7mm-08 users, what are your loads for elk?

[Newtosavage]

Anyone load 175 or 180gr eld's in there 7mm-08?

Guess I never really saw the need to after I found my 162 ELD-X load.

I can go to 2.96" in my Tikka with the ELD-X before I hit the lands. Mag and bolt stop is modded so it can easily load 3.00"+ but the throat is the limiting factor for heavier bullets.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[HNTR918]

Guess I never really saw the need to after I found my 162 ELD-X load.

I can go to 2.96" in my Tikka with the ELD-X before I hit the lands. Mag and bolt stop is modded so it can easily load 3.00"+ but the throat is the limiting factor for heavier bullets.

Let us know how it goes.

Have you tried the 180 bullets in your Tikka to check to seating depth?
I've heard the O-give is much farther down than the 162's and therefore requires an even longer seating in order to touch the lands on the long throat Tikka's.

 

[Newtosavage]

Have you tried the 180 bullets in your Tikka to check to seating depth?
I've heard the O-give is much farther down than the 162's and therefore requires an even longer seating in order to touch the lands on the long throat Tikka's.

Like I said, I never felt the need to. I think 162's are already heavy for caliber, and any heavier than that you lose so much velocity that I don't feel you're gaining anything.

 

[wyosam]

119 absolute hammer. 3125 out of an 18” 7-08 Ackley.


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[Southforkguy]

Interesting. Not sure if you meant MV or impact velocity. Both my 7mm-08's will send a 140 Accubond over 2750 and one has a 20" barrel.

Mine gets 2933 out of the 139gr superformance and it has absolutely stoned a pile of big bodied Wisconsin Bucks and a few fat mule deer bucks

 

[Northpark]

I’m currently having an 8 twist 7mm-08ai built. Planning on using either 140 absolute hammers or 143 hammer hunters. Feel like those will get the job done just fine on elk.

 

[Jon Boy]

I’m currently having an 8 twist 7mm-08ai built. Planning on using either 140 absolute hammers or 143 hammer hunters. Feel like those will get the job done just fine on elk.

I imagine so. I just did load development on an 8 twist with the 154 death blows. 2925 with a stout load of varget.

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[Firehawk]

3 7mm-08 rifles in my house. 140 Accubonds and Varget are the cat's meow. Proven quite effective of a handful of antlerless elk for us. A buddy made quick work of a small bull with 140 Barnes LRX with his 7-08.

 

[Timberline001]

Last year was my first for rifle elk hunting and I took my stainless Tikka 7mm-08 hand loaded with 162 ELD-X @ 2650 - a very, very accurate load from my rifle. I'm not sure yet if I'll be rifle hunting or bow or muzzleloader this year, but since I didn't get the opportunity to shoot an elk last fall, I'm still wondering how that load would have performed. Any thoughts?

What 7mm-08 loads are people having luck with for elk, and at what distances?

Thanks.

Our load is very similar. 162 ELDM over 51 grains of RL26 with magnum primers. 2725 out of a 22 inch barrel with no pressure signs Whatsoever, just no room for more powder. I believe COAL is 2.825

 

[Pinwheeled]

140gr Accubond over a max load of H4350 is pretty tough to beat out of my Tikka. Right around 2825 out of a 22” barrel


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[mtnlomo]

140gr Barnes TTSX just shy of a max load IMR 4350 roughly 2850-2900 fps (I’d have to check my book for specifics)


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[waitforit]

I have 3 loads I'm working up for my 7mm08 Kimber Hunter (1:9 twist, 22" barrel). I ran 4 ladders with H4895 and Varget using Hammer Hunter 131gr and Accubond 140gr, identified the high velocity node(s) for each and shot some 3-round test groups. Varget was the clear winner accuracy wise so I'm doing some fine tuning. I actually got better speed with H4895 but haven't found the accuracy at that speed.

Accubond 140gr
COAL: 2.815 (mag limited on Kimber hunter)
Lapua brass 7mm08
CCI 200 primers
Varget 43.2gr
2863 FPS

Hammer 131gr
COAL: 2.815 (mag limited on Kimber hunter)
Lapua Brass 7mm08
CCI 200 primers
Varget 45.3 gr
3014 FPS

I'm also trying some 162gr Hornady ELD-M that I will load to 0.020" off the lands. In my gun this will require single loading. I am working up a 12 shot ladder using 8208 XBR, if that doesn't give me what I'm looking for I'll try Varget or maybe H4350 if I can find 1lb locally.

 

[MuleyFever]

Im going to try H4350 (since I have it) under 139 Interbonds for my wife this year for her bull tag. She has dropped a couple of cows elk with factory 139 SSTs.

I may go to the 140something Hammer if the Interbonds dont work out. She is not a longer range shooter so I dont need .5" 100yd groups. The Interbonds should do what we need them to.

 

[bonepoint]

140 Accubonds at 2,800 FPS has worked great for us on 3 cow elk the last couple years. We load a max load of Big Game and it should right at 0.5" groups out of a Howa Mountain Alpine. Last year my son placed one perfectly at 250 yds. It left a quarter sized exit and the cow never took a step. It worked great on a few others as well. We did take one cow at 600 yds and I would not do that again. Impact velocity was near the minimum and the wound channel was poor. The 7mm-08 with 140 ABs is a great combination for elk at reasonable distances. It works better than it should.

 

[Short Track]

Try Nosler Partition. Elk don't seem to like it.

 

[Llama32]

Varget
162 eldm for me

 

[waitforit]

What speeds are you getting with that combo?

 

[Llama32]

What speeds are you getting with that combo?

2675 , 17" , 1-8

 

[Jon Boy]

What speeds are you getting with that combo?

2700-2750 with half a dozen 22 in tikkas

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[Ram94]

I’m right at 2750 fps with this load too ^ and it’s been awesome on game.