400 Yard Elk cartridge . what's your Pick

[Spruster]

Elk are now scattered all thru the mountains and prairies . So where you hunt and can see a lung shot run for 100's of yards or do you hunt where DRT means it . whether terrain or just predator concerns. deep timber drop it there ?

What's the best of the best .. and experience
out to 400 yards in your conditions

 

[rustybarrel]

300 WSM or 300 Win Mag
7mm Rem Mag
They have punch, flat shooting and can reach.

 

[dan belisle]

My two favourites were the 340 Wby and 8mm Rem Mag. Can't say I have ever taken a 400 yd shot on an elk however. - dan

 

[Suther]

300 WSM or 300 Win Mag
7mm Rem Mag
They have punch, flat shooting and can reach.

Functional, but boring.

My two favourites were the 340 Wby and 8mm Rem Mag. Can't say I have ever taken a 400 yd shot on an elk however. - dan

Now there's some options with ### appeal! 340bee was the first thing that popped into my head when he asked what's "the best".

 

[FatCatsDad]

270 WIN, at 400 yards it will drop approx 30", but will have enough energy to tip one over

 

[Buckmastr]

Didn’t Chuck shoot an elk at 550 yards with a 270? I think it was just a baby though…

 

[boxhitch]

338 with 225 gr barnes works at 418 on moose, should be okay on an elk
hope I get the chance

 

[Northern Shooter]

7mm Rem Mag is what I chose.

Long live the 7's.

 

[Eagleye]

I have shot a number of Elk. [34] Most were taken with the 308 Norma Magnum and either 180 or 200 Partitions.

Recently, I have been using one of 2 8mms, the 325 WSM and the 8mm Rem Magnum.
In the 325, I use the 196 Norma Oryx, in the 8 mag either the 200 or 220 A-Frames.

I have shot two Elk at 400+, one with the 308 Norma Mag and the 180 Part. Double lung, only went about
20 feet and piled up. [laser ranged at 415 yards]

The other was a 425 yard shot on a 6x5 Bull with the 8mm Rem Mag and the 220 A-Frame. Dead within a
few stumbling steps.

In my humble opinion, the 8mm Rem Mag is an ideal Elk chambering, particularly at over 350 yards.. That being
said, I shot a big cow elk at 385 yards with the 6.5 x 55 AI and the 142 LRAB. DRT Bullet recovered under far
side hide.

Although I have not shot Elk with either, I believe the 338 Win and the 340 Weatherby are very good Elk medicine.
Dave.

 

[obsessed1b]

I killed a bull at 380 w a 308win.. my choice for anything past 350 is gonna be a 300Win Mag though.

 

[Spruster]

I have shot a number of Elk. Most were taken with the 308 Norma Magnum and either 180 or 200 Partitions.

Recently, I have been using one of 2 8mms, the 325 WSM and the 8mm Rem Magnum.
In the 325, I use the 196 Norma Oryx, in the 8 mag either the 200 or 220 A-Frames.

I have shot two Elk at 400+, one with the 308 Norma Mag and the 180 Part. Double lung, only went about
20 feet and piled up. [laser ranged at 415 yards]

The other was a 425 yard shot on a 6x5 Bull with the 8mm Rem Mag and the 220 A-Frame. Dead within a
few stumbling steps.

In my humble opinion, the 8mm Rem Mag is an ideal Elk chambering, particularly at over 350 yards.. That being
said, I shot a big cow elk at 385 yards with the 6.5 x 55 AI and the 142 LRAB. DRT Bullet recovered under far
side hide.

Although I have not shot Elk with either, I believe the 338 Win and the 340 Weatherby are very good Elk medicine.
Dave.

Nice Dave . I love the 325 Wsm as well . maybe the perfect elk cartridge . too bad it didn't catch on a lot . Still have one and plenty of ammo . 200 gr accubond and 220 win power point

 

[Spruster]

I killed a bull at 380 w a 308win.. my choice for anything past 350 is gonna be a 300Win Mag though.

what were u using in the 308 at that time

 

[tokguy]

No-one wants to hear this... they ain't that tough. I fixed someone else's mess a year or 4 back. 303 br at 344 yds was like the hand of god...just swatted it.
I've used a 6.5 x 55 at about 250 yards and a 30-40 at about 200... pretty much all DRT
I wouldn't recommend 303 at range, but decisions had to be made. Shouldn't need an elephant gun IMO

 

[Joel]

Would have zero hesitation trying that shot with a 6.5 CM loaded with a 143gr ELD-X at 2800 fps. Its getting there with plenty of steam and energy left. If it really had to be a cannon, well...270 Win with a 136gr Terminal Ascent.

Course if its windier than just a bit, the big powder burners flingin heavier/faster bullets sure make up for it.

No-one wants to hear this... they ain't that tough. I fixed someone else's mess a year or 4 back. 303 br at 344 yds was like the hand of god...just swatted it.
I've used a 6.5 x 55 at about 250 yards and a 30-40 at about 200... pretty much all DRT
I wouldn't recommend 303 at range, but decisions had to be made. Shouldn't need an elephant gun IMO

Amen, brotha. Preach.

 

[Royzo]

Got a 6x6 bull using a 270 win at 325 yards and a 7x7 bull using a 338 win mag at 350 yards. Neither one went any further than 20 yards max. Shot placement is key no matter what you shoot with.

 

[Spruster]

Got a 6x6 bull using a 270 win at 325 yards and a 7x7 bull using a 338 win mag at 350 yards. Neither one went any further than 20 yards max. Shot placement is key no matter what you shoot with.

nice ...so which one do you grab and why on your next elk hunt . Is there diff areas or maybe the gun it self

 

[IvoB]

7mm08

 

[Joel]

Got a 6x6 bull using a 270 win at 325 yards and a 7x7 bull using a 338 win mag at 350 yards. Neither one went any further than 20 yards max. Shot placement is key no matter what you shoot with.

How do you get set up for a shot like that? Sitting/prone off a ruck, or?

 

[tony d]

I'm in the 300 mag camp on this ironically my 2 longest shots on elk were well over 450 with the 30-06
Cheers Tony

 

[westcoaster]

What I use is my 338wm based on a SS Classic Model 70 with 250grn Swift AFrames. Although I would not hesitate to use my 3006 or 6.5x55.