Lee 7mm 130grn "SoupCan" on deer size game?

Anybody have any experience with this boolit, on game? The plan is to use it this fall on mule deer and potentially cow elk. It'll be shot in a 14" Contender in 7-30 Waters, and ranges won't exceed 150 yds.

The NOE 135grn Thor will not work in this gun, due to a very short throat, and the RCBS 145grn SIL just doesn't have the desired flat nose.

I'd just like to hear actual experience with this particular boolit, in so far as putting meat on the table. Does it work as good as it looks like it should?

hello rush
i have used it on a couple medium sized does down here in south ms
was in a 7tcu from a 12 inch contender
did the job on them very well but i had good shot placement on both slight angle facing away
one was about 75 yrds the other 90 yrds neither went more than 25 yrds from being hit
do not recall the exact load or velocity
hope this will help
mule

Good Morning Iron Mule

Thanks for the info. You say slight angle facing away. Can I assume you were going for a double lung shot? Any autopsy particulars as you recall? Did you get pass thru's on both? Involve any shoulder/leg bone?

You're reply is appreciated.

rush1886,

I have both the 7mm Thor and the Lee 7mm Soupcan..
The Thor fits shorter throats better that the Soupcan..

Personally I wouldn't walk out the door to hunt elk with either when I have many more options and I bet you do also..

Nrut-I have both as well. In order to close the action on the Thor, it is necessary to seat it deep enough that the base of the boolit is near the rearmost shoulder angle on the case. The action will close fine, with the ogive on the soupcan just kissing the rifling, and the base is not quite a gascheck width in further than the base of the neck of the cartridge.
When I talk about about a short throat, the rifling begins precisely at the forward edge of the case. No lead or throat what so ever.

Other options are available, but I'd like to carry just one weapon this season, and don't feel the need for a 45/70 on deer. I'm just curious to hear of performance of the soupcan, if anyone has any.

How is the accuracy with each bullet at 100 yards?
Preferably 5 shot groups..
If the Thor has the same accuracy I would sure use it..

I have a 7mm TCU T/C carbine and 10" barrel pistol and did terminal ballistics tests with both at 40 Yards using both the soup can and RNGC boolits from Lee. The MV of the carbine with both is 1950 and with the pistol is about 1500. The penetration of both as well as expansion was devastating with my own alloy (60% pure, 37% hard/chilled shot, and 3% tin plus water cooled). With those results, any deer within 150 yards would be in serious trouble and a small cow elk (under 300#) would be as well if under 75 yards. These boolits are both superbly accurate at 100 yards delivering sub MOA accuracy routinely in the scoped carbine. I don't recall my exact powder charge but it is somewhere around 20 gr of 4198. I cannot recommend it for a bull or a lead herd cow elk (around here, those Roosevelt elk lead herd cows tend to be over 500 pounds on the hoof having portaged one out by myself once after intending to shoot a calf).

Thanks Guys

Hoping for decent range weather this week. Right now, I've got 20 rds of each, Thor, soupcan and rcbs, loaded and ready for accuracy testing.

Gotta say, because of having to seat them so deep, I'm not as hopeful for the Thor as I was when the mold arrived. That's what caused me to order the soupcan mold, and a buddy had the rcbs mold. As per the loaded rounds, the rcbs actually fits the chamber the best. It just doesn't thrill me as far as nose profile goes.

This year, I've applied for tags which, if I draw, will allow me to hunt either sex mule deer and cow elk simultaneously. That's what is leading to the info gathering. Hunting will be with the 14" Contender, and I adhere to a personally imposed 150 yard or less rule, though 90% of my game thru the years, has been shot around the 65-80 yard range. I'd really like to have good results on the range with the Thor, but the necessary seating depth just isn't right in my head.

Still listening, if anybody has more to share!

Given my experience with the Lee 130 gr. RNGC in the terminal ballistics test, with the right alloy you need not be too concerned about the nose profile of the RCBS if the MV is above 1900 fps. With that boolit at 40 yards , it got 18" of penetration and expanded to over .7". IMO, you will need that penetration for a cow elk. If I can still find the expanded boolits from that terminal test, I will post a pic. The medium for all my terminal ballistics test is soaked, hard compacted phone books with a piece of thin plywood an inch in to simulate a clipped rib so penetration in a real animal will be even greater.

I have a 14" 7-30 Waters TC and I really like the NOE 7mm Hunter.

(you may have to ask NOE to run a few of this one. :) )

I can slay the steel rams at 200m easily. :)

double lung shot on both one clipped the heart//neither hit shoulder or leg going in one got a shoulder on opposite side did not exit
both wound channels were good but did not destroy a lot of meat//// not much on the autopsy thing
mule

Thanks iron mule. Good wound channels, not much meat loss, that's all good!

I would think the rcbs would give excellent penetration, which would definitely be a good thing on elk, I agree with that. I would like to have a bit of the impact shock the lee would give, on the thinner skinned deer, however. At least that's what my mind is telling me. Sounds like I'm wanting to eat my cake too, I guess.

I still like the Thor, and maybe on the range, the seating depth won't be as much of a detriment as I'm worried about. Meanwhile, I looked at that NOE 150grn Hunter, and that may just be the ticket!

Bad thing about all the boolit choices, and requisite testing: the drain spigot on the checking account!

I've used the "Soup Can" in several caliber guns on deer in Maryland and Maine with great success. I have 3 7TC/U barrels ,10,14 and 21". The 10" is marginal for big game, BUT will work if close enough. Maybe a throating reamer to fix the barrel to handle the THOR would be a better idea. Hollow pointing the RCBS is another thought.

The throating reamer may be road I choose, once I try the accuracy potential with what I have loaded. It is in my head that the Thor should be THE ONE for the 7-30.