7MM Rem Mag

[TreestandHunter]

Has anyone used this on elk? What kind of bullet did you use and how well did it work thanks

 

[Immike]

I use the the 7 mag with 162 Amax for deer. 60gr IMR 4350. Devastating round. Elk no problem. I've elk hunted for 20 years with bow and muzzle loader. That load is not anything an animal can walk away from. Retains 80+ volume with major cavity wound.
Mike

 

[Jazz]

I would use the Hornady 162 SST or Interbond before the Amax. My personal load is 70.5 RE-25 with 210M primer or 72.5-73.0 grains of H1000 with 210M primer and the 162 SST. My load of RE-25 is 2,950 fps and the H1000 is 3,050 fps with a 26.5" Krieger 9.5 twist barrel. I have no personal experience shooting elk with either bullet, but that is what I was recommended to use by guys who have. I'm sure the 168 Berger or the 160 Nosler Partition would work fine too.

 

[BigDMT]

Has anyone used this on elk? What kind of bullet did you use and how well did it work thanks

??? The 7mm Rem Mag has killed thousands and thousands of elk in the hands of hunters for the last 50 years since it was introduced in 1962. I've killed 2 elk with one myself. Can't remember which bullet I've used, but it was something in 175gr weight. Might have been the Remington Core-Lokt, but can't remember. Nosler Partition always works well. Seen a lot of elk taken with the 140gr to 160gr Partitions. 168gr Berger VLD's work well also. Witnessed 2 bull elk fall to that bullet from a 7mm Rem Mag.

Lot to choose from for the 7mm bullets, and with the power of the 7mm Rem Mag you'll have a good elk rifle to hunt with.

Would not recommend the Hornady A-Max for elk either. Jacket is too thin and it is very explosive so you won't get good penetration with a bad shot that ends up center of a shoulder blade. For deer they'd be fine, but not worth the risk of failure to penetrate on elk.

 

[AckleymanII]

I killed two with the 154g Hornady flat base, 63.0g of IMR 4350, REm brass, Rem 9 1/2 primer. Brother killed three with the same load, cousin killed several with the same load.

 

[argoboy]

I have shot a couple of moose with 175 gr. Nosler partitions and R22 power with good success.

 

[DOGCAPPER]

I shot an elk in 1998 near Missoula, Mt...Used Browning B 78 , 7 Mag.,Speer 160 GS, Cant remember powder or amount, but it was all allowed. One shot behind the shoulder... It went down tried to get up and fell over....Ranged at 197 yds..4x5..Tried for a second shot while it was trying to get up but the brass had blown off at the base of the shoulder on the first shot..7MM Mag rules....LT

 

[Hydenseek]

i shoot a 168 gr berger vld, rl 22 - 71.9 gr (just starting to show pressure), 3075 fps, lapua brass, it will handle anything in north america

 

[wapiti25]

I have hunted with the 7mm rem mag since early 70's. Use a 160 class bullet for elk. Killed a 354" 7X7 with the 160 Accubond, one shot went 45 yds. My latest rifle is a custom using 168 VLD, I will use it on moose this fall. My hunting buddy killed a moose with the 168VLD at 514yds and he just dropped. Another using the 168 killed a small 6x6 in AZ last yr went 50 yds. GunWerks has killed over 40 bull elk @ over 500yds that were one shot kills with the 168 VLD. They sell Ammo loaded with the 168 VLD.

 

[wapiti25]

nar0107, where did you find Laupa brass for a 7mm Rem Mag?

 

[Hydenseek]

lots and lots of looking, apparently it isnt suppose to be imported. Ive read that any belted lapua brass is made by norma because lapua has never had the equipment to produce belted brass, but thats just internet hearsay.

 

[Cowboy Tom]

Being born and raised in the PNW I've hunted elk a bunch and even shot a few. I know several guys that have probably shot as many as anybody (dozens) and guided others to even more than that. So, I can say without hesitation that a 7 Mag makes a fine elk round........as long as you use the correct bullets. DO NOT use target bullets. They will work fine most of the time until that one time they DO NOT. Elk are by no means armor plated but if you hit them just a little bit wrong, or your target bullet (e.g. Amax, or SST for that matter) doesn't make it through the scapula you will have an ugly chore on your hands. I have witnessed elk cross STEEP canyons on three legs much faster than any human could possibly imagine. You will not be able to keep up with them; trust me. Especially when those canyons get 1,000 feet or more deep. The trick, which is by no means a secret is to shoot a good tough bullet well, and then worry about how you are going to get them out. My personal favorites are TSX and partitions. Both will get through big bone if you do hit one and work great at close range. There are certainly other worthy bullets to consider that will shoot as accurately as you could possibly need.

Remember, elk are fairly big animals, thus fairly easy to hit if you take a good shot. Elk are not paper targets so you need to shoot a big game bullet and not worry about the last O.5O of BC. Spend your time worrying about getting in shape and making shots from field positions at reasonable ranges. The last elk I shot, a spike, was found after hearing some idiot in the local gun shop bragging how he hit an elk out in the sagebrush at 4 or 500 hundred yards!!! Very proud of himself, except for the part that he only wounded it. I knew the area he was hunting so on the last day of the season I went out and killed that little bull at about 50 yards with a 45-110. So, use a tough bullet, shoot well and a 7 mag will more than take care of the biggest elk on the planet at plenty long range.

Best,

Tom

 

[Cowboy Tom]

Oh, by the way, that spike I shot had it's right front leg shot through at the humorous and was dangling in the wind.

Tom

 

[Jazz]

I wonder how many elk have fallen to the cheapest box of 7mm Remington Magnum bullets on the shelves of the local hardware or sporting goods store?

 

[BigDMT]

I wonder how many elk have fallen to the cheapest box of 7mm Remington Magnum bullets on the shelves of the local hardware or sporting goods store?

I bet that number is really high

 

[wapiti25]

I'm talking about using the Berger Hunting 168 VLD not the taget model. Bergers are more accurate in my rifles even factory barrels than any other bullet. You still have to hit in the kill zone for any bullet to work.

 

[Jazz]

I wonder how many elk have fallen to the cheapest box of 7mm Remington Magnum bullets on the shelves of the local hardware or sporting goods store?

I bet that number is really high



I'm sure it is!

 

[Cowboy Tom]

Lots of them, no doubt. That said, I've personally pulled 175 gr core lokt's out of a 200 lb mule deer that didn't make it all the way through from a slight quartering shot. Hit nothing more than a rib. They certainly work but why take the chance?? After the first time you spend 6 hours helping a guy chase one through deep canyon after a shoulder shot that stopped the bullet you'll ask yourself, gosh, I wish I'd spent the extra 35 cents on a stouter bullet. Why even consider taking a chance?

As far as hitting them goes, they are a big target, even at longer range. I can assure all that 0.25 moa is not required. My 180 gr nosler partition load for my 308 shoot just under 1 moa at 200yds, and that's plenty. It's easy to get TSX's to shoot at least that well. My personal standard is 1.25 moa. That will be more than enough out to 400 which is much farther than I will shoot at an unwounded animal. Also, when choosing a bullet, it seems in fashion these days to choose one that will be accurate at 600; I would submit that a better question is which one will hold up at 60 yards in the timber? A much more likely scenario. The beauty of a partition, tsx, a frame...... is that they will deliver in all reasonable circumstances. For me at least, after doing this for a long time and being around guys who have shot more elk than most of you will in several lifetimes, choosing a bullet is a pretty simple decision. And a 7 mag with an appropriate bullet is a great choice for any and all elk hunting.

Tom

 

[djtjr]

youll have no issues with the amax out of the 7mag, i have used amaxs on just about everything in africs outside the big 5 and hunted my share of elk as well if i dont have issues on african game you wont on elk. This includes multiple kkudu gemsbock zebra wildebeast heartabeast not just impalla. Are there better hunting bullets for elk sure there are but not much and not many that fly as well or tune as easily in my opinion and i am so much more about shot placement. I am a huge fan of the amax for any purpose outside of very thick skinned dangerous game.

 

[chucknbach]

Thanks djtjr, Always better to hear comments from someone who uses somthing. Then someone speculating.

2 of my rifles are loaded with Amaxes one of them happens to be a 7mm rem mag. Even the wrong bullet out of a 7mag is deadly.

Spend more time honing your shooting skills then speculating on bullet performances and your that much ahead of the game.