I am not talking about a .22 to the head. I am interested in hearing about shots through the vitals. Have heard people use 257 Roberts etc... Anyone use the 6.5x55?
I do not hunt elk and probably won't until i save the loot for a trip west. Just interested in your stories.

I have personally witnessed elk shot with rounds as small as the .243 Win , .257 Roberts,7mm-08, 7x57 and one with a .260 Rem. As long as one uses a good bullet, waits for a good broadside heart/lung shot, stays away from hitting the front shoulder, and keeps the range reasonable, your alright. Problem is hunting doesn't always go as planned, and possibly your only shot of a hunt may be one requiring lots of penetration. Your SOL with the small cases then IMHO.

I have used the .280 Rem with 150 grain partitions on several. My wife killed a cow with a 7mm-08 at 175 yds. But when truly elk hunting I use either the .300 H&H or my .338-06 M70.

I have killed road injured elk with a 9mm handgun, not quite a .22 rimfire but no powerhouse either.

FN

My very first big game animal was a cow elk with a 35 Remington @ abotu 125 yds. 180 grn bullets at 2150 fps.

Not sure whether that'c considered small but certainly not a 30+ caliber wonder missle.

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My lightest round, a spike bull w/ a 7mag & 160gr bullet. I'm not sure I want to go much lighter after reading Frank's story about his last bull.

I shot a cow elk at 322 lazer yards, with a .270 with a 130 gr. Barnes x. It went all the way through on a broadside shot. She went about 20 yards and the rest was dinner. MD

A Martin Cougar, Easton xx78 2315, Magnus broadhead 125gr at 25 yards, bull dropped dead in less than 10 yards. New respect for that arrow. Good shooting and God Bless.

The "lightest" gun I have ever killed an Elk with was a 30-06. Then again, it is the lightest gun I would ever use for Elk.

I much prefer a 338 Mag or 35 Whelen.

7mm stw, 140 ballistic tips, 300 yards.

Broadside lung shot, the elk ran like I missed.

But I got him. No exit hole.

I consider 7stw too light, but I wanted to try it.

My lightest was 30-06. Took 3 shots, last one was in the neck severing the vertibrae. Now its 338 WM or 375 H&H and I've never looked back.

Personal lightest 308win 165 Barnes X 100yds broad side through the heart.
I know a guy who claims to have taken many elk with a 22-250 with lung shots. I think he's either full of crap. or an iresponcable jackass.
X-Ring

When I was a youngster, I shot a number of elk with a 25/35 and a 30-30...My dad used a 25-35 and later a 250-3000 Savage M-99....We didn't shoot very far, and limited our shots to broadside. Most were one shot kills, and none were wounded. We hunted horseback, stepped off and shot them.

It was different hunting then, now I use a 338, 9.3x62, 375 or 300 H&H, and root around in the black timber.....

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Wow! A 140 Gr. ballistic tip in a 7STW on elk. Now there is a choice I would not make..............

Lightest so far was this year's 6x6 with a 7 mag shooting 130 Gr. H.V.'s at a touch over 3400. T'N'T at 35 yards; however, if you don't put them in the right place, even Gerards wonder bullets don't seem to come to the rescue and save a tracking job........ Dutch.

Sort of an echo of what Ray A. said but the biggest elk I have ever seen on the ground was shot by an old cowboy with a 32 Winc. Special - just a 30/30 with a little bigger bullet. He too had just stepped off his horse and popped the old boy at about 50-55yds and was waiting for a friend to get there with the mules to drag it out. I'll never forget that he said, "It don't make much difference what you use as long as you put it where you want it." It sure worked for him.
Regards,

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'Trapper'

Got a cow elk with a planting shovel once. 3 shots to the head did her in. A semi had slowed her down for me, though.

The smallest caliber I have used on an uninjured bull elk is my .300 Winchester. With 200 grain bullets (especially) it gives elk all they can handle and then some. Lots of guys around here do use smaller calibers very regularly, though. The '06 is probably the most common with the .270 or the 7mm Rem Mag a close second. Many of the hunters I know started hunting elk with the ol' .303 British (which is extremely common in Canada).

FWIW, Canuck

Last year I used my 22/250 with a 60 Nozler. One shot thru the lungs and she went into the old Nozler Nap after a short 30 yard run.

Also have used my 6/06 with 95 and 70 Nozlers with similar results.

Once the lungs are gone they don't have much choice do they.

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

I have never shot an elk myself, but I have an uncle who has shot quite a few. He is a professional trapper who still manages to make ends meet. My brother and I were discussing the merits of the .338 Win (it was mainly the excuse to buy another gun, as I was impressed with his .338). My uncle heard us and said, "You don' t need anything bigger than a .243 for elk. It works just fine."

I suspect it does, if you have time to pick your shot. As has been noted, lots of deer have been killed with .22 rimfire.

.270, Nosler Partition 150 grain.

Gentlemen,
.303 British, 2 shots, 2 elk...

It works as well as anything else I have, and doesn't kick much either. I know a lot of you like to talk about how tough you are, and how recoil doesn't bother you, however, I am not going to brag like that. A gun that doesn't kick is easier to shoot. No question about it.

Joel Slate
Slate & Associates, LLC
The Safari Specialists
www.slatesafaris.com

A 270& 150gr.bullet thru the lungs, but he ran 50yrds over the hill and before i got there i heard another shot. When i got their he was someone eleses bull. Since then, 16 Elk and 1 moose with a 338& 250 Nosler Part. and the most they have gone is probably 20ft. Just me, but i'm too lazy to kill someone elses elk.

7x57 150nosler partition. Penetrated through the chest cavity exiting on the far side. Range was about 100yds, bullet had a muzzle velocity of 2725fps. The animal ran about 75yds and collapsed. It worked well but a 338 works better.

I got a huge, old bull back in the 70's with a .243, but all my guns except that one were stolen the previous week. Most of the ones I've taken since have been with .35 Whelen.

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JD

I used a 243 once a long time ago to take a bull. That was the first and only time!

Shot a bull @ 261 lasered yards with a 308 using a 150gr Barnes XLC/XBT. First shot passed through both lungs and out the other side. Bull just stood there looking at me from the other side of the canyon. Shot again. No change. Shot again and just as I shot the bull turned and the bullet went through the nearside rear knee. Bull walked about 10 yards and fell over dead. First two shots were both killing shots, bull just didn't know it yet. I now hunt with a 30-06 with 180gr Barnes and am seriously thinking about picking up one of the new Rem Model 7 Magnums in 300 Rem SAUM.

.30-06 with 165 Spear Grand Slams. It is also my heaviest. Works great.

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To be old and wise.....first you have to be young and stupid!

When I was young, and nearly pennyless, I killed 5 medium sized elk with a 6.5 Arisaka that had been rechambered for the 6.5-.257. That is the ballistic equivalent of the 6.5x55 or .260. I'd do it again, but I'm retired now, and can't afford the trip.

I use 6,5x55 only. It works fine. So far no elk has ever complained. The 6,5 is the most common elk caliber here in Sweden. Perhaps our elks are smaller then your american elks, but I dont know.

/M

[This message has been edited by Umebo (edited 11-09-2001).]