After reading a post on another hunting site about the same topic, I was wondering what the thoughts from this group were on the subject.
The post I am referring to was one where a gentleman was asking what caliber someone would choose for elk other than the .270.
I have taken almost all of my elk with my 7mm-08. All were one shot kills taken at ranges between 150 and 250 yards.(ironically, the only elk which required a follow up shot was a cow elk taken with my 7mm Rem Mag)
I am very comfortable with this rifle and am well practiced with my hunting loads..139 gr Hornady Interbonds.

What say you all?

Where do you shoot? Target on those elks? 139 gr you say? Do you target vitals? Neck? Neck-shoulder? More details please.

I shoot just behind the front shoulder, slightly above the point of the elbow. This shot gives me a double lung hit and an exit wound.

congrats.... i think your doing just fine,i''m a big fan of all 7mm''s whats not to like and regards jjmp

Thanks for that info. It is so different from what is commonly related to unknowing easteners about what is required for elk. Also, I'm happy to hear that your 139gr hornady interbond bullet does a pass trough on such stout creatures. Good stuff. One of my hunting buddies is in the process, after a lot of thinking, of getting your caliber. I might just get one myself. Thanks 7mm-08

I have shot a few red stags and elk and I have use .30-06 with 180 grain nosler partitions. I know that .30-06 is a "boring" caliber but it sure is effective.

four elk with a Rem. .280 and two with a .300 win mag - all with nosler partitions.

Exit31, I at one time was an "unknowing easterner". I moved here from NS about 12 years ago.
I cant say anything bad about the 7mm-08. It is a great caliber and I have had nothing but success with it. Mt wife also shoots the 7mm-08 in a youth model rifle. I have never heard her complain either.

Thanks for the Elk hunting report with the 7mm08 which is also my favorite caliber and I load the 140TSX which works great for me but so far all that I have shot is deer with mine since 1982 and all one shot kills.

Dwight, what powder/charge weight are you using? I tried the TSX a while back over 40 gr of Varget and it didnt group worth spit. I tried different loads and primers, but to no avail. Maybe it was just my rifle that didnt like them.

I have killed about 20+ elk, all with a 30-06 using Federal ammunition and 165 Gr Nosler Partitions. It has yet to let me down.

I'm a 30-06 man for the majority of my hunting that I've done since I started, but lately I've been shooting a few different rigs. I've gone from a 284Win, to a 260, to another 30-06, to a 25-06, and back to a 7-08. In reality, I'd be happy with the 30-06 or the 284/7-08 but I chose the 7-08 for a platform as my wife shoots a lot as well. I still have a 30-06 but that 7-08 is a nice rig and I have all the confidence in the world with a 140gr NP. So far cant complain. Might punch it to AI for kicks one day....we'll see....

quote:

Originally posted by 7mm-08:
Dwight, what powder/charge weight are you using? I tried the TSX a while back over 40 gr of Varget and it didnt group worth spit. I tried different loads and primers, but to no avail. Maybe it was just my rifle that didnt like them.

I load my 7mm08 with 140TSXs and 44.5 gr of Varget and CCI BR2 primers in Rem brass. The groups are under 1/2" and move at 2840 fps. This is not max in my rifle either. I can go hotter but this is a good accurate load. I shoot a Rem 700 with 20" varmint Barrel, glassed and floated with HS Precision stock.

Last fall my elk never took 1 step after I hit him with a 200 grain Accubond handload, out of my .300 Ultra Mag. He just stood there for a couple of seconds then fell over stone dead. A guy can't ask for any better performance than that.

quote:

Originally posted by Papershredder:
Last fall my elk never took 1 step after I hit him with a 200 grain Accubond handload, out of my .300 Ultra Mag. He just stood there for a couple of seconds then fell over stone dead. A guy can't ask for any better performance than that.

.300RUM rules. I have same performance on moose with 200gr Accubond.

Nope, I wouldnt complain either. Dead is dead.

Hi there, my mom just put a down payment on a 7mm-08 for me today (I had to work), so I'm anxious to try it out. I haven't shot much, and this is my first gun. What would you think of the advisability of doing head shots on elk? Perhaps with 150-160 grain bullets? I would practice a whole lot more before I tried that, but do you think it could be done?

Davis Goertzen

Yeah it could be done. But hunting under field conditions it would be better to take a less risky shot. Even with your 7-08 I think you would be better off putting that pill into the boiler room. Might not go straight down but will go down non-the-less.
Must admit to being an Aussie with no experience on elk (yet) but that's just my bit.
Hope I've been some help.

Cheers,
Mark.

Davis, I never had a desire to shoot a deer in the head regardless of having a very accurate rifle and steady shooting positions .That feeling was doubled when I saw a deer with it's lower jaw smashed by a bullet....Elmer Keith said the most common shot he had seen on elk was a quartering away shot, that's why he favored things like the 35 Whelen. Does the 7-08 with a good bullet perform on that type of shot ??

I have been in on well over 75 elk kills and also some that were wounded and unable to retrieve. Where we live the animal has to be down before it hits the Park line. Usually within half a mile to a mile.(Riding Mountain National Park) I would perfer a 338. caliber or bigger. Their is more margine for error. Bigger calibers do make a differance. When it is 30-40 bolow and a stiff wind errors can and do happen.

Taken elk with my 300WM using since 2004, 180gr Accubonds. A few have been taken in the past couple years by me, my wife, and her dad using 270WSM with 140gr Accubonds. Pretty much all dropped in their tracks. Bullet placement exactly where you said.

Good bullets! And good bullet placement!!!! A 270 win will do the job, just use NP's etc.

quote:

Originally posted by Davis Goertzen:
What would you think of the advisability of doing head shots on elk? Perhaps with 150-160 grain bullets?

Davis Goertzen

My friend, if you have such low confidence in the 7mm-08 that you would only take head shots with it, then maybe you should choose a bigger caliber. I have taken a few elk with the 7mm-08 and never lost one. The longest distance one of my elk went was 100yds before dropping. Many elk have been taken with the .308, 30-30, even the .243. Practice lots at different ranges, different shooting positions, and use good bullets. The 7mm-08 will not let you down with a good hit to the vitals on a mature elk. Head shots leave too much room for error and unnecessary suffering of a wounded animal.

Not sure if you were looking for dissenting opinions or just some validation of your choice. In any case, the 7-08 ballistics are similar to the 7x57 and a Mr. Jack O'Connor seemed to have the greatest confidence in that round for Elk. I'd say you're fine with the appropriate bullet selection and decent shot placement. The only thing that you'd be 'giving up' compared to .270 Win or 7mm Rem Mag is not quite as flat a trajectory, which will make your range estimate a bit more important and limit your range a little bit. Not really much to worry about, unless you're shooting 400+ yards.