Rem Mag Killing Power

I'm contemplating buying a Tikka T3 7mm rem mag. It seems the easiest way to shoot further...accurate and lightweight out of the box, Dan can, Lupua brass, Lee collet dies and the 162 amax...done...hopefully.

I am currently shooting the 162 amax out of my Savage 7mm 08 at 2600 fps. 21 inch barrel and Dan can. At just 42.5 grains of RL17 it is a pleasure to shoot. We have killed Sika out to 500 yards and with a well placed chest shot they go straight downhill not to far.

But I reckon 500 is about the limit and I know my shooting is good for 6-800 yards in decent conditions. The Rem mag should give me 3000 fps with the same projectile (for a lot more powder and recoil) but i do wonder how much more killing power it gives me. We are mostly shooting into small clearings in heavy scrub and the ultimate goal is to put them down on the spot.

How far can I expect those boom thump type kills from hydrostatic shock with the rem mag and amax?
Part of my problem is that I shoot a lot of paper with the 08 and really enjoy its efficiency and gentleness.
I dont want to run two calibers...I can hardly keep up with one.

Any thoughts are welcome....chris

The 7mmRM is fairly mild, I can easily fire one without a brake if required...but I do enjoy the benefits of spotting my own shots, so choose to use a brake in the right circumstances.

I have a fettish for 7mm's (7mm08, .284win, 7mmWSM, 7mmRM & 7mmSTW) all of them pretty much do the same thing, but the distance I can shoot them out too increases with velocity. As for ''killing power'' I doubt you'll notice much difference between the two calibres, but what you will be able to do is kill further out (extend your range) if that makes sense?


kj

Many will not agree, but what I reckon you need if you want to really nail them is a bigger hole, in fact 2 of them (one each side). I would step up to a 30 cal. Mine's a 300winmag. With a good stock, not much more recoil than the 7mm remmag (although mine has a suppressor). With a soft bullet like a 180 grn Nosler BT or a big AMax you will really mean business.

I have spent a lot of time shooting Sika on the tops , I cant for the life of me see why you would need to shoot 500m let alone further , it is relativly simple to stalk a Sika through all those gullies & when it has its head down feeding in the tussock , and you could use a lighter bullet going faster and go for neck shots then you dont have to worry about hydrostatic shock , and in all the time I have spent on those tops it is always windy . Believe me stalking is a great thrill and skill .

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Originally Posted by Druid

I have spent a lot of time shooting Sika on the tops , I cant for the life of me see why you would need to shoot 500m let alone further , it is relativly simple to stalk a Sika through all those gullies & when it has its head down feeding in the tussock , and you could use a lighter bullet going faster and go for neck shots then you dont have to worry about hydrostatic shock , and in all the time I have spent on those tops it is always windy . Believe me stalking is a great thrill and skill .

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Understand but we are not on the tops and most of the deer we see are 400 plus and simply cant be stalked. For me there is a lot of satisfaction in a long shot that goes well. We only shoot in good conditions and I practice a lot.

My 7mm mag shooting 162 a-max or 168 bergers has had DRT kills out to 630 yds. Hit them with a high shoulder shot and they will drop, and yes they have exited. No need to go to the 300 win mag.
Put a limbsaver on it as well.

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Originally Posted by stug

My 7mm mag shooting 162 a-max or 168 bergers has had DRT kills out to 630 yds. Hit them with a high shoulder shot and they will drop, and yes they have exited. No need to go to the 300 win mag.
Put a limbsaver on it as well.

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You are probably right. Most of my hunting is with a 243 or 6.5 so when I decided i needed to go up a step for some occasions I took a big step. I based that on the exceptional results I used to get from the 308 back in the day, and the odd 30-06 I have seen used.

Yet the 6.5 would have done the job Tahr.

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Originally Posted by Wirehunt

Yet the 6.5 would have done the job Tahr.

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Exactly, although over 400 yds the 6.5 does have a lot of delayed kills. Especially on Tahr.

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Originally Posted by stug

My 7mm mag shooting 162 a-max or 168 bergers has had DRT kills out to 630 yds. Hit them with a high shoulder shot and they will drop, and yes they have exited. No need to go to the 300 win mag.
Put a limbsaver on it as well.

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DRT?
So you are saying you have to go high shoulder to drop them on the spot?
We have been thinking about the high shoulder shot to sit them down. The one time I have used it I was abit to far back and missed the spine but broke the off shoulder. It wasnt boom thump but the animal tried to step and went straightdown. It is a much smaller target than the chest tho. I actually dont mind losing deer but I need to know they will die humanely.

You don't have to go High shoulder to sit them down on the spot, but it will probably do it more consistently. Here is a video of one I shot at 634yds, 168 berger 7mm rem mag My Movie634 yd spiker utube - YouTube Bullet entered about 3/4 up the shoulder and exited about 1/2 way up opposite shoulder. Conditions were 634 yds
-9 degrees angle
1006 mBar
18oC
40% humidity
4 mph wind from 112 degrees (from over right shoulder)

I'm anything but a pro on the subject but I took down my first stag, a big red with a 7mm rem mag.

No brake, didnt hurt to much. Cant remember what weight the projectile was but they were hollow points, hit it in the base of the neck, no exit wound, hit the deck on the spot. From memory it was about 250m.

Thats impressive all right Stug...you wouldnt have touched the spine with that shot?
JBM says I have to come in to about 280 yards to hit with the same velocity and energy (assuming 3100 fps)

+1 high shoulder shot. Tho i prefer to call it high lung shot as that is what you are or should be aiming at.
You dont have to hit the spine just shock it and you will with a high lung shot, by the time they recover they have already bled out.

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Originally Posted by Fisherman

Thats impressive all right Stug...you wouldnt have touched the spine with that shot?
JBM says I have to come in to about 280 yards to hit with the same velocity and energy (assuming 3100 fps)

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Yep. missed the spine, just shocked it as Vietnamcam suggested. Muzzle velocity 3070 fps, so pretty close to 3100.

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

+1 high shoulder shot. Tho i prefer to call it high lung shot as that is what you are or should be aiming at.
You dont have to hit the spine just shock it and you will with a high lung shot, by the time they recover they have already bled out.

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Thanks for that...I had thought the high shoulder shot intended to damage the spine as it comes in low thru the shoulders.
Suddenly the target is a lot bigger and effective.

Thanks stug for your input. This info makes me think I need to get the Rem Mag. If nothing else its the humane thing to do.

Will a can let me spot my own shots or do I need the Terminater brake?

I can spot my own shots with a can on my 284 but if my technique isnt perfect i wont see it.

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A 162-168 projectile at 3050-3100fps does produce more recoil than most shooters can manage effectively enough to spot their own shots even with a suppressor.

A good muzzle brake will being the recoil back down to much more manageable level.

A T2 Terminator muzzle brake will bring the recoil down to around a mild .243 load or less.

The downside is good hearing protection has to be used, there are no free lunches.

Yep i cant garauntee ill spot my shots but if i get it all right i see it easy. 162s @ 2955

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That is tramping out of a 284

Yep and thats toned down a bit.

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if your shooting out past 800 you shouldnt have any trouble spotting your shots infact just as you regain the sight picture it will be hitting the target thats without a break on a sako 85 finlight throwing 162's:D.but yes you gotta have hearing protection so you can hear the rugby.

Thanks everyone...brilliant info