What will a 7/08 do, that a 260/120 Barnes won't do - on elk?
Dunno - Never had a 7mm-'08, but I used a .260 140 gr. factory Corelokt on my Colorado elk at @ 150 yards. Bang-flop. (similar results on a 200 yard caribou earlier, and a 40 yard wolf later)
Brought the rifle (Rem 725 SA)up to Kotz about a week ago for tundra-range caribou - checked sighting today. 3 shots newly purchased factory Rem Corelokts printed a nice 1" triangle at 200 yards, while sitting in the snow, using the snowmachine seat for a rest, 4 inches high and 2.5 left.. (My limited number of neck-sized handloads, same bullet and weight, print an inch higher vertically and dead on horizontally, but larger groups- gotta work on that...)
I'll be using the factory loads for now.
I cranked that poor beat-up 30 year old Leupold VariX 2-7 right 3 clicks back at home. And I'm gonna leave it right there I think, if 3 shots at 300 yards tomorrow for performance check works out horizontaly...
Them beasties are in big trouble...
But I gotta say- I was ripped off. $35/box at Walmart, Fred Meyers, and Sportsmans Warehouse in both Soldotna and Anchorage for either .260 or 7mm-08, while .243, .270, '06, etc are going for 10 bucks less. Even 300 WBY Mag is cheaper! WTF????
But I need the brass anyway for reloading...this will bring me up to an even 100 rounds of brass.
Fug the big-box stores... once I get the reloads worked up to match or exceed the factory loads.
But it's nice to know that in a pinch, factory loads work quite well, if overly expensive!
If I play around enough, I might even get those purpoted "accurate" 120 ballistic tips to shoot as well or better than the 140's. But from all indications so far,... not.
I might even try those Barnes 120's.... expensive as they are. I like the 120 concept - but so far, the gun seems to like the 140's....
Arguing with realistic mechanics is like arguing with the wife....
Well, no - they are 180 opposite - but the end result comes up the same...
