Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Effective range 7mm Rem Mag

What is the effective range of the 7mm Rem Mag for elk? Also any bullet weight advice for this caliber. Thanks

Effective range is whatever your effective range is. You can't strech range if you can't shoot. Your practice range and the amount of practice is what will determine the effecitive range of any caliber. There is nothing that will work if you don't make it. HAPPY HUNTING

Everyone has there own criteria,

My minimum is 2,000 fps of striking velocity.

http://www.biggameinfo.com/

Skyline, this is a controversial question on any forum.

I've only taken one elk with a 7mm Mag, and that was a broadside shot at about 250yds. I managed to get three shots off before he folded. All through the lungs.

How far would you be able to kill an elk with a decent shot? Maybe 450-500 yds under ideal conditions.

I would not likely shoot an elk past 300-350 yds myself with any rifle, but a 7mm Mag with a 160-175gr bullet will kill one about as far out as anything you would want to shoot one with.

Depends on the bullet.Wouldn't think twice about elk hunting with a 120 TSX from a 7 Rem mag or a WBY,STW ect.As for range it's up to the hunter I suppose.

Don't know much about elk, but JBM shows a 140 XLC started at 3,250 should be still be clocking nearly 1,800fps at 800 yards. Same for a 160 Accubond with a 3,100 MV. I kinda doubt an elk would just shrug off a hit from either.

Speer 160g Grand slams were my bullet for 20 years, running about 2900fps at the muzzle. The longest shot I ever took was 350 yards and the 5x6 bull dropped at the shot. The bullet exited.

How far a 7mm RM is good for depends on a lot of factors and what you want from them: retained velocity, retained energy, maximum drop, etc. For myself, the drop problem was the determining factor for many years.

Pushing a 160g TSX to 3015fps and zeroing for a maximum 3" rise gives me 500 yards: 2181ps, 1690fpe, -31".

Skyline-I have taken and seen taken and been around a fair handfull of elk taken in the 500-650 (using Sierra's, NBT's, NPT's and TSX's, and Hornday's in particular) range and I've never found the big 7's or the 270 to be lacking for this work.

People will run out of ability way b4 the round will make no doubt about it.

In terms of good bullets there is about no end of them anymore for the big 7's and many other cals.

Good luck on your elk hunting.

Dober

About the same for 75% of the other popular cartridges out there.........

Depends on the bullet you choose. I would prefer something in the 150 or 160.


Casey

Know of 2 bulls killed by fellow highpower competitors, 7RM, 140 x bullets, both between 600 and 700 yards.

Gotta know what you are doing though, I suspect for most folks, regardless the caliber, its 200 yards or less.

Jeff

I agree 100%. Just because you have the tool that can do the job, doesn't mean you can. Most often, the shooter is the weak link in making a good shot at distances over about 300 yards. Unfortunately too many will just take pot shots anyway and end up with a wounded and lost animal. Know your rifle and the ballistics of the ammo you will be taking. Put some time behind the gun and not from the bench, from positions you expect to be taking a shot from in the field. And finally, make sure you have good shooting technique such as breathing, trigger squeeze and sight picture to name a few. When you practice, don't be afraid to get a recoil pad such as this PAST. It will allow you to practice with out developing bad habits due to recoil (esp when shooting a fair amount of rounds).

As usual Dober hits the mark.

You are starting with a question which is, at best, about 4 down on the list one should be addressing.

For me personally, as far as it is to the gun store door. I don't like 7mm Mags - except there was that one Husquavarna......and I know where it lives...

Anything a 7 Mag can do for all practical purposes, an '06 can do just as well, and a 300 mag will do it better.

But to each his own.... Just answer the following questions:

1. How well can the rifle in question shoot ( benchrest)? 2 inch groups are generally sufficient for most hunters, 3 inches are just acceptable - they can generally be improved on with glass-bedding and a trigger job. Circa 1 inch or less is pure gravy.
2. How well can the shooter shoot (various field positions, with and without rests)?
3. What's the range- how well can the shooter estimate? - better yet- does he have a range-finder and the time to use it when the game is "out there"?

Been a pile of game killed by sighting in the rifle (any reasonable caliber) at 2.5 to 3 inches high at 100 (assuming decent 2" or less groups), getting a good rest when crunch time comes, and taking the shot when offered. Believe me- a 300 yard distant animal is a LONG ways away, but it is still virtually a point-blank shot ballistically for the rifle if above conditions are met. Just hold on hair, but slightly high when way out there. The ballistics of the particular rifle are the least of your worries- though you need to know them- when shooting way out there.

Accurate ranging is paramount beyond 300 yards, as your bullets are dropping like a rock out there past 300 yards or so, with any caliber. Still perfectly capable of clean kills- the major problem is getting the bullet where it need go! Hence the accurate ranging via range-finders. Your eyes just aren't equal to a good laser rangefindere - and 20 yards makes a difference beyond 300 yards or so.

Yepper.

I agree with what everyone else has said... BUT.. Lets say the shooter is up to the task, and he has a MOA gun with a range finder. A good rest, lots of practice, and not much wind. To me, the 7MM is a true 500+ yard elk gun. With a good brodside shot on an animal that isn't moving it could easily take an elk at 600+ yards. I'm not going to get into the ethics, but IMO, If the shooter is up to the task, the 7mm will easily take an elk a long, long way out.

For me 250-300 is a long long shot...I suppose my rifle might be
good for longer but where I go it is awfully windy and at high
altitude and my judgement of range is not the best...so I would
probably opt for creeping closer some way some how...I don;t want to just hit him...I want a bang-flop if possible...

skyline,

The first elk I killed was a ranged 400 yards. I had a perfect rest. The 160 Nosler Partition made a six inch bruise on the way in and a three inch bruise on the way out. The muzzle velocity averaged 3,150 fps. I recovered a 160 Partition once and it weighed about 100 grains. So I switched to a 7 RUM and 120 TTSXs. I picked up about 600 fps. One can see the very noticable difference in time of flight.

How much energy do you guys like to have when said bullet arrives to elk? Myself I like to have around 1400 to 1500 pounds of energy.

Iv killed a lot of elk over the years and killed a lot that had someone else�s bullet stuck on the shoulder were the bullet failed to penetrate.

When shooting long range things happen and you need to have enough energy to get through the heavy shoulders.

So I would say for me the 7mm or any other cartrage will work fine but I would really look at were the energy starts to drop below 1400 lbs and really make sure everything is prefect before going too much below 1400 lbs but that�s just me�

Absolutely it is!

Dober

I've said this before. There are three guys over 60 in my elk camp. Between the three of them they have taken over 100 bulls. All three of them shoot and swear by the 7mm Rem Mag.