held together and that was even in one case a couple of years ago when I shot a large buck dead in the shoulder at only 45 yards. If a bullet WONT come apart at 3900fps when hitting two large shoulders, it AINT comin apart ever. Likewise I have shot several lengthwise with that 130 including a doe lastyear facing dead away from me at 308 yards. The bullet entrance hole in her "rearend" (you might call it an emergency hemroid operation!) was not much smaller than the exit hole just ahead of her left shoulder. The bullets simply wont mushroom on whitetails at high velocity. Maybe elk would be another story, but from stories I hear from John Lazzeroni and others that have used them on such critters, the end result is much the same. I go along with the opinions of most professional hunters who do it for a living in Africa... PENETRATION and a bloodtrail that Ray Charles could follow if they dont drop right there!
I have driven bucks lengthwise as well with both my 7mag/140 FailSafe (the last being at 300yards on a south TX deerhunt in 99) where I caught an old 6.5 year old 8pt just under the spine and the bullet traveled under the spinal column to exit about halfway back on the body. The first deer I ever killed with my Sako/Warbird was a LARGE bodied 20.5" 6pt TN "cull" that I shot in the chest at 85 yards and the bullet exited just ahead of his right rear hip. At such ranges I know of no other bullets that would still penetrate full length yet still hold up at close ranges under 3500-4000 fps velocities. I dont like bullets that shed their noses like Nosler Partitions and the like but realize that some guys do!
Now if only Oct will hurry up so I can try these 150 Lazerheads on some WY mulies and "sagegoats"!
RA
12-03-2003, 10:18 AM
#9
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Brook, IN
Posts: 491
RE: 7mm rem mag
ORIGINAL: RedAllison
trailer yes I have had some experience with both the 140 Fail Safe (Xbullet copy)
trailer yes I have had some experience with both the 140 Fail Safe (Xbullet copy)
12-03-2003, 02:10 PM
#10
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 259
RE: 7mm rem mag
Just an FYI for Trailer, I have shot many deer with my .30-06 which is enough gun by all means to put a bullet through both sides of an animal. I thought you couldn't stop the lead until last year.
Last year I shot an Axis Buck close range about 40 yards perfect heart/lung shot. Using 180 grain Core Lockt Remingtons. Anyhow just like in your situation the bullet never went all the way through. I found it between the hide on the opposite side.
This year I plan on going back to the 150 grain Federal Premiums.
Jason
Last year I shot an Axis Buck close range about 40 yards perfect heart/lung shot. Using 180 grain Core Lockt Remingtons. Anyhow just like in your situation the bullet never went all the way through. I found it between the hide on the opposite side.
This year I plan on going back to the 150 grain Federal Premiums.
Jason