Best 7mm projectile for shooting large deer

I was wondering what would be the ideal projectile for a 9.5 twist 7mm for hunting large deer, normally the heaviest around 160gr is recommended for that twist , i've tried the 168gr Berger but i shot a scrub bull in the chest and the projectile exploded on a rib bone leaving a gaping hole and had to be shot again, on closer inspection the projectile hadn't gone deep at all but probably would have been lethal but thats not ethical to me , so i was wondering if one of you blokes that use 7mm on bigger deer may have a favorite projectile around the 160gr that has been ideal for you in this area price won't be a problem as i only use them for heavy animals and the 154gr Hornady sp for every day things, i'll appreciate any help cheers

Hornady 162g ELD-X

what you need is something DESIGNED for big stuff at assumably fast speed???? eg 7mm mag and sub 100 yards.....
woodley make big heavy projectiles so do lots of folks...off top of head if put on spot I would say heaviest partition you can get or a reasonably heavy mono...but not stuidly so...say 150grn???
you see by not giving us all the info you could be using a 7mmstw at lightening speed or a 7mm waters at walking pace...VERY different projectile requirements.

I use the Berger 168gr Classic Hunters in my .284 on deer and have no problems, I also use 140gr Berger VLD Hunting in my 708 and no problems

Shot placement is key, don't judge the Bergers on ya scrub bull experience.

Hamish

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Yeah Micky Duck mate i have a standard 7 mag and use it for scrub cattle, shots can be from 50m to 450m i don't shoot them any further out , too risky for bad shots, i was thinking that a large deer would be a good comparison to a meedioker scrubber, i have tried the eldx 162 but found them to be a little hit and miss at times, i've also tried the tsx but in my rifle they leave a lot of copper behind, maybe i'm expecting too much from projectiles but was hoping i could find a good allrounder , i bought some oryx but they are hard to get and are a little bit like the eldx, i'm not necessarily chasing speed just something tried and tested and will go deep and be fatal that stands out above the other projectiles, I know it all depends on who you ask so i'll just have to weigh up all the info given to me

G'day HNTMAD yes i'm hearin you mate but i've had a few bad experiences with them, I wouldn't judge them unless i was absolutely sure they were not the projectile for this job i've used them on smaller pests and they perform perfect but on hard boned animals it's only my opinion they're too soft and as you said shot placement is key, thats why i won't go out past 450m for a shot

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Originally Posted by rigga

I was wondering what would be the ideal projectile for a 9.5 twist 7mm for hunting large deer, normally the heaviest around 160gr is recommended for that twist , i've tried the 168gr Berger but i shot a scrub bull in the chest and the projectile exploded on a rib bone leaving a gaping hole and had to be shot again, on closer inspection the projectile hadn't gone deep at all but probably would have been lethal but thats not ethical to me , so i was wondering if one of you blokes that use 7mm on bigger deer may have a favorite projectile around the 160gr that has been ideal for you in this area price won't be a problem as i only use them for heavy animals and the 154gr Hornady sp for every day things, i'll appreciate any help cheers

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Nosler 160 g Accubond

+1 for the 160 accubond

Bugger the vlds didn't work for you as I reckon they are spot on. Shot a few cattle with them now, all chest shots and never had a problem. Smoked plenty big reds at all ranges also, but most of the time shot placement is key with any cal and bullet

Thanks for the info fella's i'll look into it and try a few , thanks again

Those new Terminal Accent bullets from Federal (I Think) sound pretty good. I don't know a lot about them but from all accounts they penetrate well and are accurate with a good BC. Worth checking out.

160gr accubonds.

Partition (old tech but boy they work well) or TLR

As above, 160 g Accubonds...

Swift A Frame 150 grain an 'improved partition '

160 gn partition would be my 1st choice out of 7mmRM for big stuff, & for the ranges you’ve stated. Bonded pills like 160Abs or 150gn Swift Scirocco would also be pretty useful

Woodleighs, if they are really big Deer :D ;)

Accubonds or the like for Red deers as a all round bush to yonder..


Big Deers with dense Bone is where issues crop up from, at closer than moderate ranges the velocity from magnums is too high and thus needing some Bonding to ensure penetration of some bits or pices of the projie..

So many options but alot of $$ between ..... ELDX seem alright for a cup an core sleek bullet thingy! im not 'confident' for it being an all round projie and will be sure to place a shot on stags under 200 for sure.. placement as mentioned above is the key.

Looks like the Partitions and the Accubonds are fairly popular so might start with a few of them, thanks very much fellas and again many thanks

Aslo the Speer hotcore and trophy bonded bear claw, I'm in Canada, the Partion is the standard, by which all others are judged,
I like Partion/Accubonds 160 gr in my 7mm's, swift 150gr if I want a bit flatter.
I have 3 boxes of 154 gr interbonds, and thus far with my 7x57R I've got a couple bear's, a few deer and a cow elk, no problem.
and of Corse, there is always Barns TSX/TTSX, if you want heaps of peneration,

Not new and trendy but Partitions are the business for your application.

If primarily shooting large wild cattle i'd prob look to step up to a 300WM or similar running a heavier projectile.

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Originally Posted by southernman

Aslo the Speer hotcore and trophy bonded bear claw, I'm in Canada, the Partion is the standard, by which all others are judged,
I like Partion/Accubonds 160 gr in my 7mm's, swift 150gr if I want a bit flatter.
I have 3 boxes of 154 gr interbonds, and thus far with my 7x57R I've got a couple bear's, a few deer and a cow elk, no problem.
and of Corse, there is always Barns TSX/TTSX, if you want heaps of peneration,

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If the deer are that big Barnes must be at the head of the queue.

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Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Although I have never used Partitions, I have never liked Noslers idea that it is ok for the front to fall off. Weight retention, penetration and a good mushroom is where it is at for me.
The Hornady Interbonds I've recovered from a 3006 have usually retained around 90%. I've only used Accubonds in a 7mmwsm and have yet to recover one. They have all blown right through but done the job.

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thats a contradiction if ever Ive seen one......partitions were designed so you get best of both worlds...and have with very few exceptions been doing it perfectly well ever since...BY DESIGN the front half is fast opening to create maximum trauma...the rear half holding together to give you the penertration/weight retention.....if they got all trendy the rear could be solid copper....but why mess with something that works so well??? to some extent it is about using correct bullet weight/design for task at hand.... well actually its very much about it.... thats why I shot last bull with .45/70 in back of head/neck then pithing spot .....rather than using 308 and doing so twice as had dome 2 weeks before......in theory the 180grn rn SHOULDVE BEEN HEAPS ENOUGH.....but in practice,not so much...was too soft and had opened too quick...a FMJ wouldve worked better...but he 400grn cast jobbie at pedestrian speed from 45/70 just had far more authority.

Partiton's have changed over the years, originals were made by drilling out solid rod, then from tube, and finialy swaging
I've never had one break, and I've got a mate with a coffee cup of them, all nicely mushroomed, taken out of bison, moose, bears and elk,

Nosler has this to say.

When word got out that the old Partition was being phased out, a buying frenzy spread rapidly throughout the hunting world. After all, some suggested, there was no way the new bullet could be as good as the old one. Adding to the panic was Nosler’s decision to delay production of the larger calibers; it was not long before some hunters who had rifles in .375 H&H Mag. were willing to pay $5 each for 300-gr. Partitions. There were minor production issues early on, but once they were history the new bullet proved to be a big improvement over the old bullet, and it mostly had to do with differences in the grain structures of the two jacket materials being used. In addition to being harder, the grain of the old material ran at right angles to the axis of the bullet, and that encouraged the wall of the front cavity to shear off when expansion reached the partition. When that happened, none of the front lead core was retained. In addition to being softer and more ductile, the grain structure of the new material ran parallel to the axis of the bullet, and that enabled it to curl back against the partition without shearing off. The result was a larger frontal diameter along with higher retained weight due to partial retention of the front core.

https://www.americanrifleman.org/art...ler-partition/

You are correct @7mmwsm, the bonded pills will retain more weight than Partitions. But the terminal performance of Partitions on the target species & range stated by the OP, “large deer, 50 - 450 yards” is superior in my experience to the ABs.....due to the fact that the front end is more fragmentary creating much larger wound channel and trauma, especially as the range stretches out. While the bc of the partitions is pretty pedestrian it should still be north of 2000fps out of a rem mag at 450 yards.
However if the prime target was big beef bulls up close then I’d go bonded.

I'd use the 175gr nosler partion.

Used Woodleigh Weldcore and Hornady 175 gn Roundnose both not
sexy and sleek but both emphatic killers on large game always said
the tail doesn’t even touch. In both 7mm Mag,7mm-08 and my favourite 7x61.

Thanks fellas, some good info there but the problem with going heavy like 175gr or over 162gr with the good projectiles is my twist rate is 1-9.5 and stabilizing heavier would be somewhat of a problem, i could stabilize 168gr bergers but they aren't the ones i want i have come across some 154gr Interlocks and some 154gr Interbond, what's your thoughts on them and which one would be your pick for what i want , long piece of string i know but they were cheap

[QUOTE=7mmwsm;1108204]Weight retention, penetration and a good mushroom is where it is at for me".

Sounds like a.job for cast

I like the 154 gr interbonds and have shot a few game with them, none recovered, the interlocks are fine cup and core bullets, and half the price of bonded, they work ok, but if shooting think skinned game I choice the bonded bullet, deer wont matter, except samber up close, but I would shoot cattle, bear's, buffalo, moose with bonded.

Thanks Southernman for that info mate.

I tried the 175 gr Noslar LRAB in my 7mm Mag which is a Tikka 695 with a standard Tikka T3 barrel, it shoots them pretty good as does the 162 gr ELDX. If you could get a sample pack of them to try it may be worthwhile.

Thanks Mooseman i'll try and chase some up i take it your barrel is a 1/9.5

A 175Gr Nosler Partition is shorter than any of the ELD / VLD type 160gr+ bullets so will stabilize fine in a 9.5 twist barrel

162 or 175 eldx

162gr Eld-x or Eld-m