7mm08 for elk

[putawayman]

i am planning a hunting trip to wyoming for elk ive heard good
and bad about using this rifle can anyone give there opinion on
this . the rfile is a savage model # 11 7mm08 and what ammo to
use thank you

 

[tmoniz]

You might get by with alot of practice and the heaviest, toughest bullet the 7/08 can handle. Something along the lines of a Partition, Trophy Bonded, etc.
Or look for a very inexpensive 30/06, 300 mag or 338. Or 7 rem mag for that matter.

 

[WYOBOY]

Where are you going hunting in Wyoming?

7mm-08 will kill elk, but you would be better off with somthing that had a little more energy. You don't have to step up to the magnum cartridges to get the needed results. I used to hunt elk with a 6.5 sweede, worked great on a cow a little past 300 yards. I think the sweede compares roughly to the 7-08 140 gr @ around 2900fps. You just need to be sure that you can put the bullet exactly where you want it.

If you are thinking that you should buy a new rifle then by all means do so. 270 or bigger will be more than adequate if you do your part. You can wound elk with magnums just the same as with a non magnum.

As far as ammo, find a premium factory load that your gun likes to shoot, then stick with it. I am not sure what the factory bullet selection is like for the 7-08, but I seem to remember that they had a hard time seating heavier bullets. A 150 gr. premium bullet would seem like it should get the job done.

 

[fremont]

The 7mm-08 is a fine cartridge, and, though I don't own one (I'd like to!), I would imagine it'd dispatch an elk without difficulty. (It's just a 308 Winchester with a .284"/7mm bullet on top.) I'd look for a premium bullet in the 160-175 grain range myself. There should be several choices. (I'm assuming factory ammo, right?)

 

[Hoback Hunter]

A good friend of mine hunts a Browning lever action 7mm08 and swears by it for elk and more. I have seen him take several nice animals with it, shooting a 140 grain boat tail (I think). Rarely has the animal traveled far (unless rolling down a steep hill). He loves it, swears by the ballistics, but is also a crack shot - who relys more on quality optics than bore size and powder volume. He only recently stoppped shooting his .243...

If you're entirely confident at 300 yards, then you're probably OK. If you think you might throw lead a little farther than that or are uncomfortable with your accuracy, then a more powerful round is a good idea as the other posts suggested.