7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

Hello and thanks in advance. I have been reading here for a while now and have reached the point of paralysis by analysis on the question of which cartrdige to get for a new elk gun. My hunting experience is limited to white tail and upland game birds here in Oklahoma. Currently I am shooting a .243 Ruger MK77II for white tail, and need a gun for my first elk hunt.

I know that there are a number of excellent rounds out there for elk, but have narrowed it down to the 7mm RM or 30-06 based on having shot some of the hotter magnum rounds before, the availability and cost of ammo, and my comfort level with shooting ranges out to 250 yds. The .338 Wm and 300 WM were just not enjoyable for me to shoot. The 30-06 and 7mm RM were fine. And as the wise man once said, practice makes perfect, and if I cant get the time in at the range I have no business taking a shot at one of these magnifficent animals.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

OUrabmen

RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

My choice is the 7mmremmag due to its flatter trajectory and less wind drift..

RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

7mm all the way. It has MUCH less drop than the 30-06. As in as much as 10-12 inches when you get out to 300 yds. or more. It has plenty of knockdown power for an elk also.

RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

To be perfectly honest with you, at your stated 250 yard limit it anit going to make a hill of beans defference one way or the other. The elk will never know the difference.

According to Federal charts. At 300 yards with Federal ammo shooting 160 grain NP in the 7RM and a 180 grain NP in the 30-06 there is only 1.3 inch difference in trajectory. Out past 300 yards or so the 7mm begins to shine better than the 30-06. However, it still doesn't get an 11 or 12 inch advantage until you get to 500+ yards and then it's only 10.6 inches at 500 yards.

It's really a matter of flipping a coin and buying one. Ammo is readily available anywhere for both, Both have a very wide selection of bullets in either factory loaded or for the reloader. Both are inexpensive to practice with. Recoil is about the same for either one. And they are both very capable elk cartridges.

Personally I would choose the 30-06 for the simple reason that it does not have a belt on it. But that 's just a personal thing.

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RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

ourabmen------ 1st welcome to the forum. Pick the one you like, gun style, price, quality of the wood stock, etc. I use a 30/06, using 180 grain factory ammo----I have had no problems in killing elk. My buddy uses a 7 MM REG Mag, using 160 grains bullets & has killed elk with it. It's really 6 one way, half a dozen the other. To be honest, You need to put a "good" scope on it----Leupold is my choice. Also, practice, hit where it counts-----in the "boiler room".

Last piece of advice is getting in shape, do cardio till you can't stand it anymore----then do another 30 minutes !!!

RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

I would go with either. The elk won't know the difference. A 160 grain premium bullet in the 7 RM, or a 165-180 gr premium bullet in the .30-06 will have the same effect on an elk if you put the bullet in the broiler room... A dead elk. My family has used the .30-06 almost exclusively for years, and I can't complain. Under 300 yds there is virtually no difference between the two. Beyond that shots begin getting to risky anyway. Flip a coin.

RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

Thanks for all of the great advice. I think that I am leaning toward the 30-06 at this point. I would like to try hand loading ammo some day and it seems that there are a ton of 30-06 options out there (not that 7mm RM does not).

Colorado Bob, thanks for the advice on cardio conditioning. I had a job as the maintainance man at a ski lodge in Taos, NM when is was in my early 20's, had more hair, and a slimmer waste, and it damn near killed me until I got acclimatized.

As far as optics go, I received about $700.00 worth of gift certificates from Cabella's from my old job and cashed them on a 3.5x10x50 Khales with the TDS reticle this year. Man what a difference from the 80.00 dollars Thompson I had on my .243 Ruger.

The great thing about shooting in general, is that room can always be made in the gun safe for just one more rifle, right? If all goes well, and the gods smile favorablely on me, I will be able to post a picture of a noble Wapati next year.

Lastly, this forum has been a great source of information and a real joy to read. The generousity of those of you that share your hard earned experience is not lost on neophytes like me. I wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year.

Sincerely,

OUrabmen

GO SOONERS!

RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

Yeap it is a personal thing and either would be a fine choice. My personal preference is the 7mm RM but again it is my choice for the areas and game I hunt.

Good luck on finding your new rifle and hunting wapiti...they are great creatures.

RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

This question is very hard to answer since the preformance between these two cartridges are so close. I guess I would go with the 7mm Rem. Mag. Good luck

RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

Make it easy on yourself, get em both;).

RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

Just to clear up some confusion regarding velocity from factory cartridges, Federal's High Energy (30-06) 165gr load is rated at 3100 fps. Please note that NO factory 7mm Rem Mag load is rated to deliver even a 160 gr bullet (or heavier) at this velocity. Having said that, either one will easily kill elk if you place a well-constructed bullet in the right spot.
Good Hunting,
Hal

RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

Brother hal-I suggest that you compare the velocities for this load with the velocities for the federal 165grbtsp load for the 7mmremmag

30-06HE165gr-muzzle velocity ,100yards ,200yards ,300 yards

3100fps 2770fps 2540fps 2330fps

7mmremmag165grbtsp

2950fps 2800fps 2650fps 2510fps

load data taken from 2003 petersons hunting annual


As you can see the 30-06 load has a higher muzzle velocity but by 100yards the 7mmremmag load has caught up and is travelling faster.As the distance increases the advantage grows in favor of the 7mmremmag.

RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

Hi ourabmen,

Welcome aboard.....hope you enjoy the forum.

As you've already "guessed" we have some real "strongly held opinions" among ourselves. Which makes for lively debate....and great entertainment. But in this particular case "not much more"!

For elk hunting any differences between the .30-06 and the 7mmRM are nil! If you could package the "paper differences" between those two cartridges and put it to work.....it might be enough difference to "blow your nose".

They are both great cartridges for light to medium game....and you'd probably be very satisfied with either of them. Either of them will work great. Buy the one you "like the best" and know that you've made a good decision....(either way). And while the "guys/gals" sit around here and argue about which is better......use either and go "get your elk"!

Best wishes and good luck with your new rifle!

Dave

RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

At all practical ranges it is a toss up. I would take the 30-06 because of one factor. The 200 grain Nosler Partition in the 30-06 will go well beyond the capability of the smaller caliber. I would always take the 06 over the 7 mag. My opinion but based on a lot of shooting with both calibers.

RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

Actually the 200gr bullet is not at all required in any .308" cartridge.The 180gr works fine on any game that this caliber is suitable for.Any game that the 30-06 will kill the 7mmremmag will do just as easily.This is from my experiences taking game with both calibers and watching many more animals taken with both 7mm and .308" calibers.

RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

If I had only a .30-06, that is what I would use. You can feel comfortable that the old ought six will kill and elk if you put the bullet where it needs to be put. If you don't, no gun in the world is powerful enough. My personal favorite elk rifle is the .300 Weatherby, but I like big magnums. My friend Nick killed a nice bull in New Mexico with his .30-06, a one shot kill.

Much more important to me than what caliber you use would be can you shoot the rifle accurately out to 300 yards or so, and what bullet you use. Of course we could get into a huge argument over bullets. I am a big fan of Trophy Bonded and Swift A-frame bullets. Others like Barnes X, some swear by Nosler partition, and there are a boatload of others. Just don't spend $5000 on an elk hunt and take a cheap, poorly constructed bullet along to save ten dollars. Shoot up a bunch at the range and find out how wind affects your bullets, too.

RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

Can't go wrong with the standard 30-06.

RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

I like the 30-06 with Federal Premium High Energy loads. The 180 grain load equals the velocity and energy of the 300 H&H Magnum only 80 fps behing the 300 Win. Mag. You will also have the choice of trying a standard 180 or 165 gr. load if the HE stuff has too much recoil. There aren't any step down loads for the 7MM Mag. There are HE loads for the 7MM Mag also.

RE: 7mm RM or 30-06 for elk?
 

Its true that the 30-06 does not need the 200 or 220 grain Nosler Partition for elk hunting but if you are in bear country it is comforting and is at least an option for those who like heavy bullets. Matter of choice. Thats why the 30-06 is such a versitile hunting tool. Bullets from 100 to 250 grains.