Best 7mm Rem Mag Ammo: Versatility and Terminal Ballistics in Every Cartridge

The 7mm Remington Magnum (7mm Rem Mag) was developed to compete with Roy Weatherby’s proprietary rifle cartridgess of the 1960s. This flat-shooting cartridge has tolerable recoil compared to other magnum rounds, and is incredibly balanced for the power it offers. The fact that it remains a favorite among hunters and long-range shooters is a testament to how great the 7mm Rem Mag really is.

Although it's nowhere near as popular as 30-06 or 308, many excellent 7mm Rem Mag rounds by major manufacturers are available. This article will explore some of your best options. If you don't see your favorite mentioned in this article, then it isn't because we don't love you very much.

7mm Rem Mag Ammo Recommendations

• Best Overall: Hornady Superformance 162 Grain SST
• Best for Medium and Big Game Hunting: Federal 160 Grain Trophy Bonded Tip
• Best for Long-Range Hunting : Winchester Expedition Big Game Long Range 168 Grain AccuBond LR
• Best for Target Practice: Prvi Partizan 140 Grain PSP
• Best Value: Sellier & Bellot 173 Grain SPCE

Best Overall: Hornady Superformance 162 Grain SST

Specs

Hornady Superformance 7mm Rem Magnum Ammo - 20 Rounds of 162 Grain SST Ammunition

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$49.99

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• Case: Brass
• Bullet Type: Super Shock Tip (SST)
• Bullet Weight: 162 grains
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,030 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 3,302 ft-lbs

Pros

• Widely available
• Relatively affordable
• Accurate
• Deadly

Cons

• Better big game loads are available

Why We Chose It

Hornady Superformance 162 grain SST is the best 7mm Rem Mag ammo overall because it’s effective on deer without breaking the bank. Anytime I’m looking for hunting ammo at the start of a season, I’m looking for something that has great terminal ballistics and bucks the wind well. I also want something reloadable that I can use at the range to sight in my scope.

Hornady Superformance SST checks all these boxes. I trust the brand in my 300 Win Mag and 30-06 rifles in addition to my 7mm Rem Mag deer blaster.

Superformance SST is perfect for American whitetail, mule deer, antelope, and other medium game animals. I know plenty of hunters who successfully implement it on larger critters, too.

The SST bullet boasts a relatively high ballistic coefficient, which means it conserves its velocity efficiently and flies flat, resists wind drift, and hits hard as a result. Hornady’s patented InterLock technology keeps the jacket and core anchored together, which promotes the high weight retention requisite for a clean kill.

I used Superformance all last year and never had an issue with it. It’s definitely one of the best on the market.

Honorable Mention

Nosler 150 grain AccuBond ammo tends to perform slightly better on big game animals than Superformance. It also carries a higher price tag, and is generally scarcer as well.

Best for Medium and Big Game Hunting: Federal 160 Grain Trophy Bonded Tip

Specs

Federal Vital-Shok 7mm Rem Magnum Ammo - 20 Rounds of 160 Grain Trophy Bonded Tip Ammunition

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$54.99

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• Case: Nickel-plated Brass
• Bullet Type: Jacketed Soft Point (JSP)
• Bullet Weight: 160 grains
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,900 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 2,988 ft-lbs

Pros

• Excellent weight retention
• High muzzle velocity
• Superb terminal performance
• Widely available
• Versatile

Cons

• Federal doesn't exactly give this ammo away

Why We Chose It

Federal 160 grain Trophy Bonded Tip is my favorite 7mm Mag hunting ammo because it’s affordable, reliable, and effective. While it is a bit pricier than other factory loads, you can’t beat this deer and elk hunting cartridge's terminal performance, range, and functionality.

Federal has given us a lot of excellent rounds over the years. The Minnesotan manufacturer never sacrifices price for effectiveness. This round's bullet wears an aerodynamically efficient polymer tip which stabs a clean, straight path through the air, and ends in a boat tail so as to minimize in-flight drag. It's all inservice of exhibiting the flattest possible trajectory.

The Trophy Bonded Tip isn't just designed for rapid expansion. True to its name, it features a bonded jacket which minimizes core/jacket separation and maximizes penetration depth as a result.

The 160 grain bullet has a respectable muzzle velocity and conserves superior energy downrange. So long as your marksmanship ranks as competent or higher, this ammo won't force you to track injured bulls very far through the brush.

Honorable Mention

Barnes VOR-TX 160 Grain TSX is another excellent option for deer and elk hunting. The lead-free Triple-Shock X projectile delivers a perfect synthesis of tack-driving accuracy, deep penetration, and highly deleterious terminal expansion.

Tracking down Barnes ammo is a little more challenging than it is with Federal, the Utahan company's ammo does not disappoint.

Best Long-Range Hunting Ammo: Winchester Expedition Big Game Long Range 168 Grain AccuBond LR

Specs

• Case: Nickel-plated Brass
• Bullet Type: AccuBond LR
• Bullet Weight: 168 grains
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,900 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 3,137 ft-lbs

Pros

• Great for big game at long ranges
• Flat trajectory
• High ballistic coefficient
• Excellent terminal ballistics
• High-quality cases for reloading

Cons

• Difficult to find

Why We Chose It

Winchester Expedition Big Game Long Range 168 Grain ammo includes everything we want while shooting very heavy creatures from very far away.

Winchester loads these elk boppers with Nosler AccuBond Long Range (ABLR) projectiles to ensure broad expansion following lower-velocity ipact. The ABLR utilizes its deformation-resistant polymer tip and "Solid Base" boat tail to minimize in-flight drag, which maximizes downrange striking energy in addition to flattening long-range trajectory.

Winchester’s Expedition Big Game Long Range ammo is exceedingly deadly. The ABLR's bonded jacket promotes high weight retention, thus assuring that the would column is long in addition to wide.

This long-range hunting ammo is a great find. It's also a bit hard to find, so don't hesitate to snap up a box if the opportunity ever presents itself.

Honorable Mention

Federal 168 grain Hunter Hybrid ammo is another excellent option for taking medium and large game over longer distances. The Berger Hunter Hybrid bullet possesses an exceptionally ballsitically efficient HPBT design, albeit one that reliably delivers wide positive expansion as well.

Best for Target Practice: Prvi Partizan 140 Grain PSP

Specs

Prvi Partizan 7mm Rem Magnum Ammo - 20 Rounds of 140 Grain PSP Ammunition

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$29.99

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• Case: Brass
• Bullet Type: Pointed Soft Point (PSP)
• Bullet Weight: 140 grains
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,110 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 2,987 ft-lbs

Pros

• Affordable
• Available
• PSP bullet is also suitable for hunting

Cons

• Better options for hunting are available

Why We Chose It

Prvi Partizan 140 grain PSP is my go-to round for target practice because it’s affordable and accurate. You can also use PSP bullets for hunting, which makes this ammo a suitable choice for just about any pastime you could lose yourself in.

While Prvi Partizan ammo doesn’t typically have all the same bells and whistles as Nosler, Federal or Hornady, it's still excellent stuff. Prvi Partizan is a Serbian ammunition company, yet well established in the U.S. and thoroughly represented by our hunting goods stores (as well as our online ammo retailers, which are better). Although there more ballistically efficient options for medium and big game hunting are available, these PSP loads shouldn’t give you any problems if you just want to drop game like mule deer and whitetail deer quickly and ethically.

Prvi Partizan ammo is also loaded with quality virgin brass and noncorrosive Boxer primers, making it a fine choice if you're a handloading kind of cat.

Honorable Mention

Remington Core-Lokt 150 grain PSP is another great option for target shooting and hunting alike. The Core-Lokt bullet reliably produces double-diameter expansion, and its jacket is embedded within its core – not bonded, but rugged all the same.

Best Value: Sellier & Bellot 173 Grain SPCE

Specs

Sellier and Bellot 7mm Rem Magnum Ammo - 20 Rounds of 173 Grain SPCE Ammunition

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• Case: Brass
• Bullet Type: Soft Point Cutting Edge (SPCE)
• Bullet Weight: 173 grains
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,782 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 2,973 ft-lbs

Pros

• Affordable
• Available
• Great for target practice
• Works well on medium game

Cons

• Not the most ballistically efficient

Why We Chose It

Sellier & Bellot 173 grain SPCE is a great cartridge for target practice and taking medium game. This hunting ammunition is much cheaper than the others on our list, although it can effectively take down creatures like antelope, mule deer, and whitetail deer.

This cartridge has a higher bullet than the others on our list, which means its muzzle a bit slower. That's not as great a shortcoming as it might seem, as a heavier bullet tends to conserve superior momentum, and is less vulnerable to wind deflection because of it.

But what is the soft point cutting edge bullet, exactly? Well, true to its name, it has a lead core with an unjacketd lead tip – a simple design that is proven to produce terminal expansion. But because the SPCE has a sharp shoulder (the "CE" in its name), it is able to punch a more injurious entry wound into the quarry than a conventional spitzer projectile could manage. What's more, the SPCE cuts an impressively clean hole through paper (akin to a semiwadcutter), making it optimal if you want to witness how closely you're grouping your shots.

Parting Shots

The 7mm Remington Magnum is a hard-hitting cartridge with a flat trajectory, as well as less recoil than a 300 Win Mag. So long as you select the right bullet, there are few hunting challenges the 7mm Rem Mag can't solve with flying colors.

If you want to see our entire inventory of 7mm RM ammo, click HERE. Otherwise, continue on to read our Buyer’s Guide.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Ammo for 7mm Rem Mag

If you’re preparing your trusty Remington Model 700, Tikka T3, or Savage 110 bolt-action rifle for hunting season or a target session, then there are many factors to consider before grabbing a box of factory ammo for your 7mm Rem Mag.

Norma, Sierra, Winchester, Hornady, Federal, and many other manufacturers jumped on the 7mm Rem Mag wagon years ago, and continue to release new bullet designs that shoot farther and take down game faster.

Taking a few minutes to explore bullet weights and designs can spell the difference between stocking the freezer and coming home empty-handed. Here's how to choose the right bullets for your needs.

Best Bullet Weight for 7mm Rem Mag Elk Hunting

One of the core benefits of the 7mm Rem Mag is that it is powerful albeit with slightly less recoil than other similar rounds. Bullet weight factors into this. A lighter bullet has a higher muzzle velocity, but typically sheds its momentum faster than a heavier alternative.

Heavier bullets typically strike with greater energy, and are therefore better suited for clobbering large game like elk. We recommend going no lighter than 160 grains, although you can theoretically go lighter if your're confident in your marksmanship.

The Best Bullet Weight for 7mm Rem Mag Deer Hunting

Here's a poignant ungulate fact: whitetail, blacktail and mule deer weigh less than elk. If you're gunning for smaller antlered things, then you can choose a bullet lighter than 160 grains.

Most hunters use a 160 grain bullet for whitetail hunting because it’s heavy enough to reliably take down medium-sized game, but it’s also light enough to keep a flat trajectory over conventional 7mm Rem Mag hunting distances.

The Best 7mm Rem Mag Bullet Designs for Training

Many shooters love the 7mm Rem Mag because it uses lighter bullets but can still hit targets that are further away. The cartridge is perfect for training and target practice because it won’t punish your shoulder like the 300 WSM and 300 Win Mag with heavier bullets, or the .375 H&H with any bullet.

Finding any 7mm RM ammunition can be a bit tricky at times. Fortunately, you don’t need to be too picky about your training ammunition. Choose literally anything. You aren’t trying to drop a target with controlled expansion; you’re just trying to hit it.

The Best 7mm Rem Mag Bullet Designs for Hunting

Selecting hunting bullets is where things get more complicated. You may be able to easily find boxes of 7mm Rem Mag Winchester Deer Season XP, but this ammo's Extreme Point bullets typically don't penetrate deeply enough to deliver a decisive blow on large game.

If you’re hunting big game, you need something that offers controlled expansion such as the Nosler Partition. If you’re hunting antelope or deer, you need something that expands a little faster (but not too much faster).

Choosing 7mm Rem Mag Ammo for Distance

The last thing you’ll want to consider before ordering a box of 7mm Rem Mag ammo is how the bullet's design affects its trajectory.

BBarnes and Hornady make it easy to spot bullets designed specifically for distance. Barnes has its Very Long Distance (VLD) projectile. Similarly, Hornady loads its proprietary Extremely Low Drag (ELD) Match bullets. When you see designations like those, it’s safe to say the bullets are designed for covering long distances. Note that OTM, HPBT, and many polymer tipped bullets are also optimal for long-distance shooting – but necessarily hunting.

FAQ

Can I use 7mm Rem Mag ammo in a 7mm Mauser?

No. The 7mm Rem Mag has a larger case than the 7mm Mauser, and will not chamber in the older style of rifle.

How do I know which ammo shoots better in my rifle?

There are many 7mm Rem Mag rifles by manufacturers such as Tikka, Savage, and Remington. Your best bet is to buy ammo in small quantities and test it out before buying it in bulk or taking it hunting.

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I hope you found this guide helpful, and that you’re now ready to order your new favorite 7mm Rem Mag ammo. Click HERE to go back to the top, and good luck this hunting season!

Written by

Cassandra McBride