Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Canadian hijinks! Deer, elk, kids using 7mm-08s, what happens next?

A few months ago BertaBoy reached out for some handloading help with his 7mm-08, seems as if someone told him I liked the cartridge.

Lo and behold, he’s got elk on the ground! As a plus, his boy took his first Whitetail buck, a dandy 8 point.

Here’s the pics, BB will be along with the attendant stories.

More pics, more stories



















P

What bullet were they using?

Great pictures!

The right one, evidently!

I’m betting 150 ELDX. He should be along shortly with details.





P

Pharm, you know that a 7mm-08 won’t kill an elk or a mule deer……………….laughing! Or a whitetail!

Family hunts.......doesn't get much better than that.

I tried to tell him but he just wouldn’t listen!





P

Hi all,

I owe Pharmseller a few thanks. Posting the pics and that sweet sweet 708 load.
46.2 big game 150eldx with a LRMP.

Opening day ( sept 17 ) I snuck into my trail cam location knowing the elk have been moving the last few days with my daughter. The rest of our crew split up a few Km’s away. Walked in 1/2 before daylight. Did a set of calls. A few mins later he stepped out at maybe 80yrds. He went maybe 50yrds before expiring. This was my first harvest using my own reloads so it places high on my list. Took him to our local butcher and he was in the cooler before noon. 361lbs on the meat hook.

Later that evening my son joined us for a hunt at the farm and we were fortunate enough to harvest an 8 point using the 708 with Pharms load. Ranged him at 250ish yards. Made a slight adjustment on the scope and he dropped right there. This was his first big game animal and he was pumped! We had lots of time to get ready and stable for the shot. Proud dad for sure
Deer was 161 on the hook

This past weekend another guy in the group (Dan) got his first elk. Him and his wife walked into the spot before dark and the bull was already at the bush line. They could barely see movement at first and had to wait 12 mins before it was legal to shoot. Longest 12 mins of his life I’m sure. Made a perfect boiler house shot at 194yrds with his new tikka in 308. He put a second one in a few inches away and he went maybe 5yrds.
409lbs on the hook.

Just want to thanks all the campfire members who have helped me out this summer learning this reloading stuff. I appreciate all of you and good luck to the hunters out there chasing game.

Cheers.

BG

Nice work, but leave some for the rest of us.


Okie John

Dang pop guns. 😁

My dad killed the biggest bodied bull I ever saw with his 7/08.

Glad to help, brother!







P

BG,

That's a lot of success packed into a short time frame. Congrats.

BB did you have a tough time finding components?..mb

Great job all around!

Absolutely no disrespect intended, just not familiar with your area. Elk appear large bodied, with smallish antlers. Are they Roosevelts? Never seen one myself.

Congratulations! I like hearing stories about the 7-08, it’s a great caliber.

These are just satellite bulls. The heard bull never gave us an opportunity. I’m honestly not sure about the strain of elk we have up here in northern Alberta. I have heard that our white tail deer are some of the biggest bodied deer in North America . I believe that is the same with the mule deer here. I have seen many pics this year of giant racks on the elk from here so you are correct on them being smaller. No offence taken either.

Finding components was a real challenge and expensive at first. I had to buy my first brick of primers on gunpost for more than I want to admit. Being new to reloading and having gather everything else I needed to start I bit the bullet and paid an absurd amount for primers. Over the summer I was able to grow my inventory and I’m doing decent now component wise. I reload for 708, 270 and 30-06 at this point.

You have heard correctly.

The 7-08 is a very under rated round. Great choice for a lot of people with its mild manners. Congrats, great to see a family hunting together.