Barnes TSX, Nosler Partition, or Accubond.
I have read about trophy bonded bear claw or something like that. What is the vendor product name for those? I was just looking at speers grand slam for the 7mm but don't know if 160 or 175 grains would be best?
140 to 150 grain in a 7 mm will do just fine and shoot a little flatter,those Elk are not armor plated.
In my corner of Wyoming, folks don't say *howdy* during elk season; they ask *got your elk yet?* I'm not exaggerating by much.
I wouldn't use a 150-grain bullet in .308, my usual choice for whitetail, on elk- I know one fella had a failure to drop one with a 150 and makes a pretty good claim that it was the bullet rather than placement; when he finally tracked it down, it really was a prreet good boilerroom shot, through the lungs but not the heart. So I use 180s in .308, 200-grain with an 8x57mm. I don't shoot 7mm RemMag, so won't advise there, but generally favor a heavier bullet over lighter, given my druthers.
Conditions in your corner of Colorado may differ, but I'd not think it'd be by much. I've only taken three elk so can't be considered any sort of *expert.*
If you don't have anyy luck in Coloreado you're welcome to visit my place in Wyoming, my grandda's 1924 640-acre Homestead Act ranch tract. It's just across the SD state line from the Elk Mountain game preserve. Just a coincidence.
Try a 175gr nosler backed up with reloader 22 for the 7mm.
I wouldn't shoot drag a mag anything after an elk, unless my only other option was a 308 Win.
But then again the 155 Scenar makes an interesting case. Not as interesting as a 162 AMax in a 7mm, but the belt could be a deal breaker.
As always, bullet weight is as pointless a consideration as energy.