Hi Everyone,
I'm still searching for the best 7-30 Waters bullet/load combination for medium sized deer and bear. I plan on carrying my 7-30 exclusively this fall. I'm nervous of both the 120gr factory load and 130gr speer bullet....they just seem too light? Maybe I'm old fashioned on that subject. I've cut down some 154gr interlocks to about 144gr and they look and feel very promising at 2400 fps.
What have you done and was it successful?
Thanks
CJ

I assume you are needing a flat point bullet. Speer's Hot Core 130 Flat Nose bullets should do a good job for you. I wonder if the old 175 grain round noses used for 7mm Mausers would fly OK out of your rifle? Those are about your only factory options. The 154 trimming idea sounds good if you get them cut uniformed and accuracy is good. I imagine 150 grain Nosler Partitions with the noses grounded flat would be good game killers as well.

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Thanks,
I think the 175gr is probably just too heavy for that small case....it'll take up a lot of powder room and I might not be able to get it going fast enough to expand?? It's not just the flat point I need, but a fairly short overall length too.
The cut 154's shoot well enough, frankly I'm a little worried about them expanding well enough at 2400fps (should be fine?).
The 130's I have shoot at about 2550 fps and would probably be fine....I just need to get a deer or two under my belt with them and my confidence in them will be there....right now though I'm trying the cut 154's first (144gr)....unless I hear about something better to try here.

CJ

Speculation on my part, but I would try the Noslers. It is my understanding that they were built same as the other "Solid Base" bullets and those are generally pretty tough. I have been using 100gr. SB bullets in my .257 with fine results, including a 275lb. pig.

So just going on reputation I would give them a try. You can always put the first one broadside through ribs, and work your way up to tougher angles.

Let us know how it works out.

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MikeG

I shoot 140gr BT's out of my 7-30 Contender. They are very accurate and designed to hold together well enough for deer and probably black bear. I don't know if they would be short enough for your needs but you might give them a try.

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good thoughts....do either of these bullets have a crimp cannelure or would I have to just keep one in the chamber and something different in the magazine?
CJ

Shot the 7-30 winchester today (24") in anticipation of deer season a couple of weeks away. I needed to sight in the receiver sights I had put on earlier this summer and make sure I was hitting where they were pointing. Tried the 145gr modified bullet at 2374fps ave. velocity (about 50 degrees today, drizzle at times) and they shot well enough. I sighted in at 50 yds off a fairly steady rest then tried them again at about 90 yds prone. Also shot a lot of my fire form loads, 139gr hornadys @ 2267 fps which helped me sight in without using all my hunting loads...they did shoot well. I also shot a few of my 130 gr speer hunting loads, they're a little hotter at 2592 fps average today. Both the hunting loads were consistent on impact point with the fire form loads just a little lower, barely perceivable from my crude sighting setup.
Happy hunting all.
cj

I have had great luck killing Pennsylvania white tails with the Federal 120 grain bullet out of my 14 inch Contender. They shoot about 1.5 inches at 100 yards and I have never had a deer take more than a few steps (they usually drop where they stood) after being shot.
Good luck,

Kudu40

kudu40
did you ever recover any bullets from these?
thanks
cj

my 7-30 was christened yesterday, taking a 174 lb, 8 pt. i walked onto a doe being trailed by a buck. they were just in the edge of an old logging cut so things were thicker than i would have liked. things were moving fast and when he finally presented himself through a downfall i was able to get a shot, then another shot, then another!! I havent done the autopy yet, but i don't think the first two reached him, the last one I know did! The one that took him was a 130gr speer load like mentioned above. happy hunting!

update...while cutting up my deer, i recovered two of my bullets just under the hide on the opposite side they entered!!!! realizing then that I hit him all three times. (4 holes through the hide and two bullets recovered) the 3rd shot was still the one not recovered, entering and exiting just under the spine. the first shot was my modified 145gr bullet, recovered weight was 126gr and a perfect mushroom. the second shot was a 130gr speer, recovered weight 90gr. I think this bullet hit debris first based on its lower retained weight and the large entrance hole.

Congratulations on the buck and glad your handloads did good.

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