Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 7MM Remington Magnum for Elk

What is the consensus of the Plain Jane 7MM magnum. It doesn't seem to get much press here like it's little brother the .280. What is the favorite load for this round for anchoring elk. The reason I am asking is that I have my eye on a used rifle in said caliber.

I would imagine that a 160 grain Partition in a Federal factory load would do quite well. My tuned 700 BDL lefty prefers it.
Bob

The 7mm RM is an excellent cartridge for elk. With many loads recoil is similar to a .30-06 but it can shoot a little flatter and deliver more retained velocity and energy to the target. My first centerfire was a 7mm RM back in 1982 and it was my elk rifle for the next 20+ years. I lost my first elk with it last year but that was due to poor placement rather than the cartridge or bullet. Most of the elk I’ve taken with the 7mm RM have gone straight down or taken only a few steps, with the notable exception of two cows that made it about 40 yards and the cow I lost last year due to poor placement (a failure on my fault, not the bullet or cartridge).

Because of the bullet velocity, I prefer premium bullets in my 7mm RM. In general order of preference:
1. 160g North Fork SS, 150g Barnes TTSX, 160g Trophy Bonded Tip (Federal)
2. 160g Nosler AccuBond, 160g Nosler Partition, 160g Speer Grand Slam
3. Cup-and-core bullets (Remington Core-lokt, Winchester Power Point, Nosler Ballistic Tip, etc.)

Full disclosure – I’ve not used all the bullets llisted above in my 7mm RM, but either use them in other rifles or have seen first-hand what they can do. Specifically, I’ve used only 120g and 140g Barnes TTSX in my 7mm RM but use other weights (100g to 180g) in rifles from my .257 Roberts to my .300 WM. My hunting buddy of many years used Trophy Bonded (pre-tip) for several years before going back to 160g Speer Grand Slams, which I used for 20+ years. I use Nosler AccuBonds in several calibers and weights, including my .280 Rem, but not in my 7mm RM. Finally, although Federal Premium 160g Nosler Partition loads were my backup ammunition for many years, I’ve never shot one in any weight or caliber at game and am relying on the results I’ve seen others achieve with them.

In spite of my preferences to the contrary, standard cup-and-core bullets will work fine most of the time. If Remington Cor-Lokt, Winchester Power-Point or whatever shoot well in your rifle, use them with confidence. Chances are you won’t see any difference when it comes to animals on the ground. My only suggestion there would be to stick with 160g or 175g bullet weights for the 7mm RM.

My favorite bullet for elk is the North Fork, which I use in my .280 Rem (140g), 7mm RM (160g), .308 Win and various .30-06 rifles (165g), .300WM (180g) and .45-70 (350g). Just ordered some more .308” 165g and 180g two days ago and plan to load the 165’s for Daughter #1’s .308 Win for her first elk hunt.

My plan this year is to take my new .280 Rem elk hunting. My bullet choice will be either a 140g North Fork SS or a 140g Barnes TTSX, probably the former. If I was taking my 7mmm RM it would be the 160g North Fork.

We had very good success with a the 7 mag with 154g hornady SP with a max load of R#25, Win mag primer at 3200 fps.

This load shoots holes through both shoulder of large hogs on broadside shots.

A few years back, I got two bulls over a couple of years, shot both with the then new 140g Nosler ballistic tip at 3250 fps. 200 yard running shots, grave yard dead when they hit the ground. Glad I did not hit the shoulder.

When I lived in Az., the #1 elk rifle was 30/06 and #2 was 270 Winchester, both with K Mart ammo. Many Experienced hunters that drew Cow tags preferred the 243 Winchester with K mart ammo.

K Mart ammo = Remington Core Loct

I used one back in seventies and early 80's.I had both Rem Mag and Weatherby mag. They both killed elk. I usually used the 175 gr Sierra, but at times the 169 gr.

This was back in my younger days. I had the wrong impression that the magnum could do something more than a 308 or .06 couldn't and thought I needed one to kill those tough elk with.

I don't do any long range shooting and to tell the truth I didn't see any difference in killing ability or such that see in my present day 30-06. Plus I burn less powder and have less recoil.

When I was escorting deer and elk hunters here in Colorado, quite a few showed up with this caliber. I only remember 1 bull that escaped after being hit. My guess was poor shot placement as the young kid doing the shooting was a poor shot and easily excited. I seldom have the luck others have with instant kills. Estimating half of the elk I have shot and my guest have shot had to be followed up and finished off. Nothing the caliber or bullet caused. Just poor shooting or bad angles. Never got many of the classic broadside shots. I have always preferred the Nosler Partions for everything from jackrabbit to elk.

I've never owned or even shot one but from what I've read, it's fairly easy to shoot out a barrel in one. That's common with most hot calibers smaller than 30 cal. They generate a lot of heat and shooting a lot of hot loads can seriously overheat one. Of course it can be done with larger cals, too, but it's easier with smaller ones.

That said, the 7mm is famous for being an excellent elk round.

I have owned several over the years, think there 2-3 in safe now. Probably my favorite "Wal-mart" test caliber, meaning I can find it about anywhere that I might need to.

I can't quote round counts, or stats on barrel life, but IMHE you'll shoot your shoulder sore many times over before the barrel burns out. Most guys don't shoot the 7mm enough to make this a problem, unless they are an active "F" class competitor.

I like the round with a quality bullet for elk, and it has worked for me:

Nice bull, AH64guy!

A 140 or 160 gr. Accubond should serve you well in the 7 mag.

If you want to burn a barrel, take about any centerfire rifle and shoot 100 rounds through it as fast as you can. My 7mm RM was made in 1982 and was my only bolt-action big game rifle for 20+ years and remains one of my most used. It has been used for everything from range practice to prairie dogs, coyotes, antelope, deer and elk. Based on the number of primers I purchased over the years, it has at least 2,500 rounds through it and is still a very accurate rifle. That said, I’ve always been careful not to heat the barrel up. Even at the range it was rare for me to go 5 rounds at a time. Most often 3 rounds was the maximum before allowing the barrel to cool. I expect the barrel will last longer than I will.

Thanks,

The ammo was the Hornady Custom load, in 162 grain IIRC. It was one of the first loads I tried, and held around MOA, so I didn't fool with it.

I would also submit that finding a good performing factory load for your 7mm rifle is not difficult.

I don't think the 7mm is a great leap ahead of the 30-06 in elk land, and the difference is largely preference over an actual performance gap. YMMV.

The velocity is similar to the 7 WSM which I have seen a fair number of game killed with. Have seen two elk shot with a 7mm Remington mag. One was shot with Remington factory ammo loaded with 175 grain Corelokts. I can recommend this bullet but it is NOT a long range bullet. The other was shot using 160 Partition. I can also recommend this load.

In 7WSM ( same basic velocity) I have seen several slammed with 180 Bergers which I can also recommend.

My old 7mm Rem. is about 1200 rounds old.. It is a great round..
It was my wife's favorite the last years she hunted..

My best friend and his son have probably killed 50 elk with the 7mm mag. Mostly they shoot 150 Balistic tips.. At times the 160 gr. part. With good hand loads it will preform like a true magnum..

As far as barrel life, I have an old Guns magazine around here that reported Les Bowman shooting his 7mm Rem. 5000 rounds and it was still accurate.. The guy who wrote the article said his had 3500 rds and was still accurate.. This was long before the days of good cronographs..

I used one for quite a while back in the day as I was climbing the cartridge latter. It's a very capable cartridge for elk though I took more deer with it than anything else and, of course, it was and is a very good long range deer cartridge. Of course, you don't "need" it for deer.

I think the comparison with the '06 as far as recoil is concerned is probably a good one though in the day before LRFs I appreciated that it shot a bit flatter. With a +2.5" at a 100, zero at 225-250, - 4-6" at 300, and a - 15" or so at 400, you were - 30-36" at 500 yards, depending on specific loads. This way you could hold on deer hair to 350 and knowing the size of deer made 400 yard broadside shots very doable; that is, if you were a good range estimator. Of course it was even easier with elk.

Any bullet from a 150-gr premiums to 175's will work well with elk and you can normally reach 2900-3000 fps with 175's and good hand loads.

Despite the plethora of new cartridges, particularly the short-fats, it is still a good choice.

Nice pic AH64guy.

I burned out the barrel in my Model 70 7mm RM, but it involved a lot of shooting. When I say burned out, the accuracy deteriorated to 3" groups at 100 yds.

I was never that impressed with the performance on elk. It always resulted in a dead elk, but the results left one to wonder if a moose had been hit. Most elk would walk off and stand with their head down, teeter around a bit, and eventually fall over. I used 175 Noslers, 162 gr Hornadys. 160 gr. Speers, and always hit the lungs.

When I re-barreled the Winchester to .358 Norma Magnum, I discovered what knock-down power really meant. Elk dropped immediately, even at longer ranges. I do love the big bores.

Just to add some fun to the conversation, the most immediate elk kill I have witnessed was carried out by a .270 Win and Federal 130 gr. soft points.

It is a most excellent choice. I have tried the .300 magnums a couple of times because on paper they look like the ideal all-purpose western cartridges. But the recoil is just enough that I cannot shoot them as well as I would like. Dropping down to the 7 Rem Mag made the difference.

I will never say it is better than the 30-06 as an elk rifle, but the higher velocity with bullets of similar BC will give the 7 less wind drift.

Not to be too picky, but the .358 Norma Magnum is a medium bore. It is still a very good cartridge, though.

Good point Coyote_Hunter...I think the British believe "big bore" is defined by .375" or above?

My brother and I will be chasing elk with ours this fall with the 160 gr Accubond

The mention of moose is interesting.. The last moose my wife shot was with the 7mm Rem. She used a 140 gr. BTBT at 3400fps.
The shot was broadside at maybe 150 yds. She had a dead rest, and held 1/3 of the way up the shoulder.. At the shot, the moose took one step and crashed.. Don't know that I have seen a moose die as quickly with a body shot as that one..

When they first came out I was in gunsmith school. Douglas premium bbl, mark one Springfield action, Cajun trigger on a Yamawood stock and of course a Leupold scope. 50 years later it still shoots sub moa groups with 154 grain Hornaday with 4831, and if I honestly told you how many Antelope, Deer and Elk I have harvested wity ivy you would prolly call me a liar. God I love this gun.

WyoCoyoteHunter,

What a coincidence. The first moose my wife killed (a 34" Shiras bull) was angling away at around 125 yards, and did the same thing when Eileen whacked it with a 150-grain Partition from the .270 Winchester. It's also the quickest I've seen a moose die from a body shot.

The 7mm works wonderfully on elk. I was given a 7mm Mag as my first rifle and I stuck with the caliber for almost 20 years. I have never had a elk, bull or cow, move much more than 15 yards after being hit. Most have dropped on the spot. I've used reloads that my stepdad worked up (not sure but I think they were 168gr noslers), federal premium factory 165gr NP, and recently downgraded to the federal power shock 175gr SP. The Blue Box Specials (along with the others) hit hard and are very accurate in both my Sako 75 and my sporterized M1917 Enfeild.

Excellent elk medicine. That bump to just below the shells is a 145 grain Barnes LRX waiting to be removed. He didn't make it 3 steps.

Its interesting how the elasticity of the off-side hide will "trampoline" and catch those expanded soft points. Nice pic.

I like em and they work. I've shot many with 160NP and a couple with 160AB, they were all dead.

I shot my first bull elk (5x5) in Colorado in 1996 with a 7mm RM shooting Federal Premium 160 Nosler Partitions, 175 yards away 3/4 facing away, shot behind the shoulder and exited the brisket the size of a pool ball. He ran about 40 yards with blood all over the place. I've seen a lot of animals killed with a 7mm RM, it just gets the job done!

Mule Deer, interesting.. The .270 with a 150 Part. would be pretty lethal medicine.. My wife liked the 7 because it had a comfortable stock.. A bit heavy, but it fit her well.. At the time I didn't own a .270 or we may have used that instead.. Women make some remarkable shots... My wife didn't shoot a lot, but she was deadly when she did shoot..

Elk hate them. Seriously, it's all you need for elk. I'd say the majority of local hunters (with consistently full freezers) around here use 7mag, .300WM, and .30-06.

Yeah, would have loved to see a slow motion camera shot of it springing back.

The 7 is a very versatile rifle that is tough to beat for deer and elk. I prefer the 150 grain Barnes TTSX since mine loves 150's and those Barnes are really great at breaking bones if necessary.

I have shot several elk and a boatload of deer with my old Ruger 7mm RM made in 1976 and glass bedded, barrel free floated, and a trigger job 15 years later. It shoots little tiny groups and is sudden death for elk that are inside about 400 yards without having to think much. There are better dedicated elk guns with more raw power that shoot as flat or flatter but there aren't any that have a much better performance for the amount of recoil delivered. They just kill very well with a good bullet.

T3 Lite stainless 160 NAB 3,000 ft/sec mv.



That'll do.




P

JR,

What was the MV and what distance on this shot? I'm considering this bullet and the 150 gr PT out of a 7mm wsm for our elk hunt this fall.

bludog

175 gr Partitions and enough IMR-7828/RL-22 to reach an accurate 2990 fps from a 26" barreled rifle has work for a couple of friends of mine for better than 20 years, I worked up the initial loads for them, they now handload for themselves and haven't changed a thing about said load.

LOTS of dead elk, mule deer, black bears and whitetail, something to be said for one load for all game with a particular rifle and familiarity.

Naw, we're got to use exactly the correct cartridge and bullet at the ideal velocity for every different species of game, or even different animals of the same species.

That's why Campfire members own several dozen rifles chambered in cartridges that differ about as much as corn from the same plot, and experiment endlessly with different powders and bullets, especially new powders and bullets.

sure beats coin collecting...

So true.

Can't think of much better ta do...cept ta read the RAGS Specially written ta capture the attention of like minded loonies...ScottyO.

My uncle, who is about the elk killingest fellow ive ever met, ended up with a 7 mag as a short notice replacement rifle about 15 years ago. He doesnt handload, but is a diehard Partition fan, so he loaded up on 160 NPT Federal Premium ammo. He found over then next half dozen bulls he shot that it kills them just as dead and just as fast when you put one through the front axle as his 270 did using the 150 Partition.

Lots of guys around where I grew up are hardcore 7 mag fans, why I don't know as the whitetail deer there average about 150# on the hoof, but fact is the 7 is as good a killer as anything when good bullets are steered through the important parts. Ive seen them work well on deer, elk, and hogs using good bullets, and make a huge mess and long tracking job when poor performing bullets were used or shots landed where they shouldn't. Just like everything else on the shelf.

I skinned a moose a few years ago which had no hole in the offside hide, but a finger-sized hole right under the hide. What happened to the bullet? I sure studied that hide thinking I was missing an unseen perforation. Finally I stuck my finger into the hole in the shoulder and felt the bullet with my finger tip. It’s pretty obvious that that hide can create some ‘bounce’.

Don't worry about the barrel burning out, unless you are going to shoot prairie dogs with it and you just can't control yourself with the number of rounds you shoot in a short order of time.
I like 162 grain Hornady spbt's and 154 grain Hornady Sp's. But you can't go wrong with 160 grain partitions - The 160 grain Nosler partitions shoot very well for me - I mainly use H4831 and now H4831SC. I have bought a few pounds of RE25 and will be doing some range work with that, this summer - that is the favorite powder for many. If the elk is standing sideways and not to distant most deer rifles would work. I'm not always that lucky. To me, the 7mm RM is the smallest rifle I'd use on elk, while others seem to like smaller cartridges, due to recoil, I suppose. I do not find recoil an issue and to me the 7mm RM is a mild cartridge.

175 Partitions were what my ULA liked.

For handloaders, you need to try out the 180 Scenar, IMO.

I've got 2 in the safe right now. Will a 7 Mag kill elk? Sure.

I'm not here to be a Doom & Gloom on the 7RM, but both of mine have been safe queens for quite some time now. Why?

I found I have done just as well with my 7mm/08. Although there is a new 338Fed in my near future.

If a 7RM is what you want, and you can shoot it well, then go for it. A 150-160 AB/PT will serve you extremely well, so don't blame the bullet if elkie doesn't flop !

I have hunted for >35 yrs. w/ 2 brothers and watched them & their 7's. One a Rem 700, the other from the first batch of Ruger 77's to hit Montana. They both buy the cheapest ammo of the year in their home cities. The result; a dead elk for each every year! The cartridge must work just fine!!!
I, a wee bit different, shot a 7x61 S&H......

Just curious. How does one gain so much experience shooting elk? Permits in Montana seen very limited and it seems the same in other states. As a non resident, it looks like one elk in a lifetime is a miracle.

As a young man I couldn't afford the hunt. Now as a geezer I can afford it but wont live long enuff to draw a tag. And ill be damned if im gonna send Montana $300 a year for the privilage of being told to go pound sand.

Outcast, You can get over the counter elk tags, every year, in many units in Colorado, or the other option is to apply for tags in several different states

Huh?

MT resident tags over the counter. Spend your entire life within 10mi. of productive elk hunting. A piece of cake!

A great place to live but very POOR to make a living!!!

Outcast,

Dunno where you came up with "send Montana $300 a year for the privilege of being told to go pound sand.

Right now you could just call up the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and buy a non-resident elk license. They even take credit cards, but the license costs a little more than $300.

We residents can just go buy a tag or two every year for a lot less. In fact when I started buying them in junior high I believe my cost was $1, or maybe it was $2.

You're old.

We have it made, don't we my friend?

I've had a Montana elk tag in my pocket every year since 1968. Once you've had elk meat in your freezer, you try to maintain that habit every year...

I've killed a few good bulls with the 7RM. I used to use 160gr Partitions. Plenty of power at any range you can place your shot.

We have it made, don't we my friend?


Yes we do!!

Mule Deer must be a year or 2 older than me(or his memory is better!!)I remember $5 tags.

Graeme,

I just happen to have a copy of the Montana Hunting & Fishing Information Bulletin for 1965-66, which is when I started big game hunting. The elk tag for residents was indeed $1, as were deer and antelope tags. Mountain goat was $5, sheep $15 and moose $25.

Do you ever throw anything that's been printed about rifles or hunting, John? You must have a huge archive

All this 7 mag talk I'm going to have to get serious and mount a scope on the one I just bought and see how it shoots. Probably keep it simple I have a bunch of 162gr hornady btsp and use H4831 and go from their.

That is a piece of cool literature!
Hope you & Eileen had a great 4th.

Graeme

Graeme,

We did have good 4th! Hope you did too.

I found the booklet at an estate sale. We do estate and garage sales fairly often, and have found some great stuff over the years. Got my Speer No. 1 loading manual at a garage sale in Lewistown for 50 cents.

Or 3 raccoon pelts....

Man, you are getting up there.

Here's one I punched a few years back....

scenarshooter

Some day I will have to have someone teach me how to post pics on here. The best I can do for old tags is a punched mountain goat tag, 1974. Was a special draw permit, $15.00. 7x57 factory loads as I remember......


Those were the days.......

That is the bullet and cartridge I used to kill my first elk in the early 1980's and the reason I quit using cup-and-core bullets in my bolt guns after that. The 162g BTSP hit a young bull broadside, centering a rib, missing or lightly nicking the far-side ribs and coming to a stop under the hide. Retained weight was under 48%. Range was about 110 yards.

Since then I have used Speer Grand Slam (for 20+ years), North Fork SS (my favorite), Nosler AccuBond and Partition, Swift A-Frame and Scirocco, and Barnes MRX and TTSX. (Barnes X (XLC) bullets were a big disappointment the one time I used them on big game and inconsistent even on coyotes.)

While cup and core bullets are admittedly less expensive, the incremental cost of using one of the afore mentioned premium bullets for a hunt is negligible compared to the cost of a typical elk hunt. In a typical year I'll spend about $500 in fuel, never mind other costs (food, equipment repairs, processing fees, camp site costs, etc.) which can easily add another $500 or more. Contrast that to an incremental cost of about $0.20 to $0.30 for using AccuBond or Partitions, respectively, or about $0.40 to use Barnes TTSX or North Fork SS.

Will cup and core bullets work? Sure - most of the time. At best the premiums provide a little bit of insurance as they hold together better when things go wrong. The same is true for having chains for all 4 wheels instead of just two, having a chain repair kit, or any number of other things I make sure I take along. But I've needed chains on all four, the chain repair kit and many of those other things. More than once I've driven TTSX lengthwise through mule deer, front to back, and one North Fork ham to sternum through a mule deer buck. This performance was not at all surprising but I wouldn't trust a Hornady 162g BTSP to do the same. Cheap insurance is not a bad thing IMHO.

That is the bullet and cartridge I used to kill my first elk in the early 1980's and the reason I quit using cup-and-core bullets in my bolt guns after that. The 162g BTSP hit a young bull broadside, centering a rib, missing or lightly nicking the far-side ribs and coming to a stop under the hide. Retained weight was under 48%. Range was about 110 yards.

Since then I have used Speer Grand Slam (for 20+ years), North Fork SS (my favorite), Nosler AccuBond and Partition, Swift A-Frame and Scirocco, and Barnes MRX and TTSX. (Barnes X (XLC) bullets were a big disappointment the one time I used them on big game and inconsistent even on coyotes.)

While cup and core bullets are admittedly less expensive, the incremental cost of using one of the afore mentioned premium bullets for a hunt is negligible compared to the cost of a typical elk hunt. In a typical year I'll spend about $500 in fuel, never mind other costs (food, equipment repairs, processing fees, camp site costs, etc.) which can easily add another $500 or more. Contrast that to an incremental cost of about $0.20 to $0.30 for using AccuBond or Partitions, respectively, or about $0.40 to use Barnes TTSX or North Fork SS.

Will cup and core bullets work? Sure - most of the time. At best the premiums provide a little bit of insurance as they hold together better when things go wrong. The same is true for having chains for all 4 wheels instead of just two, having a chain repair kit, or any number of other things I make sure I take along. But I've needed chains on all four, the chain repair kit and many of those other things. More than once I've driven TTSX lengthwise through mule deer, front to back, and one North Fork ham to sternum through a mule deer buck. This performance was not at all surprising but I wouldn't trust a Hornady 162g BTSP to do the same. Cheap insurance is not a bad thing IMHO.

That is the bullet and cartridge I used to kill my first elk in the early 1980's and the reason I quit using cup-and-core bullets in my bolt guns after that. The 162g BTSP hit a young bull broadside, centering a rib, missing or lightly nicking the far-side ribs and coming to a stop under the hide. Retained weight was under 48%. Range was about 110 yards.

Since then I have used Speer Grand Slam (for 20+ years), North Fork SS (my favorite), Nosler AccuBond and Partition, Swift A-Frame and Scirocco, and Barnes MRX and TTSX. (Barnes X (XLC) bullets were a big disappointment the one time I used them on big game and inconsistent even on coyotes.)

While cup and core bullets are admittedly less expensive, the incremental cost of using one of the afore mentioned premium bullets for a hunt is negligible compared to the cost of a typical elk hunt. In a typical year I'll spend about $500 in fuel, never mind other costs (food, equipment repairs, processing fees, camp site costs, etc.) which can easily add another $500 or more. Contrast that to an incremental cost of about $0.20 to $0.30 for using AccuBond or Partitions, respectively, or about $0.40 to use Barnes TTSX or North Fork SS.

Will cup and core bullets work? Sure - most of the time. At best the premiums provide a little bit of insurance as they hold together better when things go wrong. The same is true for having chains for all 4 wheels instead of just two, having a chain repair kit, or any number of other things I make sure I take along. But I've needed chains on all four, the chain repair kit and many of those other things. More than once I've driven TTSX lengthwise through mule deer, front to back, and one North Fork ham to sternum through a mule deer buck. This performance was not at all surprising but I wouldn't trust a Hornady 162g BTSP to do the same. Cheap insurance is not a bad thing IMHO.

That is the bullet and cartridge I used to kill my first elk in the early 1980's and the reason I quit using cup-and-core bullets in my bolt guns after that. The 162g BTSP hit a young bull broadside, centering a rib, missing or lightly nicking the far-side ribs and coming to a stop under the hide. Retained weight was under 48%. Range was about 110 yards.

Since then I have used Speer Grand Slam (for 20+ years), North Fork SS (my favorite), Nosler AccuBond and Partition, Swift A-Frame and Scirocco, and Barnes MRX and TTSX. (Barnes X (XLC) bullets were a big disappointment the one time I used them on big game and inconsistent even on coyotes.)

While cup and core bullets are admittedly less expensive, the incremental cost of using one of the afore mentioned premium bullets for a hunt is negligible compared to the cost of a typical elk hunt. In a typical year I'll spend about $500 in fuel, never mind other costs (food, equipment repairs, processing fees, camp site costs, etc.) which can easily add another $500 or more. Contrast that to an incremental cost of about $0.20 to $0.30 for using AccuBond or Partitions, respectively, or about $0.40 to use Barnes TTSX or North Fork SS.

Will cup and core bullets work? Sure - most of the time. At best the premiums provide a little bit of insurance as they hold together better when things go wrong. The same is true for having chains for all 4 wheels instead of just two, having a chain repair kit, or any number of other things I make sure I take along. But I've needed chains on all four, the chain repair kit and many of those other things. More than once I've driven TTSX lengthwise through mule deer, front to back, and one North Fork ham to sternum through a mule deer buck. This performance was not at all surprising but I wouldn't trust a Hornady 162g BTSP to do the same. Cheap insurance is not a bad thing IMHO.

A LH Model 700 in 7 Mag. has been my Elk rifle since 1980. In the late 80s I put on a HS Precision stock and had all the shiny metal covered with Teflon -- even the Leupold. In those days the 175 grain Partition only came as a round nose so I loaded the 160 -- with IMR4831. I've killed a lot of Bulls with it -- never lost one. Missed a few though.

It kicks Waaaay less than by buddy's 300 Weatherby.

Another fellow I Elk hunt with has a Browning in 7 Mag. He buys 150 grain Rem CoreLocks and kills Elk with them. Now and then, he asks me if he should change ammo and I mention that maybe at least shoot 175 CoreLocks and that a Partition can be had in a loaded Federal cartridge. Next year -- he comes back with the 150 grain CoreLocks. He killed a nice Oregon 6 point 2 years ago.

I have shot all kinds of stuff with 7 mags for 30+ years and I really like the caliber. I have never had a problem getting loads to shoot well and stuff has always ended up in my freezer.

I prefer Nolser Partitions and Hornady Interlocks.

Hey bud I think you are having computer problems you posted this not once not twice but 4 times [bleep]?? Anyhow back to the bullets, sure I guess.. Then again I'm that guy running around in Alaska with a 325 wsm my load uses regular old 200gr speer hot-cor bullets. You boys in the lower 48 sure overthink things sometimes..

Not a lot of bad bullets for the Seven. Almost any .284 bullet kills great.

Yep a lot of guys swear by the Ballistic tip in the 7 mag me I'm kind of apprehensive with that bullet. Then again I remember when it first came out and it was grenade fully understand Nosler has redesigned it over the yrs and made it a better bullet.

jryoung, could you tell me what the distance was on the elk with the 145 lrx? Am thinking on using that bullet.

No idea how that happened. Too late for me to delete the extras so unless a moderator deletes them we'll just have to ignore them.

Just giving you a hard time that's all. I fully understand all it takes is for one bullet failure to make a guy look for another bullet. I will admit I was a big fan of the 154gr hornady shot well out of my then wife ruger 77 7-08 she shot a small bull caribou maybe 100yds once skinned I found the bullet complete core separation so all that was recovered was the jacket and these were far from being loaded up hot. So switched to 139gr hornady GMX for her now tikka 7-08. My daughter all she shoots out her 7-08 are 120gr tsx. My wifes 280 all I load forit 160gr accubonds my daughters 270 I'm sticking with the 140gr hornady btsp for now cause it shoots so damn good.

Daughter #1's new .308 seemed to like 150g BT better than 165g North Fork so I may go AccuBond for her antelope hunt and first elk hunt. YEt to be determined.

For myself, I plan to use my unblooded .280 and 140g North Fork for antelope. Probably for elk, too, but that is always subject change. The 140's are a design Mike Brady was testing and are more like match HP bullets than the blunter, standard NF design.

Need to get back to the range - finally got some 220g jacketed bullets for my Marlin .375 Win. Might take it as my back-up rifle this year.

Your daughters 270 also likes 150gr. partitions. I've heard that is a damn good "elk bullet" as well...

Well see how good that 140gr Hornady does killing a moose. Will hopefully have a hunting report at the end of August.

I can't wait. Make sure you post some pics!!!! I'd also like to hear how those 140's do as well. I think you bought a couple boxes of those from me a long time ago...

Those are the ones I loaded up for it.. Might have to send you a moose steak or two. You definitely would had a part in her getting one

Hey, that's very cool. Wish her luck for me bud...

Just found the load data you had for that 270 as well. Going to send it to my buddy he is having a hell of time getting a 270 to shoot right now.

never mind!

Strange, my pal and his son have killed about 50 elk with no problem most with BTBT and the 7mm mag.. One never knows I guess.

You missed this:

I have only killed two bulls, both with a 7 RM, both with the then new 140g Nosler Ballistic tip(old style). Both bullets were running, and at the shot both had their front legs fold up and their noses plowed the ground. One bullet kicked a hind leg a couple of times, the other never kicked.

So, would you guess that a ballistic tip is better than a partition?

Shots were 100-150 yards on a full out run, one broadside the other quartering to me.

Locution, location.....etc.

Keith where did you hit the bulls? Did you catch any bone going in or slip them between the ribs. I've killed more than 2 elk with the 7 RM and 150 Nosler BT and tons of deer but the first angled shot that caught a rib was enough for me to change bullets.

My rifle shoots the bt's into tiny dime sized groups if I don't mess up but I cant make myself use another one on an elk hunt.

MD,

Well the application for a big game license (elk,deer) was $1001. I applied for the two areas that i had permission to hunt. I was told I didnt get drawn for elk, I got a deer tag and a $300 refund. So basically i paid $300 to get turned down.

O