7mm-08 for elk with 140gr Accubonds

[backcountry_sassn]

For anyone wondering if 7mm-08 shooting 140gt accubonds can take down a elk. It can! My buddy knocked off the scope on his 30/06 right before his cow elk hunt so he asked if he could use my 7mm-08. I’ve taken elk with it, but I used 160gr accubonds but my gun was sighted in with 140gr handloads. We figured since the cow hunt was during peak rut, we could easily get 200 yards from one. Well we all know that peak rut didn’t happen when it should have. Long story short, at the end of his only day to hunt we found ourselves 500 yards from a group of cows and couldn’t get closer. I have never shot at an animal at that distance but had shot many rocks at the distance over the summer while preparing for my antelope hunt. We adjusted the dial and my buddy took a shot. That’s all it took. Here is a picture of the bullet after going through bone on the entrance side and stopping at the skin of the opposite side. I’m not saying a 7mm08 shooting 140gr bullets is ideal for elk, but if the gun is dialed in and you have a good bullet, it can easily be done.

 

[6mm Remington]

Good cartridge + good bullet = nice elk!!

 

[BuzzH]

Yep, no secret...been killing elk with that combo since 2012.

Just shot my 17th elk with a 7-08 and 140 accubonds last week. Have seen another dozen or so shot with same...and a couple with a 7-08 and 120 grain NBT's.

 

[Lilhowie83]

I told my wife the other day, that since hunting with my boys and shooting their 7mm-08's, that I was going to buy one too. It is an amazingly fun gun to shoot. It shoots incredibly accurate and has very little recoil. My oldest boy killed an elk with his last year at 220 yards, so I know it can be done too.

 

[88man]

placement kills

 

[Two7D]

I'm surprised there isn't more lead attached to the jacket. The recovered bullet looks more like a BT.

 

[BillDoe708]

lets see the elk

 

[wsco3506]

I know talking about the 7-08 being a suitable elk caliber on HT is preaching to the choir, but I couldn't agree more. My boys have taken 3 elk with this caliber and I have been very impressed with the results. We use 140 grain TTSX bullets not the Accubonds and we are extremely happy with the performance. Light weight rifles and low recoil, what's not to like? ---R

 

[GunTruck]

My 7mm-08 really likes 140gr Accubonds at 2900 fps or PP2000MR or RL17 or Hunter, PP2000Mr was most accurate.
I,m trying some 154gr Interbonds I got 2802 FPS with RL17. I have loaded some with
RL26 but have not been to the range since. The 154 Interbonds were very accurate in this rifle.
Found the RL26 swelled up the cases and would not chamber. So it is RL26 with 160gr Partitions
or lighter, or RL17 with any of the bullets. Right now my thought is I would use the 140gr Accubond
or more likely the 140gr Trophy Boned Tipped Federal. I can easly get over 2900 Fps with several powders
Now to find out if PP2000Mr is the most accurate.

 

[Colorado hunter Tim]

I recently bought a 7mm-08, and was wondering about how good it would be for elk. I took it this year and I'm shooting 150gr ELD-x's, but didn't get the opportunity to shoot one. Do you guys and gals think it would be deadly on elk at distances....say 5 or 600 yards?

 

[Lilhowie83]

I recently bought a 7mm-08, and was wondering about how good it would be for elk. I took it this year and I'm shooting 150gr ELD-x's, but didn't get the opportunity to shoot one. Do you guys and gals think it would be deadly on elk at distances....say 5 or 600 yards?

I know they will kill an Elk at 220 and almost 300 yards. 150 grain ELDX'S are what my boy shoots in his 7mm-08 and that is what he killed both of his elk with.

 

[Colorado hunter Tim]

I know they will kill an Elk at 220 and almost 300 yards. 150 grain ELDX'S are what my boy shoots in his 7mm-08 and that is what he killed both of his elk with.

That's good to know thanks.

 

[ImBillT]

I would expect good results. A 168 would be even better, but a 7mm 140gr bullet should kill an elk.

 

[ntodwild]

Ive killed so many critters with 150 grain accubonds and a 30:06. Everything from "many elk", black bear, Mule deer, antelope to coyotes. No reason a 7mm 08 won't do the same......

 

[ntodwild]

I recently bought a 7mm-08, and was wondering about how good it would be for elk. I took it this year and I'm shooting 150gr ELD-x's, but didn't get the opportunity to shoot one. Do you guys and gals think it would be deadly on elk at distances....say 5 or 600 yards?

If the hunter can put one in the bread basket the elk is dead. No such thing as "better dead or more dead". Dead is dead and a 30 cal round in the bread box at 600, 700 or even 800 is dead. If a 460 grain arrow traveling 270ft per second can kill an elk you bet a 150 grain bullet even at 800 will kill an elk. Would I take that shot???? Thats an entirely different debate and question all together.

 

[Colorado hunter Tim]

If the hunter can put one in the bread basket the elk is dead. No such thing as "better dead or more dead". Dead is dead and a 30 cal round in the bread box at 600, 700 or even 800 is dead. If a 460 grain arrow traveling 270ft per second can kill an elk you bet a 150 grain bullet even at 800 will kill an elk. Would I take that shot???? Thats an entirely different debate and question all together.

Yes but at some point the round will lack the umph to get good penetration. Just like that same arrow shot at 200 yards would fail to get enough penetration, even with correct placement.

 

[Don Fischer]

I recently bought a 7mm-08, and was wondering about how good it would be for elk. I took it this year and I'm shooting 150gr ELD-x's, but didn't get the opportunity to shoot one. Do you guys and gals think it would be deadly on elk at distances....say 5 or 600 yards?

I would not shoot at a game animal at that range to start with. But let's say I did, what do you think will happen when the bullet hit's? Will it bounce off? One thing I don't like on hunting bullet's for big game is plastic tips.

 

[mtmuley]

One thing I don't like on hunting bullet's for big game is plastic tips.

Tips kill Don. And they kill well. mtmuley

 

[Don Fischer]

Tips kill Don. And they kill well. mtmuley

Oh. But if the tip's kill, why is the rest of the bullet needed? I do suspect you might be right but without the rest of the bullet, how fast would you have to drive the tip to get it to penetrate deep enough to actually kill something other than a fly? In my opinion, other than helping a monolithic bullet point open or a varmint bullet explode the only reason for plastic tip's is a sales point! I don't know how old you are but years ago Speer brought out the Mag Tip bullet. To sell it they showed a high speed photo of a bullet soon after leaving the barrel, it had melted off to the jacket, looked much like a Remington Core Lock!

Just wondering, do you suspect a bullet with a plastic tip compared to a tip, say a core lock, will kill any different at some greatly extended range, say 1000 yds, than the core lock assuming same MV and same bullet placement? I don't!

 

[Sagebrushhunt]

My daughter killed her first elk this year with 139 gr BTSP 7mm-08. She shoots the gun good so I decided 150-200 yards was max range.