At odds with elk rifle calibers

[Maverick1]

Nothing wrong with a 7mag for elk. I agree that a 30 caliber hits harder.What is the max range that you shoot? I love my 35 whelen but my max range with it is 500 yards for proper bullet performance. A 300win mag or a 300prc in 30 caliber for the non reloader. Of course a 30/06 is hard to beat. What kind of bullet are you using in your 7mag.

Please define "hits harder".

 

[grfox92]

Please define "hits harder".

I'm surprised it hasent been said yet, but there is no such thing as "knock down" power.

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[Ross]

Since it is a new year, here are a few memories with my original 7mag bought at a pawn shop in Missoula in the 80s, the tikka bought in 2003 and both topped with those baddd leupolds The 7mag does just fine, get dialed in with it and you will not need a new gunGood more can be posted but as noted don’t want to clog the thread

 

[grfox92]

I've said for years and years that a 7mm-08 is everything a 6.5 CM hoped to be and more. 162 ELD-X is fantastic in a 7mm-08. Might be the most for the least.

I shot an antelope with a 162ELDM at 209 yards and felt the damage was excessive. I was thinking of trying the X as it's a little tougher.

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[TaperPin]

160 gr Accubond out of a 7 mag kills everything it’s pointed at. No questioning, no drama, actually pretty boring.

 

[EastHumboldt]

Please sir…. May I have some more wallop?

 

[LongWayAround]

Please sir…. May I have some more wallop?

You can't have more wallop, if you don't eat your recoil!

(said with Authority)

 

[Balderdash]

I shot an antelope with a 162ELDM at 209 yards and felt the damage was excessive. I was thinking of trying the X as it's a little tougher.

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Out of a 7mm-08?

IME, the 162 ELDX is maybe a little soft for 7 mag velocities on elk. My sample size of 4 is too small to draw any definitive conclusions from, but the 4 I traced the path on were all chest shots at 3-500 yds. No large bone impacts. Not much penetration but devastating wound channels. All dead elk, so can't complian, but I will be trying the 165 Norna Bondstrikes next time I take a .284 mag.

The 162 X is an awesome bullet out of a 7mm-08, though.

 

[Jethro]

Since it is a new year, here are a few memories with my original 7mag bought at a pawn shop in Missoula in the 80s, the tikka bought in 2003 and both topped with those baddd leupolds The 7mag does just fine, get dialed in with it and you will not need a new gunGood more can be posted but as noted don’t want to clog the thread

You should have just put that trip down memory lane in your first post. Then thread could have been locked with nothing more needing be said.

 

[Wrench]

A lot of this discussion can start at the start of bullet choices.

For sub 500 a flat base partition is ballistically so close to any match bullet it's not worth arguing. Any bullet will be within a few inches at your max and probably shoot even better up close.....and performance can be tailored.

A lot of people who will never shoot to the potential of slick bullets buy them due to what they read on the net without fully understanding.

I'm attaching a pic of Hornaday chart for a quick example. If you look at what sub 300 yard bench shooters use....you'll find a flat base. There is a reason.

 

[lhbackcountry]

You can't have more wallop, if you don't eat your recoil!

(said with Authority)

buuut mom said wallops = knock down!

 

[Yoder]

Not exactly. 7 RM is actually a necked down .338 WM.

You taught me something today. I always thought they were the same. I just read that they both came from the 375 H&H magnum, but like you said, they are not the same.

 

[Maverick1]

I would like to post all the bulls I’ve killed with that caliber, but don’t want to clog the thread

And then you went ahead and clogged the thread!

 

[Ross]

Only partially I stopped at 10

 

[jimh406]

I guess it depends on how much you will shoot your magnum or will you train with a different one. As noted, the 7 Mag is fine. There is a lot of different ammo out there for 300 WSM although maybe not at your local store. If you just want something different, that's ok of course. It might be a bit of exercise to get it to shoot as well as your current gun.

You might look into changing the ammo if you think you want a bit better/different performance out of the 7 Mag. There's certainly plenty of ammo choices.

Maybe start a thread about what ammo to use in a 7 Mag for Elk.

 

[Pharmseller]

You 7mag is arguably overkill for Elk with modern bullets. Go look at the 7mm08 kill thread and look at the results burning half the powder.

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Now you’re talking!

225 yards



409 yards



68 yards (DRT, too)



346 yards, fastest drop yet








P

 

[wyosam]

Out of a 7mm-08?

IME, the 162 ELDX is maybe a little soft for 7 mag velocities on elk. My sample size of 4 is too small to draw any definitive conclusions from, but the 4 I traced the path on were all chest shots at 3-500 yds. No large bone impacts. Not much penetration but devastating wound channels. All dead elk, so can't complian, but I will be trying the 165 Norna Bondstrikes next time I take a .284 mag.

The 162 X is an awesome bullet out of a 7mm-08, though.

Hmmm, how does the bullet tell it came from a belted mag? If it doesn’t work for a 7rm at 3-500 because it’s going too fast, it doesn’t work in 7-08 inside 400 or wherever it hits the same velocity you’re impacting at 500.


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[IrkedCitizen]

I love my 7RM. My current bullets are 162gr ELD-M loaded by UM in premium brass. Since switching to these bullets the time from impact and death has greatly improved. Things die quick.

 

[rootacres]

Bang-flop has a lot more to do with shot placement than what you shoot them with. There’s nothing wrong with what you are using nor the bullets you are shooting.

If you shoot anything in NA in the lungs with your combo, it will die. If you don’t shoot them in the lungs they may not, or at least not as quickly and drama free as you would like.

^^^ what he said. There's nothing wrong with what you have. If you want a new rifle and want to tinker that's cool too. Go buy a new rifle. I ditched my 300 PRC in favor of the lower recoiling 7 SAUM. I get bang-flops when I seek high shoulder hits. Mid/Lower shoulder hits the animal is on 3 legs and generally makes it a few steps. . 168gr Berger / 2960 mv

There's loads of info coming out in support of the smaller, lighter recoiling calibers being plenty for big game. I owned a 300 WSM prior to the 7 SAUM. You're splitting hairs on capability unless you plan on building out a WSM with a long action and begin reloading.

 

[6mm Remington]

Try some 160 gr. Nosler Accubonds in your 7mm mag. They are a great bullet that penetrate and expand very well while retaining bulet weight nicely. It would be hard to go wrong with that combination and typically most rifles shoot the Accubond into nice small groups. Practice shooting and best of luck.