Elk calibers

[sparsegreyhackle]

.338 win mag running 250gr partions

like 225 grain accubonds in my m77 ruger,shoots a little flatter than the big 'uns, outa my gun anyway.

 

[sparsegreyhackle]

Had to smile when i saw this one...my first 5 elk were taken with a Winchester 94 in .32 Winchester Special (just a fat-bullet 30-30)...I have hunted for over 25 years with a 30-06...seems to work JUST fine...farthest I have needed to take a critter at has been 175 yards

wish I had two bits for every pound of venison that has been collected with the ol' thurty-thurty!

 

[toddt36]

I have a .300 WSM for sale stainless Rem 700 that will do the job!

 

[landcbeitner]

i may have limited experiance in killing elk having only shot 4. all inside of 200 yds 3 of them with my .338 win mag and one with a borowed .308. all of them were tight to the shoulder lung shots the one shot with the .308 droped like a rock while all the others made it at least 50-75 yds after the shot these were all cows and spikes. i carry the .338 just in case i ever want to take a longer shot or hunt dangerous game but inside 200 yds the .308 sure did the job.

I have seen this or something simular before as well. My middle brother and I shot Large bull Caribou in Alaska with a 7mm mags both text book vital shots (his at 200yds, mine at 160yds). Both our Caribou ran about 60yds before dropping dead. My father and youngest brother both used a 270 win (dad's at 300yds) (brother's at 230yds) to down good bulls. My youngest brothers bull dropped in it's tracks with a shot in vitals... my dad's bull took a coupple slow steps and dropped. When gutting the animals we noticed catastrophic vital damage in the bulls shot with the 270, and the bulls hit with the 7mm had little damage untill near the far wall of the brisket where bullet finally expanded properly (or so we think). The issue can't be just bullet construction since all shots were using Nosler partition. Also none of the shots were from long range where lower velocity could cause improper bullet expansion with controlled expansion bullets

. My buddies and I have been using Berger bullets with 7wsm's and 7mm rem mag's and no longer EVER see over penetration. Berger's simply don't exit, all the energy is used on the animal (Knocked off their feet) and vital damage is excellent even at greater distances. One buddy shot an Elk at 505yds with a JLK bullet (same J4 Jacket as Berger) Cow Elk was dropped with one shot (neck shot) but the damage wasn't what we see with Berger's and we're unsure exactly why (maybe denser meat in neck?). He also shot a buck through the vitals at 473yds and it dropped but bullet expansion or at least damage was closer to what you'd expect from a Nosler at the same distance (not extreme amounts of damage and the bullet exited). Another buddy used 300wsm with 175gr Berger's at 530yds on a bull Elk and it dropped immediately and he reported a generous wound channel through the vitals with no bullet exit. He'd never used a Berger before and was impressed. I've heard simular reports of excellent damage with Barnes bullets as well, but I haven't used them myself. I wonder if controlled expansion bullets like Noslers can sometimes be too "controlled" under a certian conditon. Without extensive testing (more than all our personal observations) it would be difficult to figure out.

 

[jkent26]

I personally use a .270. It is a great flat shooter and has a lot of choice in bullets. Winchester makes XP3 line of bullets that will take down an elk and you can also get small game bullets that are good for small deer.

I've had great success with mine.

My best friend swears by his .300 Win Mag though and his killed a bunch of elk.

 

[blankman]

I killed my first 3 elk w/243(all I could afford) 2 neck 1 heart, shoot a 30-06 now Im am not a big fella so the mags kick my butt. where i hunt Ive only had 1 shot over 100yds(neck shot on a deer at about 200yds w/243 100gr) everything else has been between 30-80 yds. I do my own reloading I use an old speer 170gr bullet the same bullets my father has been using with his 308 since 1971. Im pushing 2960 my dad is at 2910 not to fast. so basically get a gun that fits,that you believe in. Its all about bullet placement! You can kill an elk with a 22 if you hit it right

 

[SSG]

I believe the lowest legal caliber is a .243...with that I would suggest a hind quarter shot...that way out can shoot the animal alot more before it dies...and really get that 'killin thing' out of your system.

 

[blankman]

Talk about missing the point! I was saying that if your any bit of a decent shot, magnums are unnecessary. Unless of course like my cousins you like throwing away half your animal cause it is bloodshot and destroyed. All three elk killed with my 243 were one shot and died within 50yds. Never said he should use a 22,just that it can be done if a person is a good enough marksman. and as for shooting the hind quarter.come on now..

 

[Buano]

I believe hunters should use enough gun, that they can use well, to be sure any shot taken quickly dispatches the intended game.

Yes, a perfect shot on a small elk at close range doesn't require much gun to produce death. If all shots are on stationary game at very close range there isn't an argument for a magnum. If shots may be more than 500 yards I would contend it's immoral to use anything but a magnum on an animal the size of an elk.

Where I hunted last fall elk shots were likely to be under 100 yards, but could be 600+. Muley opportunities if they presented themselves would likely be between 350 and 850 yards. Anyone hunting that hunt without a magnum would have to limit himself to passing on shots — where most of the hunters didn't get any opportunities for a shot. I hunted that hunt with a 7mm Rem magnum and was comfortable with shots to 500 yards (because that was as far as I had been able to practice). If I go there again I won't go back with less than a .300 Weatherby and I will have practiced to 800 yards — just in case. I'll also still do my damnedest to get close. I shot my 317" 6x6 bull elk last fall within 27' of my muzzle.

Whether a magnum is needed depends on the hunt & the hunter, how far the game might be when a hunter gets a shot, whether the hunter can handle recoil from a magnum, and whether the hunter can shoot well enough to even consider long shots.

 

[SSG]

I believe hunters should use enough gun, that they can use well, to be sure any shot taken quickly dispatches the intended game.

Yes, a perfect shot on a small elk at close range doesn't require much gun to produce death. If all shots are on stationary game at very close range there isn't an argument for a magnum. If shots may be more than 500 yards I would contend it's immoral to use anything but a magnum on an animal the size of an elk.

Where I hunted last fall elk shots were likely to be under 100 yards, but could be 600+. Muley opportunities if they presented themselves would likely be between 350 and 850 yards. Anyone hunting that hunt without a magnum would have to limit himself to passing on shots — where most of the hunters didn't get any opportunities for a shot. I hunted that hunt with a 7mm Rem magnum and was comfortable with shots to 500 yards (because that was as far as I had been able to practice). If I go there again I won't go back with less than a .300 Weatherby and I will have practiced to 800 yards — just in case. I'll also still do my damnedest to get close. I shot my 317" 6x6 bull elk last fall within 27' of my muzzle.

Whether a magnum is needed depends on the hunt & the hunter, how far the game might be when a hunter gets a shot, whether the hunter can handle recoil from a magnum, and whether the hunter can shoot well enough to even consider long shots.

Which is all mute, because since most hunters could only do a head shot on a deer, tied to a post, sedated, from a sand bagged rest at 50 yards.....it pretty much leaves most hunters to let fly whatever they got, at whatever they see is the biggest target(chest cavity) and pray something went in there, in the right place, so the animal doesn't run too far off..