Experience's with 7mm bullets on Elk

[venatic]

Posters above asked why try to achieve an exit or shoot the shoulder.This bullet/load is for a specific application. First not necessarily shooting AT the shoulder but when shooting at 400-600 yards with mountain winds etc there needs to be some allowance for hits slightly forward.
I actually agree with expending all energy inside the animal and for me in my elk shooting situation it has not been an issue and my last elk (last friday) shooting a 280 Rem 168berger 40 yard shot behind shoulder complete pass-thru ran 10 yards piled up. Two prior this season at 100-150 yards they made two or three steps and fell with same load.

BUT this load/bullet combo is not for me nor my situation.

This is the scenario. You are shooting at an elk from 400 to 600 yards away that is in sparse dark timber across on the next mountain that is in a herd of 20-30 other Bull elk. You shoot the Bull and if lucky it falls or only goes a short distance. This happens most times by the way.
But a couple of behind the shoulder solid hits the elk ran along with 30 others over the mountain and with no exit and no blood trail it makes for long long exhausting searches in tough conditions.

Out of a dozen or so shot this past year all being as described two were never found and of course that's two too many. Maybe the shot's twern't as good as they looked and maybe they recovered??
I was just asked if there was a bullet/load combo I could load.for 7mm that might give consistent exits to increase the odds of a better blood trail to follow.
This is a family and before anyone suggests just get a 30/378 with 165gr Barnes etc there are women and children also shooting.
The two rifle used this year a 7mm SAUM Rem model 7 and a 7mm Mag Remington Mountain rifle.
I may try the 150gr Siroccos as they have them locally and they look like they may be an option if they shoot good.
I admit I tend to avoid Barnes as I normally don't get as good of accuracy.

 

[upacreek]

It's not my place to tell others what to do or not to do. Here is my opinion though none the less.

I love elk hunting! I lost one bull that I wounded with a 630yrd shot many years ago and it killed me. It happens and will happen, I understand that. Your attitude leads me to think you respect the situation also. My only suggestion is be careful in WHERE the game are located and if they can be recovered. I watch guys where I hunt regularly take shots they are not capable of, shoot "hail Marie's", and into thick timber that is hard to see through and track. I am not accusing you of this. It's just my soap box. I would just hope that practice and knowing the capabilities of the shooter would set the limitation of the shot. If it might be a poor shot and the elk run off call it as such and don't shoot.

As far as bullets. Shoot what is accurate so the placement can be called and results effective. Just trying to help. Definitely not saying you are doing anything wrong cause I am not there. So if we agree, then it's all good.

 

[twreeves]

this may not be what you wanted to hear but for longish ranges I like the Hornady SST 139 gr. I have shot around a dozen elk with that bullet with several in the 500-700 yard range. up close the bullet usually does not exit and loses a lot of mass but I have had great results in getting them on the ground. At the longer ranges as velocity drops off they act more like a controlled expansion bullet. by the way I shoot a 280 AI at 3175 fps. If you want to stay with a premium bullet the Nosler Accubond in 160 has worked well for my son in his 7rm

 

[bigngreen]

In my experience there is no bullet in the 7mm that will increase your odds of recovery by shoulder shooting a bull vs shooting behind the shoulder, if you want to solidly increase your recovery with shoulder shooting a 338 with a 300 gr bullet is it, my wife has no problem shooting my 338 RUM with 300's.

I get called to help from time to time help get a wounded bull killed on a couple ranches and 90+% of the time it's shoulder shot, the only elk I've lost we're shoulder shot with a 300 WBY and 165 TSX and I've wounded two other cows with that same combo and had to dispatch them because the 165 TSX will not penetrate the shoulder of an elk with as high of a percentage as everyone thinks. Shooting elk in open fields was a huge wake up to the fact that a good number of what guys think are misses are bullets not penetrating the shoulder!

I'm not saying you need to shoot a canon to kill elk, both my elk two years ago dropped at 800+ to a little 6.5, but if you fully intend to shoot elk through the shoulders with a 7mm or most 30 cals you will have a percentage fail, just the way it is!

 

[upacreek]

In my experience there is no bullet in the 7mm that will increase your odds of recovery by shoulder shooting a bull vs shooting behind the shoulder, if you want to solidly increase your recovery with shoulder shooting a 338 with a 300 gr bullet is it, my wife has no problem shooting my 338 RUM with 300's.

I get called to help from time to time help get a wounded bull killed on a couple ranches and 90+% of the time it's shoulder shot, the only elk I've lost we're shoulder shot with a 300 WBY and 165 TSX and I've wounded two other cows with that same combo and had to dispatch them because the 165 TSX will not penetrate the shoulder of an elk with as high of a percentage as everyone thinks. Shooting elk in open fields was a huge wake up to the fact that a good number of what guys think are misses are bullets not penetrating the shoulder!

I'm not saying you need to shoot a canon to kill elk, both my elk two years ago dropped at 800+ to a little 6.5, but if you fully intend to shoot elk through the shoulders with a 7mm or most 30 cals you will have a percentage fail, just the way it is!

I couldnt agree more. Well stated!

 

[HARPERC]

In my experience there is no bullet in the 7mm that will increase your odds of recovery by shoulder shooting a bull vs shooting behind the shoulder, if you want to solidly increase your recovery with shoulder shooting a 338 with a 300 gr bullet is it, my wife has no problem shooting my 338 RUM with 300's.

I get called to help from time to time help get a wounded bull killed on a couple ranches and 90+% of the time it's shoulder shot, the only elk I've lost we're shoulder shot with a 300 WBY and 165 TSX and I've wounded two other cows with that same combo and had to dispatch them because the 165 TSX will not penetrate the shoulder of an elk with as high of a percentage as everyone thinks. Shooting elk in open fields was a huge wake up to the fact that a good number of what guys think are misses are bullets not penetrating the shoulder!

I'm not saying you need to shoot a canon to kill elk, both my elk two years ago dropped at 800+ to a little 6.5, but if you fully intend to shoot elk through the shoulders with a 7mm or most 30 cals you will have a percentage fail, just the way it is!

Suitable for framing!

 

[chad]

I tried barnes 140 ttsx this fall out of my 280AI. Not impressed. I am thinking of the 150gr hunting ballstic tip. Whats your thoughts?

 

[pods8]

I tried barnes 140 ttsx this fall out of my 280AI. Not impressed.

What was the issue, Accuracy? Terminal performance?

 

[chad]

accuracy was great, terminal performance was SH*#. shoots clean through and a pencil size hole going in and a pencil size hole going out. I don't mind the bullet going through but its got to expand to do some damage and leave a blood trail, We lost one bull this past fall and one mulie. Very disappointed.

 

[pods8]

Huh, do you know a ballpark impact velocity? I shoot the 145LRX and have had them open up fine on light body antelope out to 350yd (7-08 would have been down to 2200-2300fps). Even though barnes says 1600 for the LRX and 1800 for the TTSX I have sorta self imposed about 2200fps minimum after reviewing expansion photos. Under that they petal out but not to my liking, 2200ish they show reasonable expansion.

 

[chad]

150 grain 30 cal bullet Bull shot at 50 yards. Lost him. No blood. fell down, got up and hauled ***. Couldn't get another shot. Mulie was 240 yards same gun shot through the lungs, He hauled *** down the canyon. found him the next morning nothing left thanks to the coyotes.

 

[ArtsMonkey]

I've shot 4 elk with the barns tsx 160, 450, 600, 650 and 525.. only the shot at 450 didn't exit and all dropped the bull within 20 yards.

 

[chad]

congrats

 

[gillettehunter]

I have used the TTSx in my .300 WSM on elk and in Africa. Also 140 TTSX in my .270WSM. Also in Kyrg on an Ibex. Accuracy has been good in the .270 and excellent in the .300. Bullets had preformed as advertised for me. Have not lost an animal using them. Usually go all the way through with good blood trails.
I am now using mostly Bergers as I am moving into long range hunting. Just my experiences. Your mileage may vary. Best of luck. Bruce