Lowest recoil caliber for elk hunting??

My first gun was a 6.5x55 Swedish. Virtually no recoil and can take down anything I have hunted so far. (Deer, moose, elk, bear) I find if your tight on funds that "Fusion" bullets are amazing for their price and provide a very clean kill shots. Definitely a favorite
 
I am going to have to go against the majority here and say that 400 mtrs is not a particularly difficult shot. One usually has the advantage that the targeted critter doesn't know you're even there and getting a good prone or bagged position is usually possible. After that it's just a matter of doping the wind and knowing your rifle and cartridge, sight alignment and trigger and breathing control. If your chosen load will produce moa groups then you should be able to make a heart shot on an elk at 400 mtrs, if you do everything just right.
The faster magnums will make it easier to connect where you want as time of flight is less and they arrive on target with more energy and greater hydrostatic shock, assuming the correct bullet selection. This also assumes the rifleman has done his homework and significant practice at these ranges to be intimate with his chosen rifle and load. The minimum cartridge I personally would use to hunt elk where 400 mtrs was a distinct possibility, would be a 264 WM using 140 gn Parts or 130, 140 gn ABs. This is a minimal recoiling set up that arrives with lots of horsepower to do the job and a minimum of flight time, making winds much less critical. My choice however, is and has been for many years a 300 Wby using 200 gn bullets, but I would certainly not turn down a 400 mtr shot armed with a familiar 264 WM and proper bullets.
The 264 puts the 270 to shame ballistically speaking and recoil is virtually identical.
 
Ya ballistically I want a 264 caliber. Now its just a matter of finding a gun chambered in one. I was looking at the 6.5 swedes on tradeex cause it would be a nice nostalgic inexpensive rifle, but since you can't load it to high pressures id have to hunt closer. Which really isnt a big deal, I was just asking a simple question cause i thought I might have to shoot farther one day and only wanna buy 1 rifle now. But would rather shoot at 2800-900 fps for maximum benifit. However thats hard to find in my price range. I would love a Vanguard but the website says they only come chambered in creedmoor, which i think would be hardest to find brass for out off the 264 family? Heres a dumb question, cab u shoot 260 rem from a creedmoor chambered rifle? I assume no because the case lengths are different.
 
Tikka t3 lites can be loaded to modern 6.5x55 pressures and can be found for great prices if you look. A 6.5x55 loaded to modern pressures will out perform the 6.5 creedmore, 6.5x47 lapua and 260 Remington. Those 3 are all short actions if that's a benefit to you. I prefer the 6.5x55 because it's a long action and I can load my bullets way out which is nice for the long 6.5 pills. In the short actions you would have to seat them deep into the case
 
c-fbmi said:
I am going to have to go against the majority here and say that 400 mtrs is not a particularly difficult shot. One usually has the advantage that the targeted critter doesn't know you're even there and getting a good prone or bagged position is usually possible. After that it's just a matter of doping the wind and knowing your rifle and cartridge, sight alignment and trigger and breathing control. If your chosen load will produce moa groups then you should be able to make a heart shot on an elk at 400 mtrs, if you do everything just right.
The faster magnums will make it easier to connect where you want as time of flight is less and they arrive on target with more energy and greater hydrostatic shock, assuming the correct bullet selection. This also assumes the rifleman has done his homework and significant practice at these ranges to be intimate with his chosen rifle and load. The minimum cartridge I personally would use to hunt elk where 400 mtrs was a distinct possibility, would be a 264 WM using 140 gn Parts or 130, 140 gn ABs. This is a minimal recoiling set up that arrives with lots of horsepower to do the job and a minimum of flight time, making winds much less critical. My choice however, is and has been for many years a 300 Wby using 200 gn bullets, but I would certainly not turn down a 400 mtr shot armed with a familiar 264 WM and proper bullets.
The 264 puts the 270 to shame ballistically speaking and recoil is virtually identical.
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I agree up to a point...400 yards isn't that far but most people that I have known who aren't real rifle cranks don't practice enough to make them regularly

Assuming the shooter is up to the task there are a whole host of cartridges up to the task. But generally when someone asks "What's the best elk rifle for up to 400 meters" they haven't got the skill to shoot elk at 400 meters.
 
BigUglyMan said:
I agree up to a point...400 yards isn't that far but most people that I have known who aren't real rifle cranks don't practice enough to make them regularly

Assuming the shooter is up to the task there are a whole host of cartridges up to the task. But generally when someone asks "What's the best elk rifle for up to 400 meters" they haven't got the skill to shoot elk at 400 meters.
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BUM......those were my exact words in my first post on this thread..............."If ya gotta ask, you shouldn't be doing it"

AF.......excellent advice, 40 years of reloading allows me to know what is safe, what is marginal and where to stop. Not a good idea for a newbie at reloading........Besides BUM, I'm not dead (yet) so I cannot be channeled, I have a telephone no need for channeling yet.......
 
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its not a 400 yard cart, but i would imagine within its range the 338 federal has to be a nice blend of power/recoil. savage is making a whole bunch of rifles in it this year.
 
Interesting discussion. A 6.5x55 loaded up might outperform the 260, 270, etc. but is that the accurate load for that rifle? A 140 grain in a 260 outperforms a 270 with a 130 grain past 300 yards. As nice as that 338F round is I don't think using it beyond 250-300 would be so productive. Accurate loads, good recoil pads, well fitting stocks and long eye relief scopes are all important too. Not to mention scope power, reticles, etc. (But that wasn't part of the question.) But there is more to it than all this. You need to be capable of shooting that far under field conditions repeatedly. This has all been mentioned. As has been getting closer. Change the parameter to 300 yards and a lot changes and choices are easier. Not to mention the odds of making the shot ethically. 300 yards is still a long way.
 
Thats a good summary Snomad and I have to agree with you. 300 yards is still very far. Right now im thinking a 6.5x55 from tec since the rifles are easily available and inexpensive
 
kykamo said:
Thats a good summary Snomad and I have to agree with you. 300 yards is still very far. Right now im thinking a 6.5x55 from tec since the rifles are easily available and inexpensive
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I was all set to buy a 6.5x55 husky from tradex, then I saw a stainless Tikka T3 at Reliable. It followed me home, and I'm delighted with it.
 
Are those Husky's from tradex ones with a twist that would accommodate light bullets (for other than Elk should you want it for deer or perhaps Antelope).
The T3 is a great choice for that caliber. What is the twist on that?
 
snomad said:
Are those Husky's from tradex ones with a twist that would accommodate light bullets (for other than Elk should you want it for deer or perhaps Antelope).
The T3 is a great choice for that caliber. What is the twist on that?
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1 in 8-and-a-tad. The old military standard, I'm given to understand.
 
Scroll down to the section called the 7mm Advantage high BC and Acceptable recoil.. it is a good read and may give you some of the answers you seek.
http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/7mm/
My go to is the 7mm Rem Mag. As others have suggested, if you can resolve your recoil sensitivity, it is one of the most versatile and accurate choices. A 7mm08 may be my next purchase having my 10 and 12 year old kids in mind. As I hand load, having two 7mm loads will allow me to stock a variety of bullets in 1 diameter instead of 2.
 
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