woof
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I agree. Such discussions are useless without drawing distinctions between hunting, ambushing and sniping.
minimum elk cartridge
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X-Rap
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Boats
Rifle and archery season are like comparing apples and watermellons.
The only time elk are more vulnerable than the archery/rut is the late winter Jan/Feb.
Thank god most of the easy calling is done by the gun seasons or we would run out of elk.
Vast distance when calling a horny bull or worried cow are often far closer than most would like but still I hear hunters talk of 70 + yd. shots.
Check the number of hunters in the field during the various hunts before you compare seasons with little presure and those that draw 10 times the archery numbers.
What I would like most in my state is for the DOW to allow individuals to by tags for multiple seasons if their quotas wern't filled, that would allow those of us who love to hunt more time for the sport.
Rifle and archery season are like comparing apples and watermellons.
The only time elk are more vulnerable than the archery/rut is the late winter Jan/Feb.
Thank god most of the easy calling is done by the gun seasons or we would run out of elk.
Vast distance when calling a horny bull or worried cow are often far closer than most would like but still I hear hunters talk of 70 + yd. shots.
Check the number of hunters in the field during the various hunts before you compare seasons with little presure and those that draw 10 times the archery numbers.
What I would like most in my state is for the DOW to allow individuals to by tags for multiple seasons if their quotas wern't filled, that would allow those of us who love to hunt more time for the sport.
XD-40 Shooter
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Hey TAB, I think he's talking about 1500 ft lbs energy on target, at 200 yards, this is 243 winchester, minimum. 243 is actually legal in Colorado, for elk.
Energy means squat, except when comparing similar rounds.
.38-55 is a whole different animal from a modern spitzer.
Old, large caliber rounds may not be flat-shooting, but their terminal performance is a whole hell of a lot better than a little modern high-velocity round with the same energy on paper. A whole hell of a lot.
I've shot a round straight through a buffalo, which then dropped, and I doubt the bullet had more than 1000 ft-lbs. of energy when it hit. Watched others do the same.
How and why that happened is left as an exercise -- food for thought.
.38-55 is a whole different animal from a modern spitzer.
Old, large caliber rounds may not be flat-shooting, but their terminal performance is a whole hell of a lot better than a little modern high-velocity round with the same energy on paper. A whole hell of a lot.
I've shot a round straight through a buffalo, which then dropped, and I doubt the bullet had more than 1000 ft-lbs. of energy when it hit. Watched others do the same.
How and why that happened is left as an exercise -- food for thought.
mljdeckard
Member
Might be changing my mind a bit. Yesterday I went to help recover three elk which had been shot the previous day with .308. Two were in the same place, dressed out and ready. The third had been wounded, and left a significant blood trail. We quartered out the two, and sent a party to find the third. The did, it was still alive, probably lying down, but spooked when it heard us, it got up and limped away. We couldn't shoot it again, because the hunt was over, we weren't even armed. It will likely be coyote food. Don't know exactly where it was hit, if bullet or shot placement was a factor, but I decided two things yesterday. 1, If I'm hunting elk, I think I'm going to get a rifle with magnum in the title, and 2, before I take the shot, if it's somewhere I can't drive to/winch out of, I'm going to think really hard about taking a shot in a steep snow-covered canyon in a blizzard.
MMCSRET
Member
I think all this comes under the heading of "mental masturbation". Sort of like "paper ballistics"
Elk are a heavier animal and have larger bones. Most people say the .243 is the minium for deer so I would step it up a notch. I personally feel the .25's are also too small so I'd say a 6.5x55 or .260 rem
In general these 6.5mm's(140grains) will penetrate better then most .30 cal bullets. I believe you need about a 200 grain .30 cal to match the penetration of a 140 grain 6.5mm
As long as the bullet expands and penetrates the animals vitals the animal will fall.
In general these 6.5mm's(140grains) will penetrate better then most .30 cal bullets. I believe you need about a 200 grain .30 cal to match the penetration of a 140 grain 6.5mm
As long as the bullet expands and penetrates the animals vitals the animal will fall.
natescout
Member
Killed many elk with a .308, never over 150 yards tho .
alaskanativeson
Member
I have used a .308 hunting elk, that's what I'd consider about the minimum. There are a few smaller diameters I'd say qualify (7mm Mag and 08, .280 Remington) but elk are just to big and I'm just to careful (I don't say either as a bad thing) to use anything smaller. In fact, if I were going out after elk now I'd be carrying my .338 Mag.
I wasn't there, but I guarantee you it was THE factor. If you hit an elk with a .308 in the vitals, with any decent bullet at less than 300 yards, it will expire fairly quickly. It is not magic, elk are not indestructable.
Certainly your perogative to do so, but in no way necessary unless you plan on making very long shots and need a round that still has enough thump at 500+ yards. Which by the way unless you are spending a lot of time practicing at those distances, most people have no business trying to take a game animal that far.
If road hunting is your thing that would likely work out well for you. The real adventure is setting out on foot away from the roads and people. IMHO.
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