Elk Rifle Opinions

The only two MAGNUM rifles I've ever owned are a 44MAG carbine and 22MAG rifle. But neither shoots a belted magnum cartridge.

I've taken many elk in Wyoming and one in Oregon. Most were taken with my .308 carbine at distances of approx 225 yards and LESS. The myth of 350 yard shots at western big game continues to lure hunters toward the big magnums. By myth, I mean to say FALSE ASSUMPTION.

Yet some guys insist on magnum rifles and I have no quarrel with them as long as they can shoot those big boomers accurately. Many new magnum owners do not practice shoot often enough to master these heavy recoiling rifles. Its foolish to assume that a person can shoot his new magnum rifle as well as a .308 or 270 unless much practice is completed. I recommend shooting at 225 yards from makeshift field positions at an empty 1 gallon paint can. Master these shooting skills and you're ready for elk hunting.

For less than $1,200. TIKKA, Browning and Remington will sell you most excellent rifles. Of course Savage still builds very accurate and sturdy rifles, too.

TR

Winchester 70, either walnut & blue Sporter, or stainless & synthetic. Leupold VX3 3.5-10X40. Leupold or Burris dual-dovetail bases and rings, if they put the scope where you want it. Or Burris XT bases and Warne Maxima rings.
Plenty of cash left to give to your gunsmith for trigger work, bedding, whatever.

I was jokeing but the 270 you have is fine. Bullets today are so much better than what was around years ago and that 270 will reach right out there . Hitting your target at long distance is much more of a worry. Buy a good rifle case, good range finder, good scope and binos and some barnes tsx loads. Pratice then let that 270 shine.
I have used a custom ruger 7 rem mag and never shoot over a 140gr bullet , even on elk and never felt i needed a big 30. But again if you want one,buy it. Just remember the extras for you and it.

yeah, keep the .270. I would still put a vortex diamondback on it, and put the rest towards a reloading setup.

Put better glass on your .270, and don't worry about the cartridge anymore. It shoots just as flat, if not flatter, than a .300, and will kill any elk at any range you practice enough to be shooting at.

Buy a range finder, if you really need to spend more money.

A friend who lived in Montana used his 30/06 and managed to kill elk with one shot. One box of catridges lasted 20 years. As a past firearms instructor I always told folks if they are going to own one rifle it should be a 30/06. More bullet weights and styles are avaiable in factory ammo than any other caliber. Just read the ammo manufacturers ammo catalogs.

IME - Some top elk guides say all I need is an 06 or a 270, provided I can hit what I'm aiming at.

I make sure I can do that. Been hunting, shooting and competing a long time.

Really like my 06 and am confident with it. Holdover is minimal compared to 300 WM out to 500 yards and I'm comfortable shooting my 06 that far.

I'd really like a shiny Weatherby with my name engraved on it - and might just order one. But I don't need it to kill elk at any reasonable range... Just sayin'.

StringTwelve,

I noticed that hardly anyone answered your question but instead just told you what you should shoot other than the .300. You have to have some patience asking questions on the internet, with all of the "experts".

I had a Weatherby Mark 5 with an old Redfield 3 x 9 and it was a fine rifle for elk far past any range that I would shoot.

BTW, which unit did you draw? I just drew my 14th NM elk tag but all of my hunts have been with a bow.

I'm partial to mauser type actions and have to say the new mod. 70 super grade toped with any number of quality scopes would fall into your price range and look good doing it. Have a look at the vortex scopes. Tried one at the range on a fellows 6.5x284, sharp, clear and reasonably priced. Oh and congrats on the draw, best excuse to buy a new rifle.

Have seen them for a lot less! If you have any, check out your local Gun Shows.

I fell victim to the magnum craze in the 80's. In the late 90's I went on my dream hunt in Africa. I had a custom 340 WBY magnum as my main rifle and a 30 06 as my back up. 3 days into the 3 week hunt my 340 got dropped and the scope tube bent making it useless.

I used the 30 06 with total success the rest of the hunt and was pleased with the performance of the 200 grain nosler partitions.

I have since sold off all my other calibers for hunting and 30 06 is the only rifle I need in North America.

I you just want a new rifle in a magnum, I would seriously look at the .338 Win mag over the .300. Compare the ballistics and you'll be surprised.

nmlongbow post 22 gave back ground info. He has a 270 wants a 300. Buy if you want was given but the 270 will do nicely.

Certainly nothing wrong with a 300 Mag if you can shoot it. I don't like the kick myself although I have elk hunted with a 300 WBY and a 7 Rem Mag. But, I have used a 280 for the last few years and it will kill an elk just fine at a range I can hit anything


If I were buying a new elk rifle today I would get the Winchester Model 70 Extreme Weather Stainless and a Leupold 6X fixed power scope.

Arguing over the cartridge is pretty pointless, they will all work fine within reason.

For the price, a nice rig that's up towards the higher end of your price scale, a Kimber 8400 magnum ($1172-2240 MSRP) and a Leupold VX3 3.5-10x40 scope ($480 MSRP). Or towards the simple side, a Winchester 70 or Remington 700 with the same Leupold scope and you'd be pretty well off. My dad and Godfather have hunted elk and other big game in Colorado for many years with a Winchester 70 in 30-06 and a Savage in 270 Winchester. NO complaints out of either and they both kill game as dead as the other.

Since you load your own, I will second the Watherby's listed above and suggest a Weatherby calaber.

I have a nasty affliction with my browning Stainless Stalker in 300wm with a leupold vx-III 4x14x40. Light weight, effective and the Leupy has the built in range estimator on the vx3 models. Throw a muzzle break on it and it's a breeze to shoot.

First off, I'm not an elk hunter. But I have a group of buddies who go to Colorado each November to hunt elk. I've had quite a few caliber/firearm discussions with them over the years. One uses a 30-06 and is completely satisfied. Another uses a 308 and is completely satisfied. A third used a 300 Wby mag for a few years and was dismayed by the ammo costs. He recently switched to a 270 and now is completely satisfied.

I don't know how may elk these guys have taken over the years, but each has gotten multiple animals and has the racks mounted.

I even talked to guy in NM who claims he only uses a 243 and has never lost an elk. Seems light to me, though. I'd think 270 would be a good minimum. Elk are BIG critters. And tough, too. But I don't think a 300 magnum is necessary.

Any accurate rifle from 6.5 up will suffice. Personally, I like my 7mm Rem mag with 160 Nosler partitions, but I wouldn't NOT use my Model 7 in 7-08 with 140 partitions or similar.

Swedes use the 6.5 X 55 a lot for what they call elk- we call their elk moose - with great success

I have killed many elk, lots of 6 pointers and some big 7x7 bulls with 30-06's and .270Win , and the .280Rem, from as close as 9 yards out to 450 yards, never had to track or loose an animal,

place your bullet properly is key to a quick kill !

a poorly placed bullet dont matter what magnum it was fired from if the placement is bad,
, your still going to have a problem,

use a rifle and a caliber your are expert with,
good optics, good marksmanship,good ammunition, are paramount,,,,,,,,,,,!

good luck, good hunting,,,,,,,

StringTwelve said:

Any last comments from the .300 win mag supporters?

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Only in that if you are still considering a .300 magnum of some sort, consider the .300 WSM (Winchester Short Magnum). This can be loaded to .300 WM ballistics with less felt recoil. Also, the shorter action (.308 length) makes for a shorter, lighter rifle. I have a Browning A-Bolt II Medallion in .300WSM:



Also a brand new X-Bolt Medallion in .308 Winchester:



Both rifles are magnificently accurate with actions smooth as a baby's butt. The workmanship is a thing to behold with both of these rifles.

I like the option on the X-Bolt to leave the safety on while working the bolt to unload.

Dan

Any last comments from the .300 win mag supporters?

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If that's what you want, get it. Rick Jamison thought the 300 Win was the best thing since sliced bread for elk. Anti- magnum is just in style. You said recoil didn't bother you. If it's more than you absolutely need for elk, who cares.

Buy the Winchester Model 70, that's the main thing.

Way back in the early 1970's Winchester offered a birch stocked model 70 named the model 670. Yes, it was available in 300 Win mag and they're not difficult to find through the standard on line auction (firearm) sites. Typically, a good used-but-not-abused 670 sells for approx $325.00 which is an outstanding price. The Winchester 670 is well built, accurate, and sturdy for rough country elk hunting.

TR

I have been trying to decide on an elk gun and just picked up a Browning A Bolt II Stalker in 30-06 at one of the local gun shops for $510. I can't wait to get to get a scope on it and head to the range. I think it was a steal for the money and I hope it shoots. I had been trying to talk myself into one of the new short magnum rounds, but I couldn't justify the price difference. The short magnums were all around $650 and that gave me some extra for a scope. I also have brass and dies for the 06, which saves me a few bucks. Which leads me to another question, has anybody used the Browning Integrated scope mounts? They look pretty slick and I will have to be purchasing something for the rifle.

I always figured I would use my 8mm Mauser if I got picked for an elk hunt or found a jillion dollars to pay for one. I load 196 grain Norma Oryx in my 8mm and can ding steel at 300-400 meters all day long.