.7mm rem mag limmitations

death-junky

death-junky

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im in the proses of buying a browning stanless stalker in 7mm rem mag and i would like to know how good this cal realy is and what big game i should use it on and what to avoid.
i hear that it is one of the flatest shooting round out there and that it holds it speed and energy very well at a distence. what is the best size of bullet to use???
thanks for the info
talk to ya all later
Riley
 
The 7mm Rem Mag will take any member of the deer family in North America. The 140gr is fine for whitetail, mulies, etc... 160gr-175gr work fine for Elk or Moose. For the latter, if you're using factory ammo, go for the premium stuff loaded with Barnes Triple Shok X-Bullets, Nosler Partitons, CT Failsafe, Trophy Bonded Bear Claws, etc... They offer better penetration and expansion at magnum velocities. If you're just after Whitetail/Mule don't bother, they're not needed.

If this is your first rifle and/or first magnum, please, please practice shooting it from field positions before heading into the field with it! New shooters and Magnum rifles rarely go well together & horrendous flinches and wounded animals are the typical result. Shoot offhand, sitting or kneeling positions where your body can move and help absorb recoil. Shooting off the bench will direct all the recoil directly back into your shoulder. Not fun & won't help you when it comes time to take a shot at that book class deer or moose!
 
if you're not going after grizzly it's a damn good choice. even on grizz I'd like my odds with a good premium 160 grain and some distance between us :D
 
I have killed or seen killed with the 7RM:

Mule deer
Black Bear
Moose
Grizzly Bear
Mountain Goat
Cougar
Grouse

IMHO it's more of a "all around" cartridge than the 30-06.
 
7mm.

When you get to be a good shot and confident with it, the 7mm rem mag. can and has taken everything on this continent with well constructed 160-175gr bullets, i personally have one and it is one of the most accurate rifles i own. It shoots everything with very good accuracy. I my self use my 338WM on the big bears, why not i own one. Good luck i hope you get it.
 
In the hands of a better than average shooter ,and in an accurate rifle,the 7mmrem mag is an honest 400 yard cartridge suitable for game ranging from pronghorn to moose.My personal preference is bullets such as the 140gr ballistic tip for deer or pronghorn and the 140gr tsx,or failsafe if you want to hunt elk or moose,or if you are only going to use one load to hunt all game..
 
Gatehouse, are you sure that the 7RM is enough gun for grouse? I use a .550, and find it OK for ruffies, but a little too small for sharptail and pheasant.

Sharptail
 
I have used my Win M70 in 7mm Rem Mag to take 1 antelope, 2 Mule Deer, 3 Whitetail Deer and, hopefully, a moose and another Whitetail this fall. For big game, I use nothing but handloaded 160 grain Sierra Game King Spitzer Boat Tail bullets. One shot, one kill for EVERY one of my big game animals so far.

I have also used the 7mm on gophers, crows, magpies and coyotes using the Sierra 100 grain hollow point bullet. It raises hell on coyotes, but is a little much on gophers, crows and magpies. To thick a jacket for reliable expansion on such small critters, but it still sends them to their maker though. :D

In my not so humble opinion, the 7mm Rem Mag is one of the premier hunting cartridges in the world. It will bring down virtually any animal on the globe, and it won't kick the #### out of the shooter like some of the BIG bore rifles do. It is not a beginner cartridge though, as it does have substantial recoil for those not used to heavy recoiling rifles. All in all, I LOVE it. :D
 
The world has been hunted very effectively with the 7mm Mauser. The 7RM launches every bullet weight 200 to 400fps faster. There is nothing that can't be 'hunted' with the 7RM cartridge and appropriate bullet (should you is another story - this is not a stopping cartridge). Put the bullet where it will do good and animals will fall.

I have been playing with two and really like this cartridge. Yes, it is very flat shooting but that is more a function of high BC bullets then the case. The 162gr AMax at 3000 to 3150fps simply defies gravity and bucks the wind exceptionally well. A great LR target bullet.

Many heavy 7mm bullets have high BC's so fly quite flat. Most 7mm bullets have high SD so penetrate through game well too.

Recoil and noise is an issue. Milder cartridges can be used with the same effect at reg. hunting ranges so you have to make a choice if a magnum is really necessary.

With todays amazing selection of bullets, you don't need to drive them at elevated velocity to flatten game. So be realistic about your hunting needs, max hunting distance, recoil tolerance, and shooting experience. The 7RM can be used to reach out and really touch something but without the necessary support gear and experience, a receipe for disaster.

So to answer your question directly, the only limitation on the 7RM is well...you.

Jerry
 
My main hunting rifles are 7 rem mag and 300 win mag. I have killed every species of North American big game animal , except Musk OX and Polar bear with a 7 rem mag shooting 160 grain Nosler Partitions. The effective range of the 7 is far more than most shooters can use, I have shot and killed moose at over 1000 yards with the 7 rem. I DO NOT recommend trying these extreme long range shots, unless you are an EXTREMELY accomplished 1000 yard shooter, but under the right conditions the 7 can do it. I have found the the 160 grain bullets seem to perform best in many 7 mags, the heavier bullets ofcourse retain velocity and kinetic energy longer than the lighter 1s do and will penetrate deeper as well.
For most long shots I prefer my 300, again heavier bullets and more down range energy, but when all you got is a 7 in your hands it will reach out there. :mrgreen:
 
Welcome to the world of high BC bullets. JBM software based on the 162gr Amax and my two rifle parameters. muzzle velocity 3150fps, 1000yds 2400fps/2080ft/lbs. 3000fps, 1000yds 2275fps/ 1860ft/lbs. There is still plenty of poop even if you assume the data is 10 to 20% generous.

So the question is not whether the cartridge/bullet is up to the task. The question is whether the total package (that includes the shooter) can deliver the goods.

Being able to shoot that far and being able to hit that far are two very different things.

Jerry
 
maybe my JBM Ballistics program is SNAFU, but I get a 1000 yard impact velocity of 1840 fps and energy of 1220 ft-lbs when a 162 gr. A-Max is launched at 3150 fps... :?


did you mean 500 yards?
huh.gif
 
The Sierra infinity program, based on my own 7 rem says muzzle of 3080 fps with 160 gr partition has 1553 fps at 1000 yards and 856 ft lbs of energy at the 1000
My 300 shooting 200 gr Partitions ,according to Sierras program is 3120 fps at muzzle 1594 fps at 1000 with 1128 ftlbs energy at 1000.
The only info I know for fact and certain is muzzle velocity, the program seems to be pretty accurate for estimating come ups, given that 1 would assume that their calculations for down range velocity and energy should be close. :mrgreen:
 
Todd, you are not going nuts!! At least, regarding my post :lol: Glad you caught that.

One parameter that is rarely adjusted for in ballistic programs is the drag or G function. Most don't bother because bullet companies don't specify this (helps with marketing as I will explain).

There are 7 G functions which cover the 'whole' range of bullets as we know them today. From flat base lumpy things to VLD cruisers. However, the BC number doesn't specify which drag function calculations were based on.

Drove me nuts where one bullet would follow a ballistic table to the click and others were way off. Used to blame the scope. After adjusting for the G function, this problem has gone away.

When I make a drop table, I base it on real world shooting. In this case, two rifles using the same components but at slightly different velocities. Based on 3 to 4 real world drops, I plug in numbers to see what agrees.

When using the G7 function for this Amax bullet, the drops agree to within 2 clicks out to 940yds, the furthest these have been shot while testing. Of course, there are issues with scope height, click values, range finder accuracy, etc. So I assume that the printed data may vary by 10 to 20% to the real world.

In these two cases, the printed data agree with my real world shooting to the letter.

I have since varied G functions for other rifles and bullets I shoot. In all cases, changing the G function (done at random on the program) but retaining the muzzle velocity from the Chrony, and BC value given by the bullet company has produced 'predicted' drop values that agree with my scope come ups very closely (within a couple of clicks all the way out to 900yds). The odds of this many scopes, rifles, cartridges and bullets agreeing and being a fluke is pretty slim.

Adjusting the drag function is the key to accurate drop charts. And an accurate way of comparing bullets.

SOOOOOOO, you can have a G1 or G7 bullet with the same printed BC value. The real world drops will be vastly different. The G7 bullet will fly way flatter then the G1. From a marketing stand point, a high drag bullet can have a nice large BC, based on the "lower" G function used for the calculations, so sells well. However, comparing to other drag class bullets would make them dogs.

My conclusion is that printed BC values are misleading unless a G function is assigned (ie BC 0.45, G5 bullet). No company yet publishes a drag function to go with their BC value so we are comparing apples and oranges without knowing it.

That will explain why some bullets fly way flatter or drop more then expected. Explains why some computer drop tables are nothing like what you see from shooting. The assumptions/data used are simply wrong.

By the way, both scopes were checked for repeatability and accuracy of click adjustments at 100yds and a tape measure. The amount of elevation adjustments are right on.

The only real ways to verify a bullet's BC is by doppler radar or shooting over two or more chronies in a tunnel. Since I own neither, I will continue to use this method of playing with the G function and data I can gather. Far from perfect but certainly in the right direction to getting repeatable and reliable results.

And drop tables that work, in the real world.

Jerry
 
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