7mm Rem Mag 140gr AccuBond Trophy Grade Ammunition vs 7mm Rem Mag 150gr Ballistic Tip Hunting Ammunition

[s.audioguy]

I am new to hunting and was hoping to get some advice, what would be the better round to hunt with for whitetail deer at 200-300 yards. I have talked to some people while at a gun shop and they swear by the AccuBond, but then I have had others say at that distance the bullet doesn't have time to expand so the ballistic tip is the better round to use. I also heard at those distances that caliber is overkill, but it was my fathers rifle and handed down to me so I would really like to use it. Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bruce Mc]

Considering it's for deer hunting at moderate ranges, and considering the cost of Nosler ammo, I'd buy a couple of boxes of 150 gr Remington CoreLoc ammo and go out and shoot the rifle some.

 

[JD338]

Welcome to the forum. Your 7mm Rem Mag is perfect for deer hunting as well as anything else in NA with the right bullet.
I agree with Bruce Mc getting a couple boxes of Remington or whatever ammo to practice with and get acclimated with the rifle.
Both the 140 gr AB and 150 gr BT bullets are excellent for deer hunting. The 140 gr AB will open up just fine and do a lot of damage to the vitals. You might want to get 1 box of each and shoot them. Pick the one that shoots the best.
Practice from field positions with proper ear protection. Put the chosen bullet in the vitals and you will have success….quickly and efficiently.

JD338

 

[swampghost]

Try them. If your rifle shoots them well, they will definitely do the job. I've used them for several years. Either should work well. Or possibly a Partition. Are they needed?? No, but compared to what we usually spend on everything else, premium bullets are cheap.
ps..That is bs about them not having time to expand. In fact, the faster it is flying, the BETTER it opens. Probably started by someone who missed the shot but didn't want to admit it.

 

[Blkram]

As stated above, both will do exactly what you want them to do on your targeted species within the distances you have stated.
In fact, they will be sufficient (as stated) for most big game animals at those distances in North America (and elsewhere; e.g., Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, etc.).
And also as stated, the AccuBond opens well at close distances on lighter big game, even at faster velocities. I had a 160 gr AccuBond expand to more than twice its diameter, and retain over 90% of its original weight, on an antelope at 140 yards (quartering to shot, where the bullet ended up under the skin, back of the offside ham), from my 7MM STW (starting out at just over 200 fps faster than the 150 gr should be from your 7mm Rem Mag).
The nice part, is that it will retain its weight better than the Ballistic Tip, being of bonded construction.

At the end of the day, shoot whichever is the more accurate in your rifle.
And as it was your father's rifle, and has great sentimental value to you, that is all that matters! Go forth and enjoy it, and gain more memories with it until you can pass it down to your son or daughter. (There is no such thing as "too dead"!) And you don't need to justify why to others!

And don't worry too much about what most gun counter wizards tell you; in my experience many have hunted far less than most of the customers they meet. As these people usually just parrot what they have heard other people say. Take it with a grain of salt.
Don't get me wrong, there are still a lot of good, experienced people working in the gun stores; you will quickly learn to spot the latter from the former. And don't judge them by age alone, as there are some very knowledgeable young men and women out there!)
(And yes, I have worked at a couple of Local Gun Stores, and visited hundreds of LGSs over the years and can verify this from actual firsthand experience. And I have hunted, shot and handloaded a fair amount over the past 39 years. While not as much as some here, but more than some others.) Lots of great, experienced people here willing to share their knowledge!

 

[salmonchaser]

Nosler's designed the ballistic tip as a deer and antelope bullet. The AccuBond was designed to be as accurate as possible as a ballistic tip, hold together better and give better penetration, a better choice as an all species bullet out of your 7.
The 7mm mag may not be necessary to kill deer but there is a reason guys who hunt a lot love the 7.

 

[s.audioguy]

Thank you all for the information and advice. I really appreciate it!

The main reason I was asking is that, being new to hunting, I’m not very confident yet when it comes to having to track a deer. From what I’ve been hearing, the Ballistic Tip tends to dump more energy upon impact, which some people say could increase the chances of dropping a deer in its tracks. On the other hand, as many of you have pointed out, the AccuBond retains more of its weight, which can provide better penetration and potentially a better chance of getting a complete pass-through.

I also realize I’m hunting a wild animal, so there’s no way to predict exactly what’s going to happen—and that’s assuming I can even hit the deer in the first place!

Thanks again for all the advice.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Good information has been shared with you. Just to add couple things. When I had a 7mm Rem Mag I used Nosler 140gr AB, BT 150gr BT, Rem 140gr CL and Sierra 150gr Game King. Each bullet killed well but I later preferred the Nosler 150gr BT. I didn't find it to cause excessive meat damage as much as the 140gr BT. The Remington 150gr CL factory loads would group an inch also. As suggested you might get some and try them for practice as well as see how they group in your rifle. Enjoy your dad's rifle.

 

[swampghost]

Just put the bullet through the vitals. It will take care of the rest. I shoud add..that 140 AccuBond will mess up a little meat if you hit any larger bone. I haven't shot as many deer with it as some people..(probably about 20) but have only had a couple that ran more than about 10 yards. Most are laying right there.