Best 7mm bullet out to 600 yds

[257RobertsMan]

Just wondering, since I've never shot any of the Barnes bullets, would a light or lighter for caliber Barnes traveling at a higher velocity than you normally shot open up more on a broadside behind the shoulder shot placement? For example only, let's say I have a 308 reloaded with 150gr Accubonds @ 2,870fps and decided to try a Barnes 130gr TSX/TTSX @ 3,100fps, would the Barnes being light and faster at shorter ranges give more expansion at impact and thru the wound channel.

Not trying to start an argument here, just some reloading thoughts going thru my mind and would like to hear some feedback from those that have experience with this scenario. I think with bonded or all copper bullets that expansion and internal ballistics would be greater in broadside shots with lighter faster traveling projectiles. And yes I know at long/longer ranges what your giving up by going lighter. Is my line of reasoning wrong?

Just trying to learn from the best, thanks in advance.

 

[WildRose]

Just wondering, since I've never shot any of the Barnes bullets, would a light or lighter for caliber Barnes traveling at a higher velocity than you normally shot open up more on a broadside behind the shoulder shot placement? For example only, let's say I have a 308 reloaded with 150gr Accubonds @ 2,870fps and decided to try a Barnes 130gr TSX/TTSX @ 3,100fps, would the Barnes being light and faster at shorter ranges give more expansion at impact and thru the wound channel.

Not trying to start an argument here, just some reloading thoughts going thru my mind and would like to hear some feedback from those that have experience with this scenario. I think with bonded or all copper bullets that expansion and internal ballistics would be greater in broadside shots with lighter faster traveling projectiles. And yes I know at long/longer ranges what your giving up by going lighter. Is my line of reasoning wrong?

Just trying to learn from the best, thanks in advance.

I have limited experience with the TSX and TTSX. They tend to be very rapidly expanding bullets, more so than I've seen with the LRX.

The LRX seems to be very consistent with it's expansion but overall to expand less than the others at similar velocities.

My neighbor shot the TSX and TTSX in .243 for his kids and in a .257 weatherby and I had to help them track down quite a few dear that had been shot well placement wise with really nasty entrance wounds limited penetration at best and no exits particularly on anything other than a perfect broadside shot. At even a slight angle they seemed to blow up even on light bone such as ribs.

While I haven't shot a whole lot of game yet with the LRX I have yet to see anything similar, consistent expansion producing golfball or slightly smaller exits even when passing directly through the shoulders of big hogs. This would accounty for a couple of dozen animals shot with the .260's and 7mm STW's, six hogs and five deer shooting them in the .375 Ruger.

Definitely performed better for me than the Hornady GMX that didn't seem to want to expand much if any at all. I shot a big deer a full length body shot rear to front two years ago with the 250gr GMX producing only a slightly larger than caliber exit and the buck ran a good 300 yards before cratering. The only similar shot I've made with the LRX was on a very large boar running almost straight away. The shot exited the Left chest/shoulder area and he stopped in about 10 yards obviously about to crater but it was near dark so I put another one through both shoulders and dropped him in his tracks.

While I still consider the Peregrine to be the best Monolithic I have ever shot the LRX continues to perform well and is a solid second.

 

[leadchucker]

inside 600yds with a 7rm i have had great luck with the 150gr scirocco ii and the 160gr accubond, they both work excellent, my preference going to the scirocco.
Out of my 257wby that little 100gr scirocco at 3500fps is pure poison on whitetails! For some reason i seem to get a bit better accuracy with the swifts over the accubonds as well.

 

[WildRose]

inside 600yds with a 7rm i have had great luck with the 150gr scirocco ii and the 160gr accubond, they both work excellent, my preference going to the scirocco.
Out of my 257wby that little 100gr scirocco at 3500fps is pure poison on whitetails! For some reason i seem to get a bit better accuracy with the swifts over the accubonds as well.

Boy I had the exact opposite with the Sirocco's. At high velocity they occasionally did some really weird things including barely penetrating and turning 90deg or better.

Years ago shooting the 140 in my first .260 bolt gun I shot a little buck at about 120yds. The shot was a bit low but he dropped like a rock.

Curiously I found no exit wound.

When I opened him up I found that the bullet had deflected off of the top of his sternum and was loged, flattened out the size of a fifty cent piece in his spine.

I had two fail completely in Africa on a Blue Wildebeast and Warthog. The first making a perfect entry in the crease between the neck and shoulder, turning and shooting out of the top of the shoulder between it and the spine, the second flattening out like a knife blade and making a 90deg turn.

I shot the rest up when I got home at coyotes and haven't messed with them since.

 

[Ingwe]

Boy I had the exact opposite with the Sirocco's. At high velocity they occasionally did some really weird things including barely penetrating and turning 90deg or better.

Years ago shooting the 140 in my first .260 bolt gun I shot a little buck at about 120yds. The shot was a bit low but he dropped like a rock.

Curiously I found no exit wound.

When I opened him up I found that the bullet had deflected off of the top of his sternum and was loged, flattened out the size of a fifty cent piece in his spine.

I had two fail completely in Africa on a Blue Wildebeast and Warthog. The first making a perfect entry in the crease between the neck and shoulder, turning and shooting out of the top of the shoulder between it and the spine, the second flattening out like a knife blade and making a 90deg turn.

I shot the rest up when I got home at coyotes and haven't messed with them since.

WR, keeping in mind all the killing you have done, what would you choose as an all around African Plainsgane or Elk bullet in a 7mmRemMag if you had to choose between:

175gr Accubond Lr at 2,900fps or

143gr Hammer or Barnes LRX at 3,250fos?

Curious which and why?

Thanks!

 

[Orange Dust]

I have a couple hundred 168 ABLR's I'm going to work up a load for in my 280 AI and see how they do on game. I don't doubt they work great far out but I can't seem to avoid those pesky 80 yard shots that crop up from time to time.

Just put them in the ribs up close and you will be fine. I've used them quite a bit and they are very destructive up close when started around 3300 or so. They behave very consistently though, and are a great LR bullet. One of my favorites.

 

[Orange Dust]

Boy I had the exact opposite with the Sirocco's. At high velocity they occasionally did some really weird things including barely penetrating and turning 90deg or better.

Years ago shooting the 140 in my first .260 bolt gun I shot a little buck at about 120yds. The shot was a bit low but he dropped like a rock.

Curiously I found no exit wound.

When I opened him up I found that the bullet had deflected off of the top of his sternum and was loged, flattened out the size of a fifty cent piece in his spine.

I had two fail completely in Africa on a Blue Wildebeast and Warthog. The first making a perfect entry in the crease between the neck and shoulder, turning and shooting out of the top of the shoulder between it and the spine, the second flattening out like a knife blade and making a 90deg turn.

I shot the rest up when I got home at coyotes and haven't messed with them since.

I found the same thing with the 180's in a RUM and a 30-378. Both those are too much gun for that bullet for sure.

 

[WildRose]

I found the same thing with the 180's in a RUM and a 30-378. Both those are too much gun for that bullet for sure.

In Africa I was shooting the 300wm. the warthog was shot at about 150 if I remember right and the big blue Wildebeest was close to 300yds out. I really expected better performance.

The bullets did not come apart on me best I can tell but they are so soft they just flattened out completely then passed through like a knife edged coin flipping through the vitals.

Africans typically are really big on making sure their bullets will track true on a straight line. I never quite "got it" but after seeing those failures I "got it" for life.

I managed to buy some 300wm shooting a Gromm bonded bullet that performed very well and got some of the Perigrines and was able to reload them with a buddy's gear while I was there.

Best performing bullet I've ever tried at under 600yds and honestly even on shots exceeding 600yds they have also performed exceptionally well.

It doesn't seem to matter if the target is a cinder block, a coyote, deer, hog, or bigger, they always seem to open up no matter what they hit and maintain their weight all the way through.

I've shot them now in 3 .260Rem's, 3 300wm's, my 6.5 LRM, 2 300 Rum's, and two .375 Rugers and across all of them they have shot very well and always given me exceptional terminal performance.

As long as I can keep getting the Peregrines, I'll keep shooting them. I have yet to find anything as reliable.

 

[Ingwe]

In Africa I was shooting the 300wm. the warthog was shot at about 150 if I remember right and the big blue Wildebeest was close to 300yds out. I really expected better performance.

The bullets did not come apart on me best I can tell but they are so soft they just flattened out completely then passed through like a knife edged coin flipping through the vitals.

Africans typically are really big on making sure their bullets will track true on a straight line. I never quite "got it" but after seeing those failures I "got it" for life.

I managed to buy some 300wm shooting a Gromm bonded bullet that performed very well and got some of the Perigrines and was able to reload them with a buddy's gear while I was there.

Best performing bullet I've ever tried at under 600yds and honestly even on shots exceeding 600yds they have also performed exceptionally well.

It doesn't seem to matter if the target is a cinder block, a coyote, deer, hog, or bigger, they always seem to open up no matter what they hit and maintain their weight all the way through.

I've shot them now in 3 .260Rem's, 3 300wm's, my 6.5 LRM, 2 300 Rum's, and two .375 Rugers and across all of them they have shot very well and always given me exceptional terminal performance.

As long as I can keep getting the Peregrines, I'll keep shooting them. I have yet to find anything as reliable.

WR, with your experience of killing so many animals a year in mind, besides Peregrines, what would be you ultimate bullet for all around plainsgame in say 7mmRemMag? I said earlier that I shoot 175gr Accubond Lr's at 2,815fps. Would you stay with that or go the total opposite way to say 143gr Hammer/LRX at 3,250+-??

What would you do?

 

[richhymas]

I tend to lean towards heavy for caliber bullets at all ranges. It tempers the speed at close ranges while still providing great penetration and expansion. It retains velocity and energy down range to get the job done. I use the 195 Berger for my 7 mm rem mag and the 215 Berger for my 300 win mag. Killed a moose DRT at 100 yards and a deer at 590. Worked well for both situations. My biggest concern at short ranges is excessive bullet expansion which is the enemy to penetration. Light fast bullets run that risk. For deer, you can't go wrong with any hunting bullet out of a 7 mag, but at 600 yards in elk a light fast bullet you may be marginal. I think at least 168 grains would be a good balance for the range of uses you mentioned.

 

[willyqbc]

Ingwe, if your rifle is twisted for it, the barnes 168 LRX is a great "do all" option for your 7 mag. Should be able to run it at 2900ish fps. You can expect reliable expansion at your stated 600 yds, straight line pass through penetration even on heavy bone hits. Bang flops are rare with these bullets but it is also rare that we have to follow for 100yds...40yd track job is the norm.
My crew has been shooting barnes for years...tsx, ttsx, and now the lrx. We've taken close to 200 animals with the barnes, pretty much everything in north America, a bunch of African and New Zealand critters. The tsx and ttsx have been flawless performers for us, but it appears to me that the LRX's are doing more internal damage...which makes sense as they were designed to open up easier.

JMO
chris

 

[David Lindler]

so trying to decide on a bullet for hunting. Will be deer hunting Maybe maybe a elk but doubtful. Will keep the range at 600 or less. Most being under 400 Would you run 140 with some speed or something else. 7mm mag 24 in barrel I seem to have a hard time deciding on this. Not sure the heavy high B C bullet is what I need for this application Your thoughts. Thsnks

Berger 168 classic hunter works well in my 7mm mag with 24" barrel. Has high BC
Getting 2950 with 68 grains retumbo. Start at 65 grains and work up for your gun
168 retains more energy than lighter bullets and leaves large exit wounds for easy blood trailing if necessary.
If I went lighter, l would consider a hammer hunter bullet in the 150 grain range. Very accurate and massive internal damage.

 

[LVJ76]

Just wondering, since I've never shot any of the Barnes bullets, would a light or lighter for caliber Barnes traveling at a higher velocity than you normally shot open up more on a broadside behind the shoulder shot placement? For example only, let's say I have a 308 reloaded with 150gr Accubonds @ 2,870fps and decided to try a Barnes 130gr TSX/TTSX @ 3,100fps, would the Barnes being light and faster at shorter ranges give more expansion at impact and thru the wound channel.

Not trying to start an argument here, just some reloading thoughts going thru my mind and would like to hear some feedback from those that have experience with this scenario. I think with bonded or all copper bullets that expansion and internal ballistics would be greater in broadside shots with lighter faster traveling projectiles. And yes I know at long/longer ranges what your giving up by going lighter. Is my line of reasoning wrong?

Just trying to learn from the best, thanks in advance.

I will take the Accubond any day over the TSX or TTSX, Why? They are more reliable when it comes to expanding.

I have witnessed the pencil entry and exit holes from Barnes when you dont hit bone or a low velocities (longer ranges). I have seen them work and expand at close ranges when bone is hit.

Pretty much all bonded bullets will expand without having to hit bone, so whether you like shoulder or behind the shoulder shots and if you are a bit off you wont have to worry about the bullet not expanding.

Fast is not always best, for example I preffer and have better results with a 162gr bullet out of my 7mm Rem Mag than a 140gr or 150gr bullet, these lower weight ones can fragment and fail to penetrate on close range shots, bondes or not. With the heavier ones you dont when to worry about that.

 

[WildRose]

WR, with your experience of killing so many animals a year in mind, besides Peregrines, what would be you ultimate bullet for all around plainsgame in say 7mmRemMag? I said earlier that I shoot 175gr Accubond Lr's at 2,815fps. Would you stay with that or go the total opposite way to say 143gr Hammer/LRX at 3,250+-??

What would you do?

I will always go with a good bonded bullet like the Hornady Interbond or Nosler Accubond as far as conventional bullets go or the Peregrine VLR and next to the Barnes LRX.

The Peregrines are as close to magic in a box as I've ever shot then in descending order the Interbond, LRX, and Accubond.

Last week I had a very difficult shot on a very nice buck. I knew I wanted to mount him if I could get him down yet all I could see of him was just about from the mid line of the neck up.

I did the math in my head, lined up on the groove in the neck where the Jugular ought to be on his left side figuring I was at spine level or just below and that the bullet would exit just behind his right shoulder.

Since I was shooting the Peregrine VLR I knew I had no worries about the bullet over expanding/blowing up or shearing off at weird, unpredicatble angles.

I pulled the trigger with confidence on a very nice 10pt, the nicest I've taken in over a decade and sure enough find a nice, neat little entry right along the groove of the neck, barely nicked the spine between the shoulders and exited just behind his right shoulder leaving an exit hole maybe a 1/2-9/16".

The cape was perfect and there wasn't a half pound of meat loss.

Even a good bonded bullet would have likely made quite a mess of him and the non bonded conventional bullets would have made a horrible mess.

Why did I choose that shot angle? I didn't, he did and he gave me every indication that his next step would be him disappearing into the brush. You rarely get a clean shot at an animal like that even once, and almost never twice.

I wouldn't have had the same level of confidence shooting anything else.