Deer to elk, 60 yards to 600 yards ... what rifle are you grabbing this year?

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This one.....

Or this one....
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course we got no elk that we can hunt out here, but I figure either of those can do the job as far as im capable of hitting with them.
 
I’m going to buy my 11 year old a tikka compact in a 7-08. If I had that now, it’s probably what I’d choose to hike and walk with. Plenty enough rifle. Low recoil. Light. Inexpensive. I don’t reload, so I always start with Berger, Barnes, and a couple specialty ammo companies to find what the gun likes.
 
I'm not good enough for 600. I've shot that far at targets enough to know that I'm not ready to shoot a game that far, at least not yet, maybe with more practice.
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I should make the point for the Bill Raby's of the world that this thread isn't about seeing an animal and walking away from it just to boast about how far the shot was. The point is simply a rifle that might increase the likelihood of a successful hunt, one that allows for "could do" if not "would do". Do I try to get as close to an animal as possible, absolutely. Would I shoot a nice bull that's 600 yards away under the right conditions, absolutely!

I know hunters up here, good hunters, that have tried to get an elk for 20 or more years without success. If you polled the number of hunters in MT that have shot an elk on public land you might be surprised at how few have managed to accomplish it. Not everyone has access to private land where some large herds roam.
 
I wouldn’t go to 600, probably 400-500 though. Not sure why you need 600. Get closer

Again, don't take your hunting landscape and circumstances and project it onto others. Many of the places I hunt up here won't allow you to get closer to an elk, or even some mule deer.

How many elk have you shot in Montana? There are some treeless areas out in the Belt area where you can hardly get within 1/2 mile of a deer or elk before they spot you. Given the short rifle season here of 5 weeks, the animals experience a lot of stress in a short amount of time so they're jumpy within a few days of opening season. Elk and deer on private land are much less stressed and are generally easier to get to. Public land with the influx of out of state hunters is much more challenging.
 
I'm not well equipped for a long range elk hunt, but if you're inviting me.......!?! ;) from my current armory, I would use my Handi-rifle in .30-06. I would also need to stay within 300yds to be on confident.
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I really need anew pic of this rifle balanced on a fence post, pointing towards the sunset. It really doesn't look this bad in real life.
 
That’s a scout scope - extended eye relief to allow it to be forward mounted, offering less obstruction of the feed/ejection port (irrelevant in a DBM bottom feeder like the Ruger), and offering less obstruction of the field of view. A Cooper-ism which has largely been disproven, but remains to have a devout, cult like following.

I could give two hoots about Cooper, but it’s a good scope that makes it easy to acquire the target - and personally, I find it much easier to use than my “standard” scopes.
 
Again, don't take your hunting landscape and circumstances and project it onto others. Many of the places I hunt up here won't allow you to get closer to an elk, or even some mule deer.

How many elk have you shot in Montana? There are some treeless areas out in the Belt area where you can hardly get within 1/2 mile of a deer or elk before they spot you. Given the short rifle season here of 5 weeks, the animals experience a lot of stress in a short amount of time so they're jumpy within a few days of opening season. Elk and deer on private land are much less stressed and are generally easier to get to. Public land with the influx of out of state hunters is much more challenging.
Maybe you’re just a much better shot than me. I’m 41 years old, good eyes, good shape, have hunted my whole life, and I have very accurate rifles, and am simply not comfortable shooting that far. We all have our limit. That’s all I was saying….
 
Within the OP's premise I would probably grab this:
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Winchester Model 70 (Pre-64) with recoil reducing steel butt-plate
270 Winchester shooting 140gr Trophy Bonded Bear-claw bullet
Leupold Vari-X II 3-9-40 on Burris Signature Rings

My only caveat would be I would be unlikely to try to stretch this rifle much beyond 300 yards. The one time I did hunt elk out west, this was my rifle and I was very comfortable out to 300 yards in preparation for that hunt. I unfortunately did not get an elk. I only have one rifle I am currently confident in taking out to 600+ yards but I would not use a 6mm Creedmoor on Elk but I would/will try it on deer one of these days when I get a hunting load worked up for it.

That said what I will be hunting deer with this year is this:
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AR-15 (random parts nearly all of which were destine for a scape bin)
30 Remington AR pushing 150 gr Core-Lokt
Generic 3-9x40 scope on a KDG Sidelok Modular Optic Mount (the scope mount might be worth more than the rest of the rifle...)

The backup gun will be:
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AR-15 (DPMS lower, Bushmaster Upper kit, and a few other random parts)
450 Bushmaster pushing Barnes 27gr TSX
Vortex Viper HS 2.5-10x44 on Sport cantilever mount.
 
I really need anew pic of this rifle balanced on a fence post, pointing towards the sunset. It really doesn't look this bad in real life.

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

I can relate. I had pictures of almost all of my firearms on file for insurance and appraisal purposes, but my wife kept talking trash on the poor quality/aesthetic. We have a photography business, so she said I’m no longer allowed to take lazy photos of the firearms... but she found out I’m too lazy to go back and take new photos of them...

recoil reducing steel butt-plate

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Stealing this in the future!
 
At one time people managed to kill animals with flintlocks. Somehow the Indians managed to survive using spears and bows. Today you need to stick together a few thousand dollars worth of gadgets to do it. 600 yard shots? You would have to be a really lousy hunter if that is as close as you can get. It must be a city guy thing.
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Flintlocks? Did I hear flintlocks?
 
Ruger M77 Hawkeye in 300 win Mag. Ain’t fancy, and doesn’t need to be. Ain’t light, and I’m generally glad it’s not any lighter - 11lbs loaded.


Same except in 338. Not much demand for 338 in Central Texas. It sat on the shelf long enough he made me a deal I couldn't refuse.
 
The point is simply a rifle that might increase the likelihood of a successful hunt, one that allows for "could do" if not "would do". Do I try to get as close to an animal as possible, absolutely. Would I shoot a nice bull that's 600 yards away under the right conditions, absolutely!

I understand completely. Having the the skills and equipment to take a long shot is something I can respect. It takes just as much skill and dedication to practice to learn how to make those long shots as the guys who have honed the skills to stalk to within archery range. And unlike many Eastern hunters I understand that in many parts of the country a long shot may be the only shot you have.

Yes, years ago hunters used primitive archery, muzzle loaders and even spears to take game at much closer ranges. But they also baited, hunted year round, and did other things not legal today. And they could choose their ambush spot to make those close range shots. Those things aren't normally an option today. There was no private property back then. They could choose spots where cover allowed them close shots. That is often not the case on public land.

The rifle I chose is the one that I feel gives me the best opportunity to bring home game.
 
I'll be going out with my Marlin XS7 in 7mm-08. I've got plenty of other options, but that gun is always my "ready to go" rifle. Scope is set, ammo is dialed in, and I don't goof around with the setup ANY. It only goes hunting. Only thing I may eventually change on it is I don't really care for the polymer stock, so I plan to eventually get a Boyds maple stock for it.
 
I'm not really a long range hunter and get my enjoyment from stalking, so the max I would probably shoot is 400 yards. In reality I haven't shot at big game over 300 yards in quite a while. Within those parameters I will stick with my trusted Winchester Model 70 in 30/06. I have been hunting with it for over 25 years and know it well. It likes 165 grain bullets and shoots them into tight groups. It currently has a Leupold VXIII 3.5x10. I have been tempted to upgrade many times but we have too many miles together.

Here are some things I have hunted with the rifle throughout the years:

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I am using a larger rifle since last year:

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My new 23mm anti-materiel rifle can successfully engage quadrupedal animals out to 3000 meters and utilizes high explosive incendiary ammunition, removing the need to butcher and cook them. I wonder what the Taylor’s one shot stop knocking down power is for a 23x152mm shell? Hopefully it’s “enuff gun” for Bambi and crew?
 
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At one time people managed to kill animals with flintlocks. Somehow the Indians managed to survive using spears and bows. Today you need to stick together a few thousand dollars worth of gadgets to do it. 600 yard shots? You would have to be a really lousy hunter if that is as close as you can get. It must be a city guy thing.
Speaking of muzzle loaders I shot this goat, which is way smaller than an elk, at like 120yds with my muzzle loader today.....
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course my muzzle loader looks like this.....
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Ill admit, I do appreciate and generally agree with the opinion that most of the time getting close is preferred. BUT as with the above-equipped rifle, I will be capable of comfortably taking any reasonable shot presented.....and while ive freehanded goats farther out than the lasered 120 yds...... and done so with a Knight MK85 shooting 777 on a #11 cap.....This one was way easier and more comfortable......

Thus my centerfires are equipped to deliver their projectiles as comfortably and accurately as they can as far out as they can.....doesn't mean I have to use them that way.
 
If a deer, an X-bolt in 6.5 Creedmoor, for an elk l’d like a 30-06, but neither out to 600 yards, just not comfortable enough for an ethical shot that far.
 
I guess my 6.5 Abolt III. At 600 that thing lays them in there like nothing else I own. At 60 it wouldn't be too much velocity.
 
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