7mm08 ammo for elk
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Doublecluck
Well-known member
140 accubond
The Hedgehog
Well-known member
Dougfirtree
Well-known member
I went through this a couple of years ago, when I took my 7mm-08 elk hunting (and before I started reloading). If you're looking at factory ammo, here's a list of offerings that I think are up to the task:
Nosler loads a 140 grain accubond and a 140 grain e-tip
Federal loads a 140 grain trophy bonded tip, a 140 grain partition and a 140 grain trophy copper
Doubletap loads a 160 accubond, a 140 Barnes TTSX and if you call them, they'll probably make you a 150 accubond LR
Hornady makes a 139 grain GMX superformance
If none of those was available, or you couldn't get them to shoot well, I might try Federal's blue box 150 Speer hot cor. But, I'll bet you can get one of the above offerings to work. I went two years ago, at the height of the ammo shortage and almost none of these were available at the time. I did get Doubletap to load me some of those 150 accubond LR's and they worked well. Very accurate and performance was good (bullet under the skin on the off-side, 65% weight retention on a 200 yard shot).
I'm taking my 7mm-08 again next year and I'm handloading 160 grain accubonds to a little under 2600 fps. They're wicked accurate and that heavy, high BC bullet holds a surprising amount of energy, out to a surprising distance.
I'd be nervous about the 120 ttsx, as I think that light bullet with mediocre BC will fall off in power, at longer ranges. I'm sure they'd be fine at closer ranges. For me, I wanted to see at least 2000fps and at least 1500 foot pounds out to at least 300 yards.
Nosler loads a 140 grain accubond and a 140 grain e-tip
Federal loads a 140 grain trophy bonded tip, a 140 grain partition and a 140 grain trophy copper
Doubletap loads a 160 accubond, a 140 Barnes TTSX and if you call them, they'll probably make you a 150 accubond LR
Hornady makes a 139 grain GMX superformance
If none of those was available, or you couldn't get them to shoot well, I might try Federal's blue box 150 Speer hot cor. But, I'll bet you can get one of the above offerings to work. I went two years ago, at the height of the ammo shortage and almost none of these were available at the time. I did get Doubletap to load me some of those 150 accubond LR's and they worked well. Very accurate and performance was good (bullet under the skin on the off-side, 65% weight retention on a 200 yard shot).
I'm taking my 7mm-08 again next year and I'm handloading 160 grain accubonds to a little under 2600 fps. They're wicked accurate and that heavy, high BC bullet holds a surprising amount of energy, out to a surprising distance.
I'd be nervous about the 120 ttsx, as I think that light bullet with mediocre BC will fall off in power, at longer ranges. I'm sure they'd be fine at closer ranges. For me, I wanted to see at least 2000fps and at least 1500 foot pounds out to at least 300 yards.
jryoung
Well-known member
My wife killed a moose with a 140 etip out of a 7x57 this year (7-08 ballistic twin). No reason it wouldn't crush an elk.
elkduds
Well-known member
Depends which bullets your rifle shoots accurately.
Dougfirtree
Well-known member
Truly amazing that a hunk of copper can suffer such a violent impact and only lose 6/10 of a grain!
npaden
Well-known member
And that 6/10th is the plastic tip.
I have used that exact round many times for elk with great success. If your rifle shoots that bullet accurately then yes, it's a great choice. The 140 gr. Vor-Tx would also be good. I don't any need to switch if your rifle likes the one you mentioned.
3855WIN
Well-known member
The lighter the bullet, the less it'll buck the wind. No reason what you've got won't work, but a 140 Partition would work great if it shoots well from your rifle.
ErictheRed
Active member
I've used the Nosler Trophy and Custom Grade 140 accubond in a couple different 7mm-08 rifles with good success. The most impressive shot I have experience with was a 5pt Bull my daughter shot in 2012. A single shot from her compact Weatherby Vanguard dropped the bull at 300 yards. Unfortunately we did not recover that accubond bullet.
wannakillabigbull
Well-known member
Thoughts on 140 grain E-tips shooting quartering toward within 100 yards? Would they hold together on an elk and get through the front shoulder? Obviously not the shot I would like to make, but if I had to
I'd not have a problem with taking that shot.
TimeOnTarget
Well-known member
I can't speak for the E tip. But last year i shot a big cow at roughly 170yds using a .338 300gr berger elite hunter leaving the muzzle at 3300fps. I figured a 300gr bullet would drive right through that shoulder. The elk fell within 25yds but i wont ever take that shot again, Or shoot anymore bergers.
I'll be interested to hear what others say about a barnes or etip bullet and this shot.
Sask hunter
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A Barnes bullet would have made it through the shoulders of that cow. Last spring I shot a nice bear probably 260#. He was slightly quartering so I lined up to break that off shoulder. I was using a Barnes 225 in my 338 win mag. The bear was only 15 yards. It went in broke the off shoulder and kept going
TimeOnTarget
Well-known member
Good to know, Like i said, I'm through with using bergers, they are a varmint bullet as far as i'm concerned.
MThuntr
Well-known member
I can't speak specifically about a quartering towards on an elk but a few years ago I shot a good sized mule deer with a sharp quartering away shot at 218 yards. I was using a 7mm-08 with a 140grain E-tip. The bullet went in on the last rib and out the front opposite shoulder...never recovered the bullet and the deer expired within feet of the shot. Because of the placement of the shot I did lose some meat at the processors due to it being blood shot but I know it wasn't as bad as it would have been with a standard cup and core bullet.
I tried working up a load of 140 E-tips and CFE223 and I struggle to get it to shoot <1" so I'll probably try Ramshot Big Game next if I can get my hands on it locally.
I tried working up a load of 140 E-tips and CFE223 and I struggle to get it to shoot <1" so I'll probably try Ramshot Big Game next if I can get my hands on it locally.
MinnesotaHunter
Well-known member
I just finished up getting my new 7mm-08 dialed in with 140grn etips. I think just about any 140grn copper bullet is a great choice.
AZBridger
Active member
I'm curious what .338 cartirdge you shoot that will push a 300frn bullet at 3,300 fps? I shoot a 338 lapua with 285gn amax bullets. It has performed great on a number of big bulls the last few years. Bullets are always wadded up under the skin on opposite side.
