7MM RM bullets for Plains game...

[Nevada Mike]

I am planning a trip to Namibia and will include plains game. The outfitter says that my 7mm Remington Magnum will be fine for plains game.

I have always used 160 grn. Nosler partition and Bitteroot bullets for elk and they work fine. Bitteroot is not making them anymore, and I am wondering if there are better choices than Nosler Partitions... Swift? Woodleigh? Nosler Accubonds? Nortfork? Other?

What has worked well for you on plains game (gemsbok, sable, etc.) and what do you recommend I load for the trip?

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I am planning a trip to Namibia and will include plains game. The outfitter says that my 7mm Remington Magnum will be fine for plains game.

I have always used 160 grn. Nosler partition and Bitteroot bullets for elk and they work fine. Bitteroot is not making them anymore, and I am wondering if there are better choices than Nosler Partitions... Swift? Woodleigh? Nosler Accubonds? Nortfork? Other?

What has worked well for you on plains game (gemsbok, sable, etc.) and what do you recommend I load for the trip?

I will always tip my cap to the Partition. That said my favorite now is the North Fork bonded cores. The weight retention and mushroom have just worked great for me and my family in:

7x57
.308W
.30-06
.300WM and my
.375HH

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Can't go wrong with the Nosler Partition or the Swift A-Frame for PG. However, another good option, based on my field experience, is the Hornady SST. My daughter and I have done 2 PG hunts in RSA, using the outfitters 7mm mag and 162 gr SST. On both hunts we shot Kudu, Nyala, Zebra, etc, all with one shot kills. I was so impressed with the SST, I started shooting it in my 270 and have taken Yukon Dall Sheep and Wyoming antelope with one shot kills with 130 gr SST.

I am currently preparing for a New Zealand hunt and took my 270 to the range last Friday afternoon and shot on the 300 yard range. Interestingly, the Hornady 130 gr SST Superformance and Swift 150 gr A-Frames and had nearly the same POI at 300 yards.

More real world performance on the SST

7mm SST
https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Kn...nady+162gr+SST+Remington+140gr+Core-Lokt.html

 

[Nevada Mike]

Interesting. I have always thought that the SST would be a bit on the soft side, expanding too rapidly when fired at a MV of 3100 FPS. Food for thought.

 

[Ryan]

The Partition is a great bullet, but there are plenty of other good ones. I'm one of the many fans of Barnes TTSX. They have served me well for caribou in Alaska and several different plains game in Namibia with my 30-06. For the 7mm RM the 150 grain should work amazingly.
If I were going with a lead cored bullet I'd go bonded with a 150 grain Scirocco 2 or 160 grain A-Frame.

 

[Luvthunt]

Nosler partition for me and I used them in Africa on 5 hunts and will again for PG.
Swift A frames for DG.

 

[Peter Larsson]

Used 150gr TTSX in 7mm RM on my first trip to South Africa.
Worked perfect on everything from jacal to kudu and blue wildebeest.
Shot some moose home with them too. Works perfect!

 

[Hogpatrol]

Which bullet? The one that shoots the most accurately.

 

[Velo Dog]

Hello again Nevada Mike,

Same as my recommendation in other threads regarding the 7 millimeter magnum:
175 grain A-Frame.
My personal experiences with this cartridge have shown that it is still very flat shooting with 175 grainers at normal factory velocity.
However, if your particular rifle will not group them well, then I would test my rifle’s tolerance for accurate shooting with 160 grain A-Frame.

Last but not least, the dreaded 5 shots into one inch from sand bags at 100 yards is not really required.
It is splendid but totally not necessary.
Three shots into a grapefruit at 200 paces will do well, even in the mostly open geography and sometimes sparse foliage throughout much of Namibia.

Most missing or wounding of game in Africa, (Namibia included) is due to the hunter arriving in camp without having practiced adequately from the standing position with shooting sticks or, less commonly it is from waiting too long (aiming too long) before pressing off the shot and thereby the animal suddenly starts moving, just as the shot is fired.

On a semi-humorous note, my favorite is when some critter of legend stands still for a defiant moment, within easy range but the hunter is instead frantically messing around with his scope knobs / turrets and / or scope magnification selector ring and the critter then bolts before a shot can be managed LOL.

I’ve not witnessed a single miss because some client’s rifle won’t shoot “minute of angle” from the shooting bench, sand bags, etc.

Cheers,
Velo Dog

 

[Rob404]

I have a 7mm mag on a Mod 98 action that I could never get to shoot straight but I've been shooting bullets from 150g and down, I think if summer ever comes back to Minnesota I'll give a heavier bullet a try, looking at a Noslers re-loading data a 175g still gets some pretty respectable velocity

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

......I think if summer ever comes back to Minnesota...

Definitely won't be back tomorrow.......brrrr!!!!

 

[gillettehunter]

7mm mag with 160 gr ACLU bonds dropped my kudu so fast my PH wondered if I missed him. About the same with my Gemsbuck. You have several good choices. See what shoots best in your rifle. That will tend to give you confidence. Good things then seem to happen. Practice off of sticks when you get your load.
Bruce

 

[Nevada Mike]

Velo Dog... Thanks. My rifle easily shoots MOA, that's not a concern. I tried 175 Corelokt bullets years ago and I had some of them keyhole through the target. I stepped back to 160s and have had no misses or terminal failures in the years since. I may try 175s again - maybe Swifts.

I can shoot this rifle very well, but have never shot from (or even seen) shooting sticks. I'll see if I can locate a pair and see how that goes. If I don't like them I'll just tell my PH. "Please don't give me anything more to think about while I am shooting!"

Bruce... that would be 160 gr. Nosler Partitions, I have used them for years.

Many thanks to all for your advice.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Velo Dog... Thanks. My rifle easily shoots MOA, that's not a concern. I tried 175 Corelokt bullets years ago and I had some of them keyhole through the target. I stepped back to 160s and have had no misses or terminal failures in the years since. I may try 175s again - maybe Swifts.

I can shoot this rifle very well, but have never shot from (or even seen) shooting sticks. I'll see if I can locate a pair and see how that goes. If I don't like them I'll just tell my PH. "Please don't give me anything more to think about while I am shooting!"

Bruce... that would be 160 gr. Nosler Partitions, I have used them for years.

Many thanks to all for your advice.

Consider buying a Primos Gen 3, tall tripod and practicing on it. Pack it with your rifles, use it in Africa and leave it with your PH. You'll probably be back.

 

[meigsbucks]

You can never go wrong with a Nosler Partition. But as others have sugggested: Swift AF, Trophy Bonded, Barnes and Northfork are all excellent choices.
Personally, I’d go with a 160 grr Barnes TSX. If I return to Namibia for PG, that’s what I think I’d take.

 

[Tra3]

Last summer I used 168 grain nosler ABLR’s on plains game out of my 7 mag. Worked very well. This fall I hunted with 180 grain Berger VLD’s because they shoot so well out of my Kimber. I didn’t recover any of the VLD’s, though. I had pass through shots on elk, 2 deer and an antelope.
I want to try the nosler 175 grain ABLR.

It is -22 here in Minneapolis! @Rob404 we are both waiting out this cold snap and likely planning the next hunt...

 

[Rob404]

Last summer I used 168 grain nosler ABLR’s on plains game out of my 7 mag. Worked very well. This fall I hunted with 180 grain Berger VLD’s because they shoot so well out of my Kimber. I didn’t recover any of the VLD’s, though. I had pass through shots on elk, 2 deer and an antelope.
I want to try the nosler 175 grain ABLR.

It is -22 here in Minneapolis! @Rob404 we are both waiting out this cold snap and likely planning the next hunt...

And I'm doing barrel swaps in my mind.
I heard that is so Cold that the Hookers down on Hennipin Ave. are giving Fat Guys a 20% discount

 

[Nevada Mike]

-22? It has plunged down to the high 50's here in Northern California. Headed to Arizona next week.

 

[CAustin]

I have really come to like Aframes and Federal Trophy Bonded Bear Laws

 

[Rob404]

-22? It has plunged down to the high 50's here in Northern California. Headed to Arizona next week.

High 50s, how do you deal with that