Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting The 300 Wby Mag for elk- is there anything better?

Moose, in the elk rifle debate, one must keep in mind as with moose hunting.. We must think about Killing the game where it can be gotten out..Burns has mules for the job, and is willing to keep them year around for the hunting he does.. That is fine.. Most folks don't do that..

I gather you are a younger man, with lots of vim and vigor.. So you would probably shoot elk where I would pass.. But also a well hit elk can travel from a good retrieve to a hole in a death run..

Something to keep in mind.. I am sure I could kill an elk with a .222, but it might go a long way before I found it. Bob Hagel felt the core of the good elk rifles stated with the 7's and went through the .33's.. He like magnums for elk hunting.. He is someone I paid much attention to because he was like most hunters.. He hunted on his own, and in country that offered both still hunting though timber and open long range shooting.. He would say, as I would, 600 yards is long range.. He was a promoter of the the Mashburn 7mm and Nosler Partition bullets..
When hunting in the timber, or brush, one might have to drive a bullet though an elk at a bad angle.. Something to be considered.. It is easy to say, sitting in a warm room to I wouldn't take less than a perfect shot.. After 10 days of hard hunting most people will attempt a less than perfect shot..
To me, that is where I pick a rifle and bullet that will do the job under less than perfect conditions..

Good points Wyo. But I'm "fortysomething" so I don't qualify anymore for being full of "vim and vigor".

Moosemike, I concur with WCH. Cartridges from .22 to the .416's will kill elk but when you start considering the panapoly of limitations with cartridges toward each end of the spectrum, you start moving toward the middle (the old Bell Curve again) and it's there you begin slicing more thinly based on your own experiences, capabilities, and that of those whom you read about.

It's probably as much a mistake in going too big as it is in going too small. There's a point of convergence where your ability, preferences in platform, and cartridge size all meet and it does, within reason, vary widely from person to person.

At the end of the line, they are gloriously big, vigorous animals, that cling to life with a vengeance and deserve a humane, quick end.

" After 10 days of hard hunting most people will attempt a less than perfect shot.."

And there is the problem. Hunters get the idea that the magnums will make up for a less than perfect shot and take those shots because of it. Knowing full well they should put the safety back on. I'm not talking about when an animal might move at the last minute when he trigger is tripped,but when the hunter knows full well the shot is questionable.

It is the same as those hunters that pay $2000-$3000 in expenses and a hefty fee for the tag that go ahead and take a questionable shot because for that kind of money,they can't go home and eat tag soup.

"has mules for the job, and is willing to keep them year around for the hunting he does.. That is fine.. Most folks don't do that.."

There are a lot more hunters that do,than people imagine.

You're selling yourself short there, moose. 60 is the new 40.

Heck, then I'm just a whippersnapper. I like it!

Yup, still a youngster, hardly older than my oldest. I turn 65 in March and have gotten my last three elk (2012, 2013 and 2015) out by myself except for the last 75 yards this year, where I had help dragging the game cart. Never let someone tell you it is easy.

Shoot them close to and uphill from your truck and save yourself a lot of work.

I am not talking about a poor shot, but an angle shot.. Hagel knew with good bullets you can drive a heavy slug through a lot of elk..

I never have taken a shot like that but in shooting 11 head of African game with my 300 and 200 gr. Noslers, I found one bullet.. It was from a wildabeast hit in the front left shoulder and the bullet was found in the hip on the right side.. Otherwise everything was a complete pass though..

I realize some folks due keep animals for hunting.. But here in town I suppose I could easily find 50 elk hunters and I doubt three would have animals for the purpose of elk hunting..

I will be 69 in June.. My last elk, I had a good friend hunting with me and honestly he did most of the heavy work.. Otherwise, I suppose the last 10 elk I have gotten out by myself.. Makes one aware of the country he is hunting in, and also makes me want a weapon that does the job and quickly.. I can kill and elk with the .222, but I certainly wouldn't want to depend on it for general elk hunting..

In my experience the advantage of the .300 Weatherby (or any .300 magnum) is the ability to use deep-penetrating bullets like the 200-grain Partition at pretty good velocity. This makes it a good choice for hunting in timber at close range, where the shot might be at an extreme angle or through the heavy shoulder joint, and yet have enough reach for "conventional" longer shots across a park or clear-cut. In other words, they're good cartridges for all-around elk hunting, not specialized tools.

Yup..exactly

LC

Wish I were 69 again.73 this year.I took care of and packed own elk past season

Bingo. Perfect IMHO.

Usual Mule Deer explanation.

As usual, JB nailed it....

That's the exact reason I shoot the 200 accubond out of my 300 ultra mag....

Tony

Actually that point had been made several times throughout the unnecessarily long thread. John with credibility and good writing has made it more clear to those that just didn't get it...

If you actually used them,instead of reading about it, it's simple to understand.

Nothing like seeing first hand.

JB,

We all seem to agree that south end shots on north bound unwounded bulls is a bad plan.

Why would anyone need "deep-penetrating" any more in the timber than in the open?

If a rifle/cartridge works fine at 50yds in the open then what makes it unsuitable when there are trees around?

As I target the shoulder on most any shot and have never had a lick of problems smashing through it I still fail to see how a .300 Bee is going to kill a dead bull any more deader?

How many times in your entire hunting experience have you ever seen a bullet fail to penetrate the shoulder of a bull?

How many bulls have you killed with the .300 Bee that would have escaped wounded had you been shooting something with less penetration?

For every bull that gets away from a lack of "penetration" I would bet literally 1000 escape wounded from shot placement.

Bulls hit right die quick. Bulls hit wrong run far.

Shot placement counts for much more than penetration.

For Pete's sake, give it a rest!

We could argue about the belt on the case. Just for a change of pace I mean.

But I am hardly tired.

Love the sig line.