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Felt it was about time for this poll, getting close to elk season ...  Regards, Chuck "There's a saying in prize fighting, everyone's got a plan until they get hit" Michael Douglas "The Ghost And The Darkness" | ||
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You need to add a "None of the Above", as those choices aren't good. | |||
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I have shot 8 bulls with a .338 and never found it lacking. | |||
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Will do Regards, Chuck "There's a saying in prize fighting, everyone's got a plan until they get hit" Michael Douglas "The Ghost And The Darkness" | |||
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I have shot 5 cow elk... 1 - 35 Remington 200 grn flt pt speer 100 yds 2 - 358 Win 225 grn nosler partition 125 yds 3 - 8x57 198 grn hornday interlock 70 yds 4 - 270 Win 150 grn Win Factory 90 yards 5 - 308 win 168 grn TSX 198 yds They all died about the same... Funny thing about big game animals...punch a whole thru both lungs...doesn't seem to matter if the hole is made by a .264 or .45, they all seem to die right quick Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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I would generally agree, but some Cape buffalo don't read the rules. | |||
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Chuck, I didn't vote because there is no 22 Hornet on the list  Have gun- Will travel The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark | |||
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me either, No 25-06 ?????? | |||
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lol! My bad ... Regards, Chuck "There's a saying in prize fighting, everyone's got a plan until they get hit" Michael Douglas "The Ghost And The Darkness" | |||
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130 grn .270 and 150 grn 30-06 won't work I've read on the Internet ________________________________________________ Maker of The Frankenstud Sling Keeper Proudly made in the USA Acepting all forms of payment | |||
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Jack Hooker carried a .243 Winchester as the backup gun on his guided back-country elk hunts from Ovando MT into the Bob Marshall Wilderness. My personal experience is very limited; I've shot two elk with a 7mm Remington using bullets of 139 and 145 grains. I'm not fond of recoil and they worked. TomP Our country, right or wrong. When right, to be kept right, when wrong to be put right. Carl Schurz (1829 - 1906) | |||
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AZ Gun Writer, Cape Buff read the rules...they are just slow readers Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue. What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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You need to add 22 shorts. We killed some earlier this year with 22 shorts and a slit of the throat. Hit them right and it doesn't take much. RavenR, I was wondering if it takes much work picking up your empty 25-06 case after the shot? Just one empty and I might not bother picking it up. | |||
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2 with the .300WM, felt neither over or under gunned. Carl Exercise makes you look good naked, so does bourbon.....You decide | |||
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Well if you're whacking em' with .22 shorts I been using Too much gun  | |||
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I did leave out the fact that we were just head shooting them in a corral to butcher...... I have a buddy who killed a mature bull last year with a ROCK! He got some crazy idea years ago to build himself a long bow and so he did. Now he makes his own cedar shafts and fletches the shafts with feathers from birds he shoots. He decided to knap his own broadheads and the fool went out and killed a great mature bull with it. So I think we should throw rocks into the survey also. .. | |||
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Next you'll want to try it with a Louisville Slugger  Have gun- Will travel The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark | |||
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+100 What he said.... "It ain't lion hunting unless you get stitches." - John in WYO "It became aquatic, briefly." Ann ~ Aspen Hill Adventures The bear has to touch you to hurt you. Don’t let the bear touch you. | |||
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We're talking about a CRF, right? Regards, Robert ****************************** H4350! It stays crunchy in milk longer! | |||
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??CRF?? | |||
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I've shot several. Most with a .270 but the last 3 or 4 have been with my .338 Win Mag. Not because I like the caliber better. Because I like the scope better.  | |||
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It's more about bullet placement and bullet construction than bullet diameter... NRA Endowment Life Member | |||
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Well put question. From what we read on the 'net you would think the .458 Win mag would not be an unreasonable caliber. Obviously elk have evolved over the 39 years I've been hunting them and somehow became super elk. I recently read an opinion by a western gunsmith who certainly should know better. The opinion was anything smaller than 30 cal was too small, and any 30 cal incapable of launching a 180 gr bullet at less than 3000 fps was likewise lacking. I have no idea where this kind of BS came from. I've guided or outfitted elk hunts for most of 35 years, and he next one I personally shoot will be #50. I've been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to hunt in the best elk country on the planet here in western CO, and have been in on the taking of several hundred elk over the years. Not to blow my horn, just to state the experience from which I draw my conclusions. There used to be a lot of old cowboys around my part of CO that used 30-30's and .300 Savage lever action rifles. These guys killed elk every year and mostly eschewed the bigger rounds, the magnums in particular, because they kicked to much, tore hell out of an elk with the old c&c bullets, and were just unnecessary to kill an elk with. IMO a magnum's advantage is the extra range they offer, and almost every hunter I ever saw couldn't use the full potential of a .308, much less a magnum of any flavor... Okay, I'm getting off my soap box. I don't take crappy shots at elk so I would be perfectly comfortable using a .243, and this is a worn out topic that I have mostly lost interest in. I do appreciate the humor in your thread though. | |||
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I have been lucky and taken 15 elk (I live in Colorado, so that helps). I have used a 30-06 and a 300 Win Mag loaded with 165 and 180 gr mostly Nosler Partitions. All went down soon after being shot (as in within 75 yards). Distances were less than 25 yards to over 300 yards. Hits were usually lungs, but also neck/spin and heart shots. The longest run as I recall was the one heart shot. I believe it is critical you put a good bullet in the right place. Practice, practice and just be ready to run uphill at 10,000 feet elevation, take a quick rest, breath properly and squeeze. Also one bull (not one of the 15) called in and taken with an Eagle compound bow, old Bear broadheads that had to shave before I would use them. | |||
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Quoting what you shot is not blowing your own horn, it provides the basis for your opinion. Everyone has a right to their opinion, but I wish when it came to questions like this folks would document their experience. | |||
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+1 AZ Was gonna comment earlier that cobrad sounds like an "elk killer" not an "elk hunter" Buffybr also. When you have killed a lifetime of elk, your words count,your experience matters and should be listened to... | |||
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AAZW, I've killed one mature bull elk therefore the 30-06 shooting the 180 TSX that I used is the best elk cartridge bar none. This experience qualifies me as an elk expert. Anything less powerful or of smaller caliber is inadequate and anything of larger caliber or more powerful is overkill. All elk hunters, please don't hesitate to contact me for an expert opinion on any aspect of elk hunting. Mark MARK H. YOUNG MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES 7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110 Office 702-848-1693 Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED E-mail markttc@msn.com Website: myexclusiveadventures.com Skype: markhyhunter Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 | |||
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Threads like this are guaranteed to generate at least one post about Grandpa Pettybone that killed hundreds of ----- using a ---- that he reloaded with a rock and a rusty nail and they were all DRT. The second one is where the poster squints through the smoke coming from the roll your own cig and opines, "it ain't what you use, it's where you hit 'em." Within reason, I'll go along with that. I've never tried to make it into a rodeo stunt but I've killed elk with a 280, 30-06, 7mag, .300WM, and a .338WM. None of them went out of sight of where they were hit. Since I had to travel a pretty good distance when I made my annual elk trip, I tried to take a rifle that I was sure would do the job. The .280 was kind of a fluke. I went to WY to hunt mulies and antelope and ended up also going elk hunting. I shot a cow with the .280 and a 150gr Corelokt bullet. It worked as well as any of the others. If I were deer hunting up behind the house, I might be inclined to use a lighter or more marginal cartridge. If things weren't just right, I'd walk down the hill and go another day. But when I have to travel over 1000 miles for the opportunity to shoot an elk, I'm gonna be sure the rig is up to the task. Aim for the exit hole | |||
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Now if I lived in Elk country and was intimately familiar with their habits - comings and goings,I might choose a less powerful ctg. Since I don't, I would grab one of three rigs outta da safe: 300RUM, 338RUM or 375H&H. I once knew an elderly gentleman in Aransas Pass that had harvested 28 elk, mostly for meat he said. Three bulls, the rest cows. His ctg of choice.......303 Savage. Never shot over 80yds. He spent much of his life and most of his retirement studying the movements of animals and how they responded to outside influences. If I could be so lucky. RIP my old friend. We Band of Bubbas N.R.A Life Member TDR Cummins Power All The Way Certified member of the Whompers Club | |||
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Gets my vote for best post in a while... | |||
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Not sure wasbeeman's meaning about the .280, but every round listed that elk were taken with was certainly up to the task. I've used a bunch of magnum rifles over the past couple decades, and still shoot two. My issue with them is that they are not necessary unless we begin talking longer range elk, shall we start at 400 yards, 500? My other issue is my experience has been most hunters I have seen shooting magnums do not practice enough to master the recoil and potential of them. More important than a rig up to the task is a hunter up to the task of accurately shooting the rig. Power cannot make up for lack of ability. | |||
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Controlled Round Feed. I mean, a .458'l jam if it's not from a CRF. Could be critical in the midst of a dangerous Elk Charge. Right?  PS: C'mon, a .458 isn't that much different than a super-hot .45-70...and noone would complain much about a .45-70 on elk. Or moose. Or...well...whatever in North America. I'd say if you wanted to use the .458, go for it. Just try to make the stalk to within 100 yards for giggles... Regards, Robert ****************************** H4350! It stays crunchy in milk longer! | |||
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Wait, I thought Chuck put this post up as a joke. I liked the humor Chuck! If we are to get serious about it then I have killed elk, calves all the way up to 10 year old bulls, over the past 2 decades and all but 1 fell to a 280. The 280 is up to the task if the user is. Never lost a bull (or cow) and the only elk I shot with a different cartridge was a 50 cal round ball. My old man shoots them with a 25-06 and will pull out the 22-250 for a cow hunt. Never lost an elk. I understand the mentality of wanting to bring the biggest caliber on a special hunt, but that still doesn't mean it is the best. The best is the one you can punch through lungs, not the one you take just in case you want to try to X the poor critter from 500 yards. Then all it becomes is a hope. Take the one that makes you happy and let others do the same. | |||
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There is no "Best" cartridge for elk or for anything else. This thread is close to harmless but surely closer to useless, sort of like our government. | |||
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Wasn't the title enough to let you know it was tongue in cheek? Regards, Chuck "There's a saying in prize fighting, everyone's got a plan until they get hit" Michael Douglas "The Ghost And The Darkness" | |||
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So was my response, after all I said our government was only close to useless. | |||
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My comment about the .280 wasn't a put down of the cartridge. Nor did I have a doubt that it would work. If I had, I wouldn't have gone elk hunting. I'm not one to stick a bullet into something or use a marginal cartridge to "see if it'll work". I used a .280 because it was what I had available at the moment. Had I intended to hunt antelope and mulies AND ELK when I left the house, I would have had a different rifle. As far as killing hundreds of ---- with a ----, I could have killed hundreds of WTs with a .22. Sitting on my front porch. But if I had to drive half way acrost the US to shoot a WT, I sure as hell wouldn't be packing a .22.  Aim for the exit hole | |||
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I've never been elk hunting. So can't add much except what I'd do if I ever went. I'd use what I already have, one of my 30-06s. The only thing is, I'd re-zero it for 200 instead of 100, and I'd step up to a 220 grainer from the 180 I've used all these years on whitetails. Why? It's like this. When many decades ago I was shopping for my first deer rifle what many guys told me was, buy an '06 because it's perfect for deer and as an added plus "you're set in case you ever decide to hunt out West". And, I know fellows from the Mid-South here who've hunted elk successfully with the good ole gov't '06. But, if I lived out there, and spent a lot of time hunting them? I'd get either a 338 or 300 win mag or 300 weatherby mag. | |||
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JMO, but I think if you ever go you are better off with a premium 180 grain bullet. | |||
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Yep, I agree that there is no need for more than a 180 grainer in a 30-06 for elk. | |||
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