Favorite 7mm Rem Mag factory ammo for elk

[dneaster3]

Lots of good advice above.
I like the 175 gr Partitions in the 7mag. A Frames would do nicely as well.

Nothing wrong with heavy-for-caliber Core Lokt bullets, but you get more penetration and margin for error with tougher bullets.

 

[colorado]

100% Been shootin only Partitions (and lately A-Frames and TSX's) for a long long time.

 

[colorado]

Won the gunbroker auction last night on a "Minty" BDL in 7mm Rem Mag. Bought a few boxes of 175g Corelokts for sight in and check out. Will be loading 175g A-Frames for reals

 

[Altitude sickness]

On my earlier post. The A bolt would shoot the accubonds, and other common bullets just ok. But the rifle is very accurate. So we were trying a wide variety.

Shooting from bogpod sticks, kneeling using a tree limb, prone and shooting most often out to 300 yards. And max was 560 yards.

But it came down to his rifle liked to have about 5 fouling shots. And it grouped 1/2Moa with Berger, Hornady GMX and SST.

He choose to use the GMX due to the construction and 1/2” groups

Luckily it didn’t matter he stalked into 87 yards for his first bull. And the bull went 30-40 yards with the aorta destroyed

 

[Chaplin]

I’ve used 168 gr Berger VLD out of my 7 mag for years and haven’t looked elsewhere.

Seems like people either love them or hate them.

 

[John the Electrician]

Lots of good advice above.
I like the 175 gr Partitions in the 7mag. A Frames would do nicely as well.

Nothing wrong with heavy-for-caliber Core Lokt bullets, but you get more penetration and margin for error with tougher bullets.

My $.02.

Core Lokt out of a 7mm Mag at shorter distances 50-200 yards; are not tough enough to handle the velocity.

My brother shot a whitetail at 70 ish yards with one, a lot of splatter and no penetration. We eventually got the deer, not a positive experience.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I’ve had good luck with the VLD also.

 

[sgt_zim]

Thanks I plan to shoot them to get used to the rifle and get it sighted in "roughly" then load 175g A-Frames to around 2900 fps or so. In a pinch I wouldn't think twice about using them on elk. My son got his first elk running with a 130g Corelokt out of his 270 Win. I'm a big fan of A-Frames.

This 300g A-Frame retained 299.5g of it's weight after hitting a 9' brown bear just behind his right shoulder as he faced me diagonally at 13 yards. The bullet was found in the hide of his left thigh.

2900 fps is well north of Swift's published safe velocities for 175 gr A Frames.

And honestly, out to 400 yards, there is zero practical difference between 2700 and 2900 fps, either in terms of trajectory (with a 200 yard zero) or in impact energy. Of course 2900 is flatter and has more energy at any given distance, just not enough to make any real difference until you reach about 500 yards. If you want to really reach that far (or further) with 175 gr, 7 STW or 7 RUM or 28 Nosler would be the way to go.

 

[colorado]

Thanks! I will work up to my hunting loads carefully as always, chronographing them and will post my results (both accuracy and speed) this summer

 

[colorado]

Thanks! I will work up to my hunting loads carefully as always, chronographing them and will post my results (both accuracy and speed) this summer

Rifle finally arrived at my FFL of course I'm on travel Will start my 3 day waiting period (Thanks Polis!) on Friday

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

A couple years ago, I came across a deal on a case (200 rounds) of Federal Premium 7mm mag, 175 gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw (TBBC). I have yet to shoot anything, other than paper, but my dad's old Ruger M77 seems to like them. The TBBC bullets have a very good reputation and since they are clover leaf type groups, I look forward to hunting with this combo. Thinking about a West Texas Aoudad hunt.

 

[ChrisG]

@colorado, your 500Jeff will make the perfect 250 yard elk rifle! 570 grains at 2,300fps should pretty well ensure you have an exit hole from just about any angle! Why are you messing around with a puny little 7RM?!

 

[colorado]

My last elk (cow) several years ago I dropped at 225 yards with my 500 Jeffery. A 570g TSX at 2300 fps did the job. Complete pass through but large exit hole.. I agree out to 300 yards it's a fine elk rifle.

 

[WoodencrossIII]

I’ve wondered how well my 458 Lott would work for shooting stuff beyond 100 yards? Seems like it would do fine out there and the sight leafs graduate to 300. Also wondered what the range for a 450/400 NE3” is would that work on 200-250 yd shots ?

 

[colorado]

I sight all of my rifles 2 1/2" high at 100 yards. The puts my 270 Win dead on at 25 and 250 yards and my 500 Jeffery dead on at 25 and 175 yards. Holdover for elk out to 300 yards is pretty easy.

 

[7mmFan]

Having shot a variety of ammo through 7 mags my current favorite is 160 gr barnes. good luck!

 

[WyoBull]

Having shot a variety of ammo through 7 mags my current favorite is 160 gr barnes. good luck!

On my first trip to Africa for plains game, I used the Barnes 160 gr TSX in my 7mm RUM. Shot 13 animals and all of them dropped in their tracks, or at the most within 10 yards of being shot. Only recovered one bullet and that was from my Blue Wildebeest. It hung up just under the skin on the off shoulder after going through both shoulders.
Barnes makes a great bullet!

 

[Wade J VanGinkel]

Same as some of the others.
Barnes 160 tsx. I've been using them for about 15 years.
Coyotes, deer, elk, aoudad, and most recently plains game from warthog, wildebeest and zebra. Almost always 1 shot kills.

 

[Solitaire]

+1 for the TBBC 175gr, works great in my Steyr-Mannlicher .... but don't exist no more in Europ !

 

[colorado]

My rifle came in this week. The Leupold 3.5-10x50mm gloss black scope to match is due next week