7mm Mag Deer Season XP suspicious...is it safe

[Bruno747]

Hi all,

Got a couple questions hopefully someone can answer. I also have a request in with Winchester on this because this doesn't look safe at all.

So the product is Deer Season XP 140gr in 7mm Rem Mag. Being supremely impressed with its performance out of my 270, thought i'd try it in 7mm rem mag.

I got home pulled the box open to inspect since the LGS doesn't let people open boxes in store. Every single one of the cartridges are crimped to hell. Literally buckled the case mouth in 4 places on each round.

So after a few minutes I became curious. I measured the bullets. Every one of them are .277 or .276. I recognize that as a bullet used in .270 Winchester. Based on my reloading manual I should be expecting something like .284 for a 7mm bullet.

for giggles and grins I pulled out my 130gr 270 Winchester Deer Season XP ammo and got the exact same measurement.

Again, a support ticket is in to Winchester on this, I don't want to shoot this until they clear it. Especially since this is going through a Remington 700 200th Anniversary Edition.


What are your thoughts, have you ever come upon ammunition that was factory loaded with the wrong bullet? I would pull one and weigh it to see if its 130gr vs 140, but I don't have a bullet puller. I also find it hard to believe that my calipers would be off that much.

[The_Shadow]

Something doesn't seem right!  Good luck getting things figured out!

[AlinMi]

If your measuring at the case mouth, chances are it won't be .284 and your measurements are coming close to bore size of a 7mm.

[Bruno747]

AlinMi, you hit the nail on the head. 

Out of an abundance of caution and since winchester didn't respond at all, I bought one of the inertia type bullet pullers. (I needed one anyway)

Took a ridiculous amount of firm raps just to get past the hellacious crimp they put on this ammo. But once I got things dissassembled, most worries are placated. Sure enough, the bullet doesn't reach full size until after the cannelure. .2835" Id say .0005 is within margin of error. 140gr on the dot, just as it should be.

Powder charge was 71.4gr. Kinda on the high end for most powder I reload with, but who knows what powder was actually used its within reason for several powders I found listed.

[Overkill338]

Doesnt really relate here, but I pulled a Hornady Heavy Mag 300 Win Mag apart once going to measure it. By the time I laid the bullet aside, the powder had expanded and spilled over. Talk about compressed.