Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 7mm mag on elk vs. heavier calibers

You guys were talking about recoil between two cartridges when bullet weights and speeds were similar...made me think, if I want to feel how much less a 7WSM kicks in a Montana, compared to the same rifle as a .325.... I could load up some 8mm 150-gn to about 3100+ fps and shoot it! I actually have some really old 150-gn 8mm Corelokts I bought as a partial box real cheap.

Don'tcha think?

I would think that would work. What's the recoil calculator think of it?

Jeff

I have been around and shot my wifes 8MM Mauser for some 23-24 years now and with 170 grain factory Remington Core Lokts at an almost anemic velocity compared to modern thinking and it does a heck of a job on Elk and Deer.I can only imagine your .325WSM or the 8MM Mag,would be much better.

If I had either of the two,I wouldn't change a thing.

Jayco

Do you think the 8x57 does such a good job because the bullets are placed properly?

Ofcourse..I could go way back and say how the 30-30/300 Savage/32 Special/35 Remington and the likes of the 30-40 Krag all have done a great job on Elk within there parameters with shot placement being the single most important part and the old factory bullets of old, like the Core Lokt,hammered them year after year,for the most part.

Times sure have changed!

Jayco

"Times sure have changed!"

You're right there! But elk haven't changed. I have one friend left that still uses a 30-30 for elk. He spent several decades cowboying around here when the old model 94's and savage 99's were standard saddle guns. He tried an '06 back in the 60's but didn't care for the recoil. The lever gun and 30-30 fit his hunting best, and he killed elk every year. He's pretty old now and doesn't get out much. Another friend, a young guy like me has decided he needs a two gun battery. Elk are just too big for his 30-30 so he uses an old .32 special for them. Both rifles are model 94's. He got a couple antelope again this year with his little gun, the 30-30. If I had to return to using a 30-30 I wouldn't slow down one step, I'd just get closer. I've shot enough elk with a bow to know it's no problem to get within range for any cartridge.

WOW, what logic. The 30-30 was too big, so he switched to a larger caliber. Amazing

JWP hasn't had his coffee yet.;)

That makes good sense,Cobrad.He moved up from .308 to .321 in caliber size and a danged nice Levergun.I only have one Mod '94 left.I wished I had kept them all,now.The 30-30 and .32 Special are very similar in ballistics except the .32 shoots a bigger bullet.

Jayco

You are correct I missed read that a least twice. I'll go and pull my head out of my azz, now

I had a few lever guns in years past, the venerable model 94 30-30 and an old Marlin 45-70. Killed elk with them, then moved on. Guns have been like wives for me, I could never seem to stay with one forever. I've got a few good ones now (guns) that I plan never to part with, but I will add a few more to the harem.

That's okay, just have another cup of coffee. We're all just here for the fun, right?

I think elk smell funny.

You laugh when you smell them?

Ok, I think elk smell weird.

To me, elk smell like a barnyard, and like a dog gets excited when he smells... things, my heart beats faster and I get real focused when I smell elk.

So you are saying the smell of elk is like Ritalin to you?

Not to me, I just think they smell strange.

Side note to the .270's and 7's that I normally use---I'd love to have a perfecto day with snow and elks in the timber and sneaky up on one with a 45/70 Guide rig. Now that to me would be a big time blast!

4 you 45/70 users what do you like for loads on elks?

Thx
Dober

I used a 300 grain Barnes XFN at 2000 fps on a Spike a couple years back.Last year I hunted with 425 grain Cast and had to pass on a nice Bull because of a cow behind it.That bullet will exit any Elk.I have 350 North Forks/350 Woodleighs and 300 Nosler Partitions loaded for hunting Elk with my Guide Gun.

The main reason I ended up with a 45-70 Guide Gun was hunting in really thick stuff with my .270 Win coming up on there bed without knowing it,they scattered and I couldn't get a good shot off snagged up in the super thick tree's and branches.

It goes with us every year we can hunt.

Jayco

How about the Beartooth bullets? I've used it off and on in my M29/44 and like it do they have a 350-400 that would work well?

Thx
Dober