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

I'm getting a new 7mm-08 soon and am wondering what the conventional wisdom here is saying about a good bullet to shoot for elk.

Assuming reasonable accuracy and velocity (say, 2,750 fps for a 139-140gr and up near 3,000 fps for the 120gr), what would you run for elk out to 300 yards (maximum, shots would normally be much closer)?

Barnes TSX 140gr
Nosler Accubond 140gr
Trophy Bonded Tip 140gr
Hornady GMX 139gr
Barnes TSX 120gr

I've killed elk with the 7mm-08 150gr Partitions but think some of the newer bullets mught give me a touch more velocity and better accuaracy.

140 TSX.. They worked out of my .284 at 453yds and 210yds.. They were leavin the muzzle at 3350 though..

Sounds awesome! I might could squeak out 2,800 or so outta the puny little 7-08....

When I did it, I was using 150-gn Partitions as you mention using. I didn't kill an elk with them. I think that'd be a good choice.

I suppose if I were to run my 7-08 for elk now I'd load a tipped 140-gn mono bullet, if such a thing exists.

Mmmm....really? How did you pull that off? Just curious...

.284 diameter.. Didnt mention the engine.. Lazzeroni short mag..

actually they are closer to 3450 at the muzzle...

I used to really like the 145 grain Speer Grand Slam in 7/08 and .280 for deer, goat, and elk. I read somewhere that Speer changed the design a few years ago. Some say its an improvement, others say its not as good now. I dont know.

I think I'd go with a 139 gr. Hornady GMX these days if going after elk with a 7/08.

140 grain Hornady flat base spire point or 140 grain Nosler Ballistic tip would be my choice. These two bullets work all the time every time in the 7mm-08 with IMPRESSIVE internal damage, which is what kills. You sure as heck don't need a premium bullet. The low velocity at 100-300 yards doesn't allow premiums to perform at their best. Cup and core bullets do a WHOLE lot more damage internally. If all you want is an exit hole, then the XMR or XLC in 140 grain weight would be the ticket. I love the little round and have two 7mm-08's. Premiums just don't get me excited, unless you are running them light (120 grains). Flinch

I agree with Flinch, but just to be different, I shoot 130 grain conventional Speer bullets, and they kill elk just fine going a hair under 3,000 fps with 44.5 grains of IMR 4064. A cow moose my wife shot only went 30 yards, too. This is an old Bob Milek load which shoots very well in both a Remington Model 7 and a Tikka T3. Contrary to what you might read on this website, big game animals haven't become armor plated in the past 20 years.

Oohhh.......OK. I thought it was the Winchester version.....no fair

I wonder if the new Deep Curl bullet will do as well?

I took a couple of elk running the old-style 145gr Grand Slam out of a .284 Win with 20" barrel (Browning BLR). It did a bang up job, that's for sure, as neither bull went more than a couple of steps after meeting Mr. Speer.

I haven't heard the best things about the new Grand Slams, though.

140 gr Nosler Accu Bomb...

Have used 7mm-08 120TTSX on one elk and one buffalo and have good confidence in the kills. Elk was 230ish plus and reared over-backwards and slid down the back side of hill maybe 15 yards. I haven't been able to get 3350 though.

150 Partitions or 140 AB's would be great as would a 145 Speer Hotcore, 150 Ballistic Tip, 154 Hornady, Sierra Gameking's, etc., etc.

308 based hulls are pretty easy on bullets at 2,700 to 2,850 fps...

The whole point about a premium expanding bullet is that it's supposed to still expand at long range (low velocity) and hold together at close range (high velocity). The Nosler partition was the first premium bullet I ever used and still does exactly that just fine. A bullet that just does one or the other isn't a premium bullet as far as I'm concerned no matter what they charge for it.

Regards,

Chuck

160 Accus ahead of full load of H414 at about 2750 is my 7-08 elk poison.

x2......Perfect answer. Heard tell of Core lockts killn' chit too

I haven't heard someone pull something out of Bob Milek's book in a while - now you have my attention. Maybe those 145gr Speers that my 7x57 loves so much might do more than I think...