7 rem mag & 180 gr Berger HVLD for elk?

[trophy8]

Does anyone have any feedback on using a 180 grain hunting vld on an elk out of a 7 rem mag bore rider? Getting just a hair over 3000 fps. My rifle has a very very good load worked up with these bullets and I don't want to change.

 

[trophy8]

Nobody? Come on....

 

[bigngreen]

A lot of guys have been running the 180 in 7-300 Win just a little faster and it's been making elk dead with no problem for quite a while, I certainly would not change it!!

 

[trophy8]

A lot of guys have been running the 180 in 7-300 Win just a little faster and it's been making elk dead with no problem for quite a while, I certainly would not change it!!

Where are folks shooting them? shoulder shots? high shoulder? behind the shoulder? I am a whitetail and mule deer hunter and put it IN their shoulder. If they run its usually not far at all. But doing that to an elk concerns me for obvious size reasons haha

 

[bigngreen]

Put it behind the shoulder, I've seen every bullet style not make it through an elk shoulder from a 7mm, high shoulder they will work every time but if you haven't shot elk before you'll likely shoot over the top of the spine and just wound them, an elks spine is much deeper from the top of the shoulder than deer hunters are used to so you shoot, they drop and you walk over there and no elk or you see them start kicking and getting up after a few minutes and have to put another on in them until you learn were to hold, easier just to blow their lungs and heart out and watch them tumble, where they fall is where they'll be!

 

[MudRunner2005]

Behind the shoulder, just like Rhian said. In the shoulder ruins too much meat, and there's too much heavy bone there for a cup & core bullet to fully penetrate and get a desirable exit, and most of the time, not even exit at all.

 

[jweigel]

I have shot a cow elk each of the last three years. 168 VLD out of 7RM three years ago. 180 VLD out of my 7STW last year, and a 195VLD out of my STW last week. Only had a pass through and even then it was just the lead....the copper jacket was stuck on the inside of the hide. Most times the bullet breaks up in side the animal, maybe hitting a rib on the way in. Even poorly placed shots to far back are very lethal. I also have a 180 VLD load pushing just over 3000 in my 7RM. Deadly accurate.

jjw
ND

 

[Makaira]

Go for it!Well I killed my 370+ Nevada bull last year with a HSM 168 Berger in a 300 wsm at 300 yards.First shot behind his left shoulder,he took a half step and punched him dead center chest,one step to his left and put another behind his right shoulder all in quick succession.He was dead on the first one but after hearing stories of so called Berger failures I was nervous about not anchoring him right there.
I was probably just a little excited.
When I drew the tag I thought about switching to the Barnes or nosler but my gun really likes the HSM loads and the advise I got is shoot what your rifle likes.

 

[Lrt307]

I have had success with the 180 Berger VLD and the 180 JLK. I run 71 grains Retumbo in 3 different 7 mags .020 off the lands with excellent results. Fed 215 primer also. I have killed elk with the Berger @ 510 yds, 902 yds. With the JLK I have killed antelope @ 425yds and Elk @ 988 yds. Shot placement is definitely the key to a clean quick kill. With these bullet designs I agree with what was previously posted to go behind the shoulder. I did have a bad experience with 168 Berger on a big bull up close and a bad experience with a 215 berger out of my 300 rum @ 677yds. I did recover the 510 yd bull and it appeared the 168 was basically opening up just after the hide. I never did recover my bull I shot with the 215's. I read on here that broz had great results and thought I would give them a try. They shoot awesome out of my 300 rum by the way! I cant give an honest explanation on what went wrong because I didn't recover the bull. I am blaiming it on poor shot placement and maybe a little on the tip of the bullet being solid rather than hollow. I now go thru every Berger and JLK that I am going to hunt with and run a hand operated pin drill in the tips to make sure they are opened up and not packed with polishing residue or copper from the jacket process.