Going Elk hunting for the first time this fall and trying to decide what rifle to take. I have 2 rifle I use alot deer hunting. Remington 700 30/06 with a 180 gr speer mag tip bullet or a Weatherby vanguard 257 Mag with a nosler 120 gr Partition or a 120 gr Speer Grand Slam. The Weatherby shots very accurate at long distances. thank you

I did a quick search on Ar and there are several threads concerning the 257 Whby and Elk. I'd go with the 110 partition or Accubond!

From what I have seen the 257 Why is a good deer gun at 300 yards or better and will certainly kill elk if the bullet placement is right. But elk are considerably tougher and larger and tend to travel farther after being hit even with larger calibers. Personally I would go with the 06 and a stiff load behind a 180 grain Barnes TTSX. The guy I've hunted with who swears by his 257 as the ultimate deer killer uses a 338 RUM for elk.


If you are hunting a long way from any boundaries you can't cross legally and find tracking wounded animals to be an enjoyable part of the hunt then the lighter caliber might be the way to go. Just my opinion - you may drop a 900 lb bull in his tracks but the heavy. Premium bullet is what I would recommend.

Rusty, Thanks for the tip on the search. I did not no it was there. It's easy and works great.
Specneeds, Thats great advise and I know thats the right answer.

I wouldn't hesitate to take an elk with a 257 Wby. Choose a good 120gr bullet like the ones you've mentioned (or even a Barnes TSX) and go hunting. Elk are/have been taken with considerably lesser calibers and bullets for a long time now.

Which one do you shoot like you point your finger?

Either will work as described. With the bullets you've listed you'd probably not notice much difference if you have a choice shot. Where are you going? What kind of shot's are common? How are you hunting?

If it's open and you'll get to choose a shot just pick one. If you're stalking in thicker terrain I'd go with the heavier bullet that penetrates deeper. I like my .338WM for elk a lot and although it's not flat shooting it's rare for me to be wishing for a different rifle when chasing elk.

I've not used a .257Wby ever, but have used a .25-06 quite a bit and find it as effective as any .270W, and as always, it has much to do with shot placement.

The last time I was lucky enough to get drawn my '06 was the backup to my 338-378 Wby. My 257 stayed home. Sure, a well placed shot is important no matter what you use. My preference for elk is 30 cal and larger, they are pretty big animals after all.

Ken....

If you have both a 30-06 shooting 180gr bullets and a 257 Wby with 120s, I think it's a no-brainer to use the 30-06, all else being equal. While I love the 257 Wby and it may shoot great at long distances, a 120gr bullet doesn't have the momentum and frontal area at range to be adequate for long-range shots at Elk.

The '06 for sure and keep your distances reasonable. Can and have Elk been killed by a 257 Roy? Of course, but if your spending the time, effort and money, why not go with a proven performer on the wapiti? The '06 would be the choice in my book. Good luck and post pics when you return.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
If you have both a 30-06 shooting 180gr bullets and a 257 Wby with 120s, I think it's a no-brainer to use the 30-06, all else being equal. While I love the 257 Wby and it may shoot great at long distances, a 120gr bullet doesn't have the momentum and frontal area at range to be adequate for long-range shots at Elk.

Agreed,

I have a buddy who shoots elk here in Colorado with his .25-06. He uses the 120 Nosler Partition. It can be done BUT you need to be ultra careful with your shot.

IMHO it is too limiting to use a quarter bore on elk.

quote:

Originally posted by mojave:
Going Elk hunting for the first time this fall and trying to decide what rifle to take. I have 2 rifle I use alot deer hunting. Remington 700 30/06 with a 180 gr speer mag tip bullet or a Weatherby vanguard 257 Mag with a nosler 120 gr Partition or a 120 gr Speer Grand Slam. The Weatherby shots very accurate at long distances. thank you

Go with a quality 120g bullet and you have more than enough gun for elk. My 270 with 130g or 150g Partitions has always been more than enough to drop them.

I have a friend that uses a 257 for elk and it works fine. Knocks em dead!

Regards, Keith

I have a friend who uses a .22-250 on deer - knocks them dead. So would a .22RF - a friend used one to kill a brown bear in Alaska years ago. IMO using a marginal cartridge when the OP has a better option is foolish and disrespectful of the animal. But that's just me.....I learned not to use marginal cartridges many years ago. Anyone who thinks that any .25 caliber bullet will break through bones as well as a 180-grain .308 hasn't much large game killing experience.

BTW this thread is in the wrong forum.....


.

.30 cal minumum, 180gr plus quality bullet on elk. Over 25 years hunting and guiding elk hunters lets me make this claim/statement with a lot of first hand knowledge. Of course smaller caliburs will kill an elk, but not in my camps.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

Well from what's been said about 30 cal 180 grain bullets being the minimum elk caliber in Texas and the "CAMPS" in New Mexico it makes me very happy to know that my AR 15 in 300 Whisper qualifys. It's best load is a 180 grain Partition at 1379 FPS. The next time that I hunt elk down that direction that is the rifle that I will take to be sure to "knock em dead".

Regards, Keith
Semper Fi

quote:

Originally posted by Larry Sellers:
.30 cal minumum, 180gr plus quality bullet on elk. Over 25 years hunting and guiding elk hunters lets me make this claim/statement with a lot of first hand knowledge. Of course smaller caliburs will kill an elk, but not in my camps.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

I'm just wondering why your camps differ from mine?

Yes a 257 Wby will kill an elk but in my book there are simply better choices for you and the elk.

30-06, 165-180 gr premium bullet, low X scope (4X is all you need), get off the benchrest, don't shoot past 300, shoot from improvised field positions, sight in 3" high @ 100, when you can hit a 9" pieplate first shot everytime, you're all set.

Good luck and enjoy the best meat in NA !

If a 115 grain grain bullet from a .257Wea doing some 3400 ft/sec will kill an elk, can a .240Wea doing some 3400 ft/ec with a 100 grain bullet not also kill an elk?.
What difference does 15grain?.

Chuck - Not trying to be a smartass, but I guess we each run our camps a little differently when it comes to calibur size for elk that's all. No big deal, as my folks know the situation prior, so it's their choice whether to participate or not. Have a great day.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by Chuck Nelson:

quote:

Originally posted by Larry Sellers:
.30 cal minumum, 180gr plus quality bullet on elk. Over 25 years hunting and guiding elk hunters lets me make this claim/statement with a lot of first hand knowledge. Of course smaller caliburs will kill an elk, but not in my camps.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

I'm just wondering why your camps differ from mine?