ELK Rifle, best calibre

Ardent said:
Flat out, the best Elk chambering is almost certainly the .300 Win Mag. When everything is considered- trajectory, bullet weight, premium factory loads, easily sourced ammo in a tight spot, high quality components readily available for the handloader, moderate recoil, long range performance, rifle selection available... Well nothing else is really even in the game ................................. :)
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Nailed it .....
Good post Ardent.
 
roche1982 said:
Looking at getting a gun for Elk hunting next year. May also use it for Moose. So far I have been looking at the 7mm REM and the .338 WM. Any suggestions. Probably looking at something like an XCRII or something that can handle the elements
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The Rem M700 XCR 11 is a Excellent rifle - in a 7mm Rem Mag or 300 Win Mag or a 338 Win Mag it will be a great Elk - Moose Killing Rifle ;) RJ
 
Personally I like a 300 RUM, but really any caliber from a 270 winchester and larger is great for elk, some smaller cartridges work great too if you wait for the right shot and use good quality bullets. Whats the best elk rifle is a very loaded question
 
A co-worker who owns very few rifles asked me several years ago about Elk rifles and knowing how he hunts I suggested a 35 Whelen.
Now after several Elk including a couple really nice Bulls, a Moose or two and several Deer he is very content with the Whelen...
 
My personal elk rifle is a .338 RUM. Love the long range ability and the impact on big bulls. Not saying it is the best, it is just what I like best. A .338 Lapua would be a nice one too.
 
leonard said:
308 or 30-06
150 to 180Grn bullets
If your recoil sensitive lean to the 308.
either will do the trick unless your doing stupid long shots.
bullets a plenty to choose from.

Buy a gun that feels nice in your hands and tight to your shoulder.
The more natural it feels and the easier it is to hold up to shoulder the more likely you will make a better shot placement.

Buy lots of ammo and shoot it until your dead confident in bullet placement and go shoot your elk.
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x2 .........even if you are doing stupid long shots.
 
saskcop said:
My personal elk rifle is a .338 RUM. Love the long range ability and the impact on big bulls. Not saying it is the best, it is just what I like best. A .338 Lapua would be a nice one too.
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I looked at those, but eventually went with either a 7mm REM or .338 WM. I want to get into reloading and love the variety of bullets and loads the .338 offers. So basically I have come to the conclusion I want both guns, lol.... However I will start with the .338WM in either a Kimber Montana 8400 or Remington 700 XCRII....


Glad to see this thread still going, love reading the different opinions, all very valid and informative
 
GETFSHN said:
Yes and have I got the rifle for you. Its a 300 Wby Mag with a 30 in fluted stainless barrel, comes complete with a 6 to 24 dual cross hair scope and I have about 50 rounds of 165 nosler balistic tip loads loaded with85 gr. Reloader 25 powder and is a 1000 yd rifle. Its set at 4" high at 100 yds and is zero at 4oo yds and the top dial on the scope goes to 900 yds and then I use the bottom cross hair at 14 power fot zero at 1000 yds.

This rifle is custom made and it has an adjustable trigger and set at 2 lbs. There is no creep, no back lash just trigger and no misses. The loads are NOT hot and travel at 3600 fps. If you want to see the kind of shot you can do with it see 830 elk shot on youtube. They brag on how good that rifle is but mine's better due to barrel length. I also have a bi-pod attached to the front.I just started on this forum so I don't know how to post pic's so if you wish to see it I would need an email to send a picture. sonnycovin@shaw.ca

I should also add that al the bullets have been through a co-axial dial indicator. This I use to check how concentric the bullet will go through the bore. This dial indicator is accurate to 1/10,000 of an inch and the bullets that are zero on the dial are the ones I use for long range like 700 plus yds. The ones that are between one and two 10,000 ths out I would use under 700 yds. This rifle will shoot 5 shots back to back and be all in the same hole at 100yds.
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Wow.
 
My elk hunt this year will be with one of my 308 Norma Magnums and the 200 Partition.

This combination has been faultless through a good many big cervids and bovids.

Regards, Dave.
 
I like to get as close to the animal as I can so any 6.5 or larger works for my hunting style. I like big heavy bullets at decent velocity so 30/06 with 200 gr. 35 Whelen with 250 gr. 45/70 with 405 gr but if I were to hunt elk my 458wm with 350 gr swift A frames would be my choice. I love the gun
 
Where can you get a tag for that?? They're protected in most places.
As to the cartridge, whichever you are comfortable with, greater than 22lr will do.
Shot placement is more important than anything else. All of factory centrefire rifle rounds will go through the animal. So penetration is not an issue. Bullet (projectile) selection is of import.
I was shooting magnum rounds (i.e. 300WSM) and couldn't shoot more than 3 in a row without a feeling of discomfort. Then a developed a twitch. So I came down to the venerable .308 and am happy about it. Can shoot two boxes of ammunition without any discomfort.
Shot a dear with .308 from 70 yards or so, bullet went through the shoulder, penetrated heart, burst lungs, and exited through the rib on the other end. A lot of meat was wasted as it went jelly. So even the .308 was an overkill :)

roche1982 said:
Looking at getting a gun for Elk hunting next year. May also use it for Moose. So far I have been looking at the 7mm REM and the .338 WM. Any suggestions. Probably looking at something like an XCRII or something that can handle the elements
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ss1980 said:
As to the cartridge, whichever you are comfortable with, greater than 22lr will do.
Shot placement is more important than anything else. All of factory centrefire rifle rounds will go through the animal. So penetration is not an issue.
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For elk and moose? Interesting, I didn't know that. Are you sure you're not mistaking elk and moose with squirrel?
 
ss1980 said:
I don't know what province you're from but in Ontario, Elk is a protected animal. There are efforts to increase the population of the herd and bring it back to its former glory.
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Actually, I am originally from Ontario, and owned land right in the heart of the area that now has an elk season.

Are you seriously posting an answer in a thread about "best elk cartridges" without knowing that there is a season for them in your own province, only a couple of hours from your listed location?
 
7mm rem mag!150 g soft points... every elk i have shot when down like a ton of bricks dead before they hit the ground...closest i have shot is 99 yards longest 509 yards flipped it over...
 
ss1980 said:
I don't know what province you're from but in Ontario, Elk is a protected animal. There are efforts to increase the population of the herd and bring it back to its former glory.
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Elk are NOT protected in Ontario... they are managed... as indicated by the hunting seasons available.
 
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