Elk gun

[jaholder1971]

Buy a good quality .30/06 and lots of ammo.

Practice at home in all conditions, shooting prone, kneeling, sitting, standing and from a bunch of supported positions. Windy, raining, whenever. When you can consistently hit a paper plate from any position, in any wind, from 0 to 300 yards, you're ready for Elk.

Before you go, load or buy some 180 grain Partitions, zero your rifle and go.

 

[Coal Dragger]

^ Do the above and consistently practice every year in the above manner, and you'll be ready for just about any type of hunting no matter what rifle you are using or what quarry you are after.

 

[woof]

I think the mags are unnecessary for elk who will not know the difference. .30-06, 7mm-08, and no reason to overlook .308.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

My own elk rifle is Bigfoot Wallace, a custom '03 Springfield in .35 Brown-Whelen (the most radical form of the Whelen) With a 4X Leupold scope. While not a magnum, it drives a 225-grain Nosler PJ at 2800 fps. My backup rifle is Fionn MacCumhail, a pre-war Winchester Model 70 in .30-06, with a 3X9 scope.

 

[shimniok]

I tote around a 300 win mag here in CO which is the gun my friend used for several years hunting elk here. That's all I know.

Michael

 

[woof]

I wonder if there are any reliable data on the distance of the average elk kill? I've long heard that for whitetails it is well under 100 yds. I'll bet for elk it is no more than 200 yds. I haven't been on an elk hunt in many years. But I would think if you are planning one and spending big bucks on it, you can choose conditions where shorter range shots are obtainable.

I don't know that this is true for elk hunters, but I have seen myself that all too many whitetail hunters in the east have substituted big guns with big glass for their ability to "hunt," eg. get closer. This may explain why we are slightly amazed to hear that all those elk were taken long ago by .30-30s. How did they do that, when we need .300 or 7mm magnums? I guess they were better hunters but by gosh we have better technology!

 

[Erik]

"Go with a .30-06 rifle, already set up for reloading. Probably perfectly adequate. "

There's no "probably" about it. It is perfectly adequate.

Now, if you want something else, then by all means. We all understand, after all. But call it what it is, a want, not a need.

 

[Shawnee]

Besides the 7mm/08, the Remington Model Seven is also available in .308 and a couple other short .30 calibers.

So is the Ruger M77 RSI.

 

[Malachor]

I think the .30-06 makes the most sense in your position. You're already setup for it, so you're familiar with the cartridge and have probably done a bit of shooting with it. Plus, given that the '06 is one of the most common cartridges of all time, you can find it anywhere in case you find yourself in need of it.

You can spend the money you would save from buying another setup on shooting more or going the extra mile on buying this elk rifle. I would personally top it with some Leupold glass in a relatively low, but adequate power because field of view is always very important. Make sure you find a good, comfortable sling too.

 

[Blacksmoke]

400 yards?

You ought to find a better guide and plan on getting in a little closer.

.30-06 is fine. A neighbor of mine uses a .270 to bring home a cow each year. In the mountains here (NM/CO border) shots under 200 yards are standard.

I have lugged a Remington 700 in .375 H&H up and down long enough to leave it home in favor of a sporterized '03-A3. My last shot was under 100 yards, which I missed becuase the giant cannon with its big variable scope which I carried was not sighted that short nor had I practiced at that range. All I did was part some hairs on the bulls back. If I had my '03-A3 with its peep sight at the time... Sometimes less is better.

 

[moosehunt]

Mr. Ringtail hit the nail pretty damn square! The .338 Win is arguably the most perfect of elk cartridges (I prefer 225 gr bullets), but one NEVER goes wrong with a .30-06. I'd much prefer a .300 Win over a 7mm Mag, in fact that would be one of my last choices for an elk rifle. Another to consider that is excellent for elk is the .325 WSM. If all you want it for is one elk hunt, then the .338 is a bit hard to justify, though I've used one for pronghorn, deer, etc. Suprising to a lot of people, and anyone who's used a .338 extensively will back this up, a .338 generally causes less meat loss than any of those mentioned, whether pronghorn or moose or anything in between. We all know that a .243 Win or a .30-30 will kill elk, and a .375 H&H is just dandy for wapiti, but best for elk--you can't hardly beat a .338 Win. (except for the .320 DGC that I created and have the only one of)!

 

[Wedge]

Thanks for the input guys.

I shoot 1000s of rounds a year, I'm not that concerned about my marksmanship. Wanted to hear the general consensus on what caliber would work well.

Sounds like a .30-06 shouldn't be an issue, either of the mags would work fine and even a .338 Win Mag would suffice. All could be downloaded for other duties if desired, all will kill an elk dead.

Basically...all comes down to what deals I can find when the time comes.

As far as glass I was looking at one of the Zeiss 3x9s, but that is a whole 'nuther thread.

 

[moosehunt]

Take it as you will, but I suggest a straight 6x over any variable.

 

[RonE]

I personally prefer the .300 Win Mag shooting a 180 gr bullet in excess of 3,000fps. That is what I prefer because it has lots of power and when sighted in an inch high at 100 yards, it is pretty good from 20 feet on out to 4-500 yards without much adjustment. If you know the range and the tajectory of the cartridge you are using, you only have to worry about hitting the target in a kill zone. Almost any center fire cartridge will do if shot placement is good and the range is close enough for penetration to a vital area.

I suppose if your ability to get close to the elk is not good and your marksmanship is not great, you could use a .50 BMG rifle or perhaps a 20mm cannon, just hit the elk almost anywhere and be ready to follow the blood.

For elk hunting I have found good, warm and waterproof boots to be the most important thing...I have been on hunts where elk were killed with cartridges ranging from .243 up through 8mm Rem Mag.

 

[Tang419]

I'll give another vote for the .300 Win Mag, but I'm bias. I havent got to take an Elk yet, but I hope to. I'm working up a load with some 200gr Gamekings just incase.

 

[XD-40 Shooter]

30-06 is plenty for Elk and if you keep your shots under 200 yards, then even the .308 will suffice.

 

[Bigfoot]

30-06, 300 WSM, 300 WM.

Not much to add here other than a thought about downloading the 300 like you mentioned. I was researching reduced recoil loads for the 300WSM tonight, I couldn't find anything for it but I did find this load at Reloadersnest for the 300 Win Mag. 41 grains of 4759 gave him 2660 fps with a 150, sounds like 308 recoil and trajectory to me. With loads like that for most of your hunting and using a thick recoil pad for when you shoot full power loads I don't see why a 300 WM or a 300WSM would have to be heavier than an 06.

 

[Cucumber]

The only gun fit to carry when hunting game is the Savage model 99; having said that, you'd better get the .308 Winchester . SORRY, I AM partial to the model 99's, and I do have one in a .308, but I choose to shoot within the means of both MY abilities and my rifle of choice.

As many have mentioned, nothing is more critical than shot placement to the vitals; the further your bullet gets from the heart, lungs, spine, brain, etc....the greater the chances of losing your Elk to the coyotes.

Another very critical point is to not push a rifle's capacity beyond it's limits; anything from a .270 130gr to a .30-06 165gr is more than adequate for Elk inside 300 yards providing you make a successful shot, but they simply lack the penetration at ranges much beyond that for an animal that could exceed 1000 pounds.

If you are certain that your conditions will require shots at 400+ yds, I would recommend nothing under a 7mm Rem Mag. In reality, the rifle I use for Elk in the "longer range" areas is a 300 Remington Ultra Mag in an A-bolt.

Another lesson that I learned while in the field is accurately estimating your shot distances. Four years ago, while hunting the North side of Mount Saint Helens for Roosevelt Elk with my WWII veteran hunting buddy Ken, we came upon a herd of roughly a dozen, including a few cow/calf pairs and two young bulls. The area was 3pt or better, so it was not our day to yield a kill, yet we did get something very valuable out of this venture. While on the hogback, looking across a ravine at the herd, I scoped each and every one of them and proudly stated to Ken that the herd was lucky that there was no legal bull, as I could easily hit each & every one of them, using the Alpine Fir as my rest. Two days earlier, I made a comment to him that I NEVER shoot beyond 300 yards simply because I am not that confident in my own abilities to risk a less-than-mortal wounding shot at a greater distance. After watching the herd lounge around for nearly an hour without a legal bull showing up, I pulled out a rangefinder that Ken's son-in-law loaned us, barely remembering that we had it in our midst. Much to my shock, the Elk were between 385 and 405 yards away! My estimation BEFORE pulling out the "proofreader" was 275 yards, and I actually thought that I was a pretty good judge of distance!! Talk about a dose of humble pie! Regardless, the humility of being off by more than 100 yards was easy enough to swallow, but it did make me realize that particular conditions in the elements and terrain can cause errors in judgement, hence, increasing the possiblity of an errant shot.

Bottom line, if you say 400 yds, unless you have a rangefinder, you may just as well be shooting 500, 550, etc. This is why the larger, longer range cartridges would be my suggestion. As I have said along with many others, shoot within the means of your rifle and your own abilities and you'll yield good results. Now get yourself that Savage 99 in a .308 and save me an elk Tenderloin ! Happy Hunting.

 

[35 Whelen]

If you're set up to load the '06, then to me it would be a logical choice. If however, you're like me and you look for any excuse to reload a new cartridge, the choice is simple: 35 Whelen. Can be loaded with everything from lightweight lead 38 Special bullets for small game and plinking, right up to 310 gr. Woodleighs. I currently use the 225 gr. Barnes TSX at almost 2700 fps. We've also successfully used the 225 gr. Partition and the 250 gr. Speer. I could go on and on, but as they a say, a picture (or pictures) is/are worth a thousand words.
All killed with either mine or my Dad's Whelen:








Good luck with your choice!
35W

 

[Sunray]

"...Can't use heavy bullets..." You don't need heavy bullets or a magnum, of any kind, for elk. 140 grain .270's have killed elk for eons. A 165 .30-06 will kill any game you care to hunt with no fuss.
A .30 calibre 165 grain hunting bullet out of an M1(or any .30-06 or .308. Both cartridges love that bullet weight) will not bother the rifle either. The rifle was designed to use .30 M1 ammo with its 174.5 grain bullet, not .30 M2 ammo's 152 grain bullet. Mind you, as mentioned, lugging an M1 isn't fun. You, your M1 and its load needs to be accurate enough to hit a 9" pie plate every time, off hand, at at least 100 yards.
Your eye sight is another issue. M1's definitely don't take scope mounts well.
Your M44 would do it too, but at closer range due to the barrel length and poor sights.
"...why the larger, longer range cartridges would be my suggestion..." They won't compensate for poor range estimations.

 

[Pilot]

Be a hunter, not just a shooter.

Truer words were never said. All those calibers are fine. If you come to Colorado to hunt Elk, get on a treadmill at high altitude. Caliber is secondary.

 

[MountainWalk]

I myself, love elk hunting roosevelts and rocky mountain elk with my 338 win mag. But as a elk hunting guide, I love it when a hunter uncases a 30-06 and loads it with 220 grainers. Pretty low tech, but my personal exp shows me that the 220's require less shots and shorter if any follow up than the 180's or 165's. The 220's penetrate game like a frieght train gone mad.

 

[csd4682]

I recomeend a 270 wsm, if you hand load you can use 160 grain bullet. The recoil is very acceptable. I just purchased a model seven in the 270 wsm. I am a small person 5'8 150lbs, and I would rather shoot this over my 12ga with buck shot any day. No matter what the caliber you choose, I highly recommend you take a look at the model seven. I honestly have never shot such a nice rifle. It is perfectly balanced, amazing 3lb trigger right out of the box. Worth checking out.

 

[Wedge]

Truer words were never said. All those calibers are fine. If you come to Colorado to hunt Elk, get on a treadmill at high altitude. Caliber is secondary.

Pilot, good suggestion. I am in pretty good shape (5'10",190lbs, 15% body fat) but not used to altitude.

The only time recoil bugged me was shooting 203gr bullets out of my M44 in a t-shirt from a bench...ouch! I would like to try the big boys, but will probably stick with what I know (.30-'06) unless I can justify other really big game hunts.

35Whelen, you know I'm always looking for excuses for more calibers I'm always looking for an excuse for a new gun as well.

 

[Pilot]

but will probably stick with what I know (.30-'06) unless I can justify other really big game hunts.

Wedge. The .30-06 has killed more Elk than any other caliber. You will be fine. It is suitable for any game found in North America.