Favorite Elk Caliber?

Zoer;

There are many calibers that will, and have proven, that they'll work. Currently, my favorite is a 6.5 X 55mm Swedish Mauser using my loads. The 140 grain bullet has a muzzle velocity of about 2750 fps & the JBM ballistics program tells me that the engergy remains well over 1100 ft. lbs. at 500 yards. Not that I'd willingly pull the trigger at that range. The point being that with the 6.5's sectional density & energy, it's an absolutely capable elk cartridge.

Oh, and I live in what I call "Outer Montana" & hunt elk every year.

900F

My favorite is the .375 H&H Mag using a 250gr Barness TTSX bullet with a MV around 2,750 fps. I hunt elk, mule deer and whitetail with that load in NW and central Montana.

CB900F said:

my favorite is a 6.5 X 55mm Swedish Mauser using my loads. The 140 grain bullet has a muzzle velocity of about 2750 fps & the JBM ballistics program tells me that the engergy remains well over 1100 ft. lbs. at 500 yards. Not that I'd willingly pull the trigger at that range. The point being that with the 6.5's sectional density & energy, it's an absolutely capable elk cartridge.

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I shoot a 140gr ELD Match bullet at 2,900 fps out of my 6.5 Creemoor so your 6.5x55 load seems on the slow side. Personally I don't like the 6.5mm bullets for hunting anything larger than whitetail but that's not based on any data, just my personal opinion comparing expanded .375 cal bullets to expanded 6.5mm bullets along with kills on mule deer the past two years and the conditions that I hunt in. Shot placement is always key regardless of the caliber/cartridge but those 6.5mm bullets are so dang small.

Quintessential caliber for heavy North American game like: elk, moose, bison, large bear is .338 WinMag with premium 250gr bullets. Since I do not hunt heavy game like that I have one rifle Winchester .300 Magnum made ca. 1959. With 200 grain Speer Grand Slam or Nosler Partition it would work well as elk rifle.

PS. One advantage of .338WinMag is that with 250 grain bullet premium slugs aren't really needed and standard soft points Federal, Winchester, Remington,.... would do nicely.

The gold standard, .30/06!
I have used 7-08, .300RUM, .338/06, .338MarlinExpress.

But the 'ole '06 just works. My Colt LtRifle w/3-9 Redfield Revolution at 6+lbs is what I'll carry...
180gr Accubond or Partitions, Imr4350.
Plain vanilla, I know. But, IT WORKS.

This type of thread makes for a potential future purchase...

300 Win shooting 180 partitions is good medicine...for our Elk here...and the Elk sized creatures across the pond.

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Why?










All (plus one not pictured) 35 Whelen elk.

35W

But the 'ole '06 just works.

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Although I havent been able to go in a few years.. Its always been exactly that in 180gr form.

I am done with elk, but if I was headed for the mountains tomorrow I would have my 300 WSM. It is a Model 10 Sierra Savage, weighs 6 1/4lbs and wears a 2X7 VXII. It shoots 165gr Accubonds like a lazer. I would probably opt for the 180gr though

If the Savage wasn't in the safe I would grab a 30-06 with 180gr Accubonds and never lose sleep over it.

MCMXI said:

My favorite is the .375 H&H Mag using a 250gr Barness TTSX bullet with a MV around 2,750 fps. I hunt elk, mule deer and whitetail with that load in NW and central Montana.



I shoot a 140gr ELD Match bullet at 2,900 fps out of my 6.5 Creemoor so your 6.5x55 load seems on the slow side. Personally I don't like the 6.5mm bullets for hunting anything larger than whitetail but that's not based on any data, just my personal opinion comparing expanded .375 cal bullets to expanded 6.5mm bullets along with kills on mule deer the past two years and the conditions that I hunt in. Shot placement is always key regardless of the caliber/cartridge but those 6.5mm bullets are so dang small.

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I have been playing with Creedmoors lately. I have yet to find a load in my two books that list a 140gr over 2750 fps. Is this Chrono'd or speculation?

Cow tag = Smaller animal, usually closer ranges. I use my .25-06 with 117 gr. Sierras.

If I'm going after bulls, I typically take my 8mm Rem Mag with 200 gr. Accubonds.

If I ever get one I'm sure it will be with my .270 win.

Don't have the experience to have a favorite, but I'll be using a .270 Win with 140gr Accubonds and a .30-06 with 180gr SGK's to try and fill my two cow tags this year. I was carrying around a Mission MXB-360 the last couple weekends looking for some cows, but all I saw was a few pretty good Muley bucks, so I just took one of them and called it a day.

I use a .308 Win, and killed a lot of elk with it. Truly, you just don't need anything more.

Of my current crop of hunting rifles I have 7 x 57, .308, 30-06, .300 Win Mag, 9.3x74R that would all work well for Elk. I'm going on a Scimitar Horned Oryx hunt next month, similar in size to baby Elk (350-450 lb.), and taking the 9.3 x 74R as my primary, and the 7 x 57 as a backup. The 7 x 57 is a fine rifle for Elk size game, mine shoots the 173 SP gr. loads exceptionally well, they're slow, but the penetration is exceptional.

Hard to pick one. 338wm and 300wm are my logical recommendations, but it's dang hard for me to scratch off 338-08 and 7mm rem mag off of my list.

I use a .308 Win, and killed a lot of elk with it. Truly, you just don't need anything more.

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No, you don't. But it's nice to have a flatter trajectory, better wind bucking ability of heavier bullets, and more oomph down range if you encounter that once-in-a-lifetime bull on the next ridge 1/4 mile or more away. He'll be long gone by the time you get down your hill and up his; if you're up to the task of making the shot, it'd sure be a pity if your round is marginal for it.

Having said that, we must know our own limitations, both in ability to handle recoil, and to make accurate shots at the distance we intend to. And sometimes the former detracts from the latter, so if a .30-06 is the most recoil you can handle without tensing up or flinching, you'd be doing yourself a disservice to use a .338 mag. My 8 mag doesn't bother me, but I know I can't shoot my .375 RUM as well, so despite it's greater (albeit unnecessary) power, it is not my first choice for big game here in CO.

My old Remington 725 in .280 Remington works just fine for me. A .284 160 grains Nosler Partition bullet in front of 54.0 grains of IMR 4350 will put any elk out there in my freezer, so long as I do my part.

I've also used a .338 Win. Mag. and a .308 Win. to kill elk. No problem with those two great calibers, either.

L.W.

My favorite caliber for elk? Whatever my friend is using, while he's out, wet, cold, miserable, hunting for the elusive meat animal. Meanwhile I'm sitting by a fire, enjoying good whiskey and a book with a $100 bill ready for some meat .

Im not into old military surplus rounds like the 8mm, I have hunted most of my 62 years, the old .308 is more than enough along with the right 7mmm-08, don't care to get my shoulder rattled by magnums or larger calibers when I know I can get the job done with a good shot.

Captcurt said:

I have yet to find a load in my two books that list a 140gr over 2750 fps. Is this Chrono'd or speculation?

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Chronographed many times.

I have had great success with factory 220 gr .30-06.

.338 Win Mag....for me.