Very narrow question about 7mm bullets for "very large" game.

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Unlicensed Dremel

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My question for you guys is this:

If you were hunting large bull elk or bull moose, and HAD to take a neck shot only for the trophy of your life, and HAD to use a 139/140 grain 7mm bullet, would you want that 140 grainer to be of the:

1. Bonded (premium)

or

2. Non-bonded, standard (non-premium)

type?

And does your answer depend on which chambering or not? If so, which 7mm chamberings would you want which bullet type for this neck shot? And if you must make me pick a chambering for you to base your answer on, let's say plain old .280 rem.


Of course, if it was a body shot, the obvious answer would be bonded, but for the neck, do you want the explosiveness of the non-premium bullet... or not?


Thanks.
 
Either type would work, since you're only talking about a few inches of penetration before hitting the spine, at which point any bullet will finish the job, either by further penetration, or by sending bone fragments into the spinal cord
 
i used a good 7mm 175gr bullet at 2900fps in africa with good results on large plains animals, i think the 139-140gr bullets are to light for heavy boned game. eastbank.
 
I believe either would work too but would use the bonded bullet for piece of mind if those were my only choices. A good bonded bullet would actually be my second choice, Barnes TSX or TTSX would be my first. I've shot big game with a number of different bullets over the years and Barnes just keep impressing me with their performance.
 
Given that narrow set of parameters I would opt for a bonded bullet, or monolithic bullet. Something along the lines of a Nosler Partition, Speer Grand Slam, or Barnes TSX, Hornady GMS etc. As long as it was deadly accurate in my rifle. While there isn't all that much tissue to have to shoot through I can see no down side to have "more than enough".
 
For a neck shot only on elk, I would go for something like the Nosler Ballistic tip. I would want as much energy dumped as soon as possible and the biggest hole, just in case. The accuracy benefit might be there too.

Elk necks are thinner than a deer torso by a good margin and a bonded bullet won't dump as much energy and may very well pass through if it does not hit the spine.
 
Neck shot? I'd be fine with either of those options.

I know it doesn't equate, by I've never had an issue with Core Lokt on whitetail out of my 7mm Rem Mag and think it would be fine on elk.
 
For a neck shot only on elk, I would go for something like the Nosler Ballistic tip. I would want as much energy dumped as soon as possible and the biggest hole, just in case. The accuracy benefit might be there too.

Elk necks are thinner than a deer torso by a good margin and a bonded bullet won't dump as much energy and may very well pass through if it does not hit the spine.
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Yeah, see, that's why I was asking - kinda what I was thinking. But getting conflicting answers.
 
FWIW
The ONLY neck shot I've made on an elk was on a cow at 50-60 yards using a 7mmRem mag with 160 Nosler Partitions. I was surprised at no exit but the mangled bullet reached the skin on the far side after totally destroying the spine. Just my opinion but after shooting quite a few deer with Nosler Ballistic Tips, I don't feel comfortable using or recommending them for game over 200# except in "heavy for caliber" or limited velocity combinations.
 
If I had a shot at bull elk was the trophy of a lifetime and problem with neck/head shots may be a ruined cap for mounting.

Me I'd have to wait it out for a better shot.
 
Old Roper said:
If I had a shot at bull elk was the trophy of a lifetime and problem with neck/head shots may be a ruined cap for mounting.

Me I'd have to wait it out for a better shot.
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I'd agree with one caveat, last hour of the last day of season all bets are off.
 
Yeah, see, that's why I was asking - kinda what I was thinking. But getting conflicting answers.
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Unfortunately, posters on the internet do not come with a resume, or an experience dossier. :D

I've seen elk shot at a variety of ranges in a variety of places, 100s in fact, but not many actual neck shots. One was a 7mm Mag with a bonded bullet and the hunter never recovered the 7 point bull elk. I saw the impact with glass and it looked like the bullt was above the windpipe and jugular, but under the spine. I watched it through glass run 2 miles before I lost it in the trees. One was an elk I shot at 80 yards with a .30-06 with a Winchester Silvertip that went in the front and out the back and she dropped straight down, but took out a complete vertebrae. Others were less than 7mm, but the BTs worked better than the bonded bullets.
 
Being from the East, I have not Elk hunted much. The only Elk I have shot was a bull. I shot it with a 140 Barnes X at a ranged 770 yards. (big rock beside Elk to range on) He dropped like a ton of bricks hit him. I guess the 7 Rum at 770 is about like the 7-08 at 100. I definitely would not want to shoot anything in the Rum but a gilded metal bullet. I would not even trust a bonded bullet. I shot some deer with regular 140 ballistic tips and they looked like bombs went off inside them. Very minimal penetration. An Accubond might fare better, but have never loaded them in the Rum.
 
Being from the East, I have not Elk hunted much. The only Elk I have shot was a bull. I shot it with a 140 Barnes X at a ranged 770 yards. (big rock beside Elk to range on) He dropped like a ton of bricks hit him. I guess the 7 Rum at 770 is about like the 7-08 at 100. I definitely would not want to shoot anything in the Rum but a gilded metal bullet. I would not even trust a bonded bullet. I shot some deer with regular 140 ballistic tips and they looked like bombs went off inside them. Very minimal penetration. An Accubond might fare better, but have never loaded them in the Rum.
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OK, so your answer to my question is __________? :)
 
Well, I have hunted with a 7X57 for about 38 years, and I have loaded all kinds of big game bullets in it, all right around 140 gr (139 gr Hornadys, 140 gr Sierras, 140 gr Nosler Solid Base, 140 gr Nosler Partition 145 gr Speer Hot Cores). So, in response to the question asked, from the bullets I have shot, I would choose the Nosler Partition. Now I realize they are "old school", but they work. Also worthy of consideration would be the monolithic bullets like Nosler E-tips/Hornady GMX/Barnes TSX, or a bullet designed for penetration like the Swift A-Frames.

For neck shots, you are trying to hit the spine, not grenade the neck, so my choice would still be whatever shoots best from the choices above.
 
For neck shots, you are trying to hit the spine, not grenade the neck, so my choice would still be whatever shoots best from the choices above.
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There - that's what I'm trying to get at. Scorch, "grenade the neck" is exactly the right term for what I was thinking and Mark CO essentially concurred with, but you say is the opposite of the goal. I take your opinion and point as the best-explained & supported contra view (thank you), but note that the spine is a very small target, and "grenading the neck" just *might* be the best way to insure at least one good shrapnel hit on said spine - no? Not to mention carotid, jugular, and trachea. I dunno the best answer; I'm just asking.

Everyone please note, that for the purposes of my question, a gilding metal / monolith bullet, as well as partition (ANY premium) is in the same category as "bonded" - should have clarified that. So the choice is "premium" or "non-premium" is the better way to put it.

I guess it really depends a lot upon the impact speed, which is in turn dependent upon chambering and distance - so again, I give you, to "make" you choose - .280 rem at *all* distance - what would you prefer on average for this shot - when you don't know what distance it will appear at. BUT, I can tell you that the distance is *definitely* 175 or less yards, because beyond that, ain't no way I'm taking a neck shot - I'd go for the larger vitals target area.

Also note that cape is not a concern, for purposes of this question. A cape can be patched up if needed. I cannot afford fancy taxidermy anyway.

So to summarize: .280 Rem, 140 grainer, @ 0-175 yards (and 99% of the time, 0-150 yards) are the parameters for this neck shot on large elk or moose - now please re-choose, all (if your answer is changed). :)
 
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If you want to "grenade the neck," Berger VLD hunting will get the job done nicely. It is definitely a premium bullet, but it is definitely not a bonded bullet. Classify it as you will. You had it narrowed down to two neat categories and I had to go ruin them for you.;) I think you could almost classify it as a frangible bullet.
 
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