Western hunting Caliber.

[JeffRaines]

Some folks remind me of a guy that worked at a local big box store that told me and my buddy we need at minimum a .416 Rigby for black bear.

I didn't say anything, but I'm pretty sure my facial expression told on me

 

[T.R.]

My elk rifle is a Savage 99 in .308 and my longest shot was approx 225 yards. I've hunted with 180 grain core-lokt ammo and never been disappointed. We hunt within the Bear Lodge Mountains of Wyoming.

Good hunting to you!

TR

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

I guess I will put in a vote as well. I would recommend the .270 or 7mm to cover both bases. Both bullets are prized for their flatter trajectories, especially at longer distances. You can find ammo on most store shelves across the country. I use a .30-06 for my general hunting but it is a lobber at longer distances. My shots are typically no longer than 150 yards where I hunt.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Worry less about caliber, worry more about bullet construction and what style of hunting you do. If you are a dark timber cruiser, a heavier deep penetrating caliber/ bullet is a better bet. If you are a ridge sitter then you might want to be set up for longer range equipment.

I do both, I've killed some 30+ elk over the years. My two favorite elk rounds are a .30-06 with a 180gr TSX or a .375 with a 270 gr TSX. My longest elk kill to date was @ 447 yards with the .375H&H. I have found no difference in knock down or killing power between a .30-06 or any of the .300 mags. The only thing you gain with .300 mag of any kind over an 06 is about 50 to 75 yards increased max point blank range. The last elk I killed with a .30-06 was at 233 yards with a 180gr TSX. The bullet hit just behind the on shoulder blew through the heart and lungs and exited the off shoulder after breaking the big bone where the blade and the long bone come together.

My favorite way to hunt elk is up close and personal in thick, dark, timber. That is where something with some penetration comes in real handy, thus the .375H&H. These Best of the West guys with their 1,000 yard plus shots on camera do nothing for me. To each their own, and I get my max enjoyment when up close a personal with elk.

I like a rifle,scope, and bullet combo that allows me choices in how I hunt. I like to be able to cruise timber and handle off angle shots or make that 300+ yard shot when it is presented. There is no right or wrong answer but the things I like in an elk rifle are;
Ease of carry
Fast handling
Low mounted low power variable scope
Short and handy
A well constructed bullet that won't break up or stop on heavy bone
A caliber and bullet weight combo that will penetrate to the vitals from all angles
Flat enough trajectory and be well practiced enough to make shots out to 400ish yards

The man matters far more than the machine. The bullet matters more than the case. I don't understand why every greenhorn in elk country automatically assumes that every shot oportunity is going to be at 500+ yards. I just don't take those shots and it hasn't slowed down my success rate one tiny little bit. If the wind is blowing my shot envelope shrinks considerably below 400 yards BTW. Environmental conditions matter.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Ease of carry
Fast handling
Low mounted low power variable scope
Short and handy
A well constructed bullet that won't break up or stop on heavy bone
A caliber and bullet weight combo that will penetrate to the vitals from all angles
Flat enough trajectory and be well practiced enough to make shots out to 400ish yards

Which is French for "99 Savage in .308 Winchester."

 

[H&Hhunter]

Which is French for "99 Savage in .308 Winchester."

No doubt about it.

 

[ZeroJunk]

I bow hunted elk for close to twenty years and lost count of the big herd bulls I could get within 100 yards. Of course, the rut is a whole different deal, not that I am a great hunter or anything. But, I sure would have love to have had a muzzle loader.

 

[morcey2]

My elk was taken with my .270, and my party had a 7mm Mauser, '06, and 6 mm. All perfectly adequate. But, what do we know?

270, 7mm Mauser, and '06 are all fine. 6mm (assuming 6mm Remington) is smaller than I'd go for elk, even with premium bullets. Would it kill it? Probably. I know people who have killed elk with a 22-250. If I had to kill something in order for my family to eat, it was all I had, and an unfortunate elk showed up within range, I'd take the shot. The absolute smallest caliber I'd be comfortable with making a clean kill on an elk is my 257 Roberts with 120 gr Nosler Partition, but that would have to be at most a 200 yard shot and preferably less than 150 yards.

If I had to grab a gun right now to go shoot an elk, it would be my 30-06. I have a good load with 165 gr Nosler partition and H4350 that would get the job done. I'd prefer a little heavier bullet, but I've never worked up a load for any yet. Close behind would be one of my 7mm Mausers, also with partitions.

Matt

 

[ScrapMetalSlug]

The time I spent hunting out west I used an 8mm for elk, but I have since sold that gun and would use a 30-06 with 180 grain corelokts if I was going hunting out west this season. I have a savage 116 weather warrior in 30-06. I've hunted elk out in Colorado in both the Sangres de Christo mountains and west elk wilderness area.

Why would you need to shoot an elk from 500 yards? Nothing against shooting that far if you are up to it, but I generally try to get as close as I can without spooking animals when I hunt. You should have no problem getting within 300 yards without spooking elk. It is probably challenging to see an elk and actually have a shot at 500 yards, under 200 yards is more common than you think. In fact, I've got within 100 yards on several occasions. Use terrain and wind to your advantage.

I've never hunted pronghorn, but I know guys hunt them with a bow , so a 30-06 should be fine. At 500 yards or any distance, the shooter not the rifle is usually the limiting factor.

 

[Mr. Hill]

For elk and prongs, 7mm Rem Mag. That'll give you good trajectory for the longer shots. And I suppose it could be considered a classic Western caliber.

Edited to add: your assumption that the.308 lacks sufficient power for elk is absolutely incorrect, it's a great caliber for elk - just like the .270 and the '06 and many others.

 

[entropy]

Elk hunters that I know use everything from a 25/06 to a 375 H&H. Use what you can shoot well and use a well constructed bullet like a Nosler partition. Please don't shoot at an elk or an antelope at 500 yards if you can get closer. I blame those long range shows on TV for this new concept of shooting at game that is way out there. It can and has been done, but most HUNTERS can get closer and make a one shot kill.

Well said. Long range shots aren't a new concept or fad however. The Magnums (Win.,Wby.& Rem.) introduced in the '50s brought about a fad of long shots on elk and muleys. i remember a cartoon I saw in an early 70's Gun Digest that had Alfred E. Newman kneeling with a dead ram, saying "What me, worry? I never miss with these here new SerraDay bullets, when I'm whanging away from one glacier t' the other. Saves all that sneakin' up bit, whut some folks call huntin'."

 

[Sunray]

"...think a .308 is too small for a humane kill on an elk at 300-500 yards..." Nope, but 500 is too far for most hunter's skill. Ballistics of a 165, for example, shows the bullet drops like a brick past 300 when sighted in at 250ish. Drops 17.9" at 400. 39.3 at 500. Hunting shots at those distances are beyond the skill level of the average hunter. There is, however, sufficient energy at 500 for a clean kill.
"...My gut says .300 WM..." Ain't no game in North America that requires a magnum, of any kind, to kill cleanly with one shot. The .300 Mag uses the same bullet as the .308 you think is too small as well. It also requires practice time on a range that with any magnum just isn't fun. And a 165 drops like a brick past 300 too. 10.6" at 400 when sighted in at 275 yards. 25.7" at 500.
And the drop is just a wee part of it. Can you read the wind? Doesn't take much of it to move a .30 calibre bullet several feet off target at 300 plus yards.
Don's "if you can place a clean kill shot in hunting conditions at that distance" is within a 9" or so circle at 500.

 

[CoRoMo]

I use .270 Winchester almost yearly on antelope, mule deer, and yes elk too.

I have a couple 30-06 rifles, but have yet to hunt with either. I have more rifles in .270 Winchester and I prefer it far above the other hunting rifle calibers in the safe.

 

[RPRNY]

30-06. 180gr at 2800 on elk to 300 yards and 130 - 150 grs on pronghorns to 400.

Nobody has any business taking 500 yard shots on elk and if that's the plan, the issue isn't going to be cartridge. Antelope are not particularly hardy but they are rather tricky to sneak up on. I use the Win 270 on antelope and Barnes 130s. The .308 130 may be slightly less sleek but if you are using one rifle for both, it's not much of a compromise.

 

[Paul7]

I shot a pretty good group at 600 yards a few years ago just messing around. It wasn't but about three feet below where I thought it should be.

Try it when you're out of breath at 8K', with no benchrest.

 

[ZeroJunk]

Try it when you're out of breath at 8K', with no benchrest.

No way. I killed a pretty nice buck yesterday afternoon at 100 yards and I had to use my chair for a rest to do that.