Which load for Caribou?
 

I was wondering which load would be best for Caribou and Black bear out of my Savage 7mm? I am going to Newfoundland this October, and I am pretty excited. My only factory choices are 140gr, 150gr, and 175gr.

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

I would use a good 140 or 150gr bullet.Federal premiums with 140gr partitions or bearclaws would be a great choice.I have taken moose,elk and bear with 140gr partitions and they hold together great and penetrate well.There is no need for 175gr bullets in the 7mm unless you like added recoil and increased bullet drop.

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

Thanks for the help. I noticed the extreme bullet drop from the 175 grain, compared to the 140 and 150 grain.

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

I would go with a 160 gr. Barnes X, Nosler Partition, Swift A-Frame, Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, or Win. Fail Safe. You need the SD for penetration. Good luck

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

Sectional density was important for penetration with conventional bullet designs.With modern premium bullets the construction of the bullet is far more of a factor where penetration is concerned.A 140 failsafe or barnes x will out penetrate any conventional 175gr bullet by a wide margin in spite of them having a much lower sectional density. I have taken moose in excess of 1000lbs with the 140gr partition and penetration was more than adequate(bullets passed completely through and exited) .Since a caribou or black bear is half the size of a moose or smaller penetration will not be a problem.

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RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

So, now I have determined that I should use the 140gr. Partition. Is there any one brand that stands out above the rest? Or should I try a few different companies, and see which has a tighter pattern out of my gun?
Thanks for help.

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

Use whichever brand shoots best in your gun.

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

Sectional Density (SD) means nothing if the bullet does not stay together. Many older style bullets did not stay together so it did not mater how much SD they had. New well constructed premium bulets have the best of both worlds they stay together, and with higher SD they are almost unstopable when it comes to busting through tough bone and heavy muscle.

I am a firm believer of heavy fast bullets, (or even heavy slower bullets at short ranges), rather than light fast bulets. I do not want to leave nothing to chance when it comes to killing a game animal. We owe these animals which we hunt that much respect. To some people a heavy bullet is not necessary, but to me they are. An animal can never be to dead. Good luck.

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

You may have already decided on using the 140gr partitions but if I were you I' d lean towards the 160gr partitions. My rule of them is to always err on the side of heavy. Meaning I' d rather go too heavy than too light. The difference in bullet drop between the 2 is pretty minimal. Like Handloader said with the way bullet technology is now days its hard to make a bad choice, but 140gr is still a deer bullet in my opinion. Bous are a little tougher than deer. However the 140gr is still a good choice, back when I bought factory loads I liked federal a little better than the others because of accuracy. But then again every rifle is different. Just giving you another perspective.

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

Thanks for the help. I will look into the 160gr. as well.
Thanks

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

Do the Nosler Partitions come complete from the factory, or will I have to find someone to load them? It seems that they have the best flight trajectory.

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

I beleive all the factories sell a nosler part.
I have used remington,federal both with a nosler bullet

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

Federal sells both a 140gr nosler partition and a 160gr partition. I know other manufacturers sell partitions also but not sure about their grain selections.

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

went on a caribou do it yourself with my brother and he scored with the federal premium 160 noslers one shot! i used a 308 winchester ballistic silver tip 168 gr. they are thin skinned. good luck!

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

I have done alot of reading here, trying to learn as much about rifle loads as I can. I have narrowed it down to two diffrent loads. I got the 160 gr. Federal Premium Nosler Partition, and I had some 165 gr. handloads made up. They are also partition. I have shot alot of the Federal rounds in the last two weeks. I sighted in my Savage 1.5 inches high at one hundread yards. This put it close to dead on at two hundread yards. I used to be one who shot my rifle a few times before deer season, now I plan on shooting to get better as often as I can.

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

I believe the handloads to be 160gr as well unless nosler has just recently begun producing 165gr partitions in 7mm.

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

The handloads are 160' s as well. Sorry for the mis-information. I think that I will stick to the Federals though. Thanks for the help.

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

J_Cole,

Who are you hunting with in Newfoundland? What week? I am returning for my second trip. Will be looking for caribou and bear.

. . . Rob

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

Hey Rob,
We are going the first week in October. The dates are Oct. 2-10. We are hunting with Georgia Mountain Outfitters. The Outfitters name is Ron Martin. Do a search under Georgia Mountain Outfitters. We only have four guys going as of now. We are leaving out of South Carolina. If you have any info on what to wear, and other things that we will need, let me know. This is my first time going to Newfoundland. I heard it is wet there most of the time in October. The land that he has for the bear hunt will be hunted for the first time. After our Caribou tag has been filled, we will fly on float plane farther north to this spot and stay in a tent camp. He dosent even have the cabin built there yet. Should I get a bipod on my rifle for this hunt? One that swivels?
Thanks

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

I' ve never tried the the kind that mount to your gun. I don' t know somethin about drilling more holes in my rifle that bothers me. And I' d be afraid it' d just get in my way or throw the weight off or somethin. I use the shooting sticks when possible. However this shouldn' t take away from the emphasis of learning to shoot offhand. You should learn to be accurate while kneeling, sitting, laying and standing. If you' re in the field and you have a chance to use a rest like a tree or a bipod then its just an extra advantage. But not a crutch if you don' t have one or the chance to use it. Sometimes in huntin you just have a small window of opportunity.

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

You don' t drill extra holes to mount a bipod.They attatch to your swivel stud.

RE: Which load for Caribou?
 

J_Cole, I sent you an email.

Yes, I would recommend a bi-pod. I have one which is detachable. Stubblejumpper is correct in that they mount to your sling swivel stud. I usually leave it in my pack until I glass a shooter. There is no need to shoot a caribou off hand. They usually give you enough time to set up for a shot off solid rest.

Let me know if you have any specific questions about Newfoundland. " The Rock" is a unique place and I' m sure you will love it. Game is plentiful and the people are just plain nice!

. . . Rob