Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Cow elk rifle?

I have a cow elk hunt on a private ranch.

Shots will be about 200 yards; therefore a deadnuts hold.

Should I use a 7 Mag shooting 140 Accubonds at 3400 fps or a .308 shooting 165 Sierra SBT at 2800 fps?

Both rilfes are extreamly accurate.

Thanks!

Toss a coin!

Either one will result in one dead elk.

I like the two rifle choices, but not the bullets. Cow elk can be BIG, and you might not get a broadside shot. I would run a 160 Accubond in the 7-mag, and a 165 Partition in the .308. Or even a 180 AB.

A 140 AB at 3400 fps is asking for trouble, IMHO.

They can be big:

I just wish I could get 3400fps with 140 Accubonds. The best my 7mag will do is 3029fps with pressure signs.

+1 Although I feel like the 308 bullet is probably OK, but I would personally like a partition better.

Lot of people use the 140 on elk, and if everything is perfect, you will be fine, but I just really like at least a 160 gr bullet for elk and both rifles are more than capable of shooting that big a bullet easily (esp out to the distances you will be shooting.

The 7mm Mag would be my choice but the 308 would just as good.

That is a big cow, how many pounds of meat did you get?

Use the one you are most accurate with.

Ruffcutt, I don't know. Lots!

I gave 1/3 of it to the folks kind enough to let me hunt their ranch (in Colorado). A week later I killed a raghorn bull in Oregon... (which was smaller than that cow)... I had so much meat, I don't know how many pounds!! In fact I still have, I dunno, 100 pounds or so of that cow...

Funny thing is, my friend Brad (on the left in that photo) killed a cow this year on that ranch that he thinks was a little bigger still. I have a pic in my email, I'll post it later...

120 gr TSX in the 7
130 gr TSX in the 308

either will penetrate as far as needed and wreck everything in between.

Use the.308. I assume you want the meat since it is a cow hunt. A 3400fps bullet at 200yrds is going to tear up a heck of a lot.If shoulder shot, you are going to lose one whole shoulder. Ain't a cow on Norh American continent that a .308/165 gr can't kill.A big cow,still probably won't top 500lbs

I've shot a lot of cow and spikes with a 120g partition out of a 25-06. I've killed a bunch with 140g TSX out of a 270WSM. And my hunting buddy uses 165g TSX in a 300 WSM for his choice of guns, so either of your guns will do the job. Choose which ever gun you favor and go have fun.

Take which ever rifle you shoot the best. But with that said the 308 with the load will cleanly kill any elk anywhere, at any sensible distance. My wife's 308 lobs 165 gr hornadys' at 2750 and most of the bulls she's killed with that have carcassed anywhere from 275-410 lbs, range has been from about 60 yds to 260.
This stuff about cowelk, bull elk cartridges is just nonsense, if a cartridge will kill a cow elk it'll dangsure do the same for a bull.......

Good advise from saddlesore.

I don't shoot elk "on the shoulder" like is done on African game. I like elk meat too much. I hold on the crease behind the front shoulder. That shot has worked perfectly for me on over 30 elk.

Last year I spotted a dozen elk 300 yds above me on a semi-open hillside. I stalked to a small fir tree about half way up the hill, and put a 160 gr Accubond from my 7 mm Rem mag behind one of the cow's shoulder. My freezer still has enough elk meat in it that I don't need to shoot an elk this year.

Reba-either one will work just fine. I'd carry the one you want to carry.

Enjoy your hunt and your burgers.

Dober

I'd be more concerned about having my knives sharp.

Just don't use a rifle with a bull barrel to hunt cows with.

Me too as the only way I can get a sharp knife is to buy the sucker...

Dober

Reba, my wife uses a 7mm mag with a 160 grain Nosler Partition bullets in the magazine. The .308 like Saddlesore stated will also get the job done in spades, once again using a very good bullet ok, good luck lady.