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

 

[Autorotate19]

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.

 

[Autorotate19]

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

 

[elkaholic]

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.

Out to 700 yds there are plenty of rounds quite capable of killing elk consistently including a 7 mag. Bullet selection and placement are key; however. Having said that, I think what LTLR and others are saying is the margin for error goes down significantly with something like a .338 Ultra or the like.

 

[kiwi3006]

I have used the 162 a-max on fallow and bull tahr at 630 yds, 3068 fps, both shots gave full penetration. The fallow was a spiker DRT, the tahr ran down hill a bit, the a-max went through the back of the ribcage, no major bones hit.
I have used the 168 berger at 590 and 442 yds on red deer. At 590 yds complete penetration but required a head shot because of the shot angle. The bullet hit behind the shoulder, angled forward sliding along the ribcage, then went above the spine and exited front of the opposite shoulder.
At 442 DRT, but shot did not exit.

Personally on deer use the 162 a-max, it is way cheaper than the Berger (at least in NZ), and gives excellent performance on deer at long range.

I use the 160 accubond inside 300 yds and the a-max/berger beyond 300 yds.

For sambar I am guessing, gutfeeling is either 180 berger or 175 sierra matchking.

Stu.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

Topshot, The 7mm rem mag is an excellent round and that is why it is so poular. I have never hunted Sambar so I am not a scource of info on that. I have seen many nice bull elk wounded and lost with the 7mm. The bullet must be good and the shot must be good. Just not much room for error like there would be with your big 338. Like everybody else says a well placed quality hunting bullet in the right spot and you can bring down anything. If you can get Barnes bullets down there that is what I would use because you can trust them every time. I shot elk about 35 years ago with a 7mm-300 wby and 175 grain sierra game kings. At slower velocities they held together. Of the ones you listed I would go with it or the accubond. I would be concerned the others would be way to fragile on an animal that size.

 

[schwabdog]

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.

how did you go with the 7mm on sambar. im looking at one for 600m

 

[D1mens1onsh00ter16]

The 7mm is plenty of round for an elk even at the range. The beger VLD's in the 180 gr fly great and will back plenty of punch at that range.

 

[Joe King]

+1.

 

[porkchop401]

Well fellas I was one of those sad faces last year that failed to close the deal with a 7mm rem . I was shooting a 160 grain speer deep curl , the Elk was at a slope adjusted 712 yds . the elk stumbled and traveled down hill towards me . the next morning all I could find was a couple of small blood drops that looked as if it came from the nostrals . Was it a double lung shot : certainly not or I would have found him.
Since then I have been on a mission to 1 do what it takes to be consistant making field shots past the 1k yds mark . ( Practice Practice Practice )

2 Build a rifle that would make hitting targets at that range easier and with the authority to put him down with reasonable shot placement at the mentioned ranges ( a 14lb 338 rum with a 300 gr berger).

3 Finally have a back up plan , If the Elk and the weather ( extended period of high winds) aren't cooperating for long range hunting I will be carrying a 300 win sporter for a woods and general purpose gun with a 200 grain swift A frame .

My point in all of this is simple , the further the shot , the more precise it has to be !
Yes I think you can Kill Elk with a 7mm very easly , I would stack the deck in my favor buy getting the best bullet I could.
I realize television shows show great 1 shot kills with all sorts of calibers , but I have never seen a animal wounded and not recovered on TV.
I have seen a fella put 3 270 win slugs in the vitals of a bull at about 200 yds and the thing walked about 100 yds and fell over (never appeared to be hit) .
If possible I think I would try to keep my shots inside of the 500 yd mark.