Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Which 7mm-08 Bullet for Elk?

I think Rick is loving fu cking with us . Now no one knows who's responding to who unless you throw up their quotes. Then the fight can really be on . You guys have a great weekend and remember, it's just bullits, not the end of the world. OH, and good luck with your elk hunting this year!!!!!!...

Likely the reason nobody has addressed it seriously is because it's essentially impossible to quantify. Which game are you talking about? Elephants, Orangutangs?

If we're talking elk, I've had "drop in their tracks" kills that are not spine shots with only two cartridges, the 300 WSM with a 180 NP at 2,950 and a 338 WM with a 210 NP at 2,950. Both shots were between 50 and 70 yards, broadside, and through the scapula/lungs. But neither were bigger than 5pt's.

Apart from those two I'd say all the kills were indstinguishable form one another, from the 270/7-08 to the 300/338's.

It would take a lot more observation of elk kills than I have under my belt to detect a pattern. I've killed 17 elk and have watched at least another 20 die, but that's hardly a record to be too dogmatic. And there's a fair difference between an average cow and a 10 year old bull.

I believe there's an observable difference in how elk react to the hit with NP type bullets above 160 grains and over 2,900 fps. Even then, animals are all individuals and will react differently.

A good bullet in the lungs disrupts life and results in a dead animal. All shot in the same spot will die within 5 or 10 seconds of each other no matter the cartridge.

I think what is really needed is a controlled-expansion bullet that will penetrate deeply. And I think a frangible front core like the Partition makes a difference. All those little shards creating a shrapnel effect in the lungs means something to a quicker death. I'm happy to hunt with the 257 Rob/115 NP and up. Yes, even in grizzly country.





All my elk hunting is in grizzly country. I cut their tracks, and run into them occasionally. I don't let that dictate what rifle I pack.

Carry bear spray, it's more effective than a rifle anyway. If you really want a "stopping rifle" you should be packing a 375H&H or bigger IMO. And who the heck wants to pack that?

A friend of mine hunts blacktails on Kodiak yearly and has always packed a 280 Rem.

I see and am done here.

Dewey, you asked the questions and I gave straight forward answers based on my own experience.

TexasPhotog,

All I've shot in the rifle so far have been 139 Interlocks and 150 Ballistic Tips. Both shot more than accurately enough for elk, but the 139 is super-accurate.

My wife and I have shot plenty of animals with the 139 over the years, in various 7mm cartridges, and like you have always liked the way it works.

Dewey,

A couple of years ago I semi-decided the cut-off for an appreciable and consistent difference in "killing power" (however that is defined) is around .35 caliber.

But that's on average, and certainly doesn't apply to every single animal killed. And I might change my mind soon, as every year brings new experiences....

Bill Steigers at Bitterroot used to say this all the time, too....drilled it into my head for years.

There's about a million bullets that I would load into my 7/08 and have no problem pointing it any elk.... I only saw one bull die via 7/08 this year and it was with a single 150 NBT at 300 yards... Worked very well...

Tanner

A good friend who guided for 10 or 11 years on elk, and saw 4-6 BIG bulls put down every year in those years, feels that 338" and above, especially when coupled with magnum velocities, is where he saw a greater "visual impact" on those big bulls. He liked that because when watching an animal being hit by a client through the spotter or binoculars it was easier to tell how/where/if the elk was hit. He thought the 340 Wby was the cream of the crop in this regard, and also said the most dramatic "bang flop" on a big bull he ever witnessed was with a 378 Wby.

But he also didn't believe those rounds necessarily "killed quicker" (except perhaps the 378), but definitely gave a better visual. Course the bulk of the hunters he was guiding were out-of-staters packing various magnums, so "killiing quicker" is a relative thing.

For his own elk hunting he used a 270, and currently a 260.

All of the above in grizzly country...

I've killed a few elk with the 120Ballistic in the 7-08 Ackley and they worked perfectly. Two were 6X6s and the 120 did all that could be asked of a bullet ... only one per customer

The 139-grain Hornady Interlocked also kills the snot out of elk in the 7-08 Normal or Ackley. Personally, I see no reason for a heavier bullet than this, but YMMV.

Blessings,

Steve

Can't disagree Steve... with my own 7-08 it had a decided preference for 150 Ballistic Tips over 140's of any kind so that what I ultimately went with.

Seemed to work.

I don't know about elk but I knocked the absolute dogchit our of a black bear (500+ lbs weighed/dressed) about a decade ago with a 160 gr speer mag tip. I don't even know if they make the bullet anymore. It was a tack driver with W760 and for under 300 yards it would work as good as anything. One of those rifles I should have never sold but a good kid needed a good deer rifle so there it went.

The more I see, with regard to killing power, the less I know. It seems like at least once a season I see something that makes me want to rethink things.

The only bull Elk I have ever seen go down in an absolute heap that was not CNS hit was shot with a 270 and the 130 TSX at just over 560 yds. He wash't a rag horn either. He was an old heavy bull. Hmmm.

This same debate has gone on for decades as my 1960's Outdoor Life series indicates. From the rather continuous writings of JOC to other celebrities of the day, its just endless. Of course back 50 years ago, the options for bullets and cartridges wasn't nearly as wide ranging as there are today.
Seems to me 50 years from now there will still be a vigorous debate on the same topic - if hunting is allowed.
One thing we can't dispute is that the acceptable array of ethical bullet and cartridge options has grown.