Best Loads for 7 Mag? Deer & Elk

hinkleid · January 28, 2007, 04:57 PM

Looking for the BEST loads for deer and elk hunting for 7mm Mag.

Deer (Mule) - The last 2 years I have been successful and got 2 with 2 different bullets.

2 years ago I used a Federal 150 gr. SP (blue box). Buck ran about 50 yards and fell. Shot right behind shoulder. Left a nice entrance and exit about quarter.

Last year I used 162 gr. Hornady SST. A little big I know, but that is what my buddy bought and swore by. I got a clear shot at a buck in a herd of about 15 deer. To avoid the run off and tracking I was going for the shoulder. After the shot all the deer ran, except the one I shot at. He looked around, took a slow step, then dropped. I had thought at first I missed, until I realized that the buck I shot was just standing there. Must have been the shock? I loved the performance of this bullet, however no exit and never did find the bullet. Was not really looking through organs though. Found the entrance right at shoulder, and leg was broken.

Elk - I have never been elk hunting and will be going with my dad this fall. I think he uses standard bullets, a SP 150 grain in a 30/06. I would think this might be too soft for elk? However this is what he uses and has taken elk every year. Which is the best bullet for elk as there are so many out there. Thinking the Accubond, or the Barnes Triple Shock? Since I reload I am not going to go with the basic SP like my dad.

Recommendations?

cdoc42 · January 28, 2007, 06:27 PM

My first mule deer was fighting with another at about 100 yards from the spot we crawled up to the edge of the hill. 7mm Mag with 160gr Speer Spitzer dropped him on the spot and the other deer stood there, appeared to be wondering what he had done to drop the deer. Then he got nervous and ran off.
I made a shoulder shot on an elk at 300 yards with the same 7mm Mag, using a Hornady 175gr bullet. Elk dropped and we watched him for 15 minutes from our spot. Went to get him and he got up and tried to run down the hill, with a broken shoulder. I was coming up the hill and he was above me. Looked like the Hartford Insurance Commercial. Needed a finish shot. The next time I went I took a .338 Win Mag with a 215gr Sierra and at 200 yards put the bullet through BOTH shoulders. He didn't go anywhere either but needed a finish shot.

Bottom line is bullet placement. You can use a 150gr in .30 like your Dad, but if the elk is over 150 yards away I'd be more comfortable with a 180gr bullet, or in 7mm, a 175gr Nolser Partition (or similar bullet).

Tomas · January 29, 2007, 12:26 AM

160gr Barnes what we use at elk camp (except me, I use .308 with Barnes 180), and use the same bullet and load on mulies. We all use Barnes X, or XLC and swear by them. Only other considerations are Fail Safes, but they stopped making them because they were so expensive to manufacture. Very similar design to the Barnes MRX.

RL22 is also our powder of choice.

Pretty boring using all the same stuff, but we kill plenty every year.

Last year was the first year it wasn't a one shot, one kill hunt. A herd cow took three nice shots in the furnace but kept moving out her cows. Took a head shot - what a great leader she was...

Tom

hinkleid · January 30, 2007, 01:01 AM

Funny (kinda) story today when I went practicing.

100 yards, shooting these Sierra 120 grain SP bullets I reloaded. Took 5 shot rounds, and this load is very accurate. Using IMR 4831, 67 grains... middle charge load. On each group, all 5 were touching.

Shot all them... Then shooting these Federal 150 grain SP loads. Same 5 shot rounds. I would shoot, then on next shot look for previous shot. Couldnt find it, so thinking it is in the darker bullseye since hole did not appear on paper. Shot 2 5 shot rounds and went to look. When I looked I was flabbergasted as it did not even hit paper. Thought at first maybe there was a difference in adjusting the scope.

Set up some big targets... large coffee cans and such.

Shot at the first one and seen dirt fly around 10 feet behind.

Looked and seen the scope base had broken and the rear ring was off the base. One of the screws on the side had broken in half! The scope slid all the way back as well from the front ring. Explains why I had a hard time getting target in scope view.

So, now I will have to get new bases. I had a Leupold base and thought they would be good. What would cause this? Just from the recoil????

Would have been bad had I been on a hunting trip and had to call time out to run out for a new base and to resight scope!

cdoc42 · January 30, 2007, 09:04 AM

I wonder how much torque was applied to those screws when the scope was initially mounted. Could be a screw was partially broken and the recoil was the straw that broke the screw's back. If just the base of the screw head is where the break was, that's a probable answer.

hinkleid · January 30, 2007, 11:12 AM

Actually was not the actual screw but the head of the screw is sheared off. This released the ring. Do you think I torqued it down too much? They have those torx screw and are small, so you can only get them so tight anyway.

castnblast · January 31, 2007, 04:38 PM

I swear by Hornady 139 BTSP...behind a charge of H4831SC...

trooper3385 · February 12, 2007, 02:22 AM

I've been using 140 gr Barnes XLC with 74 gr of H1000 and Winchester LR magnum primers. The accuracy with my Ruger #1 with this load has been very good. 3/4 to 1 in groups. Haven't taken any animals with this bullet yet, but I'm sure they will work fine. I was using 150 gr Ballistic tips before. I forget what the load was, but the accuracy was very good. I just didn't like how they were performing on the animals I had taken with it.

January 31, 2007, 04:38 PM	#7
castnblast Senior Member Join Date: July 2, 2006 Location: Corpus Christi TX Posts: 1,148	I swear by Hornady 139 BTSP...behind a charge of H4831SC... __________________ VEGETARIAN...old indian word for bad hunter

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January 28, 2007, 04:57 PM	#1
hinkleid Member Join Date: January 15, 2007 Posts: 28	Best Loads for 7 Mag? Deer & Elk Looking for the BEST loads for deer and elk hunting for 7mm Mag. Deer (Mule) - The last 2 years I have been successful and got 2 with 2 different bullets. 2 years ago I used a Federal 150 gr. SP (blue box). Buck ran about 50 yards and fell. Shot right behind shoulder. Left a nice entrance and exit about quarter. Last year I used 162 gr. Hornady SST. A little big I know, but that is what my buddy bought and swore by. I got a clear shot at a buck in a herd of about 15 deer. To avoid the run off and tracking I was going for the shoulder. After the shot all the deer ran, except the one I shot at. He looked around, took a slow step, then dropped. I had thought at first I missed, until I realized that the buck I shot was just standing there. Must have been the shock? I loved the performance of this bullet, however no exit and never did find the bullet. Was not really looking through organs though. Found the entrance right at shoulder, and leg was broken. Elk - I have never been elk hunting and will be going with my dad this fall. I think he uses standard bullets, a SP 150 grain in a 30/06. I would think this might be too soft for elk? However this is what he uses and has taken elk every year. Which is the best bullet for elk as there are so many out there. Thinking the Accubond, or the Barnes Triple Shock? Since I reload I am not going to go with the basic SP like my dad. Recommendations?

January 28, 2007, 06:27 PM	#2
cdoc42 Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,687	My first mule deer was fighting with another at about 100 yards from the spot we crawled up to the edge of the hill. 7mm Mag with 160gr Speer Spitzer dropped him on the spot and the other deer stood there, appeared to be wondering what he had done to drop the deer. Then he got nervous and ran off. I made a shoulder shot on an elk at 300 yards with the same 7mm Mag, using a Hornady 175gr bullet. Elk dropped and we watched him for 15 minutes from our spot. Went to get him and he got up and tried to run down the hill, with a broken shoulder. I was coming up the hill and he was above me. Looked like the Hartford Insurance Commercial. Needed a finish shot. The next time I went I took a .338 Win Mag with a 215gr Sierra and at 200 yards put the bullet through BOTH shoulders. He didn't go anywhere either but needed a finish shot. Bottom line is bullet placement. You can use a 150gr in .30 like your Dad, but if the elk is over 150 yards away I'd be more comfortable with a 180gr bullet, or in 7mm, a 175gr Nolser Partition (or similar bullet).

January 29, 2007, 12:26 AM	#3
Tomas Senior Member Join Date: May 9, 1999 Location: Blue State Posts: 441	160gr Barnes what we use at elk camp (except me, I use .308 with Barnes 180), and use the same bullet and load on mulies. We all use Barnes X, or XLC and swear by them. Only other considerations are Fail Safes, but they stopped making them because they were so expensive to manufacture. Very similar design to the Barnes MRX. RL22 is also our powder of choice. Pretty boring using all the same stuff, but we kill plenty every year. Last year was the first year it wasn't a one shot, one kill hunt. A herd cow took three nice shots in the furnace but kept moving out her cows. Took a head shot - what a great leader she was... Tom

January 30, 2007, 01:01 AM	#4
hinkleid Member Join Date: January 15, 2007 Posts: 28	Funny (kinda) story today when I went practicing. 100 yards, shooting these Sierra 120 grain SP bullets I reloaded. Took 5 shot rounds, and this load is very accurate. Using IMR 4831, 67 grains... middle charge load. On each group, all 5 were touching. Shot all them... Then shooting these Federal 150 grain SP loads. Same 5 shot rounds. I would shoot, then on next shot look for previous shot. Couldnt find it, so thinking it is in the darker bullseye since hole did not appear on paper. Shot 2 5 shot rounds and went to look. When I looked I was flabbergasted as it did not even hit paper. Thought at first maybe there was a difference in adjusting the scope. Set up some big targets... large coffee cans and such. Shot at the first one and seen dirt fly around 10 feet behind. Looked and seen the scope base had broken and the rear ring was off the base. One of the screws on the side had broken in half! The scope slid all the way back as well from the front ring. Explains why I had a hard time getting target in scope view. So, now I will have to get new bases. I had a Leupold base and thought they would be good. What would cause this? Just from the recoil???? Would have been bad had I been on a hunting trip and had to call time out to run out for a new base and to resight scope!

January 30, 2007, 09:04 AM	#5
cdoc42 Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,687	I wonder how much torque was applied to those screws when the scope was initially mounted. Could be a screw was partially broken and the recoil was the straw that broke the screw's back. If just the base of the screw head is where the break was, that's a probable answer.

January 30, 2007, 11:12 AM	#6
hinkleid Member Join Date: January 15, 2007 Posts: 28	Actually was not the actual screw but the head of the screw is sheared off. This released the ring. Do you think I torqued it down too much? They have those torx screw and are small, so you can only get them so tight anyway.

February 12, 2007, 02:22 AM	#8
trooper3385 Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2005 Location: South Texas Posts: 814	I've been using 140 gr Barnes XLC with 74 gr of H1000 and Winchester LR magnum primers. The accuracy with my Ruger #1 with this load has been very good. 3/4 to 1 in groups. Haven't taken any animals with this bullet yet, but I'm sure they will work fine. I was using 150 gr Ballistic tips before. I forget what the load was, but the accuracy was very good. I just didn't like how they were performing on the animals I had taken with it.