new 7mm rem mag advice

[LeddSlinger]

If I were ever going to shoot factory ammo in a serious hunting rifle, the only thing I would use is Federal Premium Ammunition. I killed a lot of animals with that ammo many years ago before I started reloading. Very accurate and premium bullets.

I always tell people using factory ammo that if your gun won't shoot Federal Premium ammo accurately, then it may not shoot much of anything very accurately.

 

[brianmark]

If I were ever going to shoot factory ammo in a serious hunting rifle, the only thing I would use is Federal Premium Ammunition. I killed a lot of animals with that ammo many years ago before I started reloading. Very accurate and premium bullets.

I always tell people using factory ammo that if your gun won't shoot Federal Premium ammo accurately, then it may not shoot much of anything very accurately.

I dont think ive seen a rifle that hasnt shot the cheap blue box federals into tight groups but I want to go with something a lil closer to what I will reload with.. and if the scirocco shoots good in it and puts animals down I will prolly just stick with them

 

[LeddSlinger]

I dont think ive seen a rifle that hasnt shot the cheap blue box federals into tight groups but I want to go with something a lil closer to what I will reload with.. and if the scirocco shoots good in it and puts animals down I will prolly just stick with them

I used the 180gr Swift Scirocco II in a 300 win mag one hunting season... And I never used them again. They wouldn't expand. Just pin holed everything. I killed every animal I shot with them, but I like a bullet that opens up a little more to put the animal down right where it's hit. Shot 3 bull elk (my own and helped bring down two for family members who wounded them) and a black bear. So I got a pretty good idea of how they performed. The bear died with one double lung shot after running a ways and all bull elk took multiple shots to bring them down and still had to finish them all off up close. They penetrate extremely well, but a little TOO well in my opinion. Looked like someone stuck a #2 pencil through both lungs and both sides of the hide on my bear, absolutely zero expansion.

I can't speak for the 7mm Scirocco bullets, being that the 30 cal was my only experience with them, but I wasn 't very impressed. I expect my experience is probably the same reason you don't hear of many folks using them.

 

[MudRunner2005]

What dont you like about the swift bullets? Just curious as i havent used them before myself, but see many positive reviews

They didn't fly good in my .338 WM, which could have been luck of the draw... But I also don't ever hear any stories about them good or bad, which means obviously nowhere near as many people are using them as they are other brands of bullets.

I can't recall in 6 years of being on here, seeing any threads about the awesome performance of Swift Scirocco bullets. LOL

I don't know anyone who uses them religiously. I know people who have used them and weren't impressed enough to swap from their "old faithful go-to" bullets.

I have been told the Rem Accutip bullets were actually Sciroccos with a tan tip. And if that's the case, then you will never see me use a Swift bullet, based on what happened with my uncle this past year.

 

[MudRunner2005]

If I were ever going to shoot factory ammo in a serious hunting rifle, the only thing I would use is Federal Premium Ammunition. I killed a lot of animals with that ammo many years ago before I started reloading. Very accurate and premium bullets.

I always tell people using factory ammo that if your gun won't shoot Federal Premium ammo accurately, then it may not shoot much of anything very accurately.

I agree! Federal Premium and Hornady Custom ammo have put more critters in the freezer for me than any other ammo (before I handloaded). I used to use Fed Prem exclusively when they factory loaded with Nosler Accubonds, but they quit, and I had no choice but to start reloading to make the ammo that was working for me.

Reloading was the best thing I've ever done, because it brought me around to Berger bullets, and I have NEVER been happier with their performance in all of my rifles.

 

[FEENIX]

Im not against vld's, i just wont have the option to reload til i have more available funds, and i the only factory options ive seen for vld is by hsm and i dont have much faith in them..

My friend harvested a Montana bull elk last year with HSM 180gr Berger VLD off his 7MM Rem Mag Weatherby Accumark DRT at 300 yards with one shot and a cow elk the year before that.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I've never used the HSM ammo, but I've never heard anything but good about it. So I am curious as to why you don't have much faith in it?

 

[brianmark]

I've never used the HSM ammo, but I've never heard anything but good about it. So I am curious as to why you don't have much faith in it?

Its only from one example, but i bought a box for my 243 and it just didnt consistantly shoot very well with it.. I can shoot rounds on top of each other with fed blue box 100 grain but it just didnt work well with that gun.. Maybe the hsm 7mm vld factory loads shoot better but ive read alot of mixed reviews on quite a few hsm ammo

 

[FEENIX]

Its only from one example, but i bought a box for my 243 and it just didnt consistantly shoot very well with it.. I can shoot rounds on top of each other with fed blue box 100 grain but it just didnt work well with that gun.. Maybe the hsm 7mm vld factory loads shoot better but ive read alot of mixed reviews on quite a few hsm ammo

You wouldn't know unless you try it out of your rifle.

For instance; C&P from Trophy Gold review

Great load
jeff bickel (pompano beach, FL) 4/16/2012 1:22 PM
Performed well at 1000 yards in a standard chamber such as a Remington 700LA PSS hitting 10" steel every shot. However, did not perform as well in a match chamber. Only fired one round and case was stuck very tight and bolt could not retract. Perhaps brass is a bit soft without sufficient spring-back due to the tighter tolerances. Not effected in standard chamber. Overall, maintains 1 MOA or less even at 1000.

As far as personal experience with HSM ammo; I've only shot the 178 A-Max and 185 Berger VLD on my .300 Win Mag and they are within well 1 MOA at 400 yards .

 

[LeddSlinger]

Its only from one example, but i bought a box for my 243 and it just didnt consistantly shoot very well with it.. I can shoot rounds on top of each other with fed blue box 100 grain but it just didnt work well with that gun.. Maybe the hsm 7mm vld factory loads shoot better but ive read alot of mixed reviews on quite a few hsm ammo

I tried HSM ammo for the first time in my 6.8 SPC AR15 just out of curiosity and to use the brass for reloading. It was absolutely horrible. The powder wouldn't even completely burn so I'd have spent cases with grains of powder embedded in the shoulder and upper body after the following rounds loaded into a chamber with powder everywhere.

Maybe other caliber HSM ammo is better, but it was total junk ammo in my experience. Shot so bad for accuracy that I didn't even keep the target for my records. Now I hand load for that rifle and it will put 5 shots inside an inch at 100 yards using IMR8208XBR and 110gr Hornady HPs.

 

[Jluck]

I use HSM 168 berger's and have killed a muley at 567 yards (one shot) with my Steyr 7mm. I have fired a bunch of (Most) different factory ammo through it and the HSM shot the best by far, .5 MOA.

With that said, I will not be buying more just because of the cost. I have since started reloading.

 

[Dick Tinsley]

I personally can't say anything good or bad about HSM ammo. I've never shot it! I can say from exsperiance that my choice from off the shelf ammo would be either Blackhills or Federal Premium! If I wasn't reloading, that the route I would go! Also, just throwing my 2cts out there, just curious, why not shoot the 160's an up in a 7 mag? Hope I don't start anything here!! The 160's an up just seem to be made to shoot in a 7 mag! But if your rifle shoots the lighter stuff, Great!!! I'm just asking!! Didn't meen to get long winded!!

DT

 

[brianmark]

I personally can't say anything good or bad about HSM ammo. I've never shot it! I can say from exsperiance that my choice from off the shelf ammo would be either Blackhills or Federal Premium! If I wasn't reloading, that the route I would go! Also, just throwing my 2cts out there, just curious, why not shoot the 160's an up in a 7 mag? Hope I don't start anything here!! The 160's an up just seem to be made to shoot in a 7 mag! But if your rifle shoots the lighter stuff, Great!!! I'm just asking!! Didn't meen to get long winded!!

DT

I plan on trying out some heavier stuff as needed for my shooting/hunting needs..someday I would love to have a 1000 yard range to shoot, but I dont realistically see that happening anytime soon. I see somewheres in the 4-600 being a real possibility which isnt long range by the standards here. Whitetails are for sure my main choice in game, maybe someday elk, mulies, antelope etc, but more than likely its going to be a "set up on the edge of a field and see what comes out" kinda rifle

 

[scf]

You might consider Georgia Arms. I reload extensively but my son uses this ammo in his 243. It has delivered among the best groups I have seen for factory ammunition. Also thanks for your service.