2 rounds to drop an elk?

[Ratfood]

Hi, let me start by saying that I have never been hunting. The other night I was flipping thru channels and ran across a ruger hunting show and I just cought the tail end of it (maybe some of yous saw it). These 2 guys came up on an elk and they were less than 100 yards away. Well the shooter had a 30-06 and shot the elk once and the elk just kinda froze and looked at him. Then he followed up with another shot and the elk fell. It was a pretty big elk if you ask me, but maybe that guy was a bad shot.

Well, my questions are, does it usually take 2 shots from a 30-06 to kill an big elk or what? Also, what is the next highest (popular) caliber than a 30-06? Is it a 45-70? Is a 45-70 that much more powerful than a 30-06 to kill a elk with one shot where it would take two shots from a 30-06?
Thanks for any replies!

 

[CajunBass]

Even if he hit the elk with a perfect shot that's no guarantee that it's going to drop right in it's tracks. As a matter of fact, I'd say most animals don't. None I ever killed did. All either required some tracking, or a follow up shot to finish the job.

 

[redneck2]

Unless you hit the spine or head, something the size of an elk will not typically drop immediately. I've hit deer with 12 gauge and had them run. They're maybe 1/10th the size of an elk. Figure 8 seconds evern with the best shot.

 

[eliphalet]

I have killed several elk with a 30-06. Not all but a percentage took a second shot to plant them where they were. All would have died from the first bullet but elk are a large animal, and not one a guy wants running down into some place hard to retrieve from. Which is exactly what many wounded but not dead yet game animals tend to do.

A next "step up " would be in the area of a 300 or 338 mag, something with a heaver bullet with more power but still have a modern trajectory/velocities IMO.

 

[jeepmor]

Most guided hunts I see on TV, which is nearly all of them. The guide states, keep shooting until the animal drops or runs out of sight. It's the most humane way.

 

[GRIZ22]

Animals don't know they are supposed to lay down and die when hit fatally.

The guide states, keep shooting until the animal drops or runs out of sight. It's the most humane way.


This sounds like good advice.

 

[redneckrepairs]

Living in colorado i can say that it normaly takes a full mag + to kill an elk .

Hunter sees elk, Hunter shoots at elk , elk disappears . Hunter walks to a ridge and shoots at an elk that looks like " that elk " ( another mag full ) . Elk disappears .. Hunter then walks as close as he can a direct line from where he shot from to where he shot at , and extends line .. Hunter will now claim any dead mamal found as " his elk " and if you ask nice he will let you get your saddle back .

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

A lot of the hunting shows I've seen on TV feature hunters that are terrible shots, gut shooting animals that are 70 yards away. I haven't taken an elk yet but the last one my dad got went down without taking a step (good shot behind the shoulder) with a .375H&H but required a follow up to the head because nobody told it that it was dead yet. Others have been DRT with the same gun and same placement. It's half skill, half equipment, and half luck (I know that's 3 halfs, but elk are big)

 

[IA_farmboy]

Hunter will now claim any dead mamal found as " his elk " and if you ask nice he will let you get your saddle back .

As the great philosopher, Larry the Cable Guy, said, "That's funny. I don't care who you are, that's funny right there."

 

[Vern Humphrey]

A lot of experienced hunters refer to "admiring the shot" -- basically standing there with your thumb in your ear while the wounded critter runs off.

I recommend a lot of practice from the standing, unsupported position, working the bolt from the shoulder. You should automatically reload, without thining about it, when you shoot.

If you shoot a deer, elk, bear, or what have you, and it's still on its feet when the sights come back on -- shoot again!

 

[R.W.Dale]

Even if he hit the elk with a perfect shot that's no guarantee that it's going to drop right in it's tracks. As a matter of fact, I'd say most animals don't. None I ever killed did. All either required some tracking, or a follow up shot to finish the job.

YEP! contrary to internet folklore a hit from a .45acp DOES NOT make a man do 2 rearward somersaults, and since deer and elk don't watch Clint Eastwood movies they don't know they are expected to do the same thing when shot by a hunter. Why it just ain't fair!

 

[iamkris]

In all the big game I've shot, I've only had 2 fall down...they were both pronghorn antelope (fairly small) shot with a 300 WSM (fairly big) at short range (~150 yards). Other than those two events, adrenaline and the will to live often mean the animal is on the move...sometimes for a very long way.

 

[Sunray]

"...in the area of a 300 or 338 mag..." And even they don't give a 100% guaranteed one shot drop.
"...contrary to internet folklore a hit from a .45acp..." Movies. The Internet has its own myths. Most of which start with, "I heard".

 

[oneshooter]

The only Elk I have ever shot travelled 40yds and fell down. It was a 70yd shot, behind the left shoulder and angleing forward. Rifle was a 62cal flint Hawken with a patched round ball and 120gr of Goex 2fg.

I guess I used enough gun.


Oneshooter
Livin in Texas

 

[doopt22]

The elk was dead on the first shot but he did not know it yet. The guy put an other one in it to be humane. If the guy would have waited after the first shot. The elk would have droped.

 

[K.L.O.sako]

yes, he was dead but he didn't know it yet. took another shot to convince him. One thing i didn't see mentioned yet is, when taking a shot at big game animals, (and said animal presents a somewhat broad side shot) is to try and aim for the off side shoulder. bullets matched to game should pass through an animal in my opinion. if aimed well, the off side shoulder will almost certainly break, or be damaged enough to be out of no use to the animal. and in my experience, three legged critters don't run as far. yes you will loose some meat this way, but i think it's worth it. two holes bleed more than one, and the limb hit just ads more shock and trama to an already mortal would. it is our moral responsibility to make the animals death as quick and clean as we can. to me, it's the least i can do to show respect for the animal i'm going to kill and eat.

 

[koja48]

Well. I've harvested my share of elk & most taken with a suitable rifle have either dropped within 10 - 40 yards, or after a second hit. Elk that have been "on the run" tend to be a bit more resilient, like any mammal with a full load of adrenaline working. Close elk I have taken (neck shots) dropped like rocks. Like Vern said, be prepared to take that second shot; you never know. On the other hand, I've also seen some big "incidental to elk hunting" Mulies that were extremely reluctant to admit they were dead, but these were hit with a .300 Win Mag, so inadequate bullet expansion was likely a factor.

 

[Picknlittle]

My first and only elk was taken with a bow. It was a perfect heart lung shot and the arrow exited the elk leaving a beautiful exit wound and blood trail.

Lesson #1. When experienced hunters tell you to wait 45 min. to an hour before approaching an elk downd by an arrow, they mean it. :banghead:

The rule of thumb was fifteen to thirty minutes after after gun shot, 45 to 60 min. after an arrow shot.

I waited all of maybe 5 minutes ( which of course felt like an hour with the adrenalin rush ), only to walk up on a very bloody, scared bull who bolted. When I finally found the bull (5x6), he was many miles from where I shot him. After field dressing, with the help of an experienced elk hunter, I learned why.

An elk has a heart nearly as big as your head. It pumps a lot of blood and a large elk has a lot of blood to pump. Once injured and spooked, they can travel far and fast.

While in Washington state, I saw several bulls and cows killed with one shot. The secret was being sure of a good vitals hit, then plating the waiting game. It's rare that they'll be DRT.

This culminated into an interesting three days of packing out head and hide and quarters. No loggin roads close to us.

 

[JustsayMo]

Lots of good advice so far.

The first Elk I ever saw shot was with a 300 Mag. The bull seemed to just absorb it. I couldn't believe it. The shooter was confident of his hit. I urged another shot and even considered shooting it myself. The bull trotted a ways and then collapsed. I turned out to be a good hit but I still think that a second would have been prudent. It seemed like minutes but in reality it was probably 10 or 20 seconds.

Since I've witnessed faster kills since. One was with an Arrow. Stalked in close with some cattle and a perfect hit put him down in a few steps. Another was with a 30-06, quartering away shot that angled toward but exited behind the off shoulder. The Bull was maybe 25' from where it was shot. More recently a member at our club took a nice Elk with his 45-70 Sharps. Punched clean through bones and dropped nearly on the spot. Blackpowder pushed the 405gr pill maybe 1300 fps and was last seen heading east after exiting the big fella...