Elk hunt - what cartridge

Status
Not open for further replies.
Luke60 said:
I just booked a $12,000 elk hunt , ranges will be 450 at most ..
What would you take for a rifle / cartridge combo/ terrain is average hilly flat
Lots of tree cover so a shot elk could disappear quickly

Sounds like 223 , 6.5 range may be the way to go ?

or is it
Click to expand...
6.5 creedmoor!!! Because everyone here is in agreement it is completely adequate and there is no question it can ethically harvest big game at ranges out to 1200.
 
valczer said:
Well, if you shoot .223 much better, may I suggest .22lr. I hear 22lr works real good on grizzlies, or is it a moose… ESPECIALLY if you are an older native woman…


🤪
Click to expand...
Given the way the threads have been going lately, this is probably a good time to point out that Bella Twin went on record as having shot that world record grizzly with a .22 Long, not a .22 LR. So does that mean a .22 LR is actually too much gun for grizzly?
 
I can buy a general tag here for elk, I own a 6.5 creedmoore and a 300wsm. Guess which one I take out.. the 300wsm. At closer distances yes the 6.5 will work, but if I have a bull further out I don't have to second guess my choices. And that is me paying $45 for a tag, not $12,000.

The first bull I got was at 90 yards, he didn't even flinch at the 300wsm, I thought I missed, it completely hit vitals. No they are not bullet proof, and yes people have shot lots with smaller calibers. But why chance it. You wound an elk and that is your hunt, plus the ethics of wounding an animal.
 
Your short mags should be perfect. I’ve only ever short a couple of bulls, 20 hr. drive to get there. One with a 340 wby and one with a .416. Both one shots kills and laying in their tracks. Just sayin.
 
I have plenty of rifle options to effectively kill elk, (and i have many untouchable elk on my property on a daily basis) but i know what rifle I would choose.

My Springfield Waypoint in 308. Because its a joy to carry and shoot and I have developed a load for it that lets me “take the eye out of a bird flying” at 400 yards in the FIELD. Due to performance restrictions in my chosen bullet, this is my ethical limit for any game.
 
It's always a fun, lively conversation though, so I'm in.

If the .300 WSM isn't some heavyweight ELR rig I would take that. I'm partial to 180gr bullets at 2800+ fps for elk personally. You could do that with an '06, you can do the same with 175gr bullets in a 7mm Rem Mag, any .300 magnum will do it easily with the right bullets, lots for newer cartridges out there will do it (7mm/.300 PRC, .28/.30 Nosler).

If I absolutely had to use a 6.5, it would be a PRC at a minimum, but I wouldn't say no to a new Weatherby in 6.5 RPM or 6.5-300 or something in a .26 Nosler. If someone handed me a Creedmoor and told me I had to use that and nothing else, I'm gonna go all in and shoot 125gr Hammer HHTs over as much StaBall 6.5 as I can fit in the case.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom