Elk rifle.

My latest "dedicated" Elk rifle is a 700 BDL in 8mm Rem mag, kicking out 220 A-Frames or 220 Woodleighs at 3100.
Mounted on top is VX 3 2.5-8 Leupold.

However, I have shot the majority of my elk harvest with the 308 Norma Mag and either 180 or 200 Partitions. One with a 200 AB.

I have shot 3 with the 7mm STW, one with the 7x57, several with the 30-06, and one with the 338 Win Mag and 210 P's

My personal experience leads me to believe that Elk are a bit more tenacious of life than is their larger cousin, the Moose.
Than being said, I have never had to chase one far once that bullet hit in the proper place. The longest run was short of 100M.

The suggestion of a 300 Win Mag is a good one. Shooting 180's at 3100 or 200's at close to 3000 makes for decisive results.
Just choose a good bullet, in case you get a close-in shot. [No Bergers, please!!] Regards, Dave.
 
Last edited:
Keith's opinion on bullets didn't evolve as bullets did. He expected them to fragment so used and reccomended larger. It's ironic as the Nosler Partition and then the fantastic BBC were available for years while he was still active, it would've been interesting to see if he would've changed his advice if he had actually tried them.

Mind you, a large part of his shtick was arguing with JOC, it might not have been easy to moderate his advice as the public expects consistency from the experts.
 
smash said:
Some people can shoot..... some can't, 4570 will work
Click to expand...

Excellent cartridge. I used my Ruger No.1 .45-70 with a 300gr TSX bullet at 2600 fps MV to drop a 6x7 Bull Elk in its tracks at a range of about 150 meters.

45-70_No1_Bushnell_1.75-5x20mm_zpswjmh89sz.jpg
 
Last edited:
smash said:
Some people can shoot..... some can't, 4570 will work
Click to expand...
So, I presume that you "can shoot" and that you would prefer an iron sighted 45/70 over a scoped 300magnum for shooting game at 300yds or more under diverse hunting circumstances. Yes?
 
I would go with the .300 WM or .338 WM, but the .30-06 will also do the job if you do yours.

Here's mine...a Rem 700 in .338 WM with a Leuopld VX-3. Elk (and moose) seem to not like it very much. ;)

IMG_4183_zps986rofq2.jpg
 
bollox said:
I have decided that I "need" a dedicated elk set-up for next year's season. I have always had success with minimal cartridges in the past but would like to really focus on elk specifically.
Just looking for suggestions (gun/glass). Budget $2500 ish
Click to expand...

Savage Long Range Hunter in 6.5x284 Norma, with Sightron scope.
 
I'd recommend something like the Tikka Battue in 300 WM with a good 4-12 scope. It weighs just over 6 lbs, with open sights. Easy to carry all day. Recoil is really not bad at all. Load'er up with 190's and you have a 400 yard gun with the proper amount of practice. If you're hunting bush, then a 450 Marlin, 444 or 45-70 would get the nod.
 
300 WinMag with 180 grn bullets .
Scope of choice would be a 3.5-10X or a 4-14X in a Leupold VX III.
Browning A-bolt would be my choice of gun.
Then again there are those that have used the 30-30 with great success.
Rob
 
Slamfire said:
Sure can be done. More emphasis on hunting skills. Just call it in close and brain it.
Click to expand...

I've never hunted elk, so I have no ides as to how much killing they need, but moose are quite a bit bigger, and I've never had to chase one shot with a 30-30. We did have to chase a huge cow my wife shot with a 7.62 X 39, but that was because she didn't know to wait for it to bleed out. The moose laid down when she was hit, but got up when my wife approached. Thousands and thousands of moose were shot with 30-30's. It's just in the last 10 years or so that they became tanks.
 
I have a Browning X-Bolt Hell's Canyon Speed in .300 WSM with Leupold VX6 3-18 x 50mm CDS w/ illuminated B&C reticle, mounted in Leupold bases and rings. Love this set up...perfect for North American big game, especially so for elk and moose, in my opinion. Considering the scope, it is a relatively light rig as well. Pick an optic from the VX3i range, and you are well within your budget from the OP.
 
RickF said:
Keith's opinion on bullets didn't evolve as bullets did. He expected them to fragment so used and reccomended larger. It's ironic as the Nosler Partition and then the fantastic BBC were available for years while he was still active, it would've been interesting to see if he would've changed his advice if he had actually tried them.

Mind you, a large part of his shtick was arguing with JOC, it might not have been easy to moderate his advice as the public expects consistency from the experts.
Click to expand...

One thing I give to Keith is the distance he was shooting some of these animals at. Most don't or can't shoot an Elk at 575 or more yards. I can see why Keith wanted more knock down power for these animals at those kind of ranges.
 
madashell said:
One thing I give to Keith is the distance he was shooting some of these animals at. Most don't or can't shoot an Elk at 575 or more yards. I can see why Keith wanted more knock down power for these animals at those kind of ranges.
Click to expand...

High speed 40 calibers shine in this scenario. I used my .416 Remington Magnum to down an Elk at a range of about 500 meters with a 300gr X bullet at 3000 fps MV. With my Leupold 4x scope I used about a 2/3 meter hold-over its back as it stood broadside.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom