What bullets for 7mag?

[Three_Oh_Eight]

sorry for the confusion, I meant big RN bullets, not boat tails. I am well versed in the dynamic affects of drag....just not aways so good at english at 11pm...lol.  some of the 7mm stuff gets pretty chunky when it gets heavy. I have some 180gr bergers here that are swell if you can spin them.

Hey, if we don't require everyone in this country to speak English, we might as well not knock you for it either 

[PA BEN]

I found 160gr Nosler AccuBond's shoot very will. 61.3 grs of RL-19, mag. primer. I neck size my brass, but these loads are with new win. brass. Over 3000 fps MV. Here's some pictures of my groups, the lower group is the same bullet w/60 grs of IMR 4350. Scroll down the page to the pictures.
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,52736.msg647793.html#new

[BLUEBULLS]

What are you hunting and how far are your shots?  I used 160gr Nosler Partitions in my 7mm because it was a good medium between flat trajectory for long shots on deer and penetration for closer shots on elk.  If I were only deer hunting, I'd load up 140 or 150gr boat tails to the gills.  Until you get out to 500 yards, the BC, SD and all those other minutia are pretty much non-issues.  The limiting factor won't be ballistic coefficient or sectional density.  I think we get too worried about these little things when we could put the time and effort into more useful things like physical fitness, spotting animals, stalking and field shooting. 

I full-length size all of my hunting ammo because I want the most reliable and effortless feeding possible.  Neck-sizing might help accuracy in theory, but cycling can often be a bit stiffer and I'd trade reliability for minimal gains in accuracy.  I also like to put a little crimp with a Lee collet die to make sure the bullets don't slip during recoil or anything like that.  Even with these steps, I'm able to find loads that are at least MOA, if not a bit better.  If I can shoot 2 MOA out to 400 yards, I'm still on lungs on a deer. 

  not sure why the more useful things that you mentioned came up.

trust me, I do more of all of those than probably 98% of hunters. I'm just looking for any advantage I can gain. And yes, i'm into minimal advantages, they all add up.

I did find a good load after trying several. 160gr bt, 66grns of H4831.

a hair over a 1inch group from 110yds, 2" high with a ruger m77

[Three_Oh_Eight]

I didn't mention them as a reflection on you at all.  It was more of a general statement toward hunters as a whole.  I think we honestly read too many gun magazines and they make us think we can't hunt deer and elk the way we used to because we have to worry about ballistic coefficients, sectional density, the Coriollis effect and all of that stuff.  From what I've seen with my own hunting and shooting and watching others, SD and BC would have never helped any of failure or non-success.  The limiting factor has never been an inch or two difference in drop or wind drift.  Its always been the ability to dope the shot and execute.   

I have a friend who is easily 40 pounds overweight and obsesses about having a rifle weighing less than 6 1/2 pounds because his 8 1/2 pound gun tires him out.  Why not keep his 8 1/2 pound rifle and lose the 40 on his gut?  Same guy obsesses about BC and SD but can't hold on a manhole cover at 300 yards in the field. 

I think the load you described with the 160gr boat-tail would be great for almost anything you'd ask a 7mm Mag to do.  Its obvious you put some time into it and the other aspects of the hunt.  Get to know your rifle with that load at various ranges and you'll be deadly.  With near 1 inch groups at 110 yards, there aren't many deer you'll miss because of the rifle or load.

[BLUEBULLS]

I definitely agree. that's what things are moving towards.

kinda sad that some people can't enjoy the hunt for the "HUNT".

[Three_Oh_Eight]

Yeah.  I used to obsess about stuff before I actually started to kill animals.  Killing some animals made me realize that the effect on deer isn't drastic enough for me to notice the benefit.  I just picked a well constructed bullet, found a decent load, and then focused on other stuff while putting in some time here and there at the range.  It works out.

[robescc]

Bullet weight is way over rated,shot placement is what it's all about. 

Obviously you have never shot in any kind of wind conditions other than a dead wind.

[G.R.K]

Bullet weight is way over rated,shot placement is what it's all about.  

Obviously you have never shot in any kind of wind conditions other than a dead wind.

LAFFIN,Missing the point. 

[coachcw]

go spend about $500 bucks on every factory load on will work, I'm gonna try thr bergers hunting shack . my 7mm's have all been finiky , good luck finding a load that groups.

[PA BEN]

This is why I started reloading. I shot my Washington Moose Oct. 4ht '08. I took a neck shot at 37 yds. He was facing away, I leveled the cross hairs on the center of his neck and touched it off. Didn't even buck, just ran, I pumped two more in him, and put him down, he went about 200 yds. I thought I missed the neck shot But, when I boned out his neck, I found a hole, and when I got to the neck bone I found a hole between two vertebra, I found the bullet. Perfect mushroom. 175 gr. Rem. Core lock factory round in 7MM-REM. MAG. At 37 yds it should have dropped him.

[Skyvalhunter]

PLACEMENT PLACEMENT PLACEMENT

[PA BEN]

go spend about $500 bucks on every factory load on will work, I'm gonna try thr bergers hunting shack . my 7mm's have all been finiky , good luck finding a load that groups.

How about this group?
The group in the center is 160gr nosler accubond, RL-19, mag. primer. The lower Group is IMR 4350 the rest is the same.

[PA BEN]

PLACEMENT PLACEMENT PLACEMENT

You ever shot an animal in the neck and not have it drop?

[Skyvalhunter]

yes I have if I didn't hit the bone.

[PA BEN]

Will this bullet made it to the bone but all the push came out of it when it mushroomed on impact. A better bullet like a nosler I believe would have broke his neck.