Elk Caliber comparison

[Koda]

I wonder what purpose that accomplished. Death is a part of life but killing for entertainment i never understood. Maybe its just me

Not just you, I dont get it either.

 

[clearconscience]

Killing anything for entertainment is just plain sick.
And doing so in such a disgusting way should be illegal.

I get hogs can destroy a lot of land and crops, but that's no excuse to do something like that

 

[albin25]

Those wildlife abusers probably can't even comprehend a hunting caliber discussion like this forum.
They probably think our discussion of ELK CALIBER, means we're talking about how we think Arthur managed to pull the sword out of that stone.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

There hogs. They destroy everything.
Google Blake Shelton hog hunting.
Hilarious
And I'm a animal lover

 

[USMC-03]

The 6.5x55, with loads up to 160gr, has been taking these large animals since 1895.

The 6.5 Swede is a phenomenal cartridge for both big game hunting and long range target. The only drawback is it requires a long action, and that's not much to complain about...

 

[Koda]

The 6.5x55, with loads up to 160gr, has been taking these large animals since 1895.

interesting, that round is virtually identical to the 25-06.... How is it the 6.5x55 can make a bullet 160g but the 25-06 cant make one over 120g?

 

[salmonriverjohn]

I've taken elk with everything from the old .30-30 to a .45-70 double rifle (both barrels at once) and damn near everything in between.
My oldest daughter wrested my .338 WM from me at has taken six with it since then, she weighs approx a buck&45 lbs. she loves that old smoke pole.
Seven of those elk fell for me in a total of eight shots using the .25-06 with Nosler partition hand loads.
If you do your part, the rifle will do its. I've never lost an elk that I've shot using any of these calibers, but then again I've never fallen into the (gotta be a long range ultra sonic magnum) crowd that so many fall for.
To each their own I guess, but there are a bunch of "magnums" that were developed to catch those in the markets eye that have fallen by the weigh side, that didn't offer much if any improvement over their counter parts.

I do love the .338 WM for elk, what a sweetie, but to tell the truth I've went back to what I started with over a half century ago, the venerable old hide buster and skin bruiser .30-06 is all the rifle I'll ever need for all I'll ever hunt. But as I said, to each their own.
But please, there's no excuse for depending upon someone's "magnum" to compensate for poor shot placement, once the trigger is pulled all big bore long range BS goes right out the window after a poorly hit animal runs off to suffer a slow miserable death.

 

[Crohnos01]

I have hunted elk most of my adult life starting before I could drive a car and taken elk with 06, 300 win mag, and 7mm calibers. I know guys who swear by the 270 for elk, but as someone else said, why hinder yourself? Invariably elk don't parade up 100 yards away, stand broadside and say "ok, shoot me". They are running with logs, trees, rocks, and limbs in the way and usually at least 100 yards away.... Shot placement is critical. Yes, you CAN shoot and kill an elk with a lighter caliber, but why on earth would you? The odds are already stoked in the favor of the animal between game regulations limiting the length of time you can hunt, the sex you can hunt, where you can hunt and how many frigging points the bull has to have to shoot it, once you work your butt off to find it.. Pretty much, the game dept. wants you to buy a license and tag, but really would prefer you don't shoot anything. Personally I want one shot, one kill and have successfully completed that mission many times on elk over the years, but it sure wasn't with a lightweight 25.06.... I want some stopping power when I touch off that round and to me that's a 30 caliber or 7mm pushing a 160 grain Nosler partition bullet at minimum.

Just an old man who has hunted too many elk to recall 2 cents worth.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

By golly I wonder if they make a long range compound bow with ultra magnum arrows for some serious knock down power so's a fella can kill em further then he can stalk or call em in too?

To be honest, this whole "got to be able to kill them at 700 yards or better" craze has flat out taken the hunt out of hunting in my humble opinion.
All the videos available online that depict so called hunters shooting across canyons at loooong ranges has led far to many people to think that think they too can pull off those shots, sure the rifle is capable of doing so, but few shooters are.
It's the rare shooter that's able to judge all the dynamics involved when taking shots beyond 3-4, or 500 yards and gauge all the variables that come into play to accurately place a round through a standing elks vitals let alone one that is leaving the county in a hurry.
Sure, big bad arse magnums are great, but one poorly hit through the guts, hip or leg is going to travel just as far and die just as miserable of a death as one hit in the same spot with .280, .308 or other fine choices.
Keep the ranges realistic within ones ability, know the animals anatomy and be willing to let the "what if I" shots slide, and you'll sleep better than if you lose a cripple, and you'll be also doing us as hunters a big favor.
Nothing like an elk wandering around two weeks after season with a blown off front leg to sour the antis opinions towards us even further.

 

[Crohnos01]

So true... Too many hunters don't spend time with their weapon at the range before a hunt. I have taken antelope with one shot at 800 yards and back to back head shots on antelope at 600 yards, but you gotta know I spent hours upon hours developing custom loads for those hunts, an more hours testing them in my rifle at the range. To not do so is irresponsible in my opinion and I hate the idea of a wounded animal suffering duels to my irresponsibility. I know of hunters that leave their rifle in the safe until the day of the season, grab a box of shells on their way out of town, and then habitually gut shoot their game... Might I also say I DON'T hunt with these fools.

 

[clearconscience]

During our hunting trip this year I spoke with a couple guys telling me last year they saw a 5pt bull at the edge of a clear cut about 500yds away. They said there was about 4-5 people shooting at it trying to knock it down and no one hit it. Or if they did it didn't move.
They said the other side of this bull was a steep drop off
So if they hit it and it dropped over the edge it was long gone.

The youtube videos of a 13yr old dropping an elk at 1300 yards are great but how many people shoot animals that they never find and just die a miserable death?

I want a accurate rifle that I can hit something hard with. I decided on the 30-06, I was leaning towards the 300wm but I know I fight flinching enough with a smaller round so why go bigger. I have no plans on trying to shoot an animal at a range longer than 400yds.

I know that's just not in my wheelhouse.

 

[Mistman]

Again, it depends on which elk species we're talking about. Rockie's don't seem to have the fortitude of their west side cousins. Not saying anything other than Rosie's are generally larger and are generally in thicker cover and to me just seem a little tougher. Like I mentioned I've seen the look on the faces of guys who were sure they had enough gun only to not be able to put a tag on one they put shots into. Those elk probably died but weren't recovered or maybe the guy on the next canyon was able to put it down. Heck just a couple weeks ago a neighbor's kid put 3 270's into one in a lower field, it ran up the hill and was put down by someone else. Tag soup for the kid, no reason for that. When you've been busting brush for 6 hours and finally can get into shooting range on a bull you've been chasing, then he takes off giving you 1 chance, I know what I'm putting up to my shoulder. I've never seen an elk 'ruined' by too much gun like a deer, though I have seen them shot to heck from someone being under gunned. I WON'T shoot 30 cal on deer, too much bullet, too much damage and tissue loss. The same isn't true relatively speaking about an elk.

As you see, everyone's an expert and has taken elk reliably with calibers I would never consider elk calibers so it very well could be I have no idea what I'm talking about and maybe I just overcompensate for my lack of effort and skill with a large magnum. Doesn't matter to me or bother me too much except when asked to help out and be comforting and tactful to a guy who got lucky enough to get a shot and figured his deer rifle would work just fine. Or when I come up on a dead elk in the woods w/holes punched in it that's a wasted trophy. Both those things have happened more than once. Another reason why I don't hunt in groups anymore, too many experts and no it alls out there. Another thing, I personally, have never taken an elk over 175 yds, most were 50 yds or less. I don't hunt clear-cuts as a rule, I leave those to the experts. I hit the timber and reprod after they chase em out, I have shot elk in clear cuts and open fields just usually am in the woods.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

Most of the time shooting long range is done by people using not the right equipment. And that's stupid. To shoot with confidence at 700-1000 yards it takes many items.
Caliber
Load worked up
Scope. Higher end
Decent gun and barrel.
Range finder. Higher end
And lots of ammo at the range.
And this is with low wind. Wind changes things. So you'll need a good idea of the wind at different ranges.
Positive about long range shooting is, you can get them at a long range if a stock is not able to be made. And where I hunt, killing them at 1000 yards can be better if that pack out is easier. Shooting them at 100 yards might be a horrible pack out. Depends.
But then shooting them at 1000 might be a Horrible pack out. Lots of variables.
Where I hunt is big country. Average shot is 300-400 yards.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

If you get to where you can hit a basketball every shot at 1000 yards every time you pull the trigger (about the vital size of an elk) you'll have my attention for sure But when and if you do there's Wimbledon tournaments in a mans future,, until then?
No offense but @Mistman is right, that's the "experts" realm and I'm probably never going to be among that class again, nor would I ever consider pulling the trigger on as grand of animal as an elk at that range.
As a wise man said earlier in this thread, just my two cents worth.

 

[Certaindeaf]

A 4" .44 magnum has plenty of what it takes for elk.

 

[3MTA3]

interesting, that round is virtually identical to the 25-06.... How is it the 6.5x55 can make a bullet 160g but the 25-06 cant make one over 120g?

I'm thinking the shorter case of the 6.5x55 allows a longer bullet to pass through the rifle's action where the neck of the 25-06 is further out where the ogive of the longer, heavier bullet might be. My Dad hunted with a Swede, and it's the first cartridge I reloaded. I was always amazed at how far the bullet stuck out compared to the 30-30 and 32 specials my brothers used. I was 12 at the time and limited to .22LR.

25-06:


6.5x55:

 

[edslhead]

Where I was hunting the only way you could see 500 yards was strait up

 

[Koda]

I'm thinking the shorter case of the 6.5x55 allows a longer bullet to pass through the rifle's action where the neck of the 25-06 is further out where the ogive of the longer, heavier bullet might be. My Dad hunted with a Swede, and it's the first cartridge I reloaded. I was always amazed at how far the bullet stuck out compared to the 30-30 and 32 specials my brothers used. I was 12 at the time and limited to .22LR.

That is a good explaination, makes sense. Even a small difference in bullet length would be enough to offer more options in grains... i would think.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

Where I was hunting the only way you could see 500 yards was strait up

And that sheeet got old quick!

 

[2506]

A 4" .44 magnum has plenty of what it takes for elk.

So does my 4 5/8" 45Colt...