I finally came to my senses and moved from PRK to Idaho about five years ago. I'm planning an elk hunt this fall. I have several rifles in my safe that may or may not suffice as an "elk" rifle.

In your opinion, would either, or none of these be adequate for the task at hand.

1. A vintage (1937) Savage 99 in .300 Savage,
shooting a 180 gr. bullet at around 2,400 fps.

2. A Winchester 94 in .45 Colt, shooting a 300
gr. XTP at around 1,500 fps....assuming
perfect shot placement and I were
to limit my shots to 100 yards and under.
Don't laugh.....I'm a VERY good shot with it
and the idea really intrigues me!

3. A 6.5 x 55, shooting a 140 gr. bullet at about
2,500 fps.

4. A .308 Win. shooting a 165 gr. bullet at 2,600
fps.

Thanks for your snickers and advice......

dewman

I LOVE IT!

I particularly like the idea of using the model 99! The .300 Savage should work very well but you won't be able to really exploit that round with open sights. That option or the .308 would be great, I think. The 165 grain bullet in the .308 would be a bit light for me but it should sure as hell work. Hell, I've shot a whole bunch o' stuff bigger than elk with a .308 and 165 grain bullets. With either of these options, I would be real tempted to use monolithic hollow points like the X-bullet.

The other options would do the job in a pinch but I am neither a fan of anything less than .30 cal on elk nor anything less than 2400 FPS.

JMHO,

JohnTheGreek

I've never shot an elk with anything, but I have done some work with ballistics on the 308 and the 6.5x55. I think that either of those could be adequate, and here are the loads that I use:

6.5x55, 29" bbl, 3.09" COL, CCI 200 primer, 140 grain Speer SP, 46.5 grains RL22, 2806 fps. You might move up to a 160 grain RN, and slightly less powder for an elk round.

308, 22" bbl, 2.865" COL, CCI 200 primer, 180 grain Speer SP, 44.5 grains Varget gives real close to 2600 fps. For the 165 grain bullet, 45 grains AA2250 gives 2652 fps, 46 grains Varget give 2668 fps and is temperature insensitive, and 45.5 grains RL15 gives 2611 fps.

I think some of these loads will give you a little improvement in your odds. The 6.5x55 has quite a reputation for being a better killer than the numbers would lead you to believe. This is probably because it has a phenominal sectional density, and hence, great penetration.

If you try any of these loads, be sure to check the max COL for your particular gun, and back off a little. Every gun is a little different.

Hope this helps, and good luck.

Elk with a M99! That's great!
My grandfather showed me some photos of his hunting days. Next to the elk was his M99-R(circa 1950). He hunted elk for over thirty years with that rifle and has the photos and racks to prove it. It is now in my safe, getting ready for this fall.
Use the Savage, all those old timers can't be wrong.

ZM

While I personally would not use any of the choices the 300 and 308 would certainly be adequate for elk hunting at shorter distances.

I would take number 1 or number 3. I love the idea of the Savage 99 though. That would be alot of fun.

I have a Sav. 99 in 300 sav. very similar to yours(same vintage as well). It has done everythingI have ever asked of it.With 180 grain corelockts handloaded to abot 2500 it has driven these bullets lengh wise through 250# hogs (Breaking shoulder going in and lodging in the off hip. And deer all fall down very dead when hit in the lungs with this load. I grew up in AZ and shot my 1 and only elk at teh age of 14 using a 30/30( seen several others taken with the same cartridge by freinds as well), so I know the 300 SAV is capable. I just like hunting with this wounderfull old rifle. So for me that would my choice! Yes I know there a limits on it's usefull range, but I am willing to live with this.

Dewman, I think your best bet in your safe is the .308 but I would use a 180 grain bullet if it was me. BTW, where is PRK.

I grew up using a Savage 99 take down in 250/3000 for elk. I don't recommend it but it was that or don't hunt. The elk all seemed to die but we knew the effective range also. The 300 Savage would have been a big step up for that task.

What Customstock said ditto.180 grain 308 cal
will do the job
Jeff

PRK would be "the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia."

I've killed lots of stuff in the elk class. Your .300 Savage, your .308, and the 6.5X55 will all work. They are considered light, but adequate. The big trick is to use the best bullets you can get to shoot well - that means 2 MOA. or better.
I've used the Nosler Partitions alot. I think any of the bonded core/no core bullets, like the Swift-A-Frame, the Federal Throphy Bonded , and the Barnes X are even better.
Given a choice, I'd go for the .308 with the Federal High Energy ammo using the 165 gr. Throphy Bonded bullet. If you handload, try the new 168 gr. Barnes XLC.
Any of these should shoot through, or take out a shoulder, and penetrate the lungs. Fanny shots are not recommended on that class of critter with those loads. They can go a long way, w/o a blood trail with a hit like that. Even lung shot animals have been know to go maybe 300 yds. With a blood trail you should be able to find them.
Good luck. E

My father has used his 308 on elk for 30 years. Use the 300 or 308 with 180 gr partitions, practice more than you can afford to, with the load you will hunt with, pick your shots and go elk hunting.

I grew up shooting a 300Savage built on a Mauser98 and shot the 308 in the service. Both are very close ballistically. As much as I would like to see you shoot the 180gr I think with either the 300 or 308 case you'd be better off with a little speedier 165grn premium bullet-
Partition, BarnesX, GrandSlam, etc...
Heck just go down and pick up a box of Remington 165 CoreLokts- cheap and will do the job in either cartridge.

Dewman, I've carried a 308 carbine while chasing elk... I'm fully confident it'll work as BigBores testimony confirms. The 308 is more than adequate as a big game cartridge. I loaded 165 gr. Barnes XLC's at 2,750 (RL15) and also used the Federal High Energy 180 gr Partition load at 2,700 fps (19" bbl.). If it were me, I'd develop a practice load with 165's and buy a box of the factory HE 180/Partition loads and go kill an elk. Personally, I don't believe a 308 loaded in such a fashion is on the light-side for elk. "On the light side", in my mind, is stuff like the 257 Roberts, 243, etc.

Brad

Best choice in that group would be the savage 99 with 180's.

Better still would be the savage or the .308 with 200 grain noslers.

Unless you get a perfect broadside shot on your elk, penetration is going to be the critical issue.

dewman- I am in a similar situation as you. I intend on using my .308 with 180grain XLCs on Elk next year. I don't plan on taking any shots over 150 yards. I do like the idea of the XLC 168s. the big question though is how do they shoot in your rifle. Barnes XLCs seem to be somewhat particular.

Denton. If I understand you correctly you mentioned that your 165g load with Varget is "temperature sensative". I thought this was one of Hodgdons new extreme powders that wasn't temp. sensative? Also your COLs are a bit longer than I am seeing in my load books. Could you please explain? I assume that you are measuring Base to tip of cartridge and not using a bullet comparator. Thanks for the other info I think it will be helpful.

Dewman,

Where in Idaho do you hunt? The places I've hunted in the Idaho panhandle were pretty brushy. Shots of 100 yards or so were possible in some of the clear cuts that had begun regrowing, but in many places 25 yards was a "long" shot. I knew a gentleman up there who had taken 20 elk in 22 seasons with a Model 99 in .243 Win. using either 100 or 105 grain factory loads. He had never wounded one and lost it, but he did have to trail a couple of them a ways. Enjoy!

Good Hunting,

Thanks for all the input, guys. I think I'm gonna' use the old Savage 99 with 180gr. RN Rem. Corelocks(sp?) I have the option of using the original open sights, a tang sight, or the scope that was originally on the rifle when I got it. It's an old Weaver K-4 (the kind with the blued brass ring on the objective lens) with a post/crosshair reticle.

The range will most likely be less than 150 yards, but I think I'd be most confident with the scope......seein' as how my eyes ain't what they used to be. Come to think of it, a LOT of things ain't what they used to be.

The nostalgia of using the old timer really appeals to me. Gee, wished I still had the old Winchester 95 in .30-40 that I so foolishly traded off!

Thanks again for the information and opinions.

A great bunch of guys here, with a wealth of knowledge to draw from.

dewman

Welcome to Idaho!!! I've got to throw my 2 cents in because I had the same dilemma when I got here 8 years ago. I took my son's 308 and loaded it with Barnes 150gr XLC-XBT's @ 2770fps. Took my first shot at a bull elk outside of Lowman. 260 lasered yards across a canyon. He walked 10 yards and fell over. I've since moved up to the 165gr XLC-XBT for a little more oomph but the cartridge seems more than adequate with the right bullet and a lot of practice

Dewman, Love your choice! When I was a kid, most of the elk my Dad and friends killed were with .303 british, 300 savage, and 30/40 krags. Know, I'm not THAT old, its just that in western Oregon these were considered to be ideal calibers, and were used to launch heavier bullets. Magnums were used by city-slickers who thought they were in Africa. My elk have fallen to the likes of a .32 special, several .308's, a 7mag, and a 50 cal muzzleloader. Now, about those sights, I strongly recommend a tang sight, which maintains the nostalgia factor, works great with 51 y/o faaar-sighted eyes, and will do as well as a scope within the range you mention. Gotta lovem, Chuck

I recently moved to Garden Valley from Boise. I got tired of the "flat land", and, at my age (56), I needed (and was entitled) to more peace and quiet. I'm semi-retired from my job as a project manager with a construction firm in Boise.

My choice of locations has proven to be correct. If there is a more beautiful place on earth, I'm not aware of it! Friendly people, gorgeous scenery, copious quantities (I love that term!) of game, clean clear water....man o man....why didn't I move here 40 years ago?

The tang sight on the old Savage really looks good, and, when I'm out in the woods carrying it around, I can't help but look down at it occasionally and get a real good feeling. Hard to describe....but, no need.....you guys know what I'm talking about.

I've set the open sights at 100 yards.....and the tang sight for 200. Works great, and I can, most of the time, hit exactly where I'm aiming. A little more practice is in order......but, I burn more powder than most people I know anyway.

I had a friend who used to chide me about shooting up all my ammo everytime we'd go out for a shooting session. I explained my theory to him....."Do you remember, when you were a kid, and you could hit just about everything you shot at with your B-B gun?" I asked. "Yep", he replied, with a tone of pride in his voice.
"Why do you suppose that was? Hell, the thing always shot to the right or left, with a rainbow trajectory to beat the dickens! You knew exactly where the round was going......BECAUSE YOU SHOT IT A LOT!"

From that day forward, he's never nagged me again about my "excessive" shooting.

dewman

dewman, sounds like you have your head on straight and live in paradise. Been shooting the the .300 Savage for over 30 years( my Dad bought it for me in 1967 but it's a Rem 722). Shot my first mule deer, elk, ground hog, coyote, etc. with it. Always got the job done just fine and it still does(still use it once in awhile for old times sake). When you get as old as us it's kinda fun to go back to our roots so to speak. Might just use my old .300 Savage this fall for a spike elk, but I'm still going to use the .25/06 for my deer.

Dewman,

A few days ago I found a model 99e in 300s and just had to have it, the gun is in beautiful condition. Thats the gun Ill be using for deer next month. I loaded up some 125 gr BTs to try out on paper but I think Ill try some 150 grn Sierras with VVN140 to test as a deer round. My dad had a 300 savage for years, its a great round, very versatile and low recoil. If I were going for Elk with it Id try to get some 165 GS to work in it but 180s will do nicely at a closer distance.

Happy hunting.