Recommendations for an Elk Rifle

[bp_cowboy]

Another vote for the 30-06

I used to elk hunt in WA and most of the guys that I met all hunted with an 06 or a 7mm Mag. From a handloading perspective I would get the 30-06 or a .308, because the choice of loads, availability of ammo, and lots of rifles chambered in that caliber.

 

[lwaldron]

Mosin Nagant

I don't hunt anymore. I just got tired of gutting and skinning.
But a friend of mine likes to shoot elk. I'm wondering if my Mosin Nagant 91/30 in 7.62x54r, with a suitably heavy bullet, would be sufficient for an elk? Why buy a pricey Remchester if my tack-driver $90 milsurp rifle will do the job?

 

[phantomak47]

I know this may be a stretch but is a 300 savage with 150grain bullets be any good for Elk? I have an old savage 99 that I love to death and I hunt whitetail with, I was always wondering if that would be enough...I know its about shot placement and Knock down power is a myth.thanks

 

[KarbineKrazy]

.300 sav use to be like THE elk cartridge according to my grandpa. This was in the '50s....

 

[Litefoot]

Sorry, Litefoot, I did not mean to imply that I did, or that anyone should, hunt with milsurp ammo. However, the cheaper the ammo, the more one can practice. After I bought a .308, and found South African surplus at $40 per 240 rounds (IIRC), I shot more out of the .308 in a few weeks than I did out of my other hunting rifles in 10 years, where I’d buy a box of ammo, sight in the scope, and then use maybe 5-10 rounds a year. If we are talking about a person who is not into reloading, the use of cheap practice ammo allows an opportunity to become very familiar with the gun without a lot of cost or effort. In my own situation, I have become a much better shooter thanks to a .308 and cheap practice ammo. I have fun shooting and striving for good groups, something I never did with an ’06 (with a hard butt plate) or .338 Winchester Magnum. BTW, the accuracy of .308 milsurp is on par with factory ammo. With the right hunting ammo, the effective range is 300 yards, which I would be willing to bet is more than most people should be shooting anyway.

Wyo,
Makes perfect sense to me. And don't apologize. You just gave this old guy something to think about.

 

[stevelyn]

What Vern Humphrey said.

.30-06, if ya want more power you can put it on Federal High-Energy or Hornady Light Magnum steroids.

 

[Okiecruffler]

My pop took many an elk with the 300 savage that now hangs on my wall. Most shots were in fairly close 150yrds or so, but that Savage proved itself to be quite adaquate for the task.

 

[mountainclmbr]

Hey Okiecruffler,

Have you done any hunting with that Contender in 444? With the right bullet I bet that would take an elk.

 

[El Rojo]

I often wonder about some of these threads myself. Shooting isn't hard. If the guy was in the military he knows how to shoot. Lets think about this from a simplicity standpoint. As a new shooter, what has the greatest variety of abilities, but with the added power to more efficiently kill elk? The .30-06! Hands down. The variation in kick from a suped up heavy .308 bullet and a .30-06 is not going to be enough to effect a guy pumped up with adrenaline from pulling the trigger on his first elk. Keep it simple guys. He isn't target shooting, he is hunting elk. He can always upgrade later if he wants.

 

[Mgraff]

I've always used my .338 Win Mag, but I've seen quite few taken, some with calibers as small as .270 and as big as 45/70. 30/06 would be my personal starting point, but that's just me. I like .30 cals and bigger for Elk, but I use a .338 on everything, my .257AI has become a varmit gun . As with most hunting it is more about being responsible knowing your equipment, limits and taking well placed shots. Shooting Elk at 600yrds is not doable for most people, beside of all the ELK I've taken and seen taken (ALOT) only one was over 350yrds. most were 80-200yrds. Caliber will be secondary to accuracy and good/ ethical hunting tactics. when it comes to caliber... Shoot what you shoot well!!!

 

[Okiecruffler]

mountainclmbr

I don't hunt anymore, and the .444 barrel is pretty new. But dad had a 444 barrel for his Contender and carried it for downed animals while hunting. He did take an elk with it alone once. Hit at about 60 yrds with a 240gr sp. It ran for about 50 yrds before giving it up. That was the most brutal thing I've ever shot! It was a 10 inch rechambered 44 mag barrel with one of the old style skinny wooden grips. Mine is a rechambered 14" 44 mag with a 4 inch maximizer break on it. It only kicks abit worse than it did when it was just a 44, but you have to wear plugs and muffs when you shoot it.

 

[Gewehr98]

Another vote for the venerable .30-06.

Although, to be honest, most of the Wyoming elk I've dropped were taken with a 200gr 8x57 Mauser handload, through an old 98 Mauser sporter. No "magnumitis" for me, thank you.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Although, to be honest, most of the Wyoming elk I've dropped were taken with a 200gr 8x57 Mauser handload, through an old 98 Mauser sporter. No "magnumitis" for me, thank you.

And to be honest here, my elk rifle is Bigfoot Wallace, a custom '03 Springfield in .35 Brown-Whelen, the most radical form of the Whelen. While not a magnum, it drives a 225-grain Nosler Partition Jacket over my Shooting Chrony at 2,800 fps.

 

[5x5]

You can't go wrong with an '06. If it were me, I'd get a Remington 7600 carbine in '06. I'd top it with a Trijicon accupoint 1.25-4X in Warn or Talley QD rings and mounts. It will group with a bolt action to 300 yards and is nimble in the tight stuff. I like the fast follow up since most elk will run after being shot. One or two insurance shots can shorten up the recovery. The best thing is this is what I use for whitetail and black bear too. -Ian

 

[El Rojo]

I like the fast follow up since most elk will run after being shot.

Hmmm, interesting. I have never been elk hunting, but do they differ from deer or coyotes that run a few yards or maybe a hundred at the most and then fall over dead? I would think shooting at a running elk would be a good way to ruin a lot of meat. I know it is that way for deer.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Hmmm, interesting. I have never been elk hunting, but do they differ from deer or coyotes that run a few yards or maybe a hundred at the most and then fall over dead? I would think shooting at a running elk would be a good way to ruin a lot of meat. I know it is that way for deer.

Elk are often shot in the "dark timber" -- heavy spruce forests, where close, but fast shots are common. You often cannot see the whole animal, and must take what shots you can get -- at a moving animal, more often than not. Elk are BIG, too -- almost as big as a horse. Small calibers are generally to be avoided, and I like a cartridge and bullet combination that gives deep penetration.

 

[DT Guy]

The only drawback to the 30-06 is that it's boring.

Its long, solid history of cleanly taking most everything on the planet notwithstanding...



Larry

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The only drawback to the 30-06 is that it's boring.

Its long, solid history of cleanly taking most everything on the planet notwithstanding...



Larry

It's so boring that I own five of them.

A Ruger M77 -- the old shotgun safety version, that I've had for more than 30 years.

A pre-64 Winchester Model 70 (mine was made in 1939.)

Two M1903A3s (one Remington and one Smith-Corona)

And an M1 Garand.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I don't hunt anymore. I just got tired of gutting and skinning.
But a friend of mine likes to shoot elk. I'm wondering if my Mosin Nagant 91/30 in 7.62x54r, with a suitably heavy bullet, would be sufficient for an elk? Why buy a pricey Remchester if my tack-driver $90 milsurp rifle will do the job?

I'm not knocking your MN, but they are a tad unwieldy in the Dark Timber, and the safety is not the fastest in a shoot-quick-or-forever-hold-your-peace situation.

I also find that a scope is a great advantage.

 

[Northwest Cajun]

Someone has said it already, The Warm loaded 45-70 w/ 405gr bullets.
0-200 yds, in the trees or out in the open.
Last year I used a 405 Rem traveling at 1700fps to knock (an already wounded) 4x4 bull off it's feet at about 50 yds. The guy standing next to me said it didn't just fall over but it lifted up, moved a couple of feet back then flipped. He was quite impressed The shot was in the deep dark woods where I could only see the front and back legs, no head or tail.
The rifle was a Marlin Guide gun "scout"
The 30-06 (1903Mk1 w/165Bonded bullets at 2800fps)was back in the truck, I didn't make up my mind on which to use untill I woke up that morning. It's alwayse good to have a back up.

Cajun

 

[ClarkEMyers]

I'd suggest a .30-'06 I might even use one myself

I'd suggest a .30-'06 I might even use one myself. I've owned '06 rifles in autoloader, bolt and double rifle and liked them all. I can't imagine a better first choice although there are many which might be a better choice if the selection is to be biased toward elk and something else. That said I'm most likely to go with a Steyr Dragoon pseudo-scout in .376 these days for kicking the thickets and I've carried from 7mm up.

Have to try hard to go wrong with a rifle, more likely for a first time not too sure hunter to be too chintzy on optics - if you don't end up with more money in scope and binoculars than in the rifle you did it wrong for self guided elk hunting.

 

[BusMaster007]

Browning BAR stalker in .30-06.

For a beginning shooter, this would be a great gun. Gas operated to reduce the recoil.
Proper instruction will help in controlling the impulse to keep pulling the trigger unless it's necessary.
Nothing wrong with an autoloader if it's a good one and used correctly.
Good Luck.

 

[greg531mi]

Get yourself a pack of mules, and hitch up an 88 to it, don't have to worry about recoil!!! One shot will bring down the mountain!!!
Really, all these new magnums, that kicks like a mule, cost $30 a box for ammo, flinch gets so bad, that your eyes twitter for a week...and you can't hit the broadside of a barn with it. That's my opinion on magnums...
By the way, a 308 has 14.7 lbs of recoil, a 30-06 is 18.9 lbs!!!
After lugging that rifle up a mountainside, you can tell the difference between 308 lightweight at 7 lbs and an 30-06 at 8 lbs...but they are both good calibers, and can find the ammo anywhere!!!
Heck, in the old days, they took elk with 30-30 and 30-40's!!!
As long as you can shoot straight and hit something in the right spot, that's the important thing!!!

 

[artherd]

a .30-06 will do just fine, but I'd use my .338 Lapua if I were to go. Just for giggles, and because it's my more accurate gun.

Shot placement is everything. With a sufficently heavy and penetrating (75-100gr copper solid say) I'm convinced one could take an Elk with a .223.

Thougha .50BMG loaded with 750gr AMAX will do a better job

 

[Sleeping Dog]

I'm wondering if my Mosin Nagant 91/30 in 7.62x54r, with a suitably heavy bullet, would be sufficient for an elk?

Heck, yes. Virtually same power as 30-06, 8mm, 308, that range.

Just stuff a soft-point .303 cal in the case. Dia is .311-.312, which is same as british .303, IIRC.

Regards.