After 25 years, I finally drew a moose tag here in NB, Canada. Shooting a 22" 7 Saum. I have 160 AB, 160 FailSafe, 162 ELD-X, and AMax, as well as 175 ELD-X here on the shelf, and RL-22, RL-26, H4831 SC, H4350. Shots are likely to be close, with the odd chance out to 300m or so. I kinda think 160 AB and 4350 is probably the easy button, but I'd love to hear what works for you.
After 25 years, I finally drew a moose tag here in NB, Canada. Shooting a 22" 7 Saum. I have 160 AB, 160 FailSafe, 162 ELD-X, and AMax, as well as 175 ELD-X here on the shelf, and RL-22, RL-26, H4831 SC, H4350. Shots are likely to be close, with the odd chance out to 300m or so. I kinda think 160 AB and 4350 is probably the easy button, but I'd love to hear what works for you.
Congrats on the tag! If it were me, I'd be happy as a lark if the 160 AB, 160 Failsafe or 175 ELD X shot well in my rifle.
After 25 years, I finally drew a moose tag here in NB, Canada. Shooting a 22" 7 Saum. I have 160 AB, 160 FailSafe, 162 ELD-X, and AMax, as well as 175 ELD-X here on the shelf, and RL-22, RL-26, H4831 SC, H4350. Shots are likely to be close, with the odd chance out to 300m or so. I kinda think 160 AB and 4350 is probably the easy button, but I'd love to hear what works for you.
Hot damn! Congrats! The 160 AB and 4350 is the recipe in my 7SAUM.
After 25 years, I finally drew a moose tag here in NB, Canada. Shooting a 22" 7 Saum. I have 160 AB, 160 FailSafe, 162 ELD-X, and AMax, as well as 175 ELD-X here on the shelf, and RL-22, RL-26, H4831 SC, H4350. Shots are likely to be close, with the odd chance out to 300m or so. I kinda think 160 AB and 4350 is probably the easy button, but I'd love to hear what works for you.
Hey Matt .... Congrats on that coveted NB moose license.
I think your choice of the 160gr AB is the best of what you have on hand. If the Failsafes shot better, I'd use them.
Hi Paul-I lucked into a group of guys established in Zone 3. It's going to be a blast. I really don't think I can go wrong with either the AB or FailSafe.
I shot my once in a lifetime Idaho Moose with my 7 SAUM. My rifle is set up with AI magazines so I walked around with 120 TSX in the rifle and a magazine loaded with 162 AMAX. My thought was if I had a close shot the 120 would be the ticket and if I had a far shot I had time to swap over to the 162s. I ended up shooting my bull at 30 paces with a 120 TSX. One through the boiler room was all it took.
I shot my once in a lifetime Idaho Moose with my 7 SAUM. My rifle is set up with AI magazines so I walked around with 120 TSX in the rifle and a magazine loaded with 1 62 AMAX. My thought was if I had a close shot the 120 would be the ticket and if I had a far shot I had time to swap over to the 162s. I ended up shooting my bull at 30 paces with a 120 TSX. One through the boiler room was all it took.
I have actually considered going that route. It's likely to play out like yours did though- all this agonizing about choosing the perfect bullet, only to have it happen at 50 yards with one and done.
How fast are yours going? About all I've shot out of this rifle so far is 120 tsx at 3350.
Shoot, I'd be fine with that load myself. Chances are it'll out penetrate the 160 AB anyhow.
you are probably right, but how can any self respecting rifle looney miss the chance to work up a new, perfect load, for a hunt he's been waiting 25 years for?!?!
How fast are yours going? About all I've shot out of this rifle so far is 120 tsx at 3350.
Shoot, I'd be fine with that load myself. Chances are it'll out penetrate the 160 AB anyhow.
you are probably right, but how can any self respecting rifle looney miss the chance to work up a new, perfect load, for a hunt he's been waiting 25 years for?!?!
I totally understand that! I would be guilty of that myself!
How fast are yours going? About all I've shot out of this rifle so far is 120 tsx at 3350.
Shoot, I'd be fine with that load myself. Chances are it'll out penetrate the 160 AB anyhow.
you are probably right, but how can any self respecting rifle looney miss the chance to work up a new, perfect load, for a hunt he's been waiting 25 years for?!?!
You could decide you need a new rifle, get all lathered up about lack of components, put a WTB in the classifieds, bumping it daily, then finally getting components only to find you couldn't get it to shoot in time for your trip.
My dad has used his to kill elk and a grizzly bear with 160 Partitions. I loaded him a bunch over H4350 to about 2875fps IIRC. Haven’t caught one yet. I see no reason the Failsafe or AB wouldn’t work just as well.
You could decide you need a new rifle, get all lathered up about lack of components, put a WTB in the classifieds, bumping it daily, then finally getting components only to find you couldn't get it to shoot in time for your trip.
lol- don't tempt me. I've long thought that a .338 saum/or maybe Sherman short made alot of sense...
I've only shot one moose with my 7mm SAUM, but I used a 162 A-Max. High shoulder, complete pass through and one very dead moose. The shot was approximately 150 yards. From the options you listed, I don't think you're going to be able to measure the difference from their performance in the field, so I'd pick whichever one you want and be confident that your selection is perfectly suitable.
Congrats on the moose tag! I'm new to the 7 SAUM so can't offer advice there. I recently rebarreled a Kimber Classic 325 WSM with a Lilja 1:8 in 7 Saum. All I've shot so far is 180 Scenars with RE26 and it's been sub-MOA throughout load development. I would think any of the load combos discussed above would work fine. Good luck on your hunt...
Congrats on the moose tag! I'm new to the 7 SAUM so can't offer advice there. I recently rebarreled a Kimber Classic 325 WSM with a Lilja 1:8 in 7 Saum. All I've shot so far is 180 Scenars with RE26 and it's been sub-MOA throughout load development. I would think any of the load combos discussed above would work fine. Good luck on your hunt...
That sounds like a sharp rifle! Those 180 Scenars are easy huh?
Don't overthink it. Moose die easy IME ( 20+). Those eastern are quite puny compared to Yukon-Alaska.
.243, 30-30, 270, 30-06, .338 WM, 12 ga slug. Not in any particular order. Gonna try the .260 next if possible.
It's where, not what. They just take awhile with most anything except CNS. BTDT too.
OK- OK - once a spike took 4 250 gr. .338 WM before he went down. 3 if you don't count the knee shot off with the 2nd round. The other 3 exited on the far side of his lungs through basically one hole. Entry wounds were quite un-similar. All were fatal on their own.
Lol- it was a bit of a gong show, but got it done about noon on the last day of the five day hunt. I was so swamped with family and work stuff, that I didn't manage to do any load development. In the end, I grabbed the rifle with the 120 TSX load that I've shot forever. That rifle/ammo combo has been rock solid for years, so I figured I was safe. More on the later. The rut really hadn't kicked off on opening day. We saw one good bull for roughly 30 seconds on the first morning, but couldn't get a shot. After another 2 days of scanning clear cuts, we finally figured out that they were in the strip cuts. I finally got a shot on day 4. 40yards. Supported. Air ball. WTF? I was definitly excited, but really? I wrote it off to shooter error, and moved on. Day 5 morning, same thing happens, but this time I was much more confident in my shot. We finally set up a target. At 25m, I'm a full revolution of the M1 elevation turret high. Well, that certainly explains some things! At this point I'm felling pretty stupid, and dejected. Everthing we've seen up until this point has been fleeting, and numbers are way down. Even locals are shooting cows, and I'm not at all confident we'll get another chance. Then, an hour later, there's a decent sized moose, broadside in a strip cut at 70m. Head was down, so I had no idea if it was a bull or a cow, and didn't really care. I made a good lung shot, and we walked up on a 5 pt eater bull. He went 10 yards. Loonie sized entrance and exit, with lots of lung damage. To say I was relieved is an understatement, and 120 TSX at 3350 sure did the job.
How fast are yours going? About all I've shot out of this rifle so far is 120 tsx at 3350.
Shoot, I'd be fine with that load myself. Chances are it'll out penetrate the 160 AB anyhow.
you are probably right, but how can any self respecting rifle looney miss the chance to work up a new, perfect load, for a hunt he's been waiting 25 years for?!?!
I totally understand that! I would be guilty of that myself!
Sounds like a great reason to work up a new perfect load. Being new to the RSAUM, this is an interesting thread. I really like my new to me 300RSAUM. I'll bet the 7 is damn near perfect too. You get a lot in a small package. Mine is like a featherweight with a short 22" barrel, but it keeps up with my 24" 300 Wizzums. I'm really surprised there isn't more of a following for these RSAUM's. Congrats on the moose mpwolf!!!
Originally Posted by raybass
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style.
Originally Posted by Pharmseller
You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole.
the rifle is pretty straight forward, but has proved to be very practical and effective. It started as a SS BDL in 300 WSM, that I put a take off 7 SAUM barrel on, after having it chopped at 22" and rechambering with my reamer, and then bedded it into a Mcmillan Compact stock. Scope is a Vari-X-III 2.5-8 with M1 elevation turret that I bough here on the classifieds. It carries well, handles great, and 120 tsx at 3350 flat out hurts stuff, with pretty mild recoil.
Don't think about it too much. Use what you're comfortable with. Many a moose were taken with much less than what you are going with. Load one up and knock em down!
I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery - Thomas Jefferson
After 25 years, I finally drew a moose tag here in NB, Canada. Shooting a 22" 7 Saum. I have 160 AB, 160 FailSafe, 162 ELD-X, and AMax, as well as 175 ELD-X here on the shelf, and RL-22, RL-26, H4831 SC, H4350. Shots are likely to be close, with the odd chance out to 300m or so. I kinda think 160 AB and 4350 is probably the easy button, but I'd love to hear what works for you.
Hot damn! Congrats! The 160 AB and 4350 is the recipe in my 7SAUM.
Mine too.
Throttle fixes everything. If it doesn't fix the problem, it’ll end the suspense.
I cut up a small bull moose last night for a fellow. He pasted it with a 358Winchester loaded with 225gr Sierra. Moose was at 50 yds standing looking right on to the shooter. POI was in the middle of the chest. Found the bullet in the rear ham. That's pretty good penetration.
I cut up a small bull moose last night for a fellow. He pasted it with a 358Winchester loaded with 225gr Sierra. Moose was at 50 yds standing looking right on to the shooter. POI was in the middle of the chest. Found the bullet in the rear ham. That's pretty good penetration.
That 225 Sierra in a 358 or Whelen is some sorta fast killing on deer. Seems like it worked excellent on moose too!
I cut up a small bull moose last night for a fellow. He pasted it with a 358Winchester loaded with 225gr Sierra. Moose was at 50 yds standing looking right on to the shooter. POI was in the middle of the chest. Found the bullet in the rear ham. That's pretty good penetration.
That 225 Sierra in a 358 or Whelen is some sorta fast killing on deer. Seems like it worked excellent on moose too!
Yep Scotty, only sierra’s I like, they Are killin bastards in both chamberings👊🏻
Ping pong balls for the win. Once you've wrestled everything else in life is easy. Dan Gable I keep my circle small, I’d rather have 4 quarters than 100 pennies.
Ping pong balls for the win. Once you've wrestled everything else in life is easy. Dan Gable I keep my circle small, I’d rather have 4 quarters than 100 pennies.
Alaska-Yukon moose are the biggest of the breed, and the only ones I've ever shot - 20 something. .243, 30-30, .270, 30-06, .338WM, and 12 ga slugs have all worked. I'm itching to try the .260...or maybe the 7X57.
Shot placement (and good bullet construction- not necessarily premium- which I've gotten away from,) is the key.
I took a moose with my 300 wsm. I had 150g ttsxs at 3350 loaded for closer shots and 208g amaxes loaded for longer range. That rifle shoots very different loads about the same poi. I ended up just using the 150ttsx even though the shot was 547 yards. It shot through it diagonally as it quartered towards me. It worked. I don't usually run monos but thought it would ruin less moose meat on a close shot.
With a 7 saum a 160 accubond at 2900 is tough to beat. I've killed deer with 162 amaxes at over 400 yards from a 7 wsm and the bullets came pretty much all apart. It worked but I don't think I'd want to run one into a moose shoulder up close. I also had a 150 eldx blow up on a cow elk at just under 200 yards from an 18" 7-08 that was only loaded to 2650 mv. Quartering away it only made it about 4" into the first lung. The second shot to the neck dropped it. I've since switched to the 180 eld at 2550 thinking it will penetrate better. I've now got 9 boxes of 150s to find a use for.