7mm/08 for elk?
08-02-2005, 10:38 AM
#11
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: lebanon pa USA
Posts: 652
RE: 7mm/08 for elk?
Heck i can't argur with buckshot,he has pictures to prove it that a 7mm-08 will kill a elk(and a dam fine one at that).So a 7mm-08 will work,but I'm shure buckshot has put his time in shooting it also
BBJ is right about putting time in with your gun. Id have her shoot whatever her gun is going to be, all summer long at groundhogs. Nice thing about hog hunting, is she'll get lots of shooting and the loads can be reduced too.Im not talking about sitting on a hill and shootingat what ever hog pops up. Have her walk around and shot at them from all different positions. It willstrenghten hergame spotting skills, as well as her shooting ability. That way she gets to know her gun and isnt afraid of pulling the trigger. As for the performance of the 7mm08 and XLCs, the elk I shot was 60 yards away and the bullet went thru both shoulders leaving a half dollar sized exit hole. The elk dropped on the spot, tried to raise its head one time and was dead by the time I got to it. Both shoulders were pretty much destroyed. I did have my forgivings about trying to drive a 140gr bullet thru the shoulders of such a heavy animal, but I had used it on a good sized whitetail buck, and drove that bullet end to end breaking the near side shoulder and smashingthe femur to wind up under the hide on the oppisite hip. I actually think for light boned game such as deer, the barnes X bullets doesnt expand enough, not enough energy transfer to the animal before it exits its body.
08-02-2005, 05:10 PM
#12
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rocky Mountains, Colorado
Posts: 1,964
RE: 7mm/08 for elk?
KeithK
IMHO, you're getting the cart ahead of the horse. Focus on getting your wife something with next to nothing for kick and go to town on deer for a few years and then worry about the elk. Start her out with a 243 or 260 and make sure she thrives with it during her beginner stage.
Once she is feeling like an old pro on deer with her "don't hurt me at all" favorite rifle, then if she is feeling salty and wanting to up the ante up to elk, then discuss upping the ante for adifferent rifle for the elkjob. Scale your tools to match the job at hand. Cover first base real good before worrying about second and third and beyond.
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That said, we tooka younglady with uselk hunting last year (along with her father). She was 13 and couldn't have weighed much more than a buck. She used a 30-06 no problem and got her elk with three rapid shots in succession. She did have a lot of spunk.
You, on the other hand, will have to gauge what your wife is capable of handling for elk, BUT I wouldn't worry about it too much right now. First things first.
IMHO, you're getting the cart ahead of the horse. Focus on getting your wife something with next to nothing for kick and go to town on deer for a few years and then worry about the elk. Start her out with a 243 or 260 and make sure she thrives with it during her beginner stage.
Once she is feeling like an old pro on deer with her "don't hurt me at all" favorite rifle, then if she is feeling salty and wanting to up the ante up to elk, then discuss upping the ante for adifferent rifle for the elkjob. Scale your tools to match the job at hand. Cover first base real good before worrying about second and third and beyond.
===================
That said, we tooka younglady with uselk hunting last year (along with her father). She was 13 and couldn't have weighed much more than a buck. She used a 30-06 no problem and got her elk with three rapid shots in succession. She did have a lot of spunk.
You, on the other hand, will have to gauge what your wife is capable of handling for elk, BUT I wouldn't worry about it too much right now. First things first.
