Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Cow elk load

This has already been around a bit so I hesitate to ask but... I have a 7mm 140 grain AB load at 2850 fps that I think should be okay for cow elk. At this speed, I would not go past 300 yards, preferably less, and broadsides only. With these limits, is this a go?

Alternatively, I have considered a Barnes 120 grain TTSX at 3000 fps. Is this much better than the AB?

Should be good for “any” elk....with the above stated limits adhered to! memtb

Your 7mm Accubond load is more than plenty. I'd say it's a go.

Never shot an elk with 140 from a 7mm, but I have laid down probably half a dozen with Accubonds in 150 and 165 .30 cal. from various .300's.. None at really long range often the high shoulder shot was used.. NO PROBLEMS.. The Accubond performed perfectly!!

I used a 140 grain Swift A-Frame in my 6.5X300 Wby and it was a bang flop at 250 yards. So 140 grain 7mm would be just as good.

Why would anyone think it would be good only for cows??

My thought too, but what the hell..

That will kill anything that you want. Nothing wrong with that load.

I killed a bull elk with a 140 AB out of a 7mm WSM. My MV is only about 300 fps faster than yours. Your load is good. Shoot lungs or bone. Elk aren't hard to kill.

I killed two elk, one with a 140 gr TSX and one with a 140gr partition from a 7mm-08 at 2850fps. Worked just fine.

Yes.........

I have only shot one elk (cow) and I used 140 TTSX in my 7-08 running 2850'ish. DRT. Your 140 AB should work just fine.

that will work... I shot a cow with 220 grain .30-06 at slightly over 100 yards. Complete pass through. She dropped right there. Doubles lung and top of the heart. A .243 would have done the trick as well.

-Jake

I’ve killed a few bulls with 140s out of a .284 Win and 7mm-08. They weren’t ABs but similar. All worked just fine and so will the excellent AB.

That being said, the 120gr TTSX is a pretty wicked killer, too. I wouldn’t hesitate to use it if it shot better for me.

It was a sexist rant!

Amen. Should my daughter accompany me on an Elk hunt I’d be a ok with here using either of those loads for any Elk we come across within her shooting restrictions.

I have been hunting elk for a long time and have been fortunate enough to kill quite a few of them, mostly with the 270 Winchester but a few with a 7x57. I have had good success with 130 grain bullets in the 270 but prefer 150 grains. I have mostly used 160 grain Nosler Partition bullets in the 7x57 and have been very satisfied with the results. Elk are not behind every bush in the woods. When you get a decent shot you will be inclined to take it. There is a lot of good meat on those animals; why place limits partially driven by bullet weight. A good 140 grain bullet is OK, about ideal for mule deer but elk are much bigger. A little heavier bullet is advantageous. Good luck!

Only that a cow is less massive than a bull. Agree that it should work for both though.

You really should think about increasing your self-imposed shot distance to 400 yds. 300 yds is not very far in elk country, and they are a pretty big (easy) target. If you have a range finder and have a reticle with dots or spin turrets, you should be able to reach out past 300.

I would be comfortable with either the 140 AB or the 120 TTSX; in fact, I guided/coached two cow hunters this year and one used the 120TTSX out of a 7-08, and the other the 160 AB out of the .280 Rem. Both worked perfectly.

I mentioned this on another thread, but was elk hunting a couple of weeks ago and one of my companions killed a good 6x7 with one 140-grain AccuBond from a 6.5 Creedmoor. He made a double lung shot at 40 yards and the elk wobbled a little ways and keeled over. Oh, and the AB exited, which according to some doesn't happen.

That's posted in "The 6.5 Creedmoor on elk" thread on the Elk Hunting Forum. Another guy posted there are about a cow he killed a 140 AB, which also exited.