keithk

I saw in the poll where a guy used one and dropped it. I agree that shot placement is the key for these big critters. My questionis a 7mm/08 on the light end of scale for elk?

My wife is getting into hunting, went with me last gun season for deer. Going to try and get her in for her hunter safety test this Sept. The 7mm/08 is appealing to me for some reason. Would it be too much recoil for her? I currently have a 308 and shoot 150 grains.

James B

The 7MM-08 with good bullets will do for elk if the range is kept to 250 yars or so. I have used it and the 6.5x55 for elk size critters with pretty good results. To add to this, Rick Jamison who is a gun writer and a pretty savy hunter writes that the 7mm-08 is effective to about 300 yards for elk. As you said, shot placement would be important but the 140 or 160 grain premium bullets will do the job. Its a good caliber for a starter gun.

keithk

Would you think it would be too much for my wife? I'm afraid I'll get it and it will be too much recoil for her. I'd like to get the 7mm\08 that way I can use it in the future when/if I go elk hunting, but my wife can use it in the mean time. If not, I can always get her a 243 to use on whitetail.

Buckshot

Darn my ears should have been ringing.Whats your wife shooting now? My wife is 5'0" 105lbs and has no problem shooting her .260 which is just one step below a 7mm08. Now granted with near max loads there is going to be more recoil, but I think if the put a good recoil pad on it she would tolerate the recoil quite well. When I was working an elk load for my 7mm-08, one of the things I was worried about was penetration,I settled on BarnesXLCs after I had shot a a good sized whitetail that was quatering toward me, the bullet blewn thru the near side shoulder and then traveled length wise thru the paunch and they smashed the femor high up near the hip, before stopping under the hide. The bullet was a perfect mushroom shape with 100 percent weight retention. After doing all the energy caluations, I had a limit of 400 yards for shots with a 7mm08. The energy was down to 1552 FPE.and the only way I would have taken a shot at that range would have been with a super solid rest and a totally broadside animal.

ColoradoElk

Hi Keith:

Just out of curiosity, how does your wife do with your .308?

Good luck,
CE

James B

My wife shoots a 250 Savage. She does not like recoil at all but finds the factory loaded 7MM08 acceptable. I have a really bad shoulder and it seems pretty mild to me as well. I got mine in the NEF rifle with the Youth Stock. It felt better on the bad shoulder. If I get the shoulder fixed I will get the regular stock from NEF for very little cost. The little rifle shoots 1 1/4 groups with 140 Corlokts. Not bad for a 200.00 gun brand new. Good Luck.. My wife is about 5'8'' and 125 lbs but she hates recoiling rifles. I once talked her into trying the 7 Mag.[:@][:@]. She was teed for a week.

keithk

She's not shooting anything right now. Just getting started, but I don't want to give her something and it kicks so hard that it scares her and won't pick up a gun again. I'm going to see about borrowing my uncles 243 just to get her introduced to a deer rifle. I've never shot anything buy my 308 and my dad's 30/06.

BTW, she's about 5'3 and 120#. Has only shot my shotgun once and that was a LONG time ago.

ShatoDavis

Will the 7mm-08 kill an elk? Yes. I would consider it a 200 yard gun. I wouldn't expect good results beyond that. Considering that she is a new hunter I would say that 200 yards would be her max as well. I would be certain to inform her that she needs to limit her shots to very clean, nearly broadside oppurtunities. I wouldn't recommend any extreme angles or shots through the brush. Recoil wise the 7-08 is very similar to the 243, very light recoil. She shouldn't have a problem with it. If she does then she will either have to deal or find a new hobby because I would have to say that the 7-08 is the bare minimum of elk cartridges IMHO.

147 Grain

I suggest backing up your companion with a 7mm-08 shooting the heaviest weight of Nosler Partitions you can find.

Let your wife practice with standard light for caliber ammo and then switch to premium bullets for the hunt.

BareBack Jack

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.
I don't like the 7mm-08,I was least impressed when shooting deer.It could also be the loads I was using to,who knows.
I will say this if she can handle the 7mm-08 she can handle the .280 Rem and the .280 is a better elk round than the 7mm-08.With the same barnes XLC 140 gr bullet,you could push it at higher velocity and more Ft/lbs.
My wife handles it just fine but then again she is 6'1" and 180 lbs(she's going to kill me for telling you that).I recomended this round to several guys who were looking for deer/elk rifles for wives and they have been veryhappy.I would like to see more .280's walking the woods than .270's and .243's but I can't change everyone.
Break her is slowly to guns and find her thresh hold for recoil,it might be a 25-06 she can only shoot,if that the case I would look at the .260 for her.
BBJ