Caliber Choice

[Greg Nolan]

OK, I have a dillema here. I need suggestions
I'm going to Wyoming for the first time and I have 3 tags. Cow elk, mule deer and antelope. I have my favorite for elk (375 RUM 260 gr. A/B) but antelope and deer are a toss up. 7MM RUM. or 30-378 WBY. The 7MM with the 140 or 160 gr. A/B at 3500 or 3300 FPS. Or the 30-378 at 3450 fps with a 180 gr. A/B. The 7MM. is light to carry and the 30 is about 2.5 pounds heavier but has more knock down for deer and backup elk. I'd like to take all 3 but have to be practical. I know the 30 is overkill for antelope but the 7MM is light for elk backup. HEEELLLLLP!!! :?
Has anybody been to Eastern Wyoming around Shirley Basin and the Medacine Bow National forest West of Wheatland?

Good Hunting
Elkhunt :?: :grin:

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

Yep, been there, done that, will be going again :grin:
I drew two antelope and a deer tag for the area you are discussing. I'll be taking my 7mm STW, shooting a 160gr NAB around 3500 fps. If I'd pulled an elk tag, I'd take my .338 as primary, ( 200 gr AB at 3100) and my STW for loooong range back up.

You could shoot everything on your list with any of those guns. The 180gr NAB out of the 30-378 is very versitle. If I was taking only one gun from your list, that's what I would take. As for the 7mm, anything with the words "Ultra Mag" in the title is not too light for elk. You would be very please if you hit one with a 160gr NAB.

Since you have the big .375, you HAVE to take it :grin:
Ultimatly I'd probably take the .375, and the 7mm Ultra mag.....or which ever two happened to be shooting the best for me. :grin: :grin:

 

[Bob in TX]

I'll be taking my 7mm STW, shooting a 160gr NAB around 3500 fps.

Say what??????????? I am mystified????

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

30" barrel with non-canister powder. :grin: :grin:

 

[Richracer1]

I agree with Antelope_Sniper, your 7MM RUM is more than enough for elk. People use 7MM Rem Mag for elk. I have used my 270WSM w/160PT on cow elk before. I now use either my 338WM or 300RUM, just because. The other advice is, use what you shoot the best and willing to haul up/down the mountains.

 

[JD338]

Your 7mm RUM with a 160 gr AB is more than enough for ELk and will be a flat shooter for goats and deer way out there.
You can use your 375 RUM as back up. :lol:

JD338

 

[Bob in TX]

30" barrel with non-canister powder.

Awesome!!!!

 

[FOTIS]

Take the 375 Rum for everything..

I have killed elk with the 378 WBY and antelope with the 416 wby.....so what is the problem????????????

 

[Powerstroke]

I'd load some 180's for the 30-378 and be happy........or the 140 or 160 AB for the 7RUM.... all three choices you have are more than enough for elk......
As far as the deer and speed goats are concerned.......they can only be so dead correct?.... isn't possible to be over dead or too dead ?? :grin:

Too many choices, so little time...........bad issues to have eh?

 

[Greg Nolan]

Thanks
I want to take the 375 RUM just because I just like it. I just discovered a 7MM RUM load that shoots 160 gr. A/Bs to the exact same point of aim as the 140 gr. A/Bs do at 300 yds. I need to take it out Saturday and get the velocity and trajectory specs on the 160 gr. That should answer the antelope to elk question. The 140s are at 3470FPS.
I got a lot of good info. and some humor and I thank you all for your input. I will be taking the 7MM RUM instead of the 30-378 because it's a lot lighter to drag up and down the mountains and just as accurate. ( 3 rounds into 4 inches at 500 yds) last Saturday with a thermal breeze crossing at 30 degrees from the 2000 ft canyon. When I get the specs I'll post them for anyone interested in the reloading section.

Good Hunting
Elkhunt :grin:

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

Sounds Like a Plan :grin:
Good Hunting, I hope to see you up there.

 

[YoteSmoker]

You may want to simplify it even more and use the 160 AccuBond for everything. Less to think about when you're hunting.

 

[JD338]

You may want to simplify it even more and use the 160 AccuBond for everything. Less to think about when you're hunting.

+1

Greg,

The 160 gr AB will buck the wind better than the 140 gr due to its higher BC. It will open up just fine on deer and speed goats.

JD338

 

[Greg Nolan]

Thank You YoteSmoker and Jim . As always good advice!
I have this love for the 375 RUM. and beyond that the 7mmRUM.
I was having a hard time with choices but as always the folks on this website brought things into a common sense perspective.
I love this forum. (NO GROUP HUG!!) I'm hoping the rancher we are the guest of has a lot of prarie dogs/ rodents we can help with. I will give a full synopsys of the hunt and hopefully successful pictures to post.

Good Hunting
Elkhunt :grin:

 

[Greg Nolan]

Results on the 160 gr.A/Bs. 3333 FPS. Hits within an inch of the 140's at 500 yds. I hit a little side wind that pushed the bullets about 8 in. but the group was 3 " or so. I'm pretty impressed. I need to set up some water jugs (ala JD338) to see whats happening out there. The energy specs put me just under 300WBY so the 160gr 7MM RUM will probably do the duty with the 375 as backup.
Thanks again everyone :grin:
Good Hunting
Elkhunt :grin:

 

[jtoews80]

Thanks for some great info on a couple calibers that I wanted to know more about. The RUM's are very cool, I'd try and contribute, but have no useful info :grin:

CC.

 

[jdmason480]

Yep, been there, done that, will be going again :grin:
I drew two antelope and a deer tag for the area you are discussing. I'll be taking my 7mm STW, shooting a 160gr NAB around 3500 fps. If I'd pulled an elk tag, I'd take my .338 as primary, ( 200 gr AB at 3100) and my STW for loooong range back up.

You could shoot everything on your list with any of those guns. The 180gr NAB out of the 30-378 is very versitle. If I was taking only one gun from your list, that's what I would take. As for the 7mm, anything with the words "Ultra Mag" in the title is not too light for elk. You would be very please if you hit one with a 160gr NAB.

Since you have the big .375, you HAVE to take it :grin:
Ultimatly I'd probably take the .375, and the 7mm Ultra mag.....or which ever two happened to be shooting the best for me. :grin: :grin:

I, too, primarily hunt with a 7mm STW with which I have taken three elk--one at 440 yds. Though I have to admit that of the 6 elk I've taken (2 others with my 7mmremmag), none of them have dropped stone dead on the first shot like antelope do. Each and every one required a coup de grace. I, too, would take the .375 and the RUM.

This year I'm hunting antelope in Utah and New Mexico and elk in New Mexico. Will use my STW as primary with 160gr AB on top of H1000 or RL25 with the remmag as backup. One could, of course, go with a lighter bullet for antelope or deer (one of my best shots and kills was with the old Nosler 120gr solid base), but the BC of the 160gr has superior wind-bucking ability. I now use it for everything from mice to moose.