I'm in the "shoot again" camp. if there's time to hang out and watch it die, there's time to hit it again. But then I aint hunting herd animas...is the reason for not firing again that if the herd spooks it will compel the wounded elk to run instead of sticking around in one place to die there?
400 Yard Elk cartridge . what's your Pick
- Thread starter Spruster
- Start date
It is my thinking… but I never hunted elk and I’m sure that like anything else, every situations are different even if the same situation occurs twice the ending might still be different! Anyway take everything I say with a grain of salt or the hood shaker…
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I anticipate that my Alberta draw will hit this fall. I'll be using a 28 Nosler. My inclination would have been to use my 7mm Weatherby, but if I can travel without a rifle that means I can bring more meat home. I hate it, but those are the facts.
- Location
- Saskatchewan
I like this quote - This is wisdom.
I have been very fortunate to have hunted elk for many years. I killed my thirtieth elk last September. Learned a lot during those hunts, and still hope to learn more. I have wounded and lost two elk. Never want to repeat those disasters.
In my opinion, no shot should be taken if you are not 90% sure of a vital hit. Elk, even well hit, very often run after the shot. It is not always possible to observe just how well a shot was placed and sometimes bullets do wonky things when they hit heavy bones or even a small unseen twig. A wounded elk is much more difficult to follow up than a wounded moose, because they tend to travel faster and farther. And the tracks can easily be mixed and confused with others if there is a herd. So regardless of the effect of the first shot, I shoot again if the elk is hurt but still on its feet.
I practise shooting a lot. I have a private range. I can keep shots on a target at 400 yards if it's not windy. But elk are not targets. So for me, 400 yards is about double the distance I can be confident of consistently putting a bullet in the right spot under normal hunting conditions, and be able to repeat that on a now-moving animal.
I've shot most of my elk with .308 or .35 Whelen. I like the Whelen a little better. But I've also used .270, 7x57, 7x64, 30-06, 8x57IS, 9.3x62, .356 Winchester, .375H&H, and .450-400 3" Nitro express. Observed several others at our camp shooting .300 magnums and .338's. The cartridge seems to matter less than a good bullet put in the right place.
I've had good results with Speer Grand Slam, Nosler Partition and Accubond, Norma Oryx, Barnes TSX, Trophy Bonded, and a couple others. I've had satisfactory results with some standard cup and core bullets like Lapua Mega, Remington Core-lokt, and Hornady Interlock if the cartridge shooting them is not too high velocity. And had some jacket-core separations and poor penetration from some other "standard" bullets as well. My preference is to shoot strong, medium or heavy for caliber bullets, bonded or all copper construction.
I personally find a good scope that offers a clear aiming point at first legal light is far more important than a flat shooting & powerful cartridge. Probably two thirds of my elk have been taken at first and last light.
I shot this elk last September at 70 yards and immediately again as it ran, with a .30-06 and 180 grain Norma Oryx. I passed up several elk viewed at farther distances before this good opportunity presented itself.
Attachments
Dang, that is a good read right there.
Definitely on board with all cartridges being more alike than they are different if you put a GOOD bullet in the vitals, and that you need to be able to judge when you can do that...if it means passing, then pass.
I'm in the same camp as far as shooting until they tip over too.
Cool picture!
In my safe at the moment, 7mm Rem Mag (Tikka T3X) or a .300 Wby Mag (Mark V). Both are wearing Viper HS scopes (2.5-10 on 7mm, 4-16 on .300). Any of the 7mm or .30-cal magnum cartridges have plenty of pop for the job. Based on the 400 yard requirement, I'd prefer my .300 over 7mm RM, but that's because of the scope more than the rifle/cartridge.
i never shot an elk but a lot of the shorter version in europe called the red deer and i found that the 7x64 even with 160 grains was really on the light side during driven hunts. on stalk it may work but i preferred the 300 wea mag with 180 grains and 9.3x62 with 293 gr tug and lately the 286 oryx that worked great but i never been known to shoot too far.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
Keep on sooking. It's a good look on you.
Pudelpointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Lethbridge, Alberta
Hey BigUglyMan, where abouts are you going to be hunting? And yeah, there's always someone looking to lay blame... despite the fact that non-resident Canadians represent a miniscule fraction of hunters in AB, or BC, or SK, or or or...
As to the question:
1. 260 gr Accubond, 375 H&H, Ruger #1, 90 yards = DRT
2. 140 gr Accubond, 270 Win, Browning A-bolt, 12 yards = DRT
3. 220 gr Gameking, 8mm Rem Mag, Rem 700, 45 yards = DRT
4. 125 gr Wasp cut on contact, 60 lb @ 28", high hit from 35 yards down into one lung, 125 yard recovery.
5. 140 gr Accubond, 270 Win, Browning A-bolt, 8 yard awful shot, 23 yards another awful shot, but down. Gun jammed. Bull up - 225 gr TSX, 338 Lapua, Sako m995, 23 yards, through both shoulders.... uh, yeah, DRT.
6. 130 gr TTSX, 270 Win, Browning A-bolt, 85 yards = a touch high, centred shoulder blade, rib, centred T3 vertebrae, rib, centred shoulder blade, continued on. 2nd shot at the base of skull 5 yards.
7. 140 gr Gameking, 6.5x55, Husqvarna Mauser 96, 105 yards (previously wounded), literally two steps and tipped.
8. 223 gr .530 round ball - pure lead, 54 Cal ML, 115 yards, not far... maybe 15-20 steps.
9. 220 gr Gameking, 8mm Rem Mag, Rem 700, 205 yards = DRT
... pretty sure there was another one in there somewhere.
Also, stood beside:
165 Interlock, 308 Win, Model 88, 40 yards - poor hit, too far forward but caught the front of one lung, but obviously fatal hit so no need to waste more meat, dead within one min.
130 gr SST, 270 Win, Rem 700, 170 yards - another poor hit, again too far forward (low neck), but luckily caught the jugular on the way through, otherwise it would have been a very long track. Recovered at <200 yards.
180 gr SST, 300 Win Mag, Win 70 iirc, five hits between 215 and 60 yards, all poor hits, about a 400 yard recovery.
180 gr SST, 300 Win Mag, Win 70, poor hit, see 6.5x55 above.
160 gr Partition, 7mm Rem Mag, Rem 700, one shot, DRT.
180 gr Interbond, 300 Weatherby, first shot a bit high but bull went down, second shot as bull tried to get up, both hits within 3" at 415 yards, no steps.
No idea, 30-06, neck shot - not dead, 3 rounds from a .40 S&W in the head - still not dead, another round from the 30-06. Finally dead. Don't ask (but yes, the .40 rounds were legally discharged).
Moral of the story:
Good shooting = dead elk, (pretty much) regardless of cartridge.
Bad shooting = complete s**t-show, regardless of cartridge.
Don't feel bad. Payback is here with all the ex Vancouverites selling off their over valued property there and moving here to pay silly prices for property here, because compared to where they are from it's a good deal. - dan
