HELP! Good all around large game caliber?

[bbbass]

Seems like you are leaning towards Magnum calibers.

My friends have: (and have harvested many elk)

1. .338 Win Mag (it's a spine or neck shot killer!)
2. 7mm Nosler Mag
3. 300 Win Mag

I used to own a 7mm Rem Mag but never got a shot at an elk with it. I loaded 170gr Nosler partition.

I borrowed the friend's 300 Win Mag and used factory Win 220gr Silvertip, got a shot and missed.

My experience actually killing elk is with .308 Win at under 200yds in the bread basket... always worked. I hear 7mm-08 is superior to that.

If you want longer shots, or bone breakers, yeah, the Mags are a good choice. I know the 6.5CR will shoot far, but I don't know that it will break a shoulder at distance.

 

[Certaindeaf]

If you did reload you could feed that wby everything from ovalized 00 buck to reduced load 130gr slugs but

 

[hawmanai]

30.06 with 180 gr bullets for elk.

Bonus is the availabilty of good used bolt action rifles in 30.06, not many people can shoot out a .06 barrel. 30.06 ammo is also a bit easier to find than .308 right now.

 

[Red98422]

I would vote for a 35 whelen if you can find one, large frontal area and doesn't kick much more than an '06

I would also say I'm a bit biased because it's one of my dream chamberings

 

[edzz]

BUT my son wants to hunt elk with me this year.

How recoil tolerant is your son?
Have you spoken to him about his preferences?

Please be aware that game animals are much harder to kill than in the past. Where a 30-30 was thought to be good for harvesting deer in the past everyone knows now that .300 Win Mag is the new minimum.
The upper limit for 30-30 now is generally believed to be jackalope.

 

[TTSX]

It's real hard to beat the 06 as an all around anything cartridge. There's one member here, I forget who, that uses 7-08 for elk. It doesn't need to say Magnum to kill

 

[Ura-Ki]

7mm/08 does a great job, it's kind of developed a reputation as being a beginners cartridge unfairly if you ask me! But it is quite capable of handling any task put before it! Same with the 7X57 Mauser, a very capable chambering with light recoil and exceptional accuracy with today's really outstanding bullets in that diameter!
Personally, I find the .30/06 to be about perfect for all my hunting, and especially the big challenges, but there are times when even the mighty Aught 6 has a tough time, which I why I also use a .338 win mag, finding that if more power is needed, the big .300s don't give enough to make a difference in the outcome! The .338 has never let me down, and recoil is pretty much the same as the .30/06!

I know folks who only hunt with the .338 Win Mag, finding it perfect for a one gun battery! I also know folks who only hunt with a 7mm Rem Mag, both do exceptionally well!

 

[3006shooter]

How recoil tolerant is your son?
Have you spoken to him about his preferences?

Please be aware that game animals are much harder to kill than in the past. Where a 30-30 was thought to be good for harvesting deer in the past everyone knows now that .300 Win Mag is the new minimum.
The upper limit for 30-30 now is generally believed to be jackalope.

I come from west river SD, the jackalope capital of the US. Have killed countless of 'em. The problem isn't that the 30-30 Is marginal for jackalope, the problem is that I killed very few that were closer than 300 yds. You wouldn't think that something that looks like that would be difficult to hunt. If you can get in range with a 30-30, you have my respect.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I come from west river SD, the jackalope capital of the US. Have killed countless of 'em. The problem isn't that the 30-30 Is marginal for jackalope, the problem is that I killed very few that were closer than 300 yds. You wouldn't think that something that looks like that would be difficult to hunt. If you can get in range with a 30-30, you have my respect.

Yup, them's some seriously tough critters, I recommend nothing less then .50 BMG!

 

[nw.style]

How old is your son? Experienced shooter or novice? Recoil sensitive?

Elk, with proper shot placement, aren't all that difficult to bring down. Sure they are big, tough animals, but a hunting bullet in the heart/lungs will do the trick just like any other animal.

While 300 Win. Mag. might be proven and reliable as well as my first suggestion, it may not suit his abilities. A .308 or even 7mm-08 will kill an elk just as dead, if you keep the distances within reason, and put the bullet where it will be most effective.

If you are looking at magnum cartridges for him, I would suggest reading about the 300PRC. It's basically what the 300 Win. Mag. would have been had it been designed today, rather than in the 1960's. Ammo availability isn't the same, but the cost of the ammo is similar.

22 yrs old, IPSC shooter, he has shot small bolt 308 win for deer close up-no long shots.

 

[pharmseller]

It's real hard to beat the 06 as an all around anything cartridge. There's one member here, I forget who, that uses 7-08 for elk. It doesn't need to say Magnum to kill

That would be me.

Here's a few money shots:









In order 68 yards, 225 yards, 477 yards, 346 yards. The bull in the pickup got three shots because he was still standing and we shoot until hooves are in the air. He was my nephew's first bull. The other three took one apiece. Two of them hit the ground so fast I didn't have time to work the bolt. The big 5x5 was my dad's biggest bull. The bull staggered about 90 feet and tipped over.

I won't post pics of deer, there's too many, 150 yards to 541 yards. One and done. A quality bullet impacting in the right spot within it's performance velocity window is going to kill quickly and cleanly.

In my opinion low recoil leads to more practice which leads to better shooting form which leads to better bullet placement which leads to meat on the ground. It's a simple, intuitive proposition, really, that gets discounted by the magnum crowd. In my opinion, and supported by the evidence, the 7mm-08 is a phenomenal all-purpose cartridge.



P

 

[BigGame]

A .308 or even 7mm-08 will kill an elk just as dead, if you keep the distances within reason, and put the bullet where it will be most effective.

Agreed. While elk haven't changed in the past 30 years, bullet technology has improved greatly. You no longer need a magnum cartridge to take elk out to 400+ yards. Lighter cartridges allow for lighter rifles and are generally shot better because of lighter recoil. Personally, I'd go with a 7mm-08 or something in that ballpark.

 

[2506]

I started out hunting elk with a custom 338 built on a SAKO AV action. I'm dating myself, but when that gun was built, you really couldn't get a big caliber, left-handed rifle. It's about 8.5 pounds and hits like a hammer.
However, once I got out of horse ownership, carrying that thing all day sucked. I bought an off-shelf Rem 700 in 300 WM, all in about 6 pounds. It recoils more than my 338, but put down my last bull in one shot at 370 yards.

 

[pharmseller]

I started out hunting elk with a custom 338 built on a SAKO AV action. I'm dating myself, but when that gun was built, you really couldn't get a big caliber, left-handed rifle. It's about 8.5 pounds and hits like a hammer.
However, once I got out of horse ownership, carrying that thing all day sucked. I bought an off-shelf Rem 700 in 300 WM, all in about 6 pounds. It recoils more than my 338, but put down my last bull in one shot at 370 yards.

View attachment 976984

Our experience is similar. I started with a model 70 in .30-06, then transitioned to a .300 Weatherby Mag Accumark. I nicknamed it "The Pig." After killing a couple of bulls I realized they didn't die any better with The Pig, and it weighed a ton, so I went back to the .30-06, this time in a Weatherby Ultra Lightweight. Then I started hunting with a Tikka T3 Lite Stainless in 7mm-08 and that's that.

I actually thought I missed the bull at 346 yards because he was flat on the ground before I regained my sight picture after the recoil. Where'd he go? Straight down, evidently. 140 grain Partition, double lung and exit.

 

[bbbass]

22 yrs old, IPSC shooter, he has shot small bolt 308 win for deer close up-no long shots.

Since he has experience with that rifle/cartridge combo, I'd stick with that. No need to add more variables. Sounds like he doesn't have any experience with longer shooting, so why go there?

 

[Zechariah]

That would be me.

Here's a few money shots:

View attachment 976913

View attachment 976914

View attachment 976915

View attachment 976916

In order 68 yards, 225 yards, 477 yards, 346 yards. The bull in the pickup got three shots because he was still standing and we shoot until hooves are in the air. He was my nephew's first bull. The other three took one apiece. Two of them hit the ground so fast I didn't have time to work the bolt. The big 5x5 was my dad's biggest bull. The bull staggered about 90 feet and tipped over.

I won't post pics of deer, there's too many, 150 yards to 541 yards. One and done. A quality bullet impacting in the right spot within it's performance velocity window is going to kill quickly and cleanly.

In my opinion low recoil leads to more practice which leads to better shooting form which leads to better bullet placement which leads to meat on the ground. It's a simple, intuitive proposition, really, that gets discounted by the magnum crowd. In my opinion, and supported by the evidence, the 7mm-08 is a phenomenal all-purpose cartridge.



P

Very nice! I'm 7mm-08 curious now.
I'm amazed at the abilities of the 338 RUM but seems heavy or painful maybe both. I think it came out in 2000 ish. They use 338 RUM in some videos I've been watching (STUCK N THE RUT). makes for good TV it totally devastates from way downtown but those dudes are stud shooters.

 

[osprey]

Elk can be harvested with good bullet and placement with a plethora of cartridges. Many good ones have been mentioned here. I have killed elk with a 338 rum, 7mm mag, .270, .280 and 280 ai. They all worked to great effect coupled with proper bullets. I think it is more important that the choice is a rifle the shooter can shoot well. Over the years I have got away from the big boomers and have settled on my 280 ai and my .270 for a backup gun. They lend themselves to being shot well and I would not hesitate recommending either one for elk. Find a rifle and cartridge the shooter can shoot well pick a properly constructed bullet for the game and practice. Might be a .308 for some or a 338 win mag for others.

 

[Pops1911]

Here's my 2 cents ... 30-06 or 30-30. Still my go to hunting tools.

 

[DeanMk]

I have owned and shot a 300 Weatherby since I was 16 (1982) with regular off the shelf Weatherby ammo. I have killed many large game animals in many states with my 300 Wby BUT my son wants to hunt elk with me this year. I know you can kill an elk with any caliber but I've haven't shot anything WITH another caliber. I don't really need to hear the story of how your g-pa shot an elephant with an air rifle. I have never had to track a wounded animal with the 300 and don't really want to. No, I don't shoot 1000 yards or animals on a dead run. My 300 is from 1982 and it was good then but what is good now? Long and short range with knockdown power. Now there are too many different calibers and guns. I know, opinions are like ______ BUT I really want to know what do you think? Thanks, Jason

.358 Winchester w/250 gr. bullet, in a Browning BLR.

 

[Quirt Evans]

358 Winchester w/250 gr. bullet, in a Browning BLR.

That's not a bad choice,, a bit of an "outlier" cartridge, but a good one, and the BLR ain't too shabby either.
I'd probably go with Elmer Keith, ('cause I've used them, and their effect on game is beyond reproach,) in heavy timber a 45-70, in open country a .375 H&H.
Frontal area and bullet weight are more reliable than velocity.