Howdy,
Just found this forum. It sounds like a lot a good people with a lot of great information. I have been handgun hunting for about 20 years when I started with a Contender with a 44 Mag barrel. My first Carolina whitetail taken with the Contender still hangs on my wall. The Contender proved to be a killing machine taking down anything it pointed at. It was my primary hunting weapon for a number of years. I subsequently progressed to the Encore with a 7-08 barrel. Again a supurb weapon which I feal very comfortable with with whitetails up to approx. 150 yards. I recently moved to Astoria, Oregon and have come under the spell of the wapiti!! Not sure if the 7-08 was man enough for the big beast, I reverted back to the rifle for my first season (unfortunately skunked). My brother bought a S&W 460 last summer (he was always impressed with my handgun hunting) and has really enjoyed it. I shot it and believe it handled similarly to my Encore 7-08. So I had to get myself a Christmas present and purchased a Performance Center 460 XVR. I'm hoping it will give me good blacktail and Elk performance. Can't wait till next season!! Anyway, that's my story. Thanks to everyone for making this a great forum. I'll be probing your minds for info regarding our great sport.

Welcome aboard. I haven't been here long either. Lot's of knowledgeable people here that are serious about handgun hunting & shooting. you'll like it.
Mike

The 7-08 will drop an elk just fine as long as you keep the range reasonable.

Welcome aboard! And, yes, the 7-08 is man enough. Step up to a heavier slug and you'll be fine. Happy hunting and good shooting, Rod.

Welcome to the board!! Great place with good people.

Here is a link to a recall on some of the S&W performance center 460's. Check it out and see if yours needs to go back.

RECALL LINK

We have alot of handgun similarities. I started off with an Encore in the 7-08, put a nice one on the wall, and then "bit the big bullet" and went with the S&W .460. Heck of a piece! When you get one, post it and let's talk!

Welcome to the board!

howdy!

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The 7-08 will drop an elk just fine as long as you keep the range reasonable.

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what range would you consider reasonable?.....with say a....154gr hornady sst at 2500+fps.

Thanks. I will check on that right away.

welcome, ag reat group here and very !!! knowledgable. you will like the 7-08. used mine to take an antelope in WY and my buddy used it in KY for whitetail. used 120 gr , if el are the ticket I would look at the 140 to 150 range in a controlled expansion and keep the range reasonable. good luck and keep posting.
nmhunter

Thanks everyone. It looks like I have two good elk guns now. Thank goodness I didn't know the 7-08 would be suitable before I got the 460!!! Good shooting.

Welcome to the group! You will learn a lot here.
My neighbor took a cow elk, 520lbs with my 7mm-08 Encore using my handload with the Barnes X, 140grn bullet. He said the cow dropped on the spot with a high shoulder hit that broke the spine and shoulder. He shot her from 110 yds.
You should have plenty of gun with either one you will have now.

Mike

Kyle,
Not sure about the bullet you mentioned but I have killed a good sized bull elk with a 140 NP that had an impact velocity of 1964 fps, which had 1200 ft lbs of energy.
I would consider this a max distance/impact velocity.
Popped another bull in his bed at a impact velocity of 2231 fps. He got up flipped around an went back down in less than from one edge of a salt cedar to the other side.

Hello - I'm new here too. I posted a couple times, then seemed to get busy & now just getting back to it. Seems like an outstanding forum full of great advice and knowledge. I only have 2 contender barrels so far, a 375jd that came with it when I bought the gun, then I had a 475jdj made from ssk. My next purchase will be a new G2 stainless gun, and I'd like to get a 300WSM barrel, but not sure whom makes those yet.

Joel

Sorry Pottsy, the .300 WSM barrels are only available for the Encore frame. Its chamber pressure would destroy a Contender frame, and you along with it. I'm not Kreskin, but I think I see an Encore in your future. Welcome to the addiction Brother!!!

D'Keyman (Non Sibi Sed Patriae, not self but country)

Rats. Have you ever seen that clip that floated around of the guys shooting the 600 Nitro Express through one? That's some crazy stuff there. Could the 300WSM be worse than that? I'd like to squeeze one off with that gun once, only once.

Welcome! You'll find this is one of the best sites for info on handgun hunting and the people are especially helpful!

My first handgun animal was a Mule Deer with a .357 magnum 6" Colt Python and I've been hooked ever since.

Glad you found us.