7mm Rem Mag load for Elk size game at 700 yards.

[Topshot]

I just ordered a light 7mm Rem Mag as a pack rifle and need help with bullet selection.

Given the choice of these five projectiles, which would you choose for shots on Elk size game at 700 yards.

160 grain Accubond
162 grain A-max
168 grain Berger
175 grain Sierra Gameking
180 grain Berger

If you can think of a better bullet please let me know.
Thanks.

[Fitch]

180g Berger. I personally think a 7mmMAG is a bit light for 600 lb game like Elk at 700 yards. But that's just me. YMMV.

Fitch

[ovastafford]

Go with the 180 berger also. 7mm works great on elk at that range if you hit em in the right spot.

[Long Time Long Ranger]

For elk I would not use the 7mm rem mag to begin with. Why shoot a marginal cartridge when you can get one that really works. I have seen way to many long sad faces in 35 years of elk hunting on guys shooting 7mm's. Lots of lost animals. Lots of difference between ballistic charts and actual hunting. Down in your country do you mean red deer which go down much easier than elk? Since you are shooting a marginal cartridge for an animal that size I would shoot a Barnes TTSX which would give you the best chance of anything of bringing the animal down. Ballistics are one thing but bringing an animal down is another.

Best of the west tv show has probably caused more wounded unrecovered dead elk than anything that I know of by people trying to use their products and duplicate what they see on the show. People watch the show and don't understand the slick editing process used to sell advertising dollars. According to the tv every shot is perfect. They are not going to make an advertiser look bad. They filmed a show out here and they shot a bull 11 times trying to bring it down with a 7 mm rem mag and 168 grain Berger bullets. They finally killed it and the show aired showing a perfect one shot kill.

I don't want to hurt anybodies feelings but this is what I have seen over many years and I am just passing that on. People can make there own choices.

I would shoot the Barnes TTSX exclusively if I had to shoot elk with a 7mm rem mag.

Any well placed shot with any legal centerfire rifle at a reasonable range will kill an elk. I am just trying to bring out points to consider, that I have learned through many years, when choosing a bullet or cartridge for a certain purpose. When the range stretches out there the bullets and cartridge choices change drastically.

[ovastafford]

I agree with ltlr. Elk are the toughest animal to bring down in north America. If the 7mm is all you have then use it but if you have anything bigger it would definitely be better.

[Topshot]

Sounds like you blokes think that the 7mm is marginal on Elk at that range.

I would be using it on Fallow deer, Hog deer, Red deer and Sambar deer.
Sambar are larger than Red deer but not as large as Elk. They are however very hard to kill at times once stirred up. Red deer are not that hard to put down for the count.

I have a .338 Edge for the long stuff on Sambar and Reds, but at 14lbs it is not a light back pack rifle. I was hoping that the 7mm would fill the gap that I have for a light weight rifle that I can pack into remote areas and do the deed on a big Sambar stag.

700 yards would be the absolute maximum that I would consider with this calibre but most long shots would be in the 300 to 500 yard range in reality, so I hope that it can be successful on the bigger stuff.

If not, it will be demoted for use on the smaller deer only.

[FEENIX]

I'd go with any of the Bergers ... check out this 925 yard shot on a bull elk with 6.5x284 using 140 gr Berger.

YouTube - Jeremy 925 yard elk!

Good luck!

Ed