What rifle, cartridge, and bullet do you consider the best for elk, moose, etc in the timber?

A scoped double rifle in 9,3x74R. I would use my Chapuis with a 286 Woodleigh Soft in the right bbl, and a 286 Nosler Partition in the left.
The scope is in QD mounts so I can "pop" it off if I like.

Well, I'd use my monster 358 since that's what it was made for.
But living in KY as you do, and with those numbers growing, I can see why you might be thinking elk in timber.
A Marlin Cowboy in 45/70 is on my list of approaching purchases. It would make an excellent companion out there in the thick junipers.

200gr. RN.---30-06 roger

Elk, moose etc are normally found in the timbers......however surprising long distances are not unusual. Caribou are also found in potentially long range situations.

Just because you're hunting timber don't mean you're going to get a close shot.

The .30-06, any of the .300 Magnums or the .338 Mag will handle this task as well as anything.

I load my .338-06 w/ 250gr Hornady or Speer @ 2450fps. They penetrate line crazy & expand well out to 250yds.

270, 280, 30-06, 7mm RM, 300 WM, 338 WM, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc...

The same thing I'd hunt em with anywhere else.
Brad pretty much has that covered.

Chuck

I have 2 rifles i would use'
if I was sure the shots would be under 200 yards my 1895 marlin 4570 with a VX2 1X4 would be about perfect. If there was much chance of a longer shot my 35 whelen custom mauser would be great. It has a 2X7 VX2.
For general elk hunting around eastern Oregon, I like my .338 win mag cause you never know what shot you will get...tj3006

Brad and Chuck have the right idea.

You don't need to treat rifle selection like golf club selection -- you know, pull the perfect roscoe out of the bag for the exact situation you happen to find yourself in at that exact, perfect moment.

I can tell you this: I've hunted elk for most of my life, plus some moose hunting, and the truth is, you just don't know WHAT sort of shooting situation you're going to encounter on a given hunt. Right when you're absolutely certain you're going to have a shot at a bull in timber, you'll find yourself faced with a 300 yard shot across a canyon.

So -- once again -- a solid all-around cartridge of sufficient horsepower is what you need, something like a 7mm Rem. Mag., 300 Win., 338 Win., 30-06, with a fixed-4x, 2.8-8x, 3.5-10x, and so forth, on top, plus premium-bullet loads in the magazine and chamber. This is simple stuff, and again, it only needs to be as complicated as you want to make it.

I've shot a number of bulls in timber, some of them runnning, at less than 100 yds., with the 30-06, 300, Seven-Mag, and 338, and those cartridges worked just as well in-close as they have at 200 yds. No stuntsmanship required, and I didn't have read any paganistic horoscope beforehand, either, to know which rifle to take.

KEEP IT SIMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AD

Is ceratinly not the only choice but for me and elk a 30 mag with 200 gr Nosler is my recipe. This picture doesn't give me a good feel for how long a shot it is but under 150 yards my 7x57 and either a 160 or 175 gr would do the trick.

But if I am "elk" hunting I carry my 30 mag, although I have carried my 7x57 on many deer hunts where I had a elk tag, but this wasn't a elk hunt just a tag of opportunity if it presents itself.

But a 270, 280, 30-06, 7 mag, 30 mag, or a 338 would all work and that isn't a exclusive list.

I would choose a bolt action 9.3x62 with a 270 (Lapua Naturalis) or 286 (take your pick)grain bullet. I think that the 9.3x74R in a double rifle (as mentioned by N E 450 No2) would be a blast to use while hunting these animals in the timber.

Chuck's right of course. I tote a Sako 75 in 338 WM shooting Nosler 210 partitions. Very hard on grizzly as well!

I would use either my 7mm Rem mag or my 300 H&H mag. Although I do have a Marlin 45-70 and with heavy loads it is a great /quick elk gun.

I'll be using my lightweight Sauer 30-06 shooting a 200 grain Accubond at 2700 fps topped with a Kahles 3x9x42 that has a large field of view. My back-up gun will be a Beretta Mato 300 win mag shooting a 200 grain Barnes TSX at 3000 fps with a Zeiss 2.5x10x50 which also has a huge field of view. Both of them shoulder well and have an instant sight picture (keep 'em on low power) for that running shot or finding them in heavy timber.

Got my tag in hand! Nov 16 thru 20.

.30-06, shooting 180gr. Partitions, will do just fine in the timbers as well as in the open areas. Plenty of penetration, good trajectory, and decades of proven field performance.

A .300 Mag would do fine shooting a heavier bullet, I'd make mine a 200gr. Partition. I'm also big on 150gr. .270, 160gr. .280, and 175gr. 7Mag. Any will suit nicely for anything in North America at any reasonable range.

I don't think rifle selection is nearly as important as bullet selection for the rifle chosen.

I use 250gr. Woodlieghs in my .338 now and the lightest bullet I've tried is 200gr Xbullets. The X will hold up at close range, penetrate well, and although the hole it makes is smaller, it isn't enough to worry about. I popped a bull at about 12 yards once with the 200gr X. It went through his neck and took both juglars.

The heavy for caliber bullets seem to work best in this situation, with the exception of X's and failsafes. Just be sure they hold together up close. Nate

Elk or moose in the timber. Well, I'd take my 7mag, Whelen, or 358.

Or something else that goes bang. I always wonder why a gun that is good for 400 yards on elk would be no good at 50 yards......

Bullet placement, bullet selection, caliber. In that order, with caliber coming in fifth.... JMO, Dutch.

I have taken Elk with three different .300 Win mags, a .338 Lapua, several with a .340 Wby, and several with two different .358 STA's, both of which I am currantly shooting, one as primary and one as backup. I like a big tough bullet going fast. That flat trajectory pays off in timber or open. My currant favorite load is a 270 grain .358 North Fork bullet going 2950 fps. I have a buddy that will shoot nothing but a .270 Win, he always gets his Elk. ----- If it works for you, use it, but don't tell someone else what to use. Good shooting.

35 whelen, 9.3x62, or 45/70.

358 Norma Mag, excellent velocity w/ 250 & 280gr.bullets in a rifle of reasonable weight with no silly muzzle brake.

I like the 338 Win. with 300 gr. Woodleigh RNSPs and the 9.3x62 with 300 or 320 gr. RNSPs in a max handload...Hammers elk in the timber going South....The 375 is also darn hard to beat, it sticks there nose in the sod...and my latest is the 10.75 x 68, it should really lay them low.

Beretta "Griz Blaster" .375H&H, Federal 300gr NP (aka "Silver Bullet) + GAME EAR II. The 300gr Nosler Partition is a workhorse that's for sure.

I'll be doing exactly that the last half of this month and the rifle I'll take is my 700 Rem. Classic .35 Whelen with 250 grain Nosler Partition Handloads. The rifle has a 1.75 X 6 VariX III Leupold in Leupold detachable mt's and the iron sights are on if the weather gets too bad. I have a spare 3X Leupold scope sighted in on a set of Warne mt's that fit the same base. Shots where I hunt in the Bob Marshall Wilderness usually are under 200 yards and somethimes in September the elk come to the call. In a pinch the .35 Whelen is okay for longer shots. I've shot moose with it at 280 yards. I'd rather not have to shoot over 300 yards though.
Rich Elliott

Rich Elliott

quote:

Originally posted by Jarrod:
What rifle, cartridge, and bullet do you consider the best for elk, moose, etc in the timber?

A heavy, deep-penetrating bullet in one of the .338's or 375's. You want good-size exit holes to let out enough blood to trail.....

I don't believe any gun that will reliably put a moose down in his tracks every time can be fired from the shoulder...

338 Winchester Magnum with 250gr. Noslers.

I've shot elk and bear with a 45-70 at under 100 yds., works great, however; I've also passed on shots at the edges of the heavy timber I was hunting that were 250 to 300 because of the trajectory problems with the 45-70. I changed to a 35 Whelen with 250gr. bullets at 2500 fps, problem solved. I would note that the problem would probably also be solved by using 150 gr. Partitions in my 270 or you could use 200 gr or 220 gr Partitions in an 06 or 300 of some flavor.

Dutch was spot on with his comment: placement, bullet construction, caliber. I'd add that caliber is only important as to how it adds to the performance of the first two.

A 338 with a good 250gr RN bullet, no problem. A 35 with similar bullets is also right for moose.
bigbull