Newbie question: 30-30 for elk?

[salmonriverjohn]

30 years back now jluck

 

[salmonriverjohn]

Ever been there scrub buck? Its a huge wild place after you get out of Anchorage and Fairbanks. I never lived anywhere up there that you could actually drive to. Them idiots have lived there for a few thousand years and seem to be still doing just fine.

I'll second that,, welcome to the site.

 

[JoeDirt82]

Trust me when I say that I've been fortunate enough to have taken more Elk than I can remember. Most were shot with the 'lowly, antiquated, sub par 06 and none ever went over 20 yards that my feeble old mind can remember. I've taken them with everything from my 48 willy's to a .458 Win magnum. It's not the cartridge it's the rifleman my friend as you pointed out earlier,
"What makes my .300 win mag better than any other gun I own? Because I shoot it more than any other gun I own!"

And again I agree, "If that elk is found dead because you shot it and couldn't find it.... well lets just say wasting a game animal is worse crime than taking it out of season!"

But to call the 06 sub par,, them's damn near fight'n words

Lol.... I know I was in for a fight with that comment! 30-06 is a great round, in fact I had a friend and a uncle take there elk this year with one. Would I recommend someone buying one for elk.... no! You can buy just about any rifle chambered in any round for about the same price. So why not buy a larger rifle for elk?

 

[jluck]

30 years back now jluck

I would think (hope) better option have been employed since then when possible. I am no 30-30 hater, I have one but when hunting large tough animals I will go past it to my trusty '06 or 7mm Rem.

For the record, I have no problem with others using the 30-30, Most know the limitations when hunting with one.

 

[scrub buck]

Ever been there scrub buck? Its a huge wild place after you get out of Anchorage and Fairbanks. I never lived anywhere up there that you could actually drive to. Them idiots have lived there for a few thousand years and seem to be still doing just fine.

I'll second that,, welcome to the site.

No, never been there. I do have respect for a culture that makes it in those conditions, but no doubt they are lacking in some departments. As far as the welcoming... thank you, even though there was a bit of sarcasm mixed in there. I can't think of a situation where i would suggest a 30/30 as the best cartridge for the job,cept maybe if you wan't to kill one last deer with grampa's gun.
There are plenty of compact bolt guns out there to chose from if in tight quarters. The lil 7mm/08 has three times the effective range of a 30/30. Load it with some barnes 120 gr tsx's and you can shoot thru the shoulders of any member of the deer family. With almost identical recoil, the 7mm/08 will extend the op's effective range from 125 yds to 375 yds and beyond for thin skinned critters.

 

[CamoDeafie]

you know.... the OP already bought a 336 30-30 lever; and has not replied to this thread in the last two years?

that said; I personally would've gone for 30-06 or 7.62x54R with the right loads.... as for what I'm seeing here in the recent posts; it sounds like a gun rag to me; someone posting about how modern cartridges are all the better; but here's the thing; in the coastal woodland; people rarely take shots out to 200 yards or so....especially during elk season. I grew up near Astoria; a family friend hunts the woodland areas with a 30-06 and 220gr soft points for elk...he's never taken elk beyond 150 yards in that environment. It's much easier to find 30-06 ammo out here than it is to find 7mm/08 or any of the "exotic" East coast hunting rounds; although I do see a lot of .300 win mags and similar sized short mags also the Holland & Holland magnums (.375s and 325?)..... a lot of the same hunters also hunt bear as well; and I know there's several people using .45-70s and .40+ cal levers in the timbers here with short barrels (16-18" versus 22-26" )...

 

[salmonriverjohn]

Amen brother camo, it's all about bullet Placement. I have a little Irish hunting partner that just loves his big old .300 win mag, should have seen his face when he hit bull at spitting distance and it kept walking without hardly a flinch. It just took about five steps before the bullet did its work. he thought the bull should have been knocked flat on its side, it was a good wake up for him.

If the speed and psi squared are looked at, there isn't hardly a thing different at 100 yards that an elk would ever notice between the 300 and the 06. Giving a good bullet is used and the shot is on the money, dead is dead and bigger is a very poor excuse for a bad shot anyway.

 

[JoeDirt82]

No, never been there. I do have respect for a culture that makes it in those conditions, but no doubt they are lacking in some departments. As far as the welcoming... thank you, even though there was a bit of sarcasm mixed in there. I can't think of a situation where i would suggest a 30/30 as the best cartridge for the job,cept maybe if you wan't to kill one last deer with grampa's gun.
There are plenty of compact bolt guns out there to chose from if in tight quarters. The lil 7mm/08 has three times the effective range of a 30/30. Load it with some barnes 120 gr tsx's and you can shoot thru the shoulders of any member of the deer family. With almost identical recoil, the 7mm/08 will extend the op's effective range from 125 yds to 375 yds and beyond for thin skinned critters.

Barnes TSX's are the best big game bullet hands down! I reload my .300 win mag with 180 grain and the penetration is the perfect combo, I have recovered almost every Barnes bullet I have shot with a %99 weight retention.

 

[JoeDirt82]

I tried to find a picture I took of the collection but couldn't find it

 

[bolen05]

You might consider the 308 ruger gunsight scout- i use an 1895 scout in 45/70 and it is a little rough on the shoulder after the first couple rounds

 

[erudne]

I know of 2 elk dropped w/one shot from an SKS (in thick cover)
Same for one elk dropped at 50 yards w/30-30
all 3 were spinal shots and depended on rifles sighted in for close range. Needless to say that the terrain was tick, wet and steep!