7mm Rem Mag for big plains game

[IvW]

My daughter will be using a 7 mag for zebra and water buck. What are the thoughts on using 140gr barnes tsx bullets?

140gr is too light, I do not like TSX bullets. Rather use a 160-175 gr premium grade expanding bullet. You don't need speed but rather deep straight line penetration for African plains game. This is provided by the heavier for caliber bullets.

 

[Shootist43]

Given your two loads, I prefer the heavier Nosler Partition. Most PHs would prefer that their clients use heavy for caliber slower moving bullets. I'm going in July and will be taking a 404 Jeffery for Eland (which is probably over kill) and a 35 Whelen loaded with 225 Gr bullets traveling from 2700 to 2800 FPS for Kudu, Nyala and Bushbuck.

 

[IvW]

Given your two loads, I prefer the heavier Nosler Partition. Most PHs would prefer that their clients use heavy for caliber slower moving bullets. I'm going in July and will be taking a 404 Jeffery for Eland (which is probably over kill) and a 35 Whelen loaded with 225 Gr bullets traveling from 2700 to 2800 FPS for Kudu, Nyala and Bushbuck.

@Shootist43, there is no such thing as overkill on large eland bulls!

 

[IvW]

My daughter will be using a 7 mag for zebra and water buck. What are the thoughts on using 140gr barnes tsx bullets?

Yikes!! I just checked a 140gr bullet out of a 7 Rem mag does 3200+ fps!!! Way way too much for our African game. High speed low weight for caliber bullets in Africa is a recipe for disaster!
This will just result in excessive recoil, poor bullet performance, over expansion and possible wounded animals.

Rather find a heavier bullet load 160-175 gr at 2700-2800 fps.

I have shot everything plains game wise with a 7x57mm loaded with a 170 gr Rhino bullet at a sedate 2300 fps. Zebra, Waterbuck, Sable, Eland, Blue wildebeest the list goes on..., all with the utmost satisfaction.

She could even use a 7mm-08 with 160 gr bullets for much better performance.

 

[curtism1234]

Yikes!! I just checked a 140gr bullet out of a 7 Rem mag does 3200+ fps!!! Way way too much for our African game. High speed low weight for caliber bullets in Africa is a recipe for disaster!
This will just result in excessive recoil, poor bullet performance, over expansion and possible wounded animals.

I don't disagree, though if one was to do that the Barnes bullet would be the exception to that. I'd still go a bit heavier in that bullet though.

 

[Red Leg]

My daughter will be using a 7 mag for zebra and water buck. What are the thoughts on using 140gr barnes tsx bullets?

I am with IvW on this one. The 140 probably is a lower recoiling round than a 170, but that velocity can be tricky on larger PG - particularly when presented with a difficult angle and that heavy bone structure. I am bit surprised she is comfortable with a 7 RM. Lots of grown folks with some experience take a while to get use to all that fuss and bother. I you have a .270 hanging around the safe, it makes a terrific PG rifle with a premium 150 gr bullet. It will have great BC and penetration, and is much, much easier to manage for a smaller framed hunter. And as IvW notes a .275 / 5x57 loaded with a premium 170 gr bullet will kill any PG on the continent with very little recoil or muzzle blast.

 

[Velo Dog]

I am in the early planning stages for my first African hunt for plains game is the RSA. I only know what I have read, which is probably just enough to get myself into trouble, and do not profess to be an expert by any means, which is why I am reaching out to those of you who are experienced and knowledgeable. I am looking to hunt kudu, blue and black wildebeest and zebra as the larger game on my hunt. I have a Remingotn 700 in 7mm Rem Mag that I like a lot and shoot well, and have loaded with 160gr. Nosler Accubonds at about 3000fps. I also have a good 175gr Nosler Partition load at about 2900fps. Any thoughts on using this caliber for my hunt, with either of the stated handloads? I see a lot of PHs do favor 30 calibers, and am wondering if I would be better off with a 300 Win Mag loaded with 200gr Accubonds to 2800-2900fps? Is the extra recoil worth the benefits, possibly a better chance of an exit on the bigger game such as zebra, and is the 7mm mag possibly marginal? Or would I just be trying to justify buying a 300 and setting it up? LOL Thank you in advance for your advice.

Hello gatekeeper,

And welcome to the best forum in the world.
My vote is for your 175 grain Nosler Partition hand load.
You could even load it down to 2800 fps and it'd still be a death ray (might even penetrate a little better ?)
I am fond of heavy for caliber Nosler Partition bullets for here in Alaska and over in Africa as well.
If however you want to use the finest soft nose bullet for Africa ever devised, try the Swift A-Frame.
Most rifles shoot them accurately, some do not.

As for buying a .300 Magnum, there is no need.
Your 7 mm Remington, as others have already said, will work very well, with 175 gr bullets, even on zebra.
I own a 7mm Magnum and with today's tough bullets, I feel that it is a very fine long range caliber, for non-dangerous game, large and small.
I'd want a bit more bullet weight if hunting eland but the 7mm no doubt would work, even on these potentially 1 ton, magnificent animals.
If however you decide to buy a larger caliber, I'd suggest one of the following:

.338 Winchester.
.35 Whelen
9.3x62 Mauser
.375 H&H

All four shoot plenty flat enough for even open geography / sparse foliage, yet can be loaded with very high sectional density / heavy bullets for the more common African hunting conditions (thorn forest and virtually all shots under 150 yds, many at half that).
Plus, with the .375, you will be all set to plan a buffalo hunt back to the Dark Continent.
In some countries, the 9.3x62 is also legal for buffalo - if you're inclined to use the minimum caliber allowed (I tend to use a bit more gun than the minimum - lol).

Cheers,
Velo Dog.

 

[lcq]

I took a cheap rem 783 in 7mm mag and whacked a massive zebra (complete pass through) and an even bigger Blue Wildebeest with 160gr Remington premier AKA Swift Aframes. No doubt your 700 with a 26" tube will be launching your rounds faster so a good bonded bullet, Barnes or a heavier partition will all work if you put it where it belongs

 

[Goose Cracker]

After my first safari, I'm a believer in the "heavy for caliber" and "bring enough gun" schools of thought. I took a 300 WM with 180g GMX (Hornady's comparable to the TTSX). My rifle shoots the GMXs really well, sub-moa. It was perfect for blesbuck, impala, springbok, and likely would be for warthog as well (never got a shot). I wished I had more gun for kudu, gemsbok, and (especially) zebra. Those are big animals. Each of my shots was 200 yards or less and one-shot kills except for the kudu and the zebra. Both were bad shooting on my part - kudu was hit in the neck (hard quartering away) but went down immediately - put another one in him to accelerate the inevitable. For the zebra, I hit a bit low at about 150 yards. Broke the front leg but exited low in the chest. Took two more to finish the deal after a hell of a chase. Not sure more gun would have helped with the kudu but certainly would have helped with the zebra. They are really tough animals.

So, for smaller plains game I'd argue 7mm (RM, x57, or 08) would be terrific using heavy for caliber premium bullets (150g plus). If I had to do my first safari over, I'd choose 200g or above in my 300 WM. For the larger plains game I'd prefer more gun - I think my 35 Whelen with 225g or 250g premium bullets is perfect.

Can you kill kudu, gemsbok, and zebra with a 7 RM? Absolutely with good bullet placement. But I would prefer bigger.

 

[MikeDeltaFoxtrot]

Your 7mm mag is fine but to answer the question yes you would be better with .300 Win. That is the go to gun in Africa for PG. don’t over think it though. If you can shoot well with the gun you have then you will be fine. I actually want to get a 7mm mag myself!
Philip

I have been thinking about a 7mm too, although likely not to take to Africa. I have been considering the 7mm Weatherby though. I don't see much downside other than the cost of brass being higher than for the 7mm Rem. The Mark V ultralight looks like a pretty nice package.

 

[Shootist43]

(MDF), Wounderbys, (pun intended) usually travel at a much higher velocity than other similar diameter calibers. The vast majority if not all PH(s) would prefer a slower moving heavier bullet. If you are going on a PG hunt and show up with a 7 x 57 your PH will be all smiles. Showing up with a Wounderby will almost assuredly put you at the bottom of his list. The choice is yours. I don't mean to rain on your parade, but...

 

[MikeDeltaFoxtrot]

(MDF), Wounderbys, (pun intended) usually travel at a much higher velocity than other similar diameter calibers. The vast majority if not all PH(s) would prefer a slower moving heavier bullet. If you are going on a PG hunt and show up with a 7 x 57 your PH will be all smiles. Showing up with a Wounderby will almost assuredly put you at the bottom of his list. The choice is yours. I don't mean to rain on your parade, but...

As I said in my post, I don't plan to take a 7mm to Africa. My domestic hunting involves smaller animals. I have two 300 WM's and a .375 H&H. I am thinking about adding a flat shooting rifle with a small, lighter bullet for deer and possibly a sheep hunt.

 

[Red Leg]

I have been thinking about a 7mm too, although likely not to take to Africa. I have been considering the 7mm Weatherby though. I don't see much downside other than the cost of brass being higher than for the 7mm Rem. The Mark V ultralight looks like a pretty nice package.

That and the STW will get you a raised eyebrow most places in Africa. They tend to be long range specialty rifles - perfect, perhaps, for your future Marco Polo sheep hunt - for African plains game - not so much. Your PH will take great pride in getting you close enough to be certain. As noted above, he will be thrilled to have you show up with a 7x57.

 

[Peter Larsson]

I brought my Tikka in 7mm RM on my first trip to South Africa.
Used 150gr TTSX loaded to 950m/s.Worked perfekt from Jakal to Kudu and Blue wildebeest.
Att pass thru and most one shot kills and dead with in eyesight.
Worked so well that I still use that load for moose home.
Last South Africa trip I brought my 375HH because Buffalo was on the list.
Used 250gr TTSX for plainsgame but missed my 7mm RM!

 

[gatekeeper]

Thank you all for such knowledgeable input. I can see this is truly a great site, full of courteous people willing to help, and have enjoyed reading everyone's advice and experiences. I have wanted a 338 Win Mag for a while and thought a 250gr Nosler Partition would be great as an all around PG rifle, but perhaps a 375 H and H would be more versatile when paired with my 7mm Rem Mag. I didn't realize so many people use the 375 on the larger plains game species.

 

[Neale]

Gatekeeper, as you can see there is some good advice been given. What ever you decide you should be able to shoot your prefered firearm well. Ask yourself which of your current firearms you have most confidence in and take it to Africa and have a good time. If you want to buy a new calibre for Africa go ahead as we all love new guns and any excuse will do to justify an additional firearm to the safe. Learn to shoot it well and place that first shot in the right place.

 

[curtism1234]

Thank you all for such knowledgeable input. I can see this is truly a great site, full of courteous people willing to help, and have enjoyed reading everyone's advice and experiences. I have wanted a 338 Win Mag for a while and thought a 250gr Nosler Partition would be great as an all around PG rifle, but perhaps a 375 H and H would be more versatile when paired with my 7mm Rem Mag. I didn't realize so many people use the 375 on the larger plains game species.

Unless you are wanting to hunt dangerous game in Africa, I would get the 338 - especially if you have wanted one. The 375 rifles are built like tanks and are almost as heavy. A lot of the 338's are the same model rifles as standard cartridges. I think the 375 is a great all around large cartridge. The 338 is a great all around large game rifle.

 

[Dr Ray]

I am in the early planning stages for my first African hunt for plains game is the RSA. I only know what I have read, which is probably just enough to get myself into trouble, and do not profess to be an expert by any means, which is why I am reaching out to those of you who are experienced and knowledgeable. I am looking to hunt kudu, blue and black wildebeest and zebra as the larger game on my hunt. I have a Remingotn 700 in 7mm Rem Mag that I like a lot and shoot well, and have loaded with 160gr. Nosler Accubonds at about 3000fps. I also have a good 175gr Nosler Partition load at about 2900fps. Any thoughts on using this caliber for my hunt, with either of the stated handloads? I see a lot of PHs do favor 30 calibers, and am wondering if I would be better off with a 300 Win Mag loaded with 200gr Accubonds to 2800-2900fps? Is the extra recoil worth the benefits, possibly a better chance of an exit on the bigger game such as zebra, and is the 7mm mag possibly marginal? Or would I just be trying to justify buying a 300 and setting it up? LOL Thank you in advance for your advice.

The 7 mm mag is virtually the same as a 300 win mag. I don’t see any issues at all.
Go ahead and buy the 300 and compare.
Enjoy both and then decide which one to take for a hunt.
Perhaps I’m not z good influence!

 

[Shootist43]

(MDF) Sorry I didn't see the forest for the trees. Providing you can shoot it well a 7mm Weatherby Mag. will be perfect for long range deer and or sheep hunts. Please accept my apology.

For others possibly considering the use of Weatherby calibers on African game my statements still stand.

 

[lcq]

Thank you all for such knowledgeable input. I can see this is truly a great site, full of courteous people willing to help, and have enjoyed reading everyone's advice and experiences. I have wanted a 338 Win Mag for a while and thought a 250gr Nosler Partition would be great as an all around PG rifle, but perhaps a 375 H and H would be more versatile when paired with my 7mm Rem Mag. I didn't realize so many people use the 375 on the larger plains game species.

I asked the outfitter what to bring this spring 270, 308, 7mm mag. I'll be hunting Eland and Kudu. His response what you shoot best all will work just fine and BTW he recommended Barnes. the two most important words "shot placement"