Elk - What would you use from these choices (270WSM or .308)?
- Thread starter blasted_saber
- Start date
Talking about drawing an elk tag in Ontario, you have a better chance in winning a 649.
On a serious note, either your 270 or 308 will work. My preference is to use a larger calibre gun with heavier bullets. Remember to go for heart/lung shots.
Good luck!
tylerjwitty
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Northern Ontario
weelll since here in good ol' ontario I (with my sucessfully drawn tag) will be able to watch a feild at thier usual feeding area and they will be able to run for awhile and i can still drive up to them on my quad 
tylerjwitty
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Northern Ontario
oh ya and a 270wsm will work .. i think barnes are a bullet that makes up for a smaller caliber and does the same demo as a bullet .030'' bigger with a standard bullet my .02 cents worth
hunter7mmRM
CGN Regular
- Location
- Northern Alberta
last season we were elk hunting and both cartridges mentioned, did the job. elk hunting where we did had no long shots. all in the bush, so it was always sufficient. but i can imagine if the rut was on at the time you could call them in better from larger distances and therefore you could take longer shots. personally i think both would be great cartridges, you just have to know your rifle well and be comfortable with it.
blasted_saber
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- A blue part of Ontario
2 is a lot? You better not go into any of the "collection" threads.
I think what is happening on this thread is proof that, at least for elk, there is so little difference between them that both are getting lots of support, and some are suggesting rounds less powerful than either are suitable.
I stick by my original advice: take the rifle you like most and go hunting. It doesn't matter which cartridge you take.
The only thing I might add is to use some sort of Monometal, TTSX, Failsafe, etc type bullet. They will expand very reliably and maintain thier mass at the shorter ranges in either rifle. However at the short ranges you sometimes see significant Fragmentation/ Bullet weight loss with jacketed lead bullets. The unfortunate part of this is that tiny pieces of lead can shoot off into the meat and may accidentally be consumed when you cook it later. My hunting partener an I have dispatched at least 10 Elk and I have allways used Barnes bullets. At long range(350 plus) in a 300 win mag They will often not expand as well as a jacketed lead bullet but I like slow cooked B-B-Q'd Elk Ribs..... Hold the lead
Best of luck, Elk meat is the BEST!
Best of luck, Elk meat is the BEST!
My great grandfather,
grandfather,dad and several other members of my family all have died because they used lead core bullets on game and ate the meat. I would use the 270wsm and bark out a 140gr accubond, partion or tsx. Then again the .308 Would be nice with 165gr pill. I. Like the cool factor of the WSM
grandfather,dad and several other members of my family all have died because they used lead core bullets on game and ate the meat
. I would use the 270wsm and bark out a 140gr accubond, partion or tsx. Then again the .308 Would be nice with 165gr pill. I. Like the cool factor of the WSMMy great grandfather,
grandfather,dad and several other members of my family all have died because they used lead core bullets on game and ate the meat
Yes they never did anything wrong in the "good old Day's"
Read up on lead poisoning Wikipedia has some decent info.
Wildlife
Turkey vultures "Cathartes aura" (shown) and California condors can be poisoned when they eat carcasses of animals shot with lead pellets.Lead, one of the leading causes of toxicity in waterfowl, has been known to cause die-offs of wild bird populations.[122] When hunters use lead shot, waterfowl such as ducks can ingest the spent pellets later and be poisoned; predators that eat these birds are also at risk.[156] Lead shot-related waterfowl poisonings were first documented in the US in the 1880s.[69] By 1919, the spent lead pellets from waterfowl hunting was positively identified as the source of waterfowl deaths.[157] Lead shot has been banned for hunting waterfowl in several countries,[69] including the US in 1991 and 1997 in Canada.[158] Other threats to wildlife include lead paint, sediment from lead mines and smelters, and lead weights from fishing lines.[158] Lead in some fishing gear has been banned in several countries.[69]
The critically endangered California Condor has also been affected by lead poisoning. As scavengers, condors eat carcasses of game that have been shot but not retrieved, and with them the fragments from lead bullets; this increases their lead levels.[159] Among condors around the Grand Canyon, lead poisoning due to eating lead shot is the most frequently diagnosed cause of death.[159] In an effort to protect this species, in areas designated as the California Condor's range the use of projectiles containing lead has been banned to hunt deer, wild pig, elk, pronghorn antelope, coyotes, ground squirrels, and other non-game wildlife.[160] Also, conservation programs exist which routinely capture condors, check their blood lead levels, and treat cases of poisoning.[159]
But anyways I am hijacking, sorry.
270 WSM with TTSX 140
Well I can't resist it so here I go with my humble opinion:
1) Elk ARE harder to bring down than moose in my observation. (I have lost count of my elk and have killed 5 moose as I recall.)
2) 308 & 180 gr Nosler Partition. (I used this combo for 30 years until the barrel played out. Now I use a 30-06 & 180 gr Nosler Partitions.)
Now, I have absolutely no doubt that the 270wsm will be more than adequate as well but I have no experience with that rifle.
1) Elk ARE harder to bring down than moose in my observation. (I have lost count of my elk and have killed 5 moose as I recall.)
2) 308 & 180 gr Nosler Partition. (I used this combo for 30 years until the barrel played out. Now I use a 30-06 & 180 gr Nosler Partitions.)
Now, I have absolutely no doubt that the 270wsm will be more than adequate as well but I have no experience with that rifle.
Yup, i learned you're a smart ass. "edge of lung shot"? In other words - Poor shot placement. A miss by several inches. Like a gut shot, but it sounds nicer.
What you are actually saying is that "elk can be harder to recover if you shoot them poorly" which is not the same as "elk are harder to kill". There's a difference. Anyone with experience can tell you that.
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Anything less than a 375 H&H and you are under gunned! Better off with a 416 or 458!
Seriously, sounds like you have two great elk guns there, pick one for your primary, take the other as back up, and best of luck with the draw...which I am sorry to say you wont be successful at, 'cause the tag is coming to me!!
Seriously, sounds like you have two great elk guns there, pick one for your primary, take the other as back up, and best of luck with the draw...which I am sorry to say you wont be successful at, 'cause the tag is coming to me!!
Oh yeah, if I am lucky enough to draw, I will be using my Dad's Winchester 88 in 308 likely loaded with 165 or 180 Nosler Partitions. I will keep my shots to 150 yards and in, and hopefully I will be enjoying elk meat this time next year!
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
A .375, a .416, or a .458 will work with good bullet placement, just like any other cartridge. For that reason I have come to think that the question of a suitable cartridge in the context of North American game and for that matter in the case of African planes game is pretty much irrelevant; provided we can agree on a lower limit which I define as a 6.5. The proper cartridge for any given game is the one which provides a reasonable expectation of killing the animal, with a single shot, from any angle, within the range limitations of the cartridge and the hunter. With the correct choice of bullet, all modern cartridges of 6.5 caliber and larger, that are commonly chambered in factory big game rifles, are perfectly suitable.
You must first determine the type of country you will be hunting in and decide on a choice of rifle and scope combination that is best suited for hunting there. The physical size and weight of the rifle, needs to be considered, and this will impact the choice of cartridges you have to choose from. Your choice of sight should be in context with the likely shooting range, the size of the target, and the amount of light that is typical of such hunting. Most hunters tend to over-scope their hunting rifles; choosing glass that would perform well at 1000 yards for shooting at 100; which due to poor light transmission and too small a field of view all too often will cost them the shot. Besides, big scopes on small rifles look ridiculous.
Every rifle manufactured today is available in a selection of very similar chamberings; simply choose the one that flicks your switch. It that choice is a 6.5X55 or a 7X57 Mauser in a light Mannlicher stocked carbine, all is good. If your choice is a .378 Weatherby in a Mk-V, that too is good. Is one better than the other? That depends more on who is doing the shooting, than it does on what is being shot.
The most important question once you have acquired your rifle and scope is to decide which bullet is the most compatible with consideration given to the game being hunted, and the range it is likely to be shot from. I have come to appreciate the qualities of heavy for caliber round nose bullets, particularly 220 and 240 gr in the .30/06, 350 and 380 gr slugs in the larger .375s, and 550s for a big case .458s; but that might not work for you if your shots are on the long side of 250 yards. I've shot .375/380s successfully out to 400 yards, but 2' of hold over is a challenge and since I don't hunt with a range finder the chances of me risking such a long shot on a live target, with that particular combination, is highly unlikely. In recent years, the Barnes TSX seems to provide the answer, regardless of what question is being asked. While I prefer lead core bonded solid shank bullets, I always seem to have some TSX/TTSXs seated on a few rounds.
You must first determine the type of country you will be hunting in and decide on a choice of rifle and scope combination that is best suited for hunting there. The physical size and weight of the rifle, needs to be considered, and this will impact the choice of cartridges you have to choose from. Your choice of sight should be in context with the likely shooting range, the size of the target, and the amount of light that is typical of such hunting. Most hunters tend to over-scope their hunting rifles; choosing glass that would perform well at 1000 yards for shooting at 100; which due to poor light transmission and too small a field of view all too often will cost them the shot. Besides, big scopes on small rifles look ridiculous.
Every rifle manufactured today is available in a selection of very similar chamberings; simply choose the one that flicks your switch. It that choice is a 6.5X55 or a 7X57 Mauser in a light Mannlicher stocked carbine, all is good. If your choice is a .378 Weatherby in a Mk-V, that too is good. Is one better than the other? That depends more on who is doing the shooting, than it does on what is being shot.
The most important question once you have acquired your rifle and scope is to decide which bullet is the most compatible with consideration given to the game being hunted, and the range it is likely to be shot from. I have come to appreciate the qualities of heavy for caliber round nose bullets, particularly 220 and 240 gr in the .30/06, 350 and 380 gr slugs in the larger .375s, and 550s for a big case .458s; but that might not work for you if your shots are on the long side of 250 yards. I've shot .375/380s successfully out to 400 yards, but 2' of hold over is a challenge and since I don't hunt with a range finder the chances of me risking such a long shot on a live target, with that particular combination, is highly unlikely. In recent years, the Barnes TSX seems to provide the answer, regardless of what question is being asked. While I prefer lead core bonded solid shank bullets, I always seem to have some TSX/TTSXs seated on a few rounds.
Of the bullets listed by the original poster, the only one I'd shy away from is the 140 gr. Accubond in .270. Perhaps it's just bad luck, but I've seen too many cases of this bullet failing in very dramatic ways. Last known case was CGN's A-Zone, who recently had one break apart on a whitetail's shoulder and fail to penetrate into the chest cavity.
At the same time, I'm a huge fan of Hornady's 130 grain Interbond bullet in .270, having used it to great effect on ~40 animals ranging up to about 600 lbs. in body weight. Bonded bullets are a great tool -- but Nosler certainly seems to have some challenges with theirs.
My 2 cents, anyway.
At the same time, I'm a huge fan of Hornady's 130 grain Interbond bullet in .270, having used it to great effect on ~40 animals ranging up to about 600 lbs. in body weight. Bonded bullets are a great tool -- but Nosler certainly seems to have some challenges with theirs.
My 2 cents, anyway.
CreamySmooth
CGN frequent flyer
I've shot around 15 elk. Several with a 7mmRemMag but most with a .308. Shoot it well and they drop like anything else. I use 150 Grn Hornady Light Mags w/ SST's. I have never lost an elk. I will say, they do indeed survive longer after a hit than a moose, and anyone that has skinned one knows the difference in hide toughness with an elk. They also have far more attitude than moose. In all of the north american continent, Elk are by far the toughest game animal, and their hide is much tougher than any of the bears, including polar. Calling bulls is THE greatest hunting experience I have ever taken part in, the most interactive and the most fun. A bull on the call is more exciting than anything else you will do, and it's like crack, it gets to your soul, and holds on tight. Relish this opportunity if you get it and don't cheap out, take the time and spend money. In Saskatchewan, it's open season on bulls every year, I don't need a draw so I'm spoiled. But its the season I look forward to the most. Don't hang up on the gun, take either (though I am partial to the .308 ), but do plan on a great camping trip, learn to call as it does take practice. You are in for the time of your life. Plan more your friends, your location and the good times.
Burma Shave man.
), but do plan on a great camping trip, learn to call as it does take practice. You are in for the time of your life. Plan more your friends, your location and the good times.Burma Shave man.
