Posted By Kantuck_Raised on 07/27/2009 7:55 AM
Ammo is always a matter of opinion and I am in need of everyone's opinion. I plan on only shooting Remington Ammo so out of the Remington 7mm Rem Mag ammo, what grain and what type of round do you use for deer hunting under 500 yards?
When I first started long range deer shooting about 20 years ago I always thought that bullets were a matter of opinion also.............
But since you asked for under 500 yard bullets I might throw in my 2 cents.
Most bullets have a certain range of velocity they need to obtain to perform as they were designed. For instance, varmint bullets are built to "Open up", or expand at high velocities, and also function the same at lower velocities than the "Bonded" and.or "Core-Lokt" bullets. When you get out to 500 yards you will need a bullet that will expand at least some and those two will not because the velocity is too low at that range.
Example: A 160 grain Partition bullet leaves the muzzle at about 3000 fps in a 7mm Mag but decreases it's velocity to about 2000 fps at 500 yards, which is not enough velocity for it to function at it's best at that range. What you will get is a clean hole through the animal with very little resulted shock or bleeding.
A lower weighted "Varmint" type bullet will lose a little more velocity at 500 yards and up.............. and due to it's thinner jacket and fabrication will not penetrate as deep but will cause more of a hydraulic shock effect throughout the vital organs, thus giving you a better chance of retrieving your animal.
On the other hand, a lighter "Varmint" type bullet might open up tremendously upon impact without much penetration at a higher velocity and/or at a closer range, thus wounding a deer externally and him running off.
It took me a long time to figure out why my Core-Lokts weren't killing deer at 600 to 700 yards when I know I had hit them properly..................