what is the best grain to shoot out of a 7mm rem?

[Guest gino]

what do you guys think is the best grain to use when shooting a 7mm rem for white tail?

[More D]

The short answer would be what ever your rifle likes (tight grouping, accuracy wise) But if you are new to the rifle I would start out with light bullet weight. Maybe a Nosler 140gr 150gr ballistic tip or a Hornady SST in 139gr 154gr. In my opinion the "plastic tip" bullets are are perfect for the white tail, 75 to 125 pound average buck, loooong shots, etc.

You will hear lots of different opinons, lots of them will be what shoots good in that owners particular rifle, not what is good for your rifle. So take time and try them all. My rifle lucky enough shots regular Remington 150gr Cor-Locs with great groups. ACCURACY is what is most important, not so much bullet type or brand, heck as long as it is reliable brand and a soft point of some kind. While these whitetail are VERY tough they will go down if hit in the right place.

[Prohunt]

gino,

I have to agree with More D that it depends on your rifles "sweet spot." That being said, in my custom Ruger M77 the 165 and 168 boattails shoot the best . The same thing goes for my dads old Sako 7mm mag. 2 years ago I dropped a 3 by 4 Coues in his tracks at over 500 yards with the 168 Sierra Boattails.

The thing I don't agree with More D on is the ballistic tips. They were designed for varmint hunting and these little buggers are extremely tough. I know if you hit them perfectly they will go down with a .22 , but with Coues you rarely get a close shot and they won't usually stand still like a carp deer. A few years ago, a buddy of mine shot a B & C bear at about 100 yards and knocked it down. Then the bear got up and walked away. They flew the area a few days later and they saw the bear limping but very alive. You guessed it he was shooting a 7mm mag with 150 grain ballistic tips.

Just my 2 cents.

Good luck

Travis

[Guest Guest_Brian]

Hey guys, I'll add my input and observations.

 

I disagree that Coues' whitetails are tough. As a matter of persepctive, I have shot Southern mule deer (a California subspecies on par with a Blacktail), Desert Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Mule Deer, Virginia Whitetails, and Coues' Whitetails with bow, muzzleloader, handgun, and rifle. My observation has been that the Coues' deer are by far the easiest to put down. In fact, most of them have hit the ground right at bullet impact. I see a tell-tale white flash in the scope and it's over. I even shot a Coues' buck at 20 yards with an Easton ACC 349 that knocked it off its feet. That surprised me.

 

I also prefer the Nosler Ballistic Tip for these small whitetails for a number of reasons. (Not the light-jacketed "varmint" B-Tips.) First off, the most accurate bullets are usually the polymer-tipped boat-tails; and because of their uniformity, they maintain that accuracy at range. (A bullet that is sub-MOA at 100 yards won't necessarily maintain that.) When the speeds slow down at 330-500 yards they expand more readily, and the Coues' deer' chest cavity is small, so the bullet needs to open up quick.

 

I don't like B-Tips for all applications though, and I too have had failures on bigger deer at closer ranges (especially on shoulder shots). At moderate speeds I like the Partitions, and at higher speeds I like the harder-lead bullets like the A-Frame, etc.

 

Anyway, I'd stick with the B-Tips or Sierra SBTs from 140 to 160 grains. Don't use Sierra match bullets for hunting. No reason to shoot an accurate bullet that won't do what it's supposed to once it reaches its mark.

 

Brian

[Guest Mark]

Coues tough????!!! I've shot abt 10 Coues the last dozen years or so and have'nt met a tough one yet!!! Most get knocked flat when shooting Nos Bal Tips out of any standard high cal. rifle. I've shot 'em w/ 7mm-08 and last year a 7mmWSM. I love the 120 Nos Bal Tips. They do everything I need out of my rifles. If I"m starin' down the barrel at a BIG Coues, I want two things, accuacy and a bullet that makes the biggest hole I can get. NBT fills that bill. Tough??? FINDING A BIG COUES BUCK DURING OCT-NOV SEASONS, now that's tough. Also try a big AZ elk, that's tough too!!! Mark

[Guest Outdoor Writer]

>>A few years ago, a buddy of mine shot a B & C bear at about 100 yards and knocked it down. Then the bear got up and walked away. They flew the area a few days later and they saw the bear limping but very alive. You guessed it he was shooting a 7mm mag with 150 grain ballistic tips.<<

 

From the sound of it, I doubt any bullet would have killed the bear. But I 'd bet the farm that better shot placement with THAT bullet might have. -TONY