7 SAUM w 180gr Berger Hybrids or 300 RUM w 230gr Berger Hybrids

It kills me when a guy builds a 338 Rum and runs a 225 gr ! 🤔🤔
Fun intended!!

It was super hard on me to try the 250 gr bergers but when I looked at the stats at 1000 yards ...hmm almost the same as the 300 gr . Now past 1000 yards hands down the 300 gr !!

Rum Man
 
The 180s will kill anything in North America. The 7mm has less recoil too. Enough said.
 
It kills me when a guy builds a 338 Rum and runs a 225 gr ! 🤔🤔
Fun intended!!

It was super hard on me to try the 250 gr bergers but when I looked at the stats at 1000 yards ...hmm almost the same as the 300 gr . Now past 1000 yards hands down the 300 gr !!

Rum Man
What about a PapapaPapua with a 213 grainer at 3100🤣
 
Yah, the whole intent of this 338 build was to be a short, mountain rifle - with a 22" barrel the 250gr bergers were maxed out at 2,800 fps, so I'd imagine the 300's are in the low 2,700's, which is not what I wanted.

I wanted to shoot the 300's I'd probably go with the 338 edge and a 28" CF barrel - which would also be awesome!
 
Yah, the whole intent of this 338 build was to be a short, mountain rifle - with a 22" barrel the 250gr bergers were maxed out at 2,800 fps, so I'd imagine the 300's are in the low 2,700's, which is not what I wanted.

I wanted to shoot the 300's I'd probably go with the 338 edge and a 28" CF barrel - which would also be awesome!
Mine is 22" as well. Doing the math none are really 1000 yards, so fast and light it is.
 
Yah, the whole intent of this 338 build was to be a short, mountain rifle - with a 22" barrel the 250gr bergers were maxed out at 2,800 fps, so I'd imagine the 300's are in the low 2,700's, which is not what I wanted.

I wanted to shoot the 300's I'd probably go with the 338 edge and a 28" CF barrel - which would also be awesome!
I understand you totally!
My Son in law has a 16" 300 wsm and was at 2450 with the 215 gr bergers. Bang flop on his Sheep and Moose last fall in Montana, but he just switched to 200 gr bergers and now he is running 2750 ! Suppressed!
It's a very sweet huntable package !!
Short is definitely hot right now .

Rum Man
 
Have a Utah Elk hunt in 10 days and was shooting my 2 best options that I currently own today.

I have a 7 SAUM that I'm shooting w 180gr Berger Hybrids at 2,890 fps that is shooting really well. I'm concerned I'd be giving up some effective range to my other option, that I used in NM on Elk 2 years ago - my 300 RUM w 230gr Berger Hybrids at 2,950 fps.

The SAUM has a 23" barrel and the RUM a 26" - both are roughly the same weight, so not gaining anything in that regard either way.

***I'm hoping someone has experience with the 180's on elk and can help steer me that direction - because it's super easy to shoot and spot impacts.

Thanks for the help!
Take the 30 cal
I love my 7 saum but I take my 30 nosler when elk is the specific target.

1F72BC78-E536-4A98-9520-4E0813FC1B5E.jpeg
 
Yah, the whole intent of this 338 build was to be a short, mountain rifle - with a 22" barrel the 250gr bergers were maxed out at 2,800 fps, so I'd imagine the 300's are in the low 2,700's, which is not what I wanted.

I wanted to shoot the 300's I'd probably go with the 338 edge and a 28" CF barrel - which would also be awesome!
Curious but how far have you taken game to so far, as well how far do you practice on a consistent basis?

Which piece do you feel more comfy with and which can you shoot better from field positions?
 
803 is my furthest kill, was a whitetail with my 300win mag and 215gr bergers.

Elk 2 years ago was 691 with the same 300 RUM
 
Given equivalent (good) bullet placement and under 800 yards the elk won't know the difference, but your shoulder will. I'd bring the one I shot most confidently with... and although this is the LongRangeHunting site do you really think you'll get a shot past 600 yards? Especially with an outfitter? That's a LONG way away and close to a second's elapsed duration from the time the bullet exits the muzzle until it reaches your target. A lot of bad things can happen in a second... a gust of wind, a moving elk, etc. Let me be frank as well: that you're asking this question indicates the 7mm. That's what I'd take and know that it will suffice out to well past 600 yards... if I sufficed.

Good luck on your hunt!
 
Hunt recap:

I ended up being able to work up a really good load for my 338 RUM with 225gr Nosler Accubonds at 3,067 fps (first pic) and it was shooting awesome out to 800 yards at our range the day before we left.

The terrain on our hunt was beautiful and HUGE. I was almost ovewhelmed by how steep it was and how much area we had to cover - over 250,000 acres in this Manti unit where the Elk could hide from other hunters and pressure in general.

On day 2, after an hour hike in the dark to a ridge top to our glassing spot, we spotted a herd bull with a group of 8 cows and 2 smaller bulls. We were debating on whether or not to make a run at them to cut the distance from 1,200 yards down to at least 800 but before we could decide - another group of hunters started shooting on the next ridge behind this group of elk and they started running.

As luck would have it, they actually started heading at an angle towards us and to a patch of thick timber. I set up on my tripod in case I got a shot, but I only ended up having a 2 second opporunity in a clearing at 1,030 yards. With not enough time to make a good shot, I decided to pass on that opportunity.

We then made a move and hiked to the end of the point on the ridge that we were on - cutting the distance to roughly 800 yards to the ridge top that the group was side hilling. The cows started coming out and we got set up for the shot, just in case the bull followed behind them. Suddenly a decent 5x5 came out of the top of the clearing, along with a 3x4 and started chasing the cows around the meadow. That's all it took and the big 6x6 stepped out of the timber and immediately started chasing the smaller bulls off his harem of cows.

I waited for him to turn broadside after raking an Aspen tree and sent a round at 851 yards. Before the shot, I looked at the wind and it looked dead calm - but in my excitement I didn't account for the thermals and it pushed my shot high and right of my aiming point (which followed the up-draft from the canyon between us). He spooked about 20 yards downhill and quartered to me, I made an adjustment and took aim at his front shoulder at 835 yards and sent another round. This one hit right on the point of his shoulder, which we got a great video of the shot and impact, and he bucked and tumbled into the thick timber. We saw him fall, get up and then thrash around in the pines. We sat there on the spotters and me looking through the scope for several minutes to make sure he didn't get up and decided to start our hike over to where we last saw him.

It took us 3 hours to hike from our ridge, down a trail to the creek bed, then bushwacking our way up the other ridge to where he was standing. When we finally got to where we had marked him on OnX, we could smell him with the wind that had picked up - but couldn't find exactly where he was. We went back and watched the video, found where he was standing at the shot and quickly walked down the trail to where he was holed up under a downed tree limb.

His body was enormous! Our guide estimated him to be near 1,000 lbs, based upon his experience with other bulls and comparing him to the body size of his pack horses. I was blown away by his head size, neck, legs - everything!

We took a bunch of pictures and then got to work quartering him out, cutting the cape off for a mount and getting the meat into game bags.

We methodically made trecks down to the base of the ridge to the creek where we had pack horses over the next 6 hours, with each trip taking 30-40 minutes. I couldn't have done it without my buddy, Sean and our guide Jordan - who were both awesome at packing and helping keep up everyone's spirits throughout our packout.

We loaded up the pack horses and walked out on foot, getting to the trail head at dusk. This marked the end of a lifelong dream of mine - to hunt the mountains of Utah for Elk on foot.

I will be telling my grandkids about this hunt one day, Lord Willing, and the meat will go to my friends and family over the next few months to help feed our families. I'm thinking about mounting him bugling, as he let out a big bugle right before my shot that morning!

Thanks for reading along and enjoy a few pics from our adventure!
 

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