SalCucco

I just picked up my new rifle for the fall, its a browning a-bolt hunter fld that i got used but is in A+++++ shape and for a great deal. The caliber is 7mm wsm.

Now i looked at the tables and balistics and realize how flat it is and can imagine that it will have a little thump to it (weighing under 8 lbs with a scope)

My questionsare
1) when using it for whitetails (primarily) would the 140 grain bullets be better?? and what type of bullet?

2)What is the recoil, i've shot 30-06 and 300 win mags(i' assuming that its somewhere in between)

Thanks

Anthony T.

The recoil is about on par with a 30-06. It's not too bad. I use either 140gr nosler accubond or 150gr swift scirocco bonded bullets for deer. The swifts are a little more severe on the deer and not quite as accurate as the accubonds. The accubonds are perfect for deer. Don't use the ballistic tip for deer, they will fragment alot of times and not fully penetrate. You have a good rifle and it will do you good in any hunting situation. I have the 7mm saum in a 700 sendero. It's a tackdriver and devastating on big game.

James B

According to the Hawks recoil tables, the 7MM WSM will recoil the same as the 7MM Rem Mag with the same weight bullets. There is really little difference between the &mm Rem Mag and the WSM. What one is good for, the other is equally good for.

skeeter 7MM

I don't agree having seenA LOT of deer shot with different chamberings I have yet to see, this all to common internet board problem withthe NBT. If aim point is where 9 out of 10 hunter say they chose to - heart/lung via the ribs I don't think it is possible to not collect your deer with a BT no matter what the velocity. Choice and opinions abound but I don't buy this theory as I have proven it wrong on numerous occasions. I really find it hard to believe our canadian whitetails which can easily top 300lbs on the hoofdon't subscribe to such a theory meanwhile smaller version south do???? I have to wonder how much actual in field experience those who speak of such BT problems really have and if they actually have any vsinternet blah, what was the specifics of that experience.Then again it is all to easy to blame the bullet, gun, camo, boots, etc....rather than the shooter when things go wrong.

As far as whichbullet, for deer pretty much anything 140-175 will work just fine from the 7wsm. However 140-150gr would be where I'd start my search, Nosler Accubond, Partition, etc.Yeap, thatmarginal bullettheBallistic tip would be high on thatlist.

Should be OKwith the recoil if you could handle the others you mentioned.

Best of luck, justshoot the bullet that fits your situation best and your rifle prefers.

Ideaman

I am one of those Southern deer shooters that is a nay-sayer about NBTs, and from other postes I think I know why. From information I hear on this site I think the 7mm and 30s must hold up better(might just be the weight). I have killed most of my deer with a 270, going through my NBT phase I SAW lack of penetration and jacket separation. My dad on the other hand has shot several trophy Texas Deer and he always insisted on his .280. I thought he was crazy to drag a Ruger .280 to YO Ranch when he could grab one of many 30s that shot better, but he kills effectivly with no lost animals. Can't argue.

Now when I shot deer with .270 NBT(Win Suprm, 130gr, 120 to 130# deer) and had jacket separation I did collect the deer and it killed them very dead. My fear is that I will be in a swamp or extreamly thick area make a good shot and in 70-80 deg weather not find a deer in time. I hate waste, I try to give myself every advantage I can for the situation I hunt in.

Case-in-point dad lung shot a nice Fla deer with 243 NBT and we could not find blood.I assume no exit and a plugged intrance. One week later we found within 150 yards. Exit even if a bad shot in gut would have helped greatly. Yes I know we could have missed something in tracking, but hours were spent by two poeple, shot was only 75 Yards.

I now shoot trophy bonded in my 270 and it is perfect for me(tack driver). It should be noted I have tried these $35 a box cartridges is several customer guns and very few shoot well,so I quit recommending.

Rammer

The 139gr Hornady SSTs are a good choice for deer out of the .284s. I used this load on many many deer and have had some very terminal deer. I have also used accubonds, partitions, fail safes, combined technology BTs, etc. As long as you put the bullet where it needs to be placed the deer will never know what hit them.

Anthony T.

Well, since I'mbeing called out,I have shot 7 with the BT's. Done pretty good on 4 of them, considering i hit no bone and had a direct behind the shoulder shot. Then, theres those other three. One, I hit quartering toward me, busted the front shoulder, almost blew his leg off, the deer runs away. I wait about 20 minutes then go after the deer, I hear a shot, then go over the hill to findmy buddy that shot the deer with a 270 accubond. Had a pass thru with good expansion. My bullet blew up on the bone and didnt go past the shoulder, just some fragments in the ribcage. 2 other did the same, but I found them after grueling tracking. Both blew up.

IMO 4 out of 7 arent good odds. Now a 30-06 with a heavier, slower BT will do good. But in a higher velocity, like the 7mm, it will do more harm than good. Yea, itll kill them, but hit bone and watch what happens.

After that I tried the 150gr swift scirocco, killed 3 deer last year with it, one thru both shoulders with a clean pass and horrid expansion, 1 with a clean behind shoulder shot, pass thru with a fist sized hole on exit, awesome blood trail, 1with a quartering thru one shoulder and clean pass out behind the other shoulder, once again, clean pass and awesome expansion.

So I guess I have no in field experience with it. Some will BS you, I know, but not this time bro.

The BT's I used were very accurate, 140gr. Not recommended for deer. Theres so much better. You have to try the sciroccos. I went to the 140 accubond and I'll let you know how they do this year. Im expecting the same pass thru and expansion, just to a slightly smaller degree than the scirocco, but they seem a little more accurate. I get group 5 in 1/2moa, the scirocco will group a moa. If you go with the BT's, you will let yourself down at some point. I hope you dont go thru it and take my advise. The corelokt, N partitions, etc. are also good choices, but the new bonded-tipped bullets Ive named above are superior in a 7mm. They made these bullets for the high velocity rifles we shoot, so they wont blow up at close range and will still penetrate and expand at longer range. I wish more people would try them instead of sticking by what theyve always used.

Hope I could enlighten you.

bronko22000

Well I don't know why some of you guys are knocking down the NBTs. My 270 win with 55 gr of IMR4350 and 130 gr NBT has accounted for a least 30 deer. All but 2 dropped where they stood. And one of these was a mulie buck at over 400 yds - and he only went about 50 yds before piling up. The other was a whitetail buck that needed a second finishing shot. So as for the NBTs I have no complaints.
But back to the original post; yes, the 140 gr would be a good choice.

skeeter 7MM

Thanks anthony for the enlightening!!! However having harvested over 20 deer with 130/277 or 150/284 NBT I stand by my comments. I don't aim at the shoulder point with the NBT, I see absolutely no reason to do so and therefore I have never experienced a problem with the BT in the tube. I am glad to see you have picked a bullet that is better suited to your usage and agree with your suggestions for such placement or if you are wanting insurances to let her fly at tough angles. However the BT didn't fail it was just pushed beyond its design limits...hence why I made the original comments.

BTW, I have used the AB to harvest deer, elk and moose(none of which I felt the need to aim for the shoulder, ribs and through both lungs = dead animals in a very short manner). I have also used other bullets so my comments aren't based on blind faith but rather my experiences in the field.

It boils down to picking the right bullet for the task, if that is done the "bullet failure" posts or talk we see/hear are greatly reduced.

USMC PMI

Here we go again. "The BST's are like TNT blowing up" junk again. One word: BUNK
They will expand very rapidly if you hit bone at close range but fear not yee of bad judgement or poor marksmanship, the core will pass through the shoulder into the body cavity. They do not blow up as most make it sound. I spend half of my hunting season butchering deer, and I do see many that have been poorly hit with BST's, the fact that I am seeing them is proof enough. I have used the BST's in .270 Win and .270 WSM and they work perfectly as designed and intended. For those of you choosing to make a career of 50 yard rifle shots right into the shoulder, get the copper solids to make sure you break both shoulders so God forbid you don't have to do a little tracking.