Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 7mm-08, ELDX bullets

I have a 257 Robts in a Kimber Montana. I've never been real enamored with the 257 for whatever reason. I'm thinking it needs to be something else - 6.5 Creed, 7mm-08 something capable of shooting slippery bullets at adequate velocities. To that end, a couple of questions on VLDX bullets in the 7mm-08.

1) What velocity is doable in the 22" barreled 7mm-08 with the 162 or 175 ELDX?
2) Can the 175 ELDX be 'seated right' in a 7mm-08 case at the Montana SA mag box length (~ 2.82" OAL)
3) Anyone shot an elk with either the 162 or 175 ELDX? Results?

I'm dreaming up a new backpack elk rifle <G>

Thanks.

Why not just run the 150 ELDX?

I could but played with the ballistics a bit. The heavier bullets hold up well at longer ranges.

How far are you planning on shooting?

In a 22", in my experiences and I've been loading for numerous 7-08's for a while, top end speeds with the 150's, 162's and 175's are generally 2800, 2700, and 2600 plus or minus a bit.....

You should go 6.5 Creed if you're dealing with a Montana SA. The magbox is quite limiting once you get into longer, heavier bullets. Even in 6.5 Creed you'd have to throat it fairly short in order to reach the lands and still fit in the magbox...

A Barrett FC, on the other hand...

You could always try the 110 ELD-X in your 257 R to see how it does. Prob will run fine with the factory Kimber twist, but I’m not sure how much room you’ll have for it in the factory short action mag box. I’ve been running the 150 ELD-X in my 7-08s and the 162 ELD-X in my 280 AI. They’ve been shooting well so far, and thhe speed estimate above is about what I’ve seen.

500 yards Max at game, farther on targets.

Your bullet options are wide open....

If pick a good middle of the road bullet then.....

I'd run the 162 eldm......

I like the SA cartridges and heavier bullets for what I have in mind. I run the 115 Partition in the Robts at 2975. I fear running a 110 ELDX at 3000 would result in a mess. I ran the 140, 7mm Accubond in my 7 WSM and it made a mess of deer at close, and didn't exit in most cases. Put the deer out farthur, and things worked fine.

I have experience with the ELDX out of a 7mm-08, but only the 150. What velocity numbers were you playing with for the 162? Also, is your rifle twisted fast enough for the 162?




P

Second question first - I'll get it re-barrelled so can have it twisted fast enough to work. On velocity, I was using 2700 ft/sec based on Hodgdon and Nosler data. I suspect I'd fall 25-50 feet short of that with a 22" barrel.

You've got it all figured out it sounds..laughing...

I get 2790 with the 150 (bc .574) and a max charge of Big Game. You might get 2650 with 162 (bc .630). At what distance do the bullets drop below 1800 FPS given the estimated muzzle velocities?


Hornady online ballistics calculator say 675 for the 150 and 650 for the 162. 2675 muzzle velocity gives you 675. It’s not sophisticated enough to calculate wind drift.




P

Using the 162 ELDX and 2700 ft/sec, its ~ 700 yards. At 2650, its about 675.

I shot a box of factory 7mm-08 150 ELD-X out of my Browning X-Bolt yesterday. I chrono’ed 10 shots at 2801 fps. Three shot groups were at @ .65” and a 5-shot group that was right at 1”. I was looking at loading this bullet, but I’m betting I won’t do a whole lot better in velocity or accuracy. I’ve been very impressed with Hornady’s factory ELD-X ammo, to include 6.5 CM. I may give the 162 gr a try just for fun, as Hornady doesn’t load that bullet.

When you guys get it figured out, let me know. I can see why a guy would want to use the 150, but the 162 looks good too.

Pharm certainly has it figured out <G>

I've always wanted a 7mm-08 but have/had various other 7's in the gun safe. I've owned most of the commercial 7's except the Wea and RUM - and the 7mm-08. What intrigues me about the 7mm-08 with a high BC bullet, it will catch and pass a 'normal' hunting bullet at ~ 500-550 yards flung from a bigger powder chamber. The big plus is you can get a 6 lb rifle to do this and mild recoil. I think bullets and rifles have caught up with the concept and are capable for use on elk and bigger game from point blank to way yonder. The idea is growing on me. Might be tough to leave the 7lb Kimber MT 280 AI in the safe......................

You don’t need a high bc bullet out of the Mighty -08 to be lethal beyond your self-imposed max of 500 yards.


I killed this mulie buck with one shot at 541 lasered yards. The 140 Partition (bc .434) broke his right scapula, destroyed both lungs, broke his left shoulder knuckle, and exited. He went three feet, straight down.





Not much for headgear but he had a big body.

The same load gave me a DRT on this spike at 346 yards. He went down so fast I thought I had missed and he’d run off in the puckerbrush.




The Partition exited on him, too.

What I’m saying is, find the load your rifle likes, load a bunch of it, then shoot it all. The only reason I experimented with the ELDX was because I bought a new Tikka and got bored, which is a common side effect of loading for Tikkas.






P

If you're serious about your max range being 500 yards, give the 120 grain TTSX/TSX bullets a whirl.

Or the 120 NBT.........it's a good tough, penetrating bullet as well.

MM

Nothing at all wrong with a 280