I just found out today that I drew an antlerless elk tag for right out my back door in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

With all these threads about 270 vs 280, who has killed how many elk, suitable elk cartridges, I am more confused than ever.

So please help me decide.

Question:
Which combo would you use for antlerless elk?

Choices:
22-250 with 53gr TSX
270 WCF with 130gr TSX
338-06 with 210gr TSX
9.3x64 Brenneke with 293gr TUG
404 Jeffery with 400gr DGX

 

When I hunted South Dakota last year I used a 9.3X62 and Nosler Accubonds for ridgeline/woods hunting and a 30-06 with Nosler 180 partition for more opportunities.

If I didn't know the terrain and trail patterns I'd take the 9.3.
Shotgun

Of the ones you listed I would go with the .338-06 with 210 gr. TSX's.

quote:

Originally posted by cobra:
Of the ones you listed I would go with the .338-06 with 210 gr. TSX's.

X2 roger

For a cow Elk, I would choose the .270Win., one of the best Elk rounds out there and easy to carry and shoot. I use 150NPs in mine and some 150ABs are loaded for testing and practice.

The 9.3 Brenneke is a wonderful round and two of my Elk hunting buddies have them and use them to considerable effect, but, the recoil is a bit "pushy", if that concerns you.

Recoil is not an issue with the 9.3. I had a 416 Rigby that proved to be too much. I haven't shot the Jeffery yet, just got the feeding issues worked out.

I should get 250gr TSX load worked up for the Brenneke, just haven't had time. It shoots the factory ammo very well.

338-06

338.06 would be my vote.

I would use any but the first and last. Of the three remaining, I'd use whichever I could shoot the best.

That said, my last elk hunt was a success using a .338-06 with the lowly Hornady 225 SP.

Like most of us on this site, I have several rifles that are ideal for elk or whatever. To avoid causing hurt feelings in the ole gun safe, I bring 2-3 for each trip and use them all. Too many rifles, not enough seasons.

To answer your question, I'd bring the 270, 338-06 and 9.3 and use all of them!

i'd take the 270 win, and some accurate 150gr ammo (preferebly partitions or accubonds)

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:
For a cow Elk, I would choose the .270Win., one of the best Elk rounds out there and easy to carry and shoot. I use 150NPs in mine and some 150ABs are loaded for testing and practice.

The 9.3 Brenneke is a wonderful round and two of my Elk hunting buddies have them and use them to considerable effect, but, the recoil is a bit "pushy", if that concerns you.

Crow gun.

Mike, you have been shooting too many .460s and Lotts and Rigbys, we are talking COW ELK here, not friggin' Mastodons!

You jusr won't be happy until you are packing a .585 Nyati or .700 H&H when hunting Blacktails!

The .270 is well suited for the task. Many many elk have been taken with this cartridge in an efficient quick manner.

Good luck

quote:

Originally posted by cobra:
Of the ones you listed I would go with the .338-06 with 210 gr. TSX's.

+1

you forgot 223 and 45/70

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
you forgot 223 and 45/70

and the .25 ACP.....

The .270 or .338/06 would be fine, with the edge going to the .338/06. But using monometal bullets is something of a roll of the dice. Some percentage of the time (although a fairly small percentage) monometals simply fail to expand. A Nosler Partition in the .270 or almost any jacketed lead bullet in the .338/06 would make me more comfortable.

22 hornet..

45 grain Barnes X bullet...

6.5 grains of Blue Dot...

....... .....

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Dewey:
Mike, you have been shooting too many .460s and Lotts and Rigbys, we are talking COW ELK here, not friggin' Mastodons!

You jusr won't be happy until you are packing a .585 Nyati or .700 H&H when hunting Blacktails! [/QUOTE

Just funnin with ya. The 270 will probably stick in.

I voted 338-06 becasue I love hunting w/ that round, but most cow elk aren't that big, the 270/280 would work fine w/ the right bullets. I have a 404j too, too heavy for most elk country, but a fine woods rig if you don't mind the weight. Hell, I would shoot deer with it.

quote:

we are talking COW ELK here, not friggin' Mastodons!

Exactly!!

Although all of the cartridges you listed will (and have) killed elk, I feel that the .270 is best suited for a cow elk hunt.

The last cow elk that I shot was with my 7 mm Rem mag and a 160 gr Accubond bullet. At the shot, she dropped in her tracks and rolled about 30 yds down the hill toward me, stopping dead against a bush. Cow elk are not that hard to kill, if the shot is properly placed.

quote:

To answer your question, I'd bring the 270, 338-06 and 9.3 and use all of them!

I will be hunting from home, so I can just switch out rifles for whichever suits my fancy for the day.

quote:

you forgot 223 and 45/70

I do not own either caliber. But that's the spirit I am looking for.

quote:

The .270 or .338/06 would be fine, with the edge going to the .338/06. But using monometal bullets is something of a roll of the dice. Some percentage of the time (although a fairly small percentage) monometals simply fail to expand. A Nosler Partition in the .270 or almost any jacketed lead bullet in the .338/06 would make me more comfortable.

Sorry, I have had way too many good results using TSX's. This may be blasphemous, but I just have not been that impressed with NP's, even though they are the standard. I would be more linclined to use a plain old Hornady Interlock.

I'd pick the .338-06 wth 210 NPs.

95% of the time it will be more than you need for a cow elk, but sometimes a little bigger, heavier bullet comes in handy. Depends on the angle, the bush, and your own mental set at the time. Better a little too much rifle or load than even the slightest bit too little of either.

17/22short bluedot?

404, as that was the largest you had listed, and its generaly a mild to shoot cartridge... don't you have any heavy mediums? (heh)

SD Hunter, Personally I'd go with the 339-06 and the 200gr Nosler Accubond. The .270 will certainly work, but not being a Barnes fan, I'd choose either the 140 AB or the 150 Partition. Any of those three will put your cow in the freezer.

quote:

Mike, you have been shooting too many .460s and Lotts and Rigbys, we are talking COW ELK here, not friggin' Mastodons!

I'm with Dewey on this one. You all know how we like the 270, but I am afraid this will turn in to a fiasco, once Ol' Hot Snatch shows up.

SD good for you on the tag, I got one in Arizona for Muzzell Loader this September. We should have some very good eats.

Jerry

I am not going to make time for load development this summer. Every load I listed is "in stock" and it shoots.

I am going to spend my free time scouting and enjoying the woods. I have not spent very much time in this unit. So I think my success will hinge more on scouting than the particular rifle/cartridge combination used. Looking forward to seeing some new country and learning the ins and outs.

I chose the 338-06 but my first choice would have been the 9.3x62 loaded with any conventional bullet 283gr.

Runner up would be the 8x60 -great round!

SDHunter:
Last year while hunting turkey, also scouting for elk, in the unit for which I now have the September cow tag, I took up a sitting stand under a little pine tree which had grown like a small rainbow. As I was sitting there enjoying the country and all it's sounds and critters, I caught a flash of movement off to one side. A few minutes latter, I had a herd of elk all over me, with the herd cow standing about 5 feet away from me, and wondering where that bad human smell was coming from. I sat very still for the next 20 minutes, and the herd milled around me, and got even closer. What a thrill! I have still not taken a shot at an elk much over 200yds, and this story I believe, is the norm for folks who know how to scout and hunt like an Indian. No need for a big bore under these conditions, I could have killed the cow with a 44 Mag pistol.

Jerry

quote:

Originally posted by MTM:

quote:

Originally posted by Dewey:
For a cow Elk, I would choose the .270Win., ...

Crow gun.

x2

Nice list of Cartridges. I'd go with the 338-06 out of that bunch. But I'd prefer a 350RemMag with either the Original Fred Barnes 200gr 0.032" thickness Copper Tubing Spitzer SPs, or the 200gr Hornady SPs.

Whichever cartridge you choose, stick a Barnes in it and go kill an elk.

quote:

Originally posted by seafire/B17G:
22 hornet..

45 grain Barnes X bullet...

6.5 grains of Blue Dot...

....... .....

told ya!

the 338-06 or 270 is fine.
i plain out use the 7x57 with hornady 139's or my 50 cal muzzle loader.
high/rear shoulder will work just fine.
elk hearts are at the top not the bottom.

You left out the BEST cartridge EVER the 35 Whelen!!!!!!!!!!!

Actually I've used a 270 Win with 150g Noslers to great effect for 35 years. Since my son's both now own identical 270s (lefty and righty, my younger son got mine), I have to use my 500 Jeffery.

So my new vote is: 500 Jeffery with 570g TSX!


Happy Fourth,

Chuck

quote:

Originally posted by the skirt wearing Queer teenScumee:
The .270 is well suited for the task. ...

[/QUOTE] This may be blasphemous, but I just have not been that impressed with NP's, even though they are the standard. I would be more linclined to use a plain old Hornady Interlock.[/QUOTE]

You're right that is blasphemy.

Scott: I like partitions in the 270,30-06, and the 35 Whelen. They have always been superb performers.
Here's a couple of instances I have experienced: with the 30-06, and 180 NP'S, 5 elk have been shot with my rifle, and 57 grains of IMR4350. All were pass thrus, even at 200yds, and all were down in seconds, not flop like with a 270,LOL, but drt.

As to the Interlocks, I find them frangible in applications which I have used them, and not as accurate as the NP'S. Example, a 154 Grain Hornady, @3100 fps out of a 7mmMag, bullet went in behind the shoulder, and blew up while traveling down the left leg, after clipping the heart and left lung. Elk ran for about 75 yds, and dropped dead.

Just my 02

Jerry

I use almost exclusively NPs in my big game rifles and have found them outstanding, especially the production since the early '90s.

I seriously doubt that a superior overall load for BC hunting/game to the .270-150, .280-160 and .30-06-180 NPs at 2900, 2825 and 2750 can be designed and many large Ek, Moose and Grizzlies are killed here, each year, with these outstanding loads.

I own, as of this past week, 35 big game rifles, from the .264WM to the .458WM and I load NPs in almost all of them and have for over 40 years. I have NO intention of changing this, just as I have no intention of giving up my guns and hunting until I literally can no longer move. They just plain work.