The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting American Big Game Hunting cow elk hunt next year, question about rifleGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
| cow elk hunt next year, question about rifle | Login/Join |
| One of Us |
Hi guys, Yes, I know this has been discussed many times, but I have a slightly different question on the subject. A friend of mine has asked me to go on a hunt with him for cow elk. I really would like to do this, but I'm not sure I have a rifle that will work for me. We will be hunting in Nevada, I have never hunted elk before, but assume my shots will be in the 200-300 yd range. Range could probably stretch out farther, but I would prefer not to take a shot over 300. Now to the question, I've got a Remington 700 in 30-06 and a Ruger MkII in 7x64. I'd like to think that the '06 would do the job, but the 7x64 is also a great cartridge. On the other hand, do you think I am undergunned, considering the ranges I'm looking at? Thanks in advance. | ||
|
| one of us |
Either is fine. I'd prefer the .30-06 slightly, but neither will let you down if you place a reasonable bullet in a reasonable location. | |||
|
| One of Us |
I don't see a problem with the 30-06 with 180gr bullet of your choice or whatever your rifle shoots best.Good Luck | |||
|
one of us |
Take the one you are most comfortable with. Either will do the job. Bobby Μολὼν λαβέ The most important thing in life is not what we do but how and why we do it. - Nana Mouskouri | |||
|
| One of Us |
Take the gun you have the most confidence in and you will do fine. | |||
|
One of Us |
Take the 30-06, it will be plenty. Use either a 180 or 200 gr bullet in a premium construction bullet. Pick which ever bullet your rifle shoots the best. Si tantum EGO eram dimidium ut bonus ut EGO memor | |||
|
| one of us |
I have shot a few elk, either rifle with the right bullet would work. Take the one you shoot/like the best. Just pick a heavy for calibre premium bullet. A Nosler Partition is hard to beat. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
|
One of Us |
30-06 | |||
|
| One of Us |
Thanks alot guys, I was thinking that the 30-06 would be my first choice. | |||
|
One of Us |
Either one with the right bullets will serve you well for Elk. I've used the 30/06 with 180 grain bullets on Elk for a long time and have never felt undergunned on shots as long as 400 yards. Whatever you do practice shooting at distances you may actually take shots at and don't "try" 500 yard shots if you've only practiced to 300 for example. Beyond 350 yards a lot of drop and wind deflection starts happening fast no matter what rifle you shoot, good luck on your hunt! | |||
|
| One of Us |
The 30-06 is perfect. I would even be comfortable using a 165 (168)grain bullet. My favorite rifle is my 7RemMag using 160gr bullets (soon to be Partitions). I've always been comfortable with it on elk. On the other hand...If you want to buy a new gun just for elk  Go for it!!"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act, but a habit"--Aristotle (384BC-322BC) | |||
|
One of Us |
Elk are not armor plated. The .30-06 has been a great elk cartridge for over 100 yrs. Put a premium 165-180 gr bullet in the crease behind the shoulder at a reasonable (under 300 yd) range, and you'll be packing several hundred lbs of great elk meat out. NRA Endowment Life Member | |||
|
one of us |
Your ol 06 will do fine , but why not use that 9.3x64 you are building?  " If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand which feeds you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countryman " Samuel Adams, 1772 | |||
|
One of Us |
Barnes TSX bullets come in 165 and 168. Either is plenty for elk and you would be hard pressed to find a more accurate bullet. This is not bad advice either...  JUST A TYPICAL WHITE GUY BITTERLY CLINGING TO GUNS AND RELIGION Definition of HOPLOPHOBIA "I'm the guy that originally wrote the 'assault weapons' ban." --- Former Vice President Joe Biden | |||
|
| one of us |
Not under gunned under confident and under practiced. | |||
|
| One of Us |
Either that or he has heard as everyone has that it takes 4000lbs of energy to kill an elk. Even though the 30-30 Winchester has killed more elk than probably any other cartridge except maybe the 30-'06. JUST A TYPICAL WHITE GUY BITTERLY CLINGING TO GUNS AND RELIGION Definition of HOPLOPHOBIA "I'm the guy that originally wrote the 'assault weapons' ban." --- Former Vice President Joe Biden | |||
|
| One of Us |
Hi guys, thanks for all the replies. Glad to hear that others have had good luck with my old trusty '06 caliber. | |||
|
one of us |
Very true I killed my Bull Moose this year with my 284 WInchester using a 160gr Speer Hot-Cor one shot. So I feel you are not undergunned at all with either one of those rounds... Grab the one you like best and go hunting! Handmade paracord rifle slings: paracordcraftsbypatricia@gmail.com | |||
|
one of us |
The 30-06 is never a wrong choice for NA. | |||
|
| new member |
3006 is fine .A quality bullet makes it better but practice at the ranges you expect to shoot.Respect the animal you are going to take.I took my cow last sat at 400yds with a 300 rum 180gr barnes tsx @ 3320fps (chronograph).She never knew what hit her. | |||
|
One of Us |
I have a little experience with cow elk, 5 all total...I am sure there are other with lots more. 1 35 remington 200 grn Remington Corelokt 1 358 Winchester 225 Nosler Partition 1 8x57 Mauser 196 grn Hornady Interlok 1 270 150 grn Winchester Powerpoint 1 308 win 165 grn Hornady None of them were overly tough to kill. Put a bullet through both lungs they will die quickly 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. | |||
|
| One of Us |
Take them both. The only easy day is yesterday! | |||
|
| One of Us |
Agreed, practice with both and bring them. You never know when a gremlin will get after a rifle, or when you will take a spill on a mountain damaging your rifle. I always have a back up, I have seen a few hunts get cut short. You can load them with different bullet weights and velocities to print at similar trajectories so that way you're familiar with both and won't make a mistake on game If you think every possible niche has been filled already, thank a wildcatter! | |||
|
| Powered by Social Strata |
 | Please Wait. Your request is being processed... |
|
The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting American Big Game Hunting cow elk hunt next year, question about rifle
Visit our on-line store for AR Memorabilia