Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 257 weatherby or 7mm-08

Ok i just found out my girlfriend just drew a cow elk tag. Now im trying to figure out which gun i should have her use to shoot it. Which one would you pick and why?

I would use the 7mm-08. I have used it to start all of my grandchildren on deer and my step-daughter has used it to bag a bull elk. If you use a heavy for caliber bullet (such as a 160 grain Nosler Partition or Barnes TSX, or even a 175 Partition), you can find or make a load that won't kick as badly as the .25-06 with 120 grain bullets.

We have had good luck with the 160 grain Partitions in the 7mm-08 and, at modest velocities, in my wife's .280. My step-daughter did a stint in the National Guard and qualified as "expert". Her deer/antelope rifle is a .25-06, but she borrowed one of our 7m-08s to hunt (and kill) her elk.

In the interest of full disclosure: IMHO I think that either would work fine with proper bullets and proper shot placement. She should use the one that she likes to shoot the best.

I hope my friend Dennis from Arizona logs on here....

JB

Unless she is truly proficient with firearms, I suggest she toss the largest, heaviest slug possbile downrange. So 7mm. If she's an olympic class marksperson, then whatever she wants.

I really don't think marksmenship has too much to do with it. If she makes a bad shot with a 7-08 vs the 257 then the results will be the same, even with a marginal shot.

As long as the shots are broadside I doubt it would matter. If there was a quartering shot then the 7-08 would have the advantage with conventional bullets but I bet with barnes or even partitions performance would be similar. The 257 would help on longer shots where range estimation would come into play.

I have never shot an elk with less than a 270 caliber so take that for what its worth,.

I'd let her pick whichever one shes most confident with. Has she shot either one?

7mm-08 with a 120gr TSX! Or any quality bullet would be my first choice of the two. I prefer heavier bullets and more frontal area.

"I prefer heavier bullets and more frontal area." Why 120g in .284 then? Why not a 115g TSX in .257 going alot faster?

Seems to me the advantage of the .284 is the heavier bullets available.

While I own one of each, neither would be my choice of an elk round, but my first question would be which one does she like to shoot. Neither is much of a kicker, so rifle fit is probably the key....and don't ever let her shoot the Roy without ear protection or she's ruined for life.

I guess if push came to shove, I'd probably go with the .257 Roy and the heaviest TSX. But wouldn't feel undergunned at all with the 7-08 with 160 Parititons or lighter Barnes.

Of course, I use a .338, so what do I know?

Bottom line, get both rigs in her hands and let her tell you which one without knowing a thing about cals.

Both will work just fine for her.

IMO it is all about fit and feel and what is comfy to her and not about cal.

Dober

+ 1

A good shot with either is a dead elk.

I plan to fully explore the 7-08 120gr TSX next year on black bear, deer, mnt goat, and elk. I have no doubt a good shot will work wonders and know a poor shot usually has poor results, regardless of chamber or bullet weight.

Evidently my friend Dennis is paying attention to something else.

He lives in Arizona, but we met a few years ago and have done some hunting together. I introduced him to the Nosler Partition and he has been loading it a lot since then. His kids draw cow elk tags now and then in AZ, and I believe they have taken them all with the .250 Savage and 100-grain Partitions. One shot through the ribs, right behind the shoulder, dead elk.

Now everybody (except Mark) can go back to discussing minor differences in bullet weight and diameter--or angling shots, etc. Why on earth force a new elk hunter to take a tough shot on a cow?

JB

I am going to kill my meat cow with a 257 roy here in the next few weeks....seen it do some nice work on everything it runs into.

Should work just fine. I am thinking of using mine on for my next elk hunt.

I also know a couple who own a one-section "ranch" in New Mexico, on the edge of one of the elk-famous mountain ranches. So far she has killed 17 elk in a row with the .257 Bob, all one-shot kills.

JB

Based on my experience with the two, they are very close in terms of what they do to the life support system of a critter. I would use partitions or tsx in either one. In really open country I'd tote the 257roy.In thicker stuff I'd go with the shortest most handy gun, the 7-08 in most models is perfect.

I would let her pick the one she likes best if there is any difference between them to her,after all it's her time to shine.

Britt

It was a sarchastic referance to another thread, hence the "".

I think i have decided on having her shoot the 7mm-08 because it has less recoil and my .257 weatherby is alittle long for her. So now what bullet would you shoot out of the 7mm-08 for a cow elk.

Factory or roll your own?

Dober

Gotta hit the rack, can't wait for your answer, impatient and sassy I guess........grins

Roll your own

R15 and 140 Noz
139 Horn flat base
140 TSX
120 TSX

Factory Hornady Lt Mag 139 grain
Federal 140 Noz
Federal 140 TSX
Rem 140 CL Ultra

Later

Dober