Most killingest 7mm bullet you’ve used?

Ross

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154 gr Hornady sst for two decades personally. Very very close out to 600 yds no issues.
My fathers camp 5-8 hunters all 7 mag users for 50 yrs using Remington core lokt 160-175 gr for all critters.
 

Trr15

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I used 168gr VLDs this season and was very impressed. As previously mentioned, meat damage can be significant depending on shot placement, but they kill. No question about that. 1 deer, 1 antelope and 2 elk all dropped in their tracks.
 
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Over the years I've seen more elk fall to 140 and 160gr accubonds than anything. But they are old and boring now. Last few have been eld-x and 165 sierra tgk. Been quite pleased with the sierra tgk actually, so far it has held together better than other cup & core bullets I have tried.
I bought some 180 eld-m to try this year but never got around to working up a load, maybe next season.

I’ve also been digging the TGK. OP is looking for those super heavy for caliber options, but for the 7mm-08 category, they’re a great choice. Happy medium IMO - create a good wound channel but nothing like the 168VLDs, if you’re concerned about meat loss. Also they shoot and reload awesome, and are cheap.


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djfergus

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Mar 25, 2019
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Been really liking the 7mm lately. Shooting the big bullets fast and they’re pretty tough to beat ballistically.

I’ve killed big game with 195 EOL, 180 Hybrid, 180 VLD-H, 180 ELDM and 169 Hammer Hunter. They all performed as designed or intended.

Curious what others have used with the most success and maybe even just what else is out there that I potentially don’t even know about.
162 sst has the most one shot kills I've saw. The. 180 eld m is what I currently use and it's not far behind the 162.
 
OP
huntnful

huntnful

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I’ve also been digging the TGK. OP is looking for those super heavy for caliber options, but for the 7mm-08 category, they’re a great choice. Happy medium IMO - create a good wound channel but nothing like the 168VLDs, if you’re concerned about meat loss. Also they shoot and reload awesome, and are cheap.


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I love hearing about all of them! Definitely a personal interest in the heavy bullets, but also like all the lighter weight bullet info being shared as well.

Please keep sharing the whole variety of killing bullets. I bet others are gaining info that fit their personal cartridges they use as well!
 
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MThuntr

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I used to kill a lot of deer with 139 SSTs and then 139 Interbonds before I switched to my 280AI. The 143 Hammers have taken over as my killingest 7mm bullet. I plan to keep using coppers in this gun so I can hunt in areas that require non-lead. I have a bunch of 140gr Accubonds from my 7mm08 but I don't think they'll catch my 139SST killing.
 

finner

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Feb 14, 2019
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For monos, the CE 145 Lazer has delivered pretty great results for me this season on multiple animals between 70 and 600 yards. More consistent than hammers and better BCs. Emphatic effects on everything they've touched.
 
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180 eldm in 7 prc and 7 rem mag, numerous mule deer 100-450 yards, all bang flops. Most had exits, lots of internal damage. Few elk, 330-400 yards, suppressed, was able to get multiple shots off while they were standing there, probably not necessary but better safe than sorry, all chest hits, lots of damage to lungs. No exits on the elk.
180 hybrid, 7 rem mag, deer, bang flop.
180 VLD, 28 nosler, deer, interesting result and something that probably happens more than we might realize. Bullets can have weird deflections and paths through tissue. Shot just behind shoulder, did not hit arm/shoulder bone, did go through the muscle, entered chest cavity, did not hit rib, immediately J hooked inside chest cavity, went through diaphragm and hit/exploded stomach. He looked sick but walked probably 50-70 yards, stood there, shot again, hit high shoulder/ lung, dropped.
Made me think about all the stories of people having "perfect hits", it's possible the bullet deflected, took a weird turn, pencil through, Gunwerks Aaron was talking about bullets sometimes end up stabilizing backwards as they are traveling through tissue, therefore not expanding, tumbling or tearing apart, interesting stuff. If we didn't recover that deer, would not have known it J hooked immediately into diaphragm and stomach, looked like a great hit but very minimal lung damage on that shot, Good damage on the high lung follow up shot.
168 classic hunter, 7 rem mag, deer, bang flop
shot a lot of deer growing up with 140 core lokts and 150 federal power-shok, 7-08, some absorbed multiple shots, none of them went very far
 

2-Stix

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I shot an elk Tuesday with a 139LRX. I am in CA so I have to run copper...I run the same out on out of state hunts. Once I move I will never shoot copper again. ELDm or x. Copper has penciled through all the big game I have took. Not ideal.
 
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I shot an elk Tuesday with a 139LRX. I am in CA so I have to run copper...I run the same out on out of state hunts. Once I move I will never shoot copper again. ELDm or x. Copper has penciled through all the big game I have took. Not ideal.
Might give hammer's a try if having to run all copper, I've seen a few animals shot with them. quarter to 50 cent piece main exit and sometimes the pedals exit
 
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