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Joined: Dec 2005
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2005
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I have witnessed two cow elk shot with 7-08's. Friends daughter with 140gr NP @ 2750fps=dead elk Weatherby youth rifle with 20" barrel. Another friends wife with 154gr Hornady @ 2600 fps= dead elk Winchester classic compact with 20' barrel.
It's the where, more than the with what. P Yep, no super bullet, cartridge, scope, or rifle can make up for poor shot placement.
Arcus Venator
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Joined: Oct 2000
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Oct 2000
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I’m getting nice groups from a Winchester M70 FWT in 7x57 with the 150 gr. Nosler PT. Velocity is 2710 FPS average with 26 FPS ES. I've been thinking of using it for my elk hunt this year. Just a bit nervous as I've used a .35 Whelen for all but two elk. The concensus seems to be it'll work but I'm not all that sure. What say you? Paul B. Paul, below is a 7.5 yo, fully mature bull I took 3 years ago with one shot from my 7-08 and a 150 NBT at 2,700. I crept to within 40 yards of where he was feeding with another 6pt. He was angled away from me so I held for the offside leg, which meant the bullet started well back in liver country. The Ballistic Tip angled forward, through liver and lungs, and came to rest under the offside scapula. I estimated the bullet had travelled through 32”+ of elk. He ran 20 yards and was stone dead when I got to him. Fastest expiration I’ve ever had on any elk. I had wanted to use a 150 Partition, but the rifle preferred the 150 NBT. I tend to think the Partition would have busted through the offside scapula, but the Ballistic Tip (which is a stout bullet), was more than adequate. The outcome would have been no different. I’d be content with your 7x57 / 150 Partition on anything in NA... guys overthink elk killing. They’re just flesh, bone and blood.
“Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
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Joined: Mar 2011
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Campfire Regular
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I bought a box of those 150 Hornady ELDX's and will be testing those with IMR 4350 and Ramshot Big Game.
my recipe of 150 BT's and 4350 are already delivering really good groups, but I have time to fiddle with alternatives in the off season.... and so it is with Rifle Loony's.
Always gotta fiddle with it.... just got back from the range.... I think I managed to pickup about 100FPS by switching from 150 BT's + IMR 4350 to 150 ELDX + Ramshot Big Game + mag primers, but my 5 shot group opened up from 0.5" to 1.2". I'm pretty sure either of these will work just fine.
First teach a child to love God, second teach him to love family, third teach him to fish and hunt and by the time he is in his teens no dope dealer under the sun can teach him anything. Cotton Cordell
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 28,251 Likes: 6
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Based on the elk I've seen Brad kill, I'd stick with the 150 BT's.
It is irrelevant what you think. What matters is the TRUTH.
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Joined: Mar 2003
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 17,174 |
Based on the elk I've seen Brad kill, I'd stick with the 150 BT's. He's been known to take some nice one's.
Randy NRA Patriot Life Benefactor
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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The 120 gr ttsx really works well for elk at 3000fps. I never recovered a single bullet after multiple dead elk and they did die quickly. I am going to try the 120's in my 6.5 creedmoor.
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Joined: Sep 2004
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Sep 2004
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140 Partition and forget about it. this + 1
Your Every Liberal vote promotes Socialism and is an attack on the Second Amendment. You will suffer the consequences.
GOA,Idaho2AIAlliance,AmericanFirearmsAssociation,IdahoTrappersAssociation,FoundationForWildlifeManagement ID and MT.
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Joined: Oct 2009
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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The 120 gr ttsx really works well for elk at 3000fps. I never recovered a single bullet after multiple dead elk and they did die quickly. I am going to try the 120's in my 6.5 creedmoor. My wife killed a cow this year at 249 yards with a 120ttsx in a load less than 3000fps. Clipped the rear portion of shoulder and took out both lungs. (Slight quartering towards) Elk ran about 50ft. That is 3 cows for three years with that same gun. Lots of good bullet suggestions that will handle an elk. Pick one that shoots and practice, I wouldn't second guess the bullet if it is exceptionally accurate.
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 25,105
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 25,105 |
150 BT. Haven't put one in an elk yet, but load them for my 280. Done a hell of a job on the deer I've shot with them and they shoot really well out of my rifle.
Soooo many good bullets in .284, I imagine you'd have to try pretty hard to find one that wouldn't work on elk out of a 7-08 case.
“Life is life and fun is fun, but it's all so quiet when the goldfish die.”
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Campfire Outfitter
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So if finding a good load with the 140 Trophy bonded tipped going 2,850 out of a 7mm08, I’m pretty good out to 400 yards. That seem about right for a velocity and energy level adequate for elk?
“There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot.” ALDO LEOPOLD
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A lot of guys are recommending bullets that they haven't killed elk with. Including me. It's no stretch to recommend a 150 Partition or 140 Accubond if a 150 Ballistic Tip has worked well for you from a 7-08. Ditto extrapolating from experiences with the same bullet make but from other cartridges. Hit correctly, elk aren't especially hard to kill IME. Based on my single data point, the 140 AB is one of many that has and will work.
Nut
Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.
Thomas Jefferson
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Joined: May 2005
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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A lot of guys are recommending bullets that they haven't killed elk with. Including me. It's no stretch to recommend a 150 Partition or 140 Accubond if a 150 Ballistic Tip has worked well for you from a 7-08. Ditto extrapolating from experiences with the same bullet make but from other cartridges. Hit correctly, elk aren't especially hard to kill IME. Based on my single data point, the 140 AB is one of many that has and will work. Using the same criteria, so does the 120 BT. One-shot kill, complete pass through.
Ben
Some days it takes most of the day for me to do practically nothing...
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Joined: Jan 2010
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Campfire Outfitter
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So if finding a good load with the 140 Trophy bonded tipped going 2,850 out of a 7mm08, I’m pretty good out to 400 yards. That seem about right for a velocity and energy level adequate for elk? Plenty. P
Obey lawful commands. Video interactions. Hold bad cops accountable. Problem solved.
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Member #547 Join date 3/09/2001
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are you guys trying to tell me that I'm over gunned with my 7mm mashburn and 150s at 3180? Would I honestly be doing better with a lighter rifle?
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 14,104
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2005
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are you guys trying to tell me that I'm over gunned with my 7mm mashburn and 150s at 3180? Would I honestly be doing better with a lighter rifle? If you can shoot it accurately and put the bullet where it needs to go, why would you be "over gunned"? Dead is dead.
Ben
Some days it takes most of the day for me to do practically nothing...
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Joined: Apr 2011
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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are you guys trying to tell me that I'm over gunned with my 7mm mashburn and 150s at 3180? Would I honestly be doing better with a lighter rifle? I run 175's at 3050 in my Mashburn or the 154 Interbonds at 3245 and either one of those doesn't ever feel like more than I need.
Semper Fi
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Joined: Apr 2005
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Ladymulerider - from what I've read, I'd say definitely yes!
From John Barsness: "The Oryx is revered because it's a bonded bullet, unlike the Mag-Tip, which is essentially a heavier jacketed Speer Hot-Cor. That's not a bad thing, but the Oryx is the closest approximation I've found of the original bonded bullet, the Bitterroot. It expands widely but retains enough weight (usually around 90%) to penetrate deeply. I've used it quite a bit from the 7x57 both here and in Africa, and it works very well, and is usually very accurate too. In fact in my custom Serengeti 7x57 it may be the most accurate bullet I've tried."
From akjeff: "I loaded the 156gr Oryx to a sedate 2400fps in my wife's 7mm-08. Makes for a nice mild recoiling load. We shared the rifle and killed 2 oryx, 2 springbok, a warthog, common reedbuck, and nyala. No recovered bullets(all pass throughs), and no lost critters. Great accuracy. Also drives nails in my 7x65R drilling, and will now be the go to bullet in that gun."
Please note that akjeff loaded the Oryx to 2400fps in his wife's rifle - the factory load has a velocity of 2725fps, which to me is just more of a good thing!
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing -- Edmund Burke
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I've read this entire thread twice now and it looks like basically any bullet that you can stuff in a 7mm-08 hull will work, if you can point it in the right direction. I'm currently working up loads for 3 bullets and trying to decide for a cow elk / antelope hunt this fall.
Option 1 is a 120 TTSX that I'm loading with Big Game to 3150 fps. It shoots right at 1" and I've used it for several seasons on whitetails. I have no hesitation with this bullet, except that it kinda runs out of gas at about 400 yds and I'm confident shooting it to 500.
Option 2 is a 140 Accubond. I have not yet found a load that suits me accuracy wise and I'm pretty frustrated, but I'm going to keep trying cause I have a bunch of the bullets.
Option 3 is a 150 ELDX. I have shot some promising groups, but am not happy yet due to inconsistencies. Really just started load development, so I think it will get there with some work. Even if I never hunt with this one, I want to work up the load for long range plinking.
Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? Recommendations?
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Campfire 'Bwana
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