Elk Rifle Opinions

[Cycletroll]

Nuthin wrong with a .300 Winnie. I've thought of getting one to consolidate bores (I shoot .308 in an AR platform) but just find that my 7mm Mag will handle everything from antelope to Oryx and elk without so much recoil and blast. Barrel life is better too. I handload and it's an easy and efficient cartridge.

I really like the flexibility of 7mm and its efficiency at long range is incredible especially given the relatively low recoil.

Good luck with your choice.

 

[Huckelberry75]

TSK1975:
Anything under 300yds and you will be just fine with the 30-06. Personally, I usually carry a 300, because of the wide open valleys on the ranch that I hunt. Having said that, see below..

bentongunclub:
My last elk was killed with an old sporterized Nazi stamped 8mm. She took a grand total of zero steps when she piled up. Of course that might be because she was walking away and I put the little copper pill just below her ear.....

 

[WYcoyote]

I have taken 26 elk and as far as I'm concerned your choice of a .300 Win Mag is spot on.
One or two elk out of ten will astound you with their will to live. These are not whitetails on the back 40. most deer cartridges are only " adequate" elk rounds.
The 300 will not make up for poor shooting, but will help on less than ideal angles.
One better is the 338 Win Mag.
The model I have and recommend is the Winchester Model 70.

 

[GJgo]

I agree with most of the other posts. I would suggest a) buy a Swarovski. Mine's a 3-10, all you need for Elk. They like to move at first & last light & the scope makes a BIG difference there. b) Any of the rifles suggested w/ heavy bonded bullets will do you fine.

Personally I use a 300 WSM. I also have a (heavier) 300WM but it kicks a lot harder so it's my backup. Honestly if I had it to do over again with the experience i have now I'd have gotten a 308. Stoke it with TSX & it'll drop any elk that walks.

 

[StringTwelve]

Well, I ended up going the less expensive route and sticking with the .270. I have a VX-3 Leupold 4.5 - 14 x 40mm in gunmetal gray coming from Midway along with rings and mounts (on sale $160 off). A new Boyd lightweight thumbhole stock in pepper gray with arcaglass bedding pack. And a Timney 1.5 to 4lb trigger assembly.

Also have a selection of 130gr and 150gr bullets for working up some deer and elk loads the 700 likes.

 

[tango2echo]

Sounds like a great plan! Put it all together and let us know how it works out.


t2e

 

[Huckelberry75]

That ought to get it done. Keep us posted.

 

[Idaho Slim]

Kudos on a intelligent choice. I just picked up a VX III myself for a new rifle.

A suggestion on loads, as you will get plenty, my choice seems to work well, stay with the 130 gr. boatail at 3000-3050 fps, everyone trys to improve on this time-tested choice, and the Godfather of the .270 O'Conner was not wrong. It might save you time (unless you just want to test which is always fun). The 150 has little advantage over the 130gr, and loses advantge at longer distances IMHO. I have seen it's results first hand all the way out to 500 ish yds on bull Elk, which could happen on you location. I shoot the 130 gr. BST, my chrono shows 3050 fps all day long.

Best of luck with your dream hunt!

 

[35 Whelen]

All these New Mexico bulls, and one not pictured, were killed by my father and I with 35 Whelens at ranges from 44 to 355 yards. Mine's one I built on a Mauser action with a Burris 4X scope, his a Remington 700 Classic with a Leupold 4X scope. I use the Barnes 225 gr. TSX at close to 2700 fps exclusively. REMARKABLE penetration. The only one I've ever recovered is pictured above and it travelled the entire length of the bulls body.
The smallest bull pictured was killed with a 250 Speer at a hair over 2500 fps. Impressive destruction, but not much penetration.
I've yet to kill a bull that dropped in his tracks...they appear to me to be tough animals. But the simple fact is this: if you put a bullet through both lungs, they WILL die. Period.
I killed my first bull (not pictured) years ago in Colorado with a 7x57 handloaded with Hornady 154 gr. SP's. This year I drew a NM cow tag, and I think I'll carry my tried and true Ruger 77 in 280. Loaded with 160 gr. Partitions running right at 2900 fps, I have absolutely no doubt that it will do the job.
All that being said, I sort of understand the OP'er wanting a 300 WM, but in my experience, alot of this has to do with machismo as someone else mentioned. Over the years, when talking to other hunters I've noticed how their body posture changes when they mention they hunt with a ________ Magnum. Sort of like driving a 2011 Chevy Z71 instead of a beat-up 92 Nissan 4x4. They'll both get you to the same places, but the new Z71 just sounds better!

Several years ago a friend of mine proudly told me he'd been hunting deer and hogs here in Texas with a 300 RUM. I managed to keep a straight face and listen politely. He finally got around to the fact that the recoil was more than he could stand. This of course made it nearly impossible for him to use the rifle effectively.
Good luck!
35W

 

[elkdomBC]

nice animals you have there 35Whelen, I can appreciate how serious you cherish your personal elk hunting quests,,

X2 on using a rifle that is comfortable/familiar and the recoil is manageable for the shooter,

I have also harvested many big elk, and used many different calibers in doing so, from .270Win and 7mm in ,280Rem up to .416 caliber, the key is being able to make the perfect/lethal shot,

a quality tough bullet, and a well placed shot !

 

[rajb123]

My first elk hunt was 20 years ago and I bought a Winchester M70 with control round feading in 338WM.

The gun is too much for me. The recoil is very nasty and the gun is heavy too. ...not a good choice really.

 

[StringTwelve]

Well here she is. All dressed up and ready to go.

Boyd Featherweight Stock
Timney Adjustable Trigger
Acraglass Bedding
Leupold VX-III w/ Boone and Crockett Crosshairs
Leupold Mounts

Now to the handloads...

 

[Sock Puppet]

That turned out excellent! I think you'll be very happy with your choice. Let us know how she does!

 

[Smokey in PHX]

You have enough suggestions now to make a perfect choice. I have hunted elk for about 40 years and have shot around 33 from what I remember. During that time I have guided a lot of customers on elk hunting trips and have seen elk shot with everything from .243 to .375 H&H magnum. I have three 300WM and have used them for the last 11 years and it works fine as do most of your regular whitetail rounds.

The key is hitting the elk in the right place with the first shot. Wounded elk go a long way and head for the nastiest places. Your .270 will work just fine if that is what you decide to use. Get a range finder so you know the range. I don't believe I ever shot one over 225 yards. But I hunt heavy timber when possible. By the way the biggest elk I ever shot was with a 30-30 with a 170 gr bullet at 40 yards. He never took a step.

 

[GarMan]

Damn Smokey! I keep hearing that the poor homely 30-30 can't kill anything. HAHA. I love hearing stories about the 30-30 dropping game in their tracks.

 

[paul105]

First, 35Whelan -- absolutely gorgeous pictures.

Second, StringTwelve -- Looks like you made your choice. No problems here, in fact the Leupold 4.5 x 14 is one of my favorites -- light weight, excellent eye relief, great optics -- a fine choice.


Unless you are hunting on horseback, with a guide, or your are in great physical shape, weight become a serious consideration in elk country.

My son carried a Winchester M70, 26" bbl, .300 Win Mag, complete with the Leup 4.5 x 14, harris bipod, sling, butt cuff w/9 cartridges for a little over 15 yrs hunting elk in the Montana Rockies. That rifle weighed over 10 lbs, scoped, full cartridge butt cuff, loaded magazine, sling, et al. Now, a macho teenager/young adult doesn't have any problem lugging that rig over multiple drainages at 6,000 to 8,000 feet, all day long, but ultimately the weight becomes a real problem.

A couple of years ago, that rifle became a burden. A Browning Titanium Mountain rifle in 300 Win Short Mag was it's replacement. Equipped with a 4.5 x 14 Leupold (Boone and Crocket reticle), loaded magazine, 9 round butt cuff, Harris bipod, and sling it weighs right at 8 lbs. Loaded with 168 gr Barnes Tipped TSX, and Reloader 19, it chronos 3,100 fps, and groups less than 2" at 200 yards. It is a fine "mountain rifle". Here's a picture of first blood.



Paul

 

[gamestalker]

I've killed elk and bear not to mention smaller game with a .270 win. without any second shot necessary. But if you want something a little bigger you can go with a Rem. 700 in 7mm Rem. mag. or a Savage. Either of those two can be scoped with a good quality Leupold, and you'll get out the door at well under $1500 and even under a grand if you spend a little time looking for the right deal.
One of the biggest mistakes I've seen over the years when someone is setting up a hunting rifle is they will drop a ton of cash on a rilfe, and then put garbage optics on it. I worked in the retail end of gun sales and saw this quite often. In my opinion and experience, a $500 rilfe with a $300 - $400 optic on it is going to take care of business with confidence v.s. a $1500 - $2000 rifle with a $150 garbage optic on it. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with dropping a chunk on change on a quality rilfe providing your going to put a high quality optic on it, other wise you have an expensive piece of %#@&.

 

[Javelin]

I agree with Art. But this elk subject has been shot up every way possible. Definitely want a good 30 caliber rifle.

I have seen folks starting to use a 150gr. 300 Blackout cartridge to hunt big game such as elk with pretty good success. The sky is the limit these days I guess.

 

[Huckelberry75]

Using a 300 Blackout for large game like an elk seems negligent, unless you are standing on top of the animal.

As for the Harris bipod, they are excellent pieces of equipment, but to me not necessary on a true mountain rifle. Instead of putting an extra 20-30 ounces on your gun, learn to shoot from field positions using rocks, logs, tree branches, your day pack or anything else handy. Heck, my buddy took his first elk using my left shoulder as a rest.

When it comes to hunting the mountains, every ounce counts.

 

[StringTwelve]

Well the .270 handload was a success. Took this younger bull at 300 yards with a Seirra Game King 150gr. in front of 51gr of Hodgdon 4831SC. He dropped 30 feet from the shot.
Not a trophy but I'm happy with my first elk. He looks great in the freezer.

 

[Sock Puppet]

Fine looking elk!

 

[rori]

I used to work sight in day at my gun club. The guys that came out with the 06, 270, 308 etc would come out shoot their rifle check its zero and go elk hunting. The guys that came out with 300mags, 7mags 338mags etc would flinch, close their eyes etc in the end I had to zero them for them as their flinching wouldn't allow them to shoot the rifle well. They either asked me to shoot them for them or I would ask after they spread 3 or more shots all over the paper or miss it completely. I've got a lot of rifles in the magnum class but my old 270 and my fairly new 06 with Barnes X bullets kill with devistating effectiveness and don't push the hell out of you. Frank

 

[BrocLuno]

So save the .300 for the water buffalo and go with the .270 seems to be the majority vote here. Again, I appreciate all the input.
I plan on doing some more studying before I make a final decision. Going with the .270 and having some extra money for a range finder, nicer scope, etc. sounds like a good option.

Any last comments from the .300 win mag supporters?

Good optics with good low light transmission (both scope and binocs) and a good Leica range finder (or equal) are just the ticket

You already have the rifle as you found out

 

[sixgunner455]

Nice elk! It's excellent when plans come together.

 

[Idaho Slim]

Congratulations Sir! A very fine trophy.