7mm Mag Whitetail Load?

Rooster_Feather

Rooster_Feather

Member
A very close friend of mine passed away a few years ago in a car wreck. His father gave me the Weatherby Vangard 7mm mag that my friend had given him. The dad said that he was not going to hunt anymore.

I have never had a large caliber rifle like this before. I am going to use it this year to hunt during Whitetail season here in Oklahoma.

What factory load should I start out with for this rifle. (I fully realize that I should shoot different loads and rounds to determine what shoots best. But I don't have the time or money to do that right now.) I need to get an adequate deer round and get this rifle sighted in.

Forgot to mention the rifle was topped with a Leupold Vari X II. I used it a little bit on my .223, but really wanted to put it back on the 7mm to "keep it original". Kind of a sentimental rifle.

Thanks in advance for advise!

Roooooooooster
 
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Not many choices with 7mm weatherby factory loads. I would recommend 139 or 154gr if your local store has them They are loaded with Hornady interlocks and will do fine. If you ever get around to handloading for it, 139gr SST interlocks will never dissapoint you for deer, neither will 150gr BT's.
 
Wait a minute!... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

I screwed up! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif It is a Vanguard Weatherby 7mm Mag. It shoots the Rem 7mm Mag!!!

Sorry about that! I edited my original post.

Yeah, that would make a difference! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif

Rooooooster
 
If you can find it Hornady heavy mag w/139gr SST. Can't say enough good things about this bullet in any 7MM other than the insane ones. 2nd choice any factory loaded 150gr Ballistic tip. Stay away from the 140gr Ballistic tips though. I've seen some penetration problems with this bullet.
 
Winchester Supreme is good ammo, with the 140gr accubond should be great deer medicine. Really there are a number of good loads in 139-160gr range that would be fine for whitetails here in Ok.
 
A 7Mag for deer? Worried about a load? Man.....ANY load in a 7Mag would be adequate on a whitetail. That is one NASTY cartridge. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I use the 139g in 7mm mag for every thing up to and including mule deer. A great round. Reloading a 165 Sierra is also a good call, but over all the 139g Hornady or a 140 Sierra is what will serve you well.
Jim
 
I have shot the 7mm mag for ever but have never shot any factory loads. My loads used the H 139 and H 154gr bullets. They are awesone. Liked the 139 best. Shot a mule deer once with the 154's but never felt I needed that heavy of a bullet unless shooting elk or such.
 
I have used Remington's 140, 150 and 175 gr. on whitetail and they all work fine. If I were going to pick one it would probably be the 150.
 
If you can find some Federal Premiums in a 150 Partition, it will do all you ask of it. I got tired of loading for my friends and told him to try them. They deliver.
 
I would post a picture of a coyote that I shot using winchester ballistic 150gr. but, its a little too bloody to show.

I'm shooting a savage model 110 with the factory load winchesters & it shoots great. Good long range gun if you've got a scope that can handle the recoil, (the VXII should work fine).

Some people say the 7mm is overkill on whitetails & it may be but, I'm very pleased with mine.
 
look at the hornady 162 gr bt, they make the closet to handload ammo on the market, if not look at the remington 150 gr accubonds. after the season find someone that reloads and have them build you some 140 nozzler ballistic tips pushed by 71 gr of rl 22 poweder and what your gun come to life.
 
personally i think 150 grain core-lokt does a great job and ive never had to track with them yet. i cant say i would youse the ballistic tips ive yoused them in a 270 and it didnt impress me to much because of the damage it did.
any 150's or higher should do fine. im trying nosler accubonds bonds this year in 160gr's.
 
I've never seen a 7mag tha wouldn't shoot the 139gr Hornadays well. I shot the old 139's (not sst's) for years before I started reloading. I have shot just about every bullet offered since and the Hornaday 139's are just as good as any for whitetails.
 
I don't shoot a 7mm mag anymore but have in the past. Old age has turned me into a woose! !39gr Hornady's (all pre interlock stuff here) shot great in mine. So did 140gr Sierras. The problem I found with those bullet's was damage was excessive. With the Sierra, penertation was suspect but when it did, it turned the animal into a bag of water, or so it sounded! The problem was excessive velocity for the lighter bullet's, at least back then. I finally settled on the 160gr Speer and found that it held together well and flew great. I think the 150/154 gr bullets would work as well.

American shooter's have went merrily on their way in persuit of more and more velocity without reguard to what that velocity does to the bullet. Enter the age of bonded core and X type bullet's. There's I've never used so can't say either way. But either should be the choice in a lighter hunting bullet in a magnum. Where you could get them in factory, I haven't a clue.

The biggest problem with cup and core bullet's at magnum velocity's is the closer range shot's, the shot's we normally get. Out somewhere beyond 200/250yds, velocity has dropped enough that the bullet's hold together better. But they still shed some amount of weight where the bonded core sheds less and the X type zero. Maintaining weight increases penetration and energy, as tho we don't have enough energy to kill a deer!

The super premium type bullet's might be a bit hard to find in factory ammo as they up the cost and most people aren't willing to pay it, which in turn up's the cost again. I had a guy give me a box of 6.5x55 Federal's loaded with 140gr Nosler partition's. I understand you can't get them anymore.If you don't reload an you shoot a magnum cartridge, do yourself a favor and start. You might not get all that much better accuracy but you'll sure get better bullet's.
 
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