7mm-08 for elk?

Joined
Nov 8, 2023
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Love the 7mm08 ! Built a nice accurate Tikka for my kids. 120 Ballistic tips for deer and antelope. Got a good recipe for the 140 Accubond for my daughters cow hunt a couple years ago. She shot one perfect at 300 yards. Dropped her in her tracks. That’s the only elk hunt it’s been used on…
 

Hagas4all

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May 19, 2023
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Isn't the twist rate a bit slow for the heavier options?

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Yes and no. If you’re talking sleek high BC bullets yes about 160 ish class bullets with. 9.5 twist. But you can run something like a 175 partition no problem.
 

Mt Al

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Dec 16, 2017
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7mm-08 works like a charm on elk; accuracy and a good bullet get the job done. 7mm-08 and the like are easy to shoot, so a person is likely to shoot and practice much more = better accuracy, familiarity, etc.. Have shot a bunch of critters with mine for many years up to big bodied bull elk and each one dropped in their tracks or after a few steps.
 

Benjblt

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Dec 1, 2016
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Western Oregon
Yes and no. If you’re talking sleek high BC bullets yes about 160 ish class bullets with. 9.5 twist. But you can run something like a 175 partition no problem.
So like a 162 gr ELD-X will work? I'm curious if the mag length in the new Gen 2 Ruger American will be long enough for longer bullets.

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Joined
Sep 11, 2017
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Bozeman, MT
Possibly one of the best all around cartridges for 500 yards and under. If you’re an hand loader, with the right bullet you can push to 600 yards. Pleasant to shoot out of a lightweight rifle, lots of good bullet selection for whatever application you need, Lapua brass, performs well out of a shorter barrel, the list goes on…


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Hagas4all

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May 19, 2023
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So like a 162 gr ELD-X will work? I'm curious if the mag length in the new Gen 2 Ruger American will be long enough for longer bullets.

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Mag length is not your limitation on the tikka. If required as others have stated you can swap out for a long action bolt stop and magazine and your COL grows up to 3.4 if required or an M+ magazine might get you there as well.
 

ssimo

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Sep 21, 2022
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I’m looking at a 7mm-08 as a dual purpose rifle. Looking for opinions about using this caliber for Elk.
It's gonna work. Not ideal probably though. Adequate bullet, good shot placement (avoiding big bones) at reasonable distances (inside 500 yards or so) and the elk will stand no chance.
 
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Nov 20, 2021
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It's gonna work. Not ideal probably though. Adequate bullet, good shot placement (avoiding big bones) at reasonable distances (inside 500 yards or so) and the elk will stand no chance.
Absolutely it's gonna work. However, I'm going to have a little bit of fun, no mean spirit intended.

I chuckle at the thought it's "not ideal probably though" given that is followed with criteria where "the elk will stand no chance"

500 yds or so... if limiting to 500 yards on a shot makes it not ideal, there needs to be more hunting and a whole lot less reading the Internet about hunting elk.

Adequate projectile... applies to any cartridge, not just a 7mm-08.

Good shot placement... same as adequate projectile, no matter the cartridge that is the goal. A 140-150 gr. anything in a hunting bullet from a 7mm-08 with decent ballistic coefficient will be traveling over 2000 FPS at 500 yards. That'll be good for any elk shoulder that I've come across.
 

ssimo

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Sep 21, 2022
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Absolutely it's gonna work. However, I'm going to have a little bit of fun, no mean spirit intended.

I chuckle at the thought it's "not ideal probably though" given that is followed with criteria where "the elk will stand no chance"

500 yds or so... if limiting to 500 yards on a shot makes it not ideal, there needs to be more hunting and a whole lot less reading the Internet about hunting elk.

Adequate projectile... applies to any cartridge, not just a 7mm-08.

Good shot placement... same as adequate projectile, no matter the cartridge that is the goal. A 140-150 gr. anything in a hunting bullet from a 7mm-08 with decent ballistic coefficient will be traveling over 2000 FPS at 500 yards. That'll be good for any elk shoulder that I've come across.
It's not ideal because with a more powerful round you have more margin of error in most variables, especially shot placement and longer distances. I would use a 300wsm if i were hunting big games in NA.

On the fact that a good shot placement is the goal, this is obvious. Still, we both know shooting a living animal in variable conditions is not like solving a math equation.

Edit: assuming you are able to shoot a bigger caliber well enough.
That said, i have only two hunting rifles, both in .308, and i hunt everything with them, from 50 lbs roes to 600 lbs red deer
 
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