7 rem mag elk loads

[john 800]

I may have an opportunity to hunt elk in Co this year, which I ahve never done before. I have a 7 rem mag that shoots 150 ballistic tips decent enough for deer, 150 partitions are not quite as accurate. I will most likely be shooting a cow, possibly get a mule deer tag as well.
My first choice would be 160 partitions but I cant find them. I have the following
150 grain:
Partitions, ballistic tips (154) sst
160 grain:
Speer hot core, nosler balistic tips, (162) interlocks, sst. Also some mystery 160 blem hunting bullets that are bonded (they look simalor to a federal fusion.

Any of these jump out good or bad? I am kind of leaning to the 160 hot cores

 

[Hntnhrd]

If you don’t find another load as accurate as your 150 BTs don’t feel like you are handicapping yourself with those. I have been guiding elk hunt in Montana for the last 15 years. ( some years as many as 45 elk shot). I have seen them crippled and never recovered with a 375 h&h or 300 rem ultra mag and dropped on the spot with a 243. The key is accuracy. Know your bullets drop out to 350 yards and practice before you go , shooting off of rests besides the shooting bench.
That bullet / caliber is fine for a 300 lb mule deer or 500 lb cow elk.

 

[CJ6]

I'm a big fan of bonded bullets for hunting. Whichever brand shoots best in your gun. I'm not saying cup an core bullets won't do the job, just my preference.

 

[lb-ft]

So long as your load is appropriate for big game (you’ve mentioned a good number on-hand which meet this criteria) and you’re supremely confident in its proven precision in your rifle, I expect you’ll fair quite well.

 

[Mulligan]

Partition
end of discussion.

CW

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I have had nothing but one shot kills on elk with sst's and the 150 Berger classic hunter. Neither are designed to shoot thru that said the sst will penetrate deeper. I have loaded 175 Grand Slams for friends, who were hunting with others shooting the partitions, the partition shooters have been amazed the slams all shot thru elk when partitions were still inside elk.

 

[JTEX]

The only elk I ever killed with a 7mm RM was with a 168g Berger vld. Drt.

 

[AckleymanII]

I killed two bull elk with 7 mag using 140g nosler ballistic tips. Running shots on both, they hit dead center of the body, one never kicked, the other kicked a hind leg one time, 150-200 yd shots.

I shot cows with 243 Win using 100g Partitions. Shots were within 100 yards. So, know your anatomy, place your shot, and above all, practice.

Today, I think that your 150g Partitions are more than adequate. Also, the 154g Hornady SP flat base is one heck of an elk bullet, so is the 162g Hornady btsp if you can find any.

 

[Hammer101st]

I have had nothing but one shot kills on elk with sst's and the 150 Berger classic hunter. Neither are designed to shoot thru that said the sst will penetrate deeper. I have loaded 175 Grand Slams for friends, who were hunting with others shooting the partitions, the partition shooters have been amazed the slams all shot thru elk when partitions were still inside elk.

I think hot core's and grand slams are awesome bullets and allway been pretty dam accurate in all of my rifle's

 

[David Milisock]

I may have an opportunity to hunt elk in Co this year, which I ahve never done before. I have a 7 rem mag that shoots 150 ballistic tips decent enough for deer, 150 partitions are not quite as accurate. I will most likely be shooting a cow, possibly get a mule deer tag as well.
My first choice would be 160 partitions but I cant find them. I have the following
150 grain:
Partitions, ballistic tips (154) sst
160 grain:
Speer hot core, nosler balistic tips, (162) interlocks, sst. Also some mystery 160 blem hunting bullets that are bonded (they look simalor to a federal fusion.

Any of these jump out good or bad? I am kind of leaning to the 160 hot cores

Pick one of the ones you have, anyone, preference to the one you have enough of to practice with and take on the hunt. Make sure you have extra rounds to check zero when you get to camp!

Since you may go for deer and elk, 1 load to rule them all, (forgive the lord of the ring rederence, grandchildren!), PRACTICE, field positions a bit out past your expected range on a target that marks the placement of the animals vital organs.

LISTEN to your guide, shot placement, shot placement, shot placement! Enjoy!

 

[lotech]

In a New Ultra Light Arms 7x61 Sharpe & Hart (ballistically about the same as a 7mm Remington Magnum), I've had very good results on several bull elk with two bullets: the 160 Partition (H4831) and the Barnes 150 TSX (H4350).

 

[Olspark]

I have killed bulls and cows both with a 7 mag shooting 154 sst. Usually about one jump and dead. Couldn‘t tell the difference in performance between it and my 300 RUM shooting 200gr accubonds but that‘s just me. I’m talking out to around 500yds.

 

[Ray123]

Never been a fan of the 7mm Remington mag, but killed quite a few bull elk with it. It was the first rifle I got rid of....traded it for a used BDL 222 Remington that I still have, the 222 is great caliber.
The 7 mag never dropped one animal in its tracks with good shot placement. The cheapest 160 grain Speer was the closest to doing that. One bull took 4 Nosler 175 gr partitions in the chest closely spaced and ran out of sight. Emptied the gun. That was the end of the 7 mag for me.as a hunting cartridge, the 7 Mauser killed as well with less blood shot meat or a 30-30. All bulls killed inside100 yards or less and they were terrified filled with adrenaline, cause they were being hunted in their home in the pole thickets, relentlessly pursued, nowhere to escape. The bull jumps at 20 yards ya can't make out the body, just a blur of hair. Go sit in his bed, wait 15 minutes, begin the silent pursuit again, you'll jump him time and time again. You can smell him, sooner or later he'll make a mistake, and you have one second to make the shot, soon as the gun hits the shoulder shoot. I hunt alone in Desolation unit, full camo like a bow hunter. You pack your own kill by yourself across the river in the snow...it was brutal for even a young athletic guy back in the day. So I quit elk hunting the horse hunters run ya out of the lower elevations, and this wasn't worth the effort...and I don’t like elk meat..just hunting them i got a bull every year with those tactics.
The horse hunters in the lower elevations hated you, they felt they owned the public land..you were in their hunting territory. Turn you in with lies saying stupid crap like I'm carrying a bulls head around and killing cows. Warden had to check it out. Steal your meat, run down your elk with a horse. Warden says who ever is in possession, its called game for a reason. I was threatened with a 357 mag over an elk by a U S forest ranger who called in sick to go elk hunting. I had a witness so the state cop ask if I wanted to press charges against the US forest service ranger. Your government employees. I didn't press charges...but quit elk hunting. Bought a 338 win mag killed a lot of deer, they dropped at the shot most all the time big holes less blood shot meat. Bullets don't go straight through an animal they sometimes take a 90 degree turn left or straight up out the backbone bullet split into 2 holes out the top of the backbone but the entrance hole is in the chest. I quit hunting some years back, when my brother died, the last person I hunted with an old Vietnam marine combat vet. Before I quit I went in their horse territory and killed 2 big bulls before anyone else got an elk the first weekend....just to make a statement before retiring from elk hunting.
I hunted elk alone, noone would work like that. All those years spent hunting only a few were memorable as a good experience with people in the field, the times with my brother, and a few years with my native american hunting buddy.
The rest resembled black Friday days at Walmart...I don't miss that. But I wish I had the strength I had back then jog 10 miles, see the mountain peak in the distance I had dropped off that morning, travling light carrying the old beat up Remington 7 mag Luppy 3-9 X set on 3 X where the killin's at up close and fast and 16 rds, pack, and a Buck Special 6 1/2 blade. Like Rambo or a tunnel rat goin in after em. Not waiting a week in a medow ...and mine is tagged two days.

 

[Liven The Dream]

Well Factory Frontier 175 Gr. Stuff was a knock down.

Had a Custom Made 7 Mag Built years ago. Lots of $$$$ .
My Best Hand Loads would not Perform that Factory Ammo. Back then Cheaper .

I closest Hand Load was Sierra 160 gr.

Good Luck

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

The only elk I ever killed with a 7mm RM was with a 168g Berger vld. Drt.

This ^^^ is, a Terrific 7 MM, Elk bullet,.. IF, you don't mind, playing with, seating Depth, a bit !
An extremely accurate bullet that, Bucks the Wind, well and, is a "Killer" with, GOOD Penetration that, turns lungs, to Mush ! My son likes them, in his 7MM-08 at 2,765 FPS using, StaBall Powder.
I used, the 140 gr. Classic Hunters, in my .270 WSM ( 3,185 FPS W/ IMR 7828 ) and blew THRU Both, Shoulder Blades on an Elk ( top end of, Lungs were, Mush ) and DRT @ 115 yards.
KaPow , hooves in, Air with, a High shoulder shot as, I was Kneeling and shooting with, Stix over, Sage Brush !
The 162 SST's or, BTSP Hornadys should, work well, also ! Good luck !
Be SURE to Buy, the H-VLD ( Hunting version ) Berger,.. if you choose the 168's

 

[john 800]

Partitions are pretty hard to come by, although I have plenty of 150s, I just wish the rifle liked them better LOL. I also just ordered some 175 grand slams, those should work pretty well, if they shoot accurately.

150 ballistic tips with imr 7828 has always shot pretty good in this rifle. Partitions were never as good, I may try some partitions with another powder and start over amd see how it goes, rather than trying to adjust the balistic tip load.

 

[ebb]

When i went elk hunting i had never seen and elk other than movies or pictures. The vital area is as big as a beach ball. My partner and i shoot twice sometimes three times a week in preparation for our trip. One maybe 2 shoots to confirm zero then off hand shoots at 2-liter coke bottles 75 to 200yds. Use the partitions and don't worry about the most accurate load, just be ready to snap and hit what you need to.

 

[TrapperBR549]

When you say the partitions don't shoot as well, how much difference is there? What would you guess your maximum shot distance is?

 

[john 800]

When you say the partitions don't shoot as well, how much difference is there? What would you guess your maximum shot distance is?

Balistic tips are 3/4 moa partitions are almost double.
Shot distance? Dont know, but there will be another thread about elk hunting, watch the hunting section, butbin short I dont yet know the area or time we will be out so I am looking for max versatility when it comes to distance.

 

[TrapperBR549]

I think 1.5 MOA would be adequate to 400 yards. Past that and wind is probably a bigger problem with those stubby bullets.