What grain for 7mm mag?

[MLS35]

Hi guys I want to start pig hunting, I have a 7mm mag but I'm not sure what grain to use. I've read that you don't want a bullet that fragments because it can ruin more meat than necessary. I've read guys taking them with a variety of grains and it seems the guys using a lighter round are making head shots. I'm not looking to go trophy hunting I'm looking to shoot them for the freezer. I currently have Winchester super x power core 95/5 in 140 grain. Would that be suitable?

 

[myfriendis410]

A friend of mine using the 95/5's in a 30-06 got poor results out of it. I would suggest the 140 gr. in a Barnes; either the Vortex which has the TTSX or the Federal Premium which is loaded with a TSX. I've killed many hogs with 140, 150 and 160 gr. in the 7mm mag and they all do a fine job with little damage to meat. I don't bother with head shots: shoot 'em behind the shoulder and they're DRT.

 

[steve45]

i like 160 grain winchester failsafes for hogs. nice size exit holes. Leaves more room for error on shot placement

 

[studmanbri]

i shot a hog with a barnes 140 gr. last Friday. It died...

 

[catchdog]

I think the bullet you are shooting will work . If you were shooting a lead bullet I would say jump up to a 150 or 160 gr .I am a fan of the Barnes bullets . Me and my family have taken many animals with a 140 gr TSX from a 7mm08. Most were DRT. None of the hogs went over 30 yards.

 

[7Mag_PigHunter]

I own a Winchester Model 70 7mm Mag... After using so many different kind of bullets especially in nonlead... I ended up using Nosler Etip 150 grain... Does the trick in far or short distances... Damages like a cannon

 

[MLS35]

Thanks guys, I'll buy a box of each and see if my gun likes one better than the other.

 

[myfriendis410]

I've decided that the solid copper benefits from going light. (within reason) I would vote for the 140 gr. I stayed away from the e-tip because you give up so much in velocity. I have never shot a factory round out of either of my 7mm mags so couldn't tell you how they'd perform in your gun. The best thing is to try a couple of different ones to see what your gun wants.

 

[Hikingwithguns]

I used 150 grain barnes TTSX in .308 for a 250 lb pig. Fist sized exit holes. It went about 25 yards. Only reason I had to shoot more than once was it was running at me :skeered:

 

[Live2hunt]

It's not what you choose for hunting. It's what bullet your gun can drive straight to it's target.