Author Topic: 140 or 160Gr. Nosler Partition 7 Mag. (Read 1228 times)

jcurrie · « **on:** July 13, 2004, 05:18:37 AM »

For an all around bullet for whitetails big, little long or short range is there an advantage in 140 or 160 in the 7 Mag. Or do you just find which your gun prefers? By the way I don't reload so I don't have as much flexibility as those who do. Thank You, Jeff

Zachary · « **Reply #1 on:** July 13, 2004, 05:20:31 AM »

For an all-around bullet, I'd pick the 160 over the 140.

Zachary

Carl l. · « **Reply #2 on:** July 13, 2004, 09:51:45 AM »

I agree with Zachary, it seems the 7mm likes the 160 gr. better too. Carl L.

longwinters · « **Reply #3 on:** July 13, 2004, 11:39:59 AM »

These guys are typically correct and again they score 100. For an all around bullet weight in the 7mm the 160 would get my vote. :grin:

Long

Questor · « **Reply #4 on:** July 13, 2004, 12:14:13 PM »

I'd use the 140s myself. I wouldn't bother with a heavier bullet unless the game got bigger than that.

Varmint Hunter · « **Reply #5 on:** July 13, 2004, 03:50:46 PM »

I'm with Questor on this one. There isn't a whitetail around that could take a decent hit from the 7mm and a quality 140gr bullet.

I have been shooting whitetails for over 20years with a variety of 140gr bullets. Started with 7mm Wby, then 7mm Rem and currently 7STW. Frankly, I had many whitetails drop to the shot when shooting Sierra 120gr spitzer bullets and taking broadside shots. BANG - Verticle drop.

The 140's are plenty. I'd save the 160's for elk size game.

Just my experience - VH

Zachary · « **Reply #6 on:** July 13, 2004, 04:10:10 PM »

I like the 140s in my 7mm-08, which is probably the ideal whitetail cartridge for shots under 200 yards. As such, one would question that, if a 140 in a little 7mm-08 is great, then what's wrong with it in a 7mag just going a lot faster? The answer is nothing. There is nothing wrong with a faster 140 grain bullet. No one is saying that a 140 won't work - sure it will. However, in my opinion, which others agree, for a faster catridge like a 7 mag, I like heavier bullets, and the 160 is more of an all around weight for the 7 mag. Now, 175s I'd say is on the right side of the spectrum, while the 140 would be a little to the left of the spectrum.

I kinda wish factory ammo makers would have a 150 Nosler Partition - that would be a good compromise.

Zachary

7magWoodsman · « **Reply #7 on:** July 27, 2004, 03:55:54 PM »

If I was only going to use one load for all and my gun shot it well I would go with the 160gr. But a different bullet in the 150gr range may be a better choice for whitetails using the 7mag.
I don't know why but I have had better luck with a heavier bullet(150-175) than I had with smaller ones(120-140) when considering meat damage...A lot of people complain about CORE-LOKT bullets all the time but I cleanly take critters all the time using 150gr PSP CORE-LOKT maybe its just me or the way my Ruger M77 7mag throws-em???

gunnut69 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 27, 2004, 08:09:08 PM »

The 7mmMag puts a lot of stress on a bullet and more on a 140 than the 160. I love the 140 in a 7-08 or 280 but the mag preforms better with the 160. That said I will add the caveat that 'all must be high performance bullets'. While a 140 standard bullet may work OK in the 7-08 at magnum velocities it will likely explode. Bullet weight isn't as important as construction I suppose. The 162 grain Hornaday BT bullet is wonderfully accurate in my old Ruger 77 but the destruction on deer is truly wasteful. The 160 grain Partition Nosler on the other hand works just fine..close range or long. The only thing to watch is the partitions will kill a second deer if it's standing in the wrong(right?) place.

Longcruise · « **Reply #9 on:** July 30, 2004, 06:55:53 AM »

The 160 partition is my all around bullet in my 7-08, even for antelope. Longest shot so far is about 300 yards on an antelope. Supposedly these heavy bullets are lacking in flat shooting qualities for longer range shooting but at the longer ranges is when you have time to think the shot through.

The 160 lets me pick the rifle up and hunt anything from antelope through elk without messing with a new sight in, etc. Hate to waste hunting season at the range!

jhm · « **Reply #10 on:** July 30, 2004, 12:53:17 PM »

I would go with the 160 have killed deer, bear, elk all with the 160 and have found it to be much more accurate out of my particular rifle, 2 of my friends also have tried the 140 in their 7mag, and all went back to the 160, but you and your rifle need to be the final judge as your rifle will tell you which it likes the best.

JIM

7mm MAGNUM · « **Reply #11 on:** August 15, 2004, 02:43:55 AM »

I just wanted to let you know that I have been the owner of this caliber since 1990 and love it! :-)

I do handload my own ammo and the most favorite and I feel,.. the most accurate all around projectile for this caliber is in the 160 grain class for Kill Energy vs. FPS.

I load up either Hornady's 162 Interlock or (now) Interbond class projectiles & Speer 160 Grand Slams as alternatives.

I set either one of them on top of 66 grains of Reloader# 22 and use CCI#250 Magnum primers with Remington brass. I can cover a 3 shot group @ 100 yds. with a dime. I'm shooting a Remington 700 BDL 24" barrel.