Looking for some caliber advice for elk

[cpalm9]

"I don't reload (at least not yet) so ammo is certainly a consideration."

It's intimidating to get started if you don't have anyone to guide you, but the truth is anyone can do it. So glad I finally made the jump. There are a lot of cool cartridges I never would have considered if I had to rely on factory ammo.

I have a few buddies that do it. Some have even offered to let me use their stuff. I would just have to get the dies, powder, primers, brass, and bullets.

 

[BrBa]

I have a few buddies that do it. Some have even offered to let me use their stuff. I would just have to get the dies, powder, primers, brass, and bullets.

Nice! Dies, bullets and brass are easy to source, even if you have to order online. Powder and primers can be awfully scarce, and even more difficult to find locally which means hazmat shipping. I'm sure one of your friends can guide you on what to buy if you decide to jump in. I would start with deciding on a bullet you want to hunt with, and then find a powder that will be a good match with the bullet and your barrel length and twist.

 

[11Justin22]

What's it take to kill an elk at 600yds?

Eldx, eldm, tmk North of 1800FPS. That's it. No magic juju. Pick any head stamp that will deliver one of those bullets at that speed at the distant your shooting. There's a ton of cartridges that will deliver, nothing fancy needed. Just practice.

 

[Firestone]

All the PRCs are here to stay. But if you already have a 7RM I don't think there is enough difference to justify a 7prc.
Unless you just want another gun, which in that case, it is a really good reason in my book haha

Between a 7rm/7prc or a .308, I would go with one of the 7's every time. Great selection of bullets that have some super sexy BCs.

 

[Mike D Texas]

The PRC cartridges are here to stay and they will be good for the guy who wants to buy a factory rifle and use factory ammo and doesn’t have a clue about clickers and such.

The more serious hand loaders and shooters will continue to have to fix Hornady’s poor chamber dimensions.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Kimber7man]

I'll suggest something different and go 6.5 creed with Hornady factory ammo. Or Berger factory ammo. Perhaps a Tikka T3X... Both of them shoot great and you'll be able to put many more rounds down range practicing. It's been often said, bullets matter more than head stamp.

Then if you need 200 yards more "reach" in the future you can go 6.5 PRC and shoot the same Hornady or Berger bullets that you're familiar with.

 

[Stray Horse]

Keep shooting the 7 mag

 

[cpalm9]

Keep shooting the 7 mag

I would but I'd like to retire that gun from hunting in the woods (at least for myself). It's special to me and the family so I'd like to hand it down to my own son when he's old enough. It'll go out with me this season for mule deer but I'll be getting something new next year. Leaning towards that 7 PRC

 

[peppy870]

I just had a 300PRC built and I love it. If I was looking for an Elk rifle today, it would be the 7PRC. Hornady will ensure this round will be around for a long time to come, and the 7 just flat out works. Nothing wrong with a 308, or for that matter most rifles in an appropriate caliber. Just my .02

 

[UpSideDown]

I built a 7PRC and shoot 180gr ELD-M and I really enjoy it. It’s got manageable recoil with a suppressor and a good recoil pad, I can keep my 18x scope on a 100yd target after firing with a good bipod setup. The ballistic numbers after chrono tell me that it’ll hold the 1800fps threshold down to around 1,000yds, which is a legitimate and frequent range we can shoot to where we hunt. I built it on a Tikka by just swapping a magnum barrel for a proof prefit. I wish the proof was shorter than 22” but it works fine, I notice the weight of the suppressor on the end more than the length of the gun, and I hand carry the rifle. It weighs 10lbs loaded and we hike 8-10 miles a day normally. It’s manageable.

What astonishes me is that 7PRC hunting/match ammo is *cheaper* than almost anything else. .308, 7RM, etc all cost more when you’re comparing the best to your door prices. I don’t know why you’d buy in store at $5/rd when it’s $2/rd online. That isn’t cheap, but all the premium hunting ammo is pretty pricey now, and 7PRC isn’t terrible in comparison.

My backup gun and 2nd choice is 6.5 creedmoor shooting 147gr ELD-M. If I wanted a single gun to hunt and practice with, this one would be it. If I wanted a dedicated hunting rifle and needed longer range and more bullet mass/velocity to do damage, the 7PRC is a sweet ticket. If a regular 7RM will provide you with the range you want to shoot at, consider it over the 7PRC. It’s been around forever and presumably always will be, and has a wide selection of ammo loads that the PRC currently lacks.

 

[cpalm9]

I built a 7PRC and shoot 180gr ELD-M and I really enjoy it. It’s got manageable recoil with a suppressor and a good recoil pad, I can keep my 18x scope on a 100yd target after firing with a good bipod setup. The ballistic numbers after chrono tell me that it’ll hold the 1800fps threshold down to around 1,000yds, which is a legitimate and frequent range we can shoot to where we hunt. I built it on a Tikka by just swapping a magnum barrel for a proof prefit. I wish the proof was shorter than 22” but it works fine, I notice the weight of the suppressor on the end more than the length of the gun, and I hand carry the rifle. It weighs 10lbs loaded and we hike 8-10 miles a day normally. It’s manageable.

What astonishes me is that 7PRC hunting/match ammo is *cheaper* than almost anything else. .308, 7RM, etc all cost more when you’re comparing the best to your door prices. I don’t know why you’d buy in store at $5/rd when it’s $2/rd online. That isn’t cheap, but all the premium hunting ammo is pretty pricey now, and 7PRC isn’t terrible in comparison.

My backup gun and 2nd choice is 6.5 creedmoor shooting 147gr ELD-M. If I wanted a single gun to hunt and practice with, this one would be it. If I wanted a dedicated hunting rifle and needed longer range and more bullet mass/velocity to do damage, the 7PRC is a sweet ticket. If a regular 7RM will provide you with the range you want to shoot at, consider it over the 7PRC. It’s been around forever and presumably always will be, and has a wide selection of ammo loads that the PRC currently lacks.

Appreciate the reply! I’d stick with the 7 RM but I’m likely retiring the gun as an heirloom rifle. So I’ll be getting myself a new one. 7 PRC is the likely candidate

 

[aussiehunter]

270 win - 130gr TTSX , TSX ,Hornady CX , Sako Blade 120gr , 129gr Barnes LRX

 

[Ditt44]

First had experience on my bull this season. Prior 7mm RM owner but sold that a year ago because I just didn't need it... then I booked an elk hunt a couple months later. I had a 7-08 packed along for the hunt but the guide swayed me the night before day one to use his custom 7 PRC and 12-25x scope. He suggested his rifle due to the opportunity for 600+ yard shots and better optics for the area we were headed in the morning. He told me he owed a couple 7-08s and that he liked them and for day two, if we didn't score on day one, we'd head to the mountains where my 7-08 would be the better option (Savage Storm 22").

I took my bull with one shot at 437 yards. Broadside, high-shoulder with a 180 grain ELD-M. Shattered the spine and he dropped on the spot. The bullet really tore him up inside. No exit.

I prepped all summer with 145 LRX rounds that were 1/2" at 200. At 437 yards I know my 7-08 would have done the job, but taking that 7 PRC was like free insurance. It cost me nothing and offered me a lot of cushion in range, trajectory, and knock-down power and was light weight and easy to carry despite it's length. It was suppressed, sounded like a .22 and in a tripod grip, little recoil. I never lost sight picture on the bull at the shot. My buddy said the bullet's impact was louder than the shot and he was within 20 feet of me.

If I knew I would hunt elk every year in that wide open terrain, with miles between the ridges, I would lean toward a 7 PRC without any hesitation. My little 760 .308 is ideal for the thick timbered mountains and eastern whitetail woods. The 7-08 was a new buy for multiple reasons and more than adequate for anything I would hunt but in the circumstances presented on that day, once I saw the terrain we were hunting in, I am glad to have had that 7 PRC.

 

[Wrench]

I always heard (or prolly read on the interwebs) the rule of thumb was at least 1500 ft-lbs at point of impact.

I'd argue any energy numbers till my death.

A thin skinned bullet going 3200fps or a dense one going 1600....which would you count on? Energy is for sales pitches.

Velocity vs bullet construction with sd holding some influence is where I'm standing.

The 77tmk being the merchant of death that it is being a prime example.

 

[NEPrepper]

i vote for 308

 

[PAhunter21]

Listen to episode 35 of the Shoot2Hunt Podcast and you will have your answer.

Thank you

 

[Choupique]

time to get a different setup and let this gun be a special one that I can maybe hand down to my own son.

Maybe an unpopular opinion but if that is REALLY the reason you want a new rifle, I don't like it. I'd rather be given a rifle that is well used with some storied hunts to its name than a safe queen.

 

[WRO]

I'd argue any energy numbers till my death.

A thin skinned bullet going 3200fps or a dense one going 1600....which would you count on? Energy is for sales pitches.

Velocity vs bullet construction with sd holding some influence is where I'm standing.

The 77tmk being the merchant of death that it is being a prime example.

Except it isn't legal in several states for big game hunting.

States where its not legal for elk (and deer in some cases) By all means not an inclusive list.

Oregon
Washington
Kentucky
Wyoming
Colorado

 

[Wrench]

Except it isn't legal in several states for big game hunting.

States where its not legal for elk (and deer in some cases) By all means not an inclusive list.

Oregon
Washington
Kentucky
Wyoming
Colorado

Hence "prime example".

 

[WRO]

Hence "prime example".

“Prime example” of giving someone bad advice?

#nailedit