Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Elk hunting 7mm bullets

I'm not trying to be contrary but maybe someone has a good explanation. I was shooting current-at-the-time Nosler 150gr BT's in a 7mm08 on an antelope hunt in 2012 - if I remember right my MV was a hair under 2700fps. The first doe I shot was 220 yards, she went right down but jumped up as I was walking up and made it over a hill where she got killed by another hunter - my bullet had splashed on the shoulder blade and never made it into the chest. The next day I filled both my doe tags - one was about 100 yards and the bullet blew up on the humerus. A piece of bone was in her heart which is what likely killed her because I found no bullet fragments bigger than a broken pencil lead in the chest cavity. The second doe was about 85 yards and the bullet disintegrated in the chest cavity with the largest piece recovered being the copper jacket from the base of the bullet.

Have they changed the jacket since 2012 or maybe the old ones were tougher? Was there a bad lot that acted like grenades? I don't doubt anyone else's experience but I went 3 for 3 with bullets exploding on doe antelope of all things.

Top one is a 150 grain ballistic tip that was started at 3250fps and connected on an elk at 60 yards. Bottom one is a 150 grain ballistic tip same load pulled from an elk at 300 yards. Middle bullet is a 160 grain accubond started at 3200 pulled from an elk at 460 yards. As you can see not much of a difference. I'd have no problem launching 150 grain ballistic tips into elk at even slower velocities.

Great picture Laker. I know the 150 BT works for a few MSM fellas.

Interesting photos. You'd think there would have been a more noticeable difference between the NBT at 60 yards versus 300 yards. Maybe the jacket on those NBT's are thicket than we think? I'm resigned to use either a Partition or Accubond - short blood trails are welcomed.

Do recall reading Dober's recommendation for the BT.

Wouldn't be afraid of the 150BT in a 7x57. I load them for my daughter for elk hunting in a 7mm-08

Tonk, mind sharing your load? Thanks Daniel

47g RL 17 2770fps 22"

46g Big Game was about the same thing but the RL17 load was more accurate--that rifle hates 140g.

Thanks, will give it a try. Found a good load with 150 Partition and RL19. Have only grouped it once. The REM Mt rifle is picky!

another good 150 is the swift scirroco 2 however they are a bit more expensive than a 150 ballistic tip or 154 or 139 grain hornady.

I seem to always default to loading partitions, 140-160 gr. But my Father used a 150 gr BT out of his .280 for a couple of cows that seem to be final as well. so in the end I would pick the most consistently accurate one and go hunting.....

I am really liking that bullet alot. It put up a heckuva good show this fall on elk. Plan on running it some more in the future.

My 7 Rem Mag Pac-Nor barrel shoots 160 Partitions with 69 grains of R-25 very well. I was impressed with the performance I got on a big bull buffalo and plan to use it for elk next fall.

I'm not sure how it became so fashionable to shoot light bullets in the 7x57. Most of what i read on here is about 140 or 150 grain bullets, which are short for most 7x57 throats and barrel twist rates. All of my 7x57's, (6 so far) have shot best with 160-175 grain bullets. With the exception of the monometal types, heavier bullets perform better on bigger critters. By limiting the choices to 140 and 150 grain bullets, I believe the penetration and bone breaking power will be somewhat limited as well.
To me 140's are deer bullets that can be used for elk if nothing better is available. Oh well to each their own.

Castnblast, reason for the lighter bullets is a small frame wife will be shooting the light weight REM Mt rifle. Do not want her to become recoil sensitive. She shoots better than a lot of men now and I prefer it stays that way. I think I may have found a good 150 gr partition load at approximately 2750 fps. that will do the job at our max range per outfitter of 250 yds.

It'll do that much further than 250! That's a great load.

makes perfect sense. happy hunting!

I never hunted in the west so I know nothing about it except what I read. I read of all these fancy and expensive bullets. It makes me wonder, did the regular bullets start bouncing off? I mean, if you shoot him with something like a 7mm 154 grain Interlock does he flick it off like a fly?


Educate me.

It's my belief that the 140 BTs are made for the 708, for deer. It's also my understanding that the 150 BTs, are one of the 'Nosler' family members favorite for elk. I've also heard that they are made tougher. I haven't checked all the manufacturers, but I'm not sure that anyone loads a 140BT for the 7 mag. If so, it sounds to reason that they are tougher. I stand to be corrected. Captdavid

I can't speak to Interlocks, but at shootersproshop.com I can buy Nosler factory seconds for close to half off. They're all I shoot.




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140 Partitions out of the 7mm-08 are potent elk killers.




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