.416 Rem Mag for elk?

Powerstroke505 said:

my 416 rem mag Model 70 Winchester. We got to talking and I said maybe I’ll take it, on the hunt instead. He laughed and said I’d mutilate the elk.

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That's a bunch of nonsense, old wives tales at best. Don't shoot the elk in the hind quarters or the front shoulders and you're not going to mess up a lot of meat. And if you do make a bad shot, hitting the animal where there's a lot of meat to be wasted, the higher velocity bullet from your 300 Win Mag is going to cause a whole lot more bloodshot, and otherwise ruined meat than a slower moving bullet from your 416 Rem Mag.
That said, I personally would go with the 300 Win Mag, or in my case, my 308 Norma Mag (same ballistics) for two reasons: First, I like flatter shooting cartridges for the open country in which I hunt big game. Second (and probably the most important reason) I can't handle the recoil of a 416 Remington Magnum. I tried once to help a buddy of mine sight in his 416 Rem Mag for an upcoming Africa trip. After 3 shots I was shaking so badly I wasn't of much use for sighting in anything.
But that's me. My buddy, and obviously you can handle 416 Rem Mag recoil. Some of us can't, but if you can, I'd say go for it. Especially if it's your favorite rifle.

My dad's go-to hunting rifle in his Ruger Guide gun chambered in 416 Ruger. It's stainless and handles very comfortably making it his most practical hunting rifle for the West coast rain and brush. He's now killed elk and deer with it using 350 grain TSX bullets (I think) printing about an inch off the bench. Terminal performance has been terrific. Hunt with gun you enjoy the most. Well done on the elk.

Makes more sense to me than the trendy stretched use of smaller cartridges. I guess I am conservative when choosing the right tool for a job. Congratulations for your successful hunt, glad to know the elk didn't die too much!

Once upon a time I hunted deer and pigs with a 458 WM, so I understand the appeal. I did use 350 grain handloads instead of 500 grain factory ammo.

You won't "blow up" the elk with a decent 416 bullet @ 2400 fps. However, any 416 rifle heavy enough to make recoil tolerable will be awfully heavy to lug around in elk country. This is why I stopped hunting with my 458. Also, the trajectory is going to be a bit limiting on longer shots.

Personally if I had a cow elk tag, I'd use a premium bullet in my 30-06.