Amax verses Berger

[FGRshooter]

Just have to weigh in on this one as I finally had the chance to try the bergers in the field. Black bear aprox 200 yards(point blank for this site haha) 7mm mag. 168gr. First shot behind the shoulder bear went 50 yards and stopped, next shot high shoulder and done. After skinning and some dissection the first bullet fragmented and destroyed lungs, aorta and liver. Next shot penetrated 1.5 inches before expanding the same way and left a 4" wound channel that ruined the shoulder and spinal cord and some fragments made it to off shoulder. The pleasant surprise for me was NO exit wounds I have a perfect hide with two tiny entrance wounds. From what I saw this bullet will kill regardless, but if you're keeping the meat go for behind the shoulder and don't worry about the blood trail cause you're not gonna need it.

 

[mcrono]

BHR, I live in Georgia where whitetails are the main big game.We have a 12 deer limit annually.Over a 10 yr. span, among family and shooting aquaintances,you get results from over 1000 deer kills. A-max, Ballistic silvertips, and Matchkings are the best deer killers we have seen. Bergers and Accubonds are the worst. Gary

Where I live I only hunt whitetails; why do you feel Bergers are the worst? I'm about to purchase a box of bullets and had settled on them until you said that. What is your reasoning?

 

[airbrna0723]

what type of berger round is it if its the match round your pretty much even if its there hunting round which has closely the same b.c it just transfers energy to the target better i would go with the berger i live in alaska have killed caribou with amax 162 grain bullets and it does the job but if its a longer shot and you dont make a solid muscle contact it will be a small hole and might have to do some tracking to recover the deer u hit the shoulder blade game over i smashed through both shoulder blades it has great penetration just doesent transfer the energy that well once it hits the target

 

[Reelamin]

I've been working on a hunting load for this fall's whitetail season and would like to get yall's opinion.

Rifle: Remington 700, 26 inch Barrel
Caliber: 7mm Remington Magnum

I have developed two different loads that both I and the rifle seem to like but can't seem to make up my mind as to which to go with.

Load #1 168 grain Berger VLD Hunting at an average MV of 3060. SD of about 50
Load #2 162 grain Hornady Amax at an average MV of 3020. SD of less than 10

Both loads will shoot consistent 3 inch groups at 650 yds. The Amaxs are a bit more vertically consistent than the bergers and quite a bit cheaper to shoot. The Amaxs also seem to have less recoil, making them more manageable during practice sessions. The Bergers leave a 1/4 inch crater in the 1/2 inch mild steel plate at 650 yds whereas the Amaxs simply remove the white paint and leave almost no crater whatsoever. The Bergers are loaded pretty hot whereas ladder testing for the Amaxs yielded a second accuracy node at a velocity of around 3150, but i haven't tried refining that load yet because the lower velocity is shooting so well.

So, if whitetail deer is my primary game animal, which bullet do yall think will give me the shortest blood trails?

Thanks, Bryan

Does not matter...both will kill a deer just fine! That being said...based on what you are seeing on steel for your set up. AMAX...will dump more energy in the animal then the Berger, and will blow right on through. Your shooting a deer....you need expansion not penetration. If you are shooting those little dog sized whiteys is SC....well just hit them with something and they are dead. LOL AMAX if it was me.

 

[Nimrod1203]

another way to consider. Go light and FAST. I grew up in Arkansas, where deer are very similar in size to yours, with ours running just a smidge bigger. I grew up shooting a 90 grain sierra varminter out of a 270 at 3600 fps. that thing has killed more deer than you could guess, and i haven't ever had a lost deer. the furthest a deer has ever ran is 30 yards. The furthest shot we ever made was about 380, but the deer didn't complain, just laid down. Until i got out west, I was a firm believer in light and fast, but now i understand to get past 600, I need a longer, heavier bullet for the BC, not neceserily the stopping power. Another good fact with the lighter bullets is recoil is non-existent, and the damage they do when shot behind the shoulder is amazing. you litterally pour the lungs out on the ground. And if you shoot one in the kneck, the bullet many times doesn't even exit the kneck, and it will break the kneck in multiple spots. I've even killed a buck and the bullet didn't get in more than the top 1/2 inch of his kneck, but was still enough to put him down.

One last thing, As info, you can get that same sierra in a 100 gr, and could launch it in excess of 3600 fps. Thats .22-250 speeds with more lead. Don't shoot one in the shoulder, but they are absolutely a blast to shoot when you see the damage done on deer. You trully have to see it to believe it. Headshots are like shooting a squirrel in the head with a 17 hmr.....I know that light and fast isn't a welcomed notion around these parts, and if you were shooting further/bigger game i'd say no as well. But trust me, I've used this same formula with trumendous success. besides, it costs $22 bucks to try
Nimrod

 

[BHR]

Thanks Nimrod, I will be purchasing a box of 139 sst's for my 7-30 waters tomorrow and will probably not be able to resist shooting a few through the 7 mag just to see how they do. I just wish Hornady made a 139 Amax. but oh well. It is what it is....

 

[Nimrod1203]

There are quite a few lighter bullets for the 7mm. 115 gr would be another great weight. the 130+ will still be fun, but definately pick up a box of LIGHT sometime and see how they shoot.....trust me. on that type of game, there is nothing better.
Nimrod

 

[Nimrod1203]

One more thing I forgot to mention. We all shot factory remington 700's. And that little 90 with a BC like a brick shot groups at 200 yards to cover with a nickle....it was seriously an amazing annomely. Nothing about it should have shot well, but it was a 1 holer at 100 yards.
Nimrod

 

[BHR]

which 90 grain bullet?

 

[BHR]

I may load some of those 90s in the 7-30 for my daughter to shoot.

 

[Nimrod1203]

In the .270 it was a 90. In 7mm it's a 100 gr sierra varminter. I shot that load when i was 10 years old with no pain. It kicks like a .243. yours would be the 100 gr sierra varminter. Midway has them right now for $22 per 100. She would do well with that weight, and it will definately kill a deer. Plus she will be a better shot not worrying about recoil.
Nimrod

 

[Nimrod1203]

Hey BHR, any update on the lighter bullets? how did they work for you?
Nimrod

 

[captacademy]

I know this post is a bit old, but this photo illustrates the damage done by my 7 WSM using the 162 A-Max, 3020 pfs. The goat was shot head on at 134 yards or so. He was hit on the lower breast bone.

 

[sendero72]

Whitetail ....7mag 162 amax at 657 yds.