7mm rem mag bullets for elk

[scottyboy]

i am carrying a 7mm rem mag with a Hammer bullet this fall for elk/deer... and this would be my recommended bullet. i have had unbelievable accuracy with them, the gong shows my first 2 shots <it started raining too hard before i could load #3, but i know for certainty it would have been right in there> yesterday morning on a cold bore, laying prone using just my pack at 500 yards. (about 1", they do shrink if i sit at the bench and use rests/bags) these groups at these distances have become normal shooting Hammers. i am no way affiliated with Hammer Bullets nor do i receive anything from them, but i would strongly recommend taking a look at them.

 

[wilsonpenfam]

update on my 2016 elk hunt. I decided to load some 168 gr berger hunting vld bullets and single feed them with 3 160 gr speed sbt bullets in the mag for follow up shots. both loads were loaded with 61.4 gr IMR 7828. my POI was 1/2 MOA difference so I figured i'd be ok. saw my bull come out of the trees and ranged him @ 365, gave the turret 3.75 moa adjustment and squeezed the trigger. I only had about 8 ft from the tree he came out from behind to the tree he was heading behind to chase his cows so one shot was all I was going to get. Shot him in the boilermaker with 1 shot from the berger and he went about 20 yds and was done.
Thanks to everyone for the input on bullets and the wealth of knowledge that can be gained from this site.

 

[Techy]

Lots of bullets work. I choose berger because i choose accuracy first.

I shoot 180 gr bergers at 2970 out of my saum. During my development ladder most groups were a 1/4 inch. The winner was .020"

I'll take that

 

[Techy]

update on my 2016 elk hunt. I decided to load some 168 gr berger hunting vld bullets and single feed them with 3 160 gr speed sbt bullets in the mag for follow up shots. both loads were loaded with 61.4 gr IMR 7828. my POI was 1/2 MOA difference so I figured i'd be ok. saw my bull come out of the trees and ranged him @ 365, gave the turret 3.75 moa adjustment and squeezed the trigger. I only had about 8 ft from the tree he came out from behind to the tree he was heading behind to chase his cows so one shot was all I was going to get. Shot him in the boilermaker with 1 shot from the berger and he went about 20 yds and was done.
Thanks to everyone for the input on bullets and the wealth of knowledge that can be gained from this site.

Well are tough, and 20 yards is great. Well done. How big was the bull?

 

[upacreek]

I have hunted elk since '89 and taken more than my fair share of bulls. I have hunted with guys who shoot bonded bullets and what I call 'frangible' bullets. The laboratory of life has shown me how well a lung can plug a hole on the off side of an elk. They can go for miles this way. When found 2-3" of lung will hang out the skin and no blood trail. I have tracked 3 of these now. (Not mine, but others I hunt with) I have also seen 2 that poked holes in the front chest/shoulder and left blood for long distances. These bed down until we came too close then they got up and went farther away from a good extraction point. I think they have an instinct for this. Either way bonded bullets had clean passages a finger could fill. Don't get me wrong, I have seen elk drop within 50yrds of bonded bullet hits. It can be done.
Pass throughs are lost energy spent on dirt behind the animal.
A frangible bullet explodes on contact and typically produces 2-3" holes until all energy is spent and rarely exit. I have seen this with loads I shot with ballistic tips, SST's, HPBT game kings and Berger's. I have never in 18 elk had one travel more than 50yrds.
Last week I let my 12 yr old use my 7wsm. We had a spike walk out feeding at 398yards. I set him up and he placed the first bullet perfectly in the lungs. Bull stayed standing and turned around. He was sick. I had my son put another in him. Concerned I gave the wrong elevation call I told him to aim just under the line of the back. Bull was hit, but still stood there. Just as the 3rd shell was about to be squeezed off the bull bedded down. It traveled 10 yards. Upon quartering the animal we found a perfect lung shot and a 5" hole just above the shoulder under the ribs into the boiler room. It was amazing! A pool of blood was found where the last shot was made that indicated the lungs were jello on first impact.
My point is accuracy is KING when hunting the ranges I hunt. But knock down is a close second. I will never use bonded bullets, I am too lazy to track dead elk all over the mountain and be happy about it.
My 12 yr old has on cloud nine! First bull, proud dad!

 

[SansSouci]

update on my 2016 elk hunt. I decided to load some 168 gr berger hunting vld bullets and single feed them with 3 160 gr speed sbt bullets in the mag for follow up shots. both loads were loaded with 61.4 gr IMR 7828. my POI was 1/2 MOA difference so I figured i'd be ok. saw my bull come out of the trees and ranged him @ 365, gave the turret 3.75 moa adjustment and squeezed the trigger. I only had about 8 ft from the tree he came out from behind to the tree he was heading behind to chase his cows so one shot was all I was going to get. Shot him in the boilermaker with 1 shot from the berger and he went about 20 yds and was done.
Thanks to everyone for the input on bullets and the wealth of knowledge that can be gained from this site.

Way to go. Congratulations. And excellent shooting! You deserve a pat on your back.

Seems like you've found your elk rifle and bullet. The 7MM Rem Mag is a winner in every sense of the concept.

Again, I tip my hat to you and bid you congratulations. May all of your hunting expeditions be as successful.

 

[Techy]

I have hunted elk since '89 and taken more than my fair share of bulls. I have hunted with guys who shoot bonded bullets and what I call 'frangible' bullets. The laboratory of life has shown me how well a lung can plug a hole on the off side of an elk. They can go for miles this way. When found 2-3" of lung will hang out the skin and no blood trail. I have tracked 3 of these now. (Not mine, but others I hunt with) I have also seen 2 that poked holes in the front chest/shoulder and left blood for long distances. These bed down until we came too close then they got up and went farther away from a good extraction point. I think they have an instinct for this. Either way bonded bullets had clean passages a finger could fill. Don't get me wrong, I have seen elk drop within 50yrds of bonded bullet hits. It can be done.
Pass throughs are lost energy spent on dirt behind the animal.
A frangible bullet explodes on contact and typically produces 2-3" holes until all energy is spent and rarely exit. I have seen this with loads I shot with ballistic tips, SST's, HPBT game kings and Berger's. I have never in 18 elk had one travel more than 50yrds.
Last week I let my 12 yr old use my 7wsm. We had a spike walk out feeding at 398yards. I set him up and he placed the first bullet perfectly in the lungs. Bull stayed standing and turned around. He was sick. I had my son put another in him. Concerned I gave the wrong elevation call I told him to aim just under the line of the back. Bull was hit, but still stood there. Just as the 3rd shell was about to be squeezed off the bull bedded down. It traveled 10 yards. Upon quartering the animal we found a perfect lung shot and a 5" hole just above the shoulder under the ribs into the boiler room. It was amazing! A pool of blood was found where the last shot was made that indicated the lungs were jello on first impact.
My point is accuracy is KING when hunting the ranges I hunt. But knock down is a close second. I will never use bonded bullets, I am too lazy to track dead elk all over the mountain and be happy about it.
My 12 yr old has on cloud nine! First bull, proud dad!

Good info. Lot of guys using bonded bullets gun for that high shoulder shot. Probably this being the main reason.

 

[SansSouci]

i am carrying a 7mm rem mag with a Hammer bullet this fall for elk/deer... and this would be my recommended bullet. i have had unbelievable accuracy with them, the gong shows my first 2 shots <it started raining too hard before i could load #3, but i know for certainty it would have been right in there> yesterday morning on a cold bore, laying prone using just my pack at 500 yards. (about 1", they do shrink if i sit at the bench and use rests/bags) these groups at these distances have become normal shooting Hammers. i am no way affiliated with Hammer Bullets nor do i receive anything from them, but i would strongly recommend taking a look at them.

Excellent shooting!

I love accurate rifles.

 

[SansSouci]

Lots of bullets work. I choose berger because i choose accuracy first.

I shoot 180 gr bergers at 2970 out of my saum. During my development ladder most groups were a 1/4 inch. The winner was .020"

I'll take that

^^^Excellent post of a very knowledgeable hunter^^^

 

[lancetkenyon]

We use a 180 Berger Hybrid in my 7RM for elk. Good speed @ 3000, great accuracy too, in the .2s @ 100, 2.25" @ 650.

Exit hole has been good, with a good blood trail to follow for the 50 or so yards.

 

[RobStar]

I killed this Nevada bull, two mule deer bucks and two antelope bucks this season with handloaded 162gr ELD-X. Other than one of the antelope they all dropped in their tracks. The bull flailed a little but he sure didn't go anyplace! All bullets entered with a golf ball sized internal wound in the rib cage and exited with a lemon size exit wound. There was a little blood shot on the Nevada muley but nothing that affected anything other than some rib meat.

~Robert

 

[the444shooter]

nice to see those results from the ELD-X. I'm anxious to try them next year.

 

[Catahoula]

Buy a 25-06 & load 100 grain Partitions & go elk hunting. I guided elk hunters in Utah for years. They showed up with all the BIG guns but could not a thing with them. Elk are not hard to kill. Any critter with a hole in his vitals is in deep ****. A good friend that I work with here in Idaho kills his elk like clockwork every year with a 243 & 100 Corelokts. I have a few rifles ranging from a 222 to a 375. However if I were going elk hunting tomorrow I would grab my trusty 25-06 & bring some meat home. No recoil combined with a lethal cartridge makes for accurate shooting.
Don't mean to offend anyone but I get sick of hunters who think elk are hard to put down.
Thanks, Kirk