What do you think of a 7mm-08 for elk.

H

huntem

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I am beginning a lightweight factory search or custom lightweight rifle build. As of late, I've really been enjoying a Tikka T3 light chambered in 7mm-08 that I bought for my daughter's bear hunt.

I was thinking this would be a nice caliber to build a rifle on but I was debating on whether or not it is adequate for elk. Sure, I know bullet selection and bullet placement is key to any successful outcome.

Also, I currently own many of the ultra wiz bang magnums but I am looking at more of a back country rifle rather than an anchor.
 
I can think of about a hundred rounds I'd rather have than a 7mm-08 for elk. it's not the cartridge but the gun that weighs up, my 300 win mag weighs under 7 lbs field ready with a 3x10 on it.
 
Killed my first elk with one. Dropped her so fast I didn't see her fall and was actually wondering what happened. Its a fine and underrated cartridge. Use good bullets and place them well and you'll kill any elk thats ever walked the planet.
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-04-06 AT 11:33PM (MST)[p]range and bullet construction. if you get x, nosler or bonds of one kind or another you'll kill em fine.

People talk about elk like they're tanks. If you use usual ranges 350 or less and take appropriate shot angles (ie you can't shoot an elk front to back or vice versa with one through a quarter... then a 7-08 is fine.

Would folks argue a 7 mag won't do it? Not likely. So here's the diff 300 fps. If you want to penetrate at 400+ yards on an off angle you may have some distinct issues. At 200 yrds a 140 or 150 grn bullet cast by 308 brass vs 7 mag brass will mean diddly squat.

Were I building just an elk rifle would I buy a 7-08? No. Were I building short action, backpacking, mountain rifle in a flat shooting and solid penetrating rifle for a one in all round would I consider it.. absolutely. For me, I think in short action I'd go .270, 7mm or 30 in WSM for the same reasons but most anything from .270 to ultrastupid kills elk at medium range with appropriate shot angles.
 
LAST EDITED ON Dec-05-06 AT 00:32AM (MST)[p]Short answer, yes it is adequate & ditto what Colvile said.

Here's a pic I've posted before of my wife with the bull she killed last year at close to 300 yards with a 7mm-08 shooting 140 grain Nosler Partitions. He's the only bull I've seen drop without taking a single step.
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One shot 282 yards drop in his tracks Next picture is 150 yards one shot even though the exit was a little farther back then Im woul have liked. Don't have picture of the coyote or the Whitail doe and mule deer doe I killed with my 7mm 08 this season. All dead with one shot. Muley buck must have gone 300 pounds on the hoof.
Mine is built on a mauser action and shots 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards. I wouldn't think twice of shooting an elk with it. Oh All shots were complete pass through using nosler partition bullets.
I shot a 300 weatherby for the past 15 years and this new rifle is a dream to carry compared to the other.
 
Couldn't get the muley pictures to load. But you get my opinion of the cartridge!!!!
 
I bought my wife the 7mm-08 in a Ruger youth model. She was matching me shot for shot with my 300. short action ultra mag. at 200 and 300 yards. Everything she has shot at she has hit. One deer at 250 yards didn't know what hit it. It flinched,went stiff and tipped over. I have 2 daughters that are going to get the same set up this spring.
 
I killed my first deer with a 7mm-08!! That deer did a 180 when it hit him! Distance was about 250 yards. Worked great! But my favorite gun is my Papa's 300 savage. Everytime I've pulled the trigger... Smack!!! Haven't hunted with anything else.




Clyde
 
I will agree that the 7mm-08 may not be the best caliber for setting off on a elk hunt. But my reason to consider the caliber is that there are some really good factory light weight rifles currently offered, such as the Kimber 84M, Rem TI, and Browning TI.

Now I have a bit of history with the Kimber 8400 in 7mmWSM and I should also say that this is bad history. I really feel that I just got one of the unsually bad rifles from Kimber. Would not shoot with a darn, the trigger was horrible...my blood pressure is rising again.

Sure I could go full custom but I don't see what gains in end rifle weight from the custom compared to some of the better factory rifles. Why spend x2 the $$$$, when I may only be picking up a bit of accuracy. Sorry folks an extra $1000 for 1/2" of accuracy in a huntin rig of the same weight is hard to swallow.
 
You can argue if they're worth the money or not but a quality custom is lighter than any factory rifle you can buy. try to find a factory rifle in 300 win,300 WBY or such that wieghs 4 3/4 lbs ( without scope) and shoots under an inch at Sportsman's Warehouse. true you'll pay for it but you do get what you pay for.
 
7mm-08 is a great and underrated caliber. My wife has one and she has made many one shot kills with it. We even took her rifle on a moose hunt in 2004. We use Hornady's light mag ammo.
"It's where you hit 'em not what you hit 'em with"
 
So a BB gun should work on cape buffalo? just kiding, I always get a kick out of that old " what you hit 'em with" saying.
 
It all comes down to Range, Range, Range. The 7mm-08, the .280 rem, the 7mm Rem Mag, and the 7mm Ultra Mag all shoot .284" bullets. The only difference is the velocity, which affects the effective range of the cartridge. Some nimrod will tell you that a 7mm-08 is a sissy cartridge and in the next breath tell you about the 6x6 bull they killed at 500 yards with their 7mm Rem Mag. What they don't realize is that the 7mm-08 actually has more energy at 300 yards than a 7mm Rem Mag has at 500 when comparing similar bullets. As long as you are willing to keep your ranges shorter, go ahead. .284" bullets have killed more than their fair share of elk...
 
A few years back, I took a 5x5 bull elk with my 7-08 Stainless Stalker. I dropped it at 200 yds with one shot thru the shoulder with 160 gr Barnes X handloads. I wouldn't hesitate to use it for elk again. But since I have other rifles, my first choice for elk would be my 300wsm and my 7-08 as a backup.
 
My wife shots a weatherby lightweight stainless carbine in 7mm-o8. It has a 20in. barrel and tips the scale at 6lbs. 1oz. without her 2x7 scope, I bought it for her in 2000 and she has killed 5 deer with it, including her 3x4 Oregon muley taken at 225 yds. one shot with 140gr. nosler bt, also a dandy 5x5 washington muley at 310 yds. one shot same bullet both taken this year .The performance on deer is great,(muley pics are on the muley site at 'washington late buck posts here'.)The rifle loves those ballistic tips they group real good at 200 yds. She drew a late cow tag for the teanaway unit in central wa. and has never taken an elk, do we stick with what works or go to her old rifle a browning micro medallion in .308 win. with 180gr. noslers? For the sake of the browning I think I will dust it off and warm it up for the hunt. All things being even I am a firm believer in bullet placement over good ol' american horsepower!! RESULTS SPEAK VOLUMES!!
 
Therer isnt a thing wrong with the 7-08. the 308 is a great round and people use the 7mm for alot of things. Its a 308 case with the 7mm bullet. Nothing wrong with it. It will more then do the job and dont let anyone BS you into believing different. If you want a gun that will do it all go with it. It will do it. My choice is the 270WSM. But I have thought about the 7-08 as well.





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i'll be bulding a new elk rifle this spring, most likely off of a howa action. the caliber will be .330 dakota. id give this caliber a strong look if you havn't already.
 
A 7mm08 will kill elk just fine, worked for me out in idaho. I used 140gr XLCs launched right at 2935fps, this bull dropped right where he stood, the bullet went thru both shoulders and left a half dollar sized hole on the way out, I dont think you could ask anything more of a cartridge.
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Ive been considering the .338 federal in a ultralight rifle as a potential back-country deer and elk gun.
Irl
 
If I were chasing elk I'd bump up to a .308. Of all the things that make for a good game rifle, caliber isn't that high on the list. I'd put fit, action, and recoil, and confidence above caliber. To name a few. In any case, 7mms have killed a lot of elk. So have .257s, 277s, .338s, and so on. IMO, buy the rifle that's fun to throw on your back.
 

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