Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Best Elk Rifle?

OK, I'm going to go out on a limb here.<P>I am a big fan of the .270. I think it's always been a good elk caliber, but with the advent of super-premium bullets, it is one of the best. I think the magnum craze is for the birds. To me, a good 150 premium bullet, like a Trophy Bonded, Swift A-Frame, Barnes X, or Failsafe is awesome for elk.<P>The .270 give you plenty of energy, a great trajectory, pretty reasonable recoil, and with the aforementioned bullets, plenty o' penetration.<P>Give me a Remington 700 Mountain Rifle with a HS Precision stock, and a Leupold 2.5x8 in Leupold rings and bases. And make it a .270.<P>It, and a little practice, is all you need for elk. Magnums be damned.<P>Teach<p>[This message has been edited by Teacher (edited December 11, 2000).]

Guess it's a matter of preference but I prefer my 300 Win Mag with 200gr. Grand Slams. However,I'm sure your 270 will do the deed.The rifle you describe is very similiar to the one I dream of for a whitetail rifle.Do you have this rifle? If you do, what does it weigh with 4 rounds on board?

Teacher:<P>Well, I almost agree with you.<P>Yes, I agree that you don't need a magnum to kill elk, and I also agree that controlled expansion bullets have made a much better elk caliber out of the .270. <P>BUT, you're talking an ELK rifle here. If you were talking about a combo rifle, OK, but an ELK rifle requires special characteristics.<P>Ready? <P>I like the .280 Rem. <P>OK, I know it's been said that the .270 and the .280 are virtually identical, but I disagree when it comes to elk, mainly because I can jump up to 175 grain bullets in the .280. Also, I like the penetration and exterior ballistics qualities of the 7mm's, especially over those little .270 pills. <P>Plus, make mine a Model 70 Featherweight with a Swarovski 3x9x36. Wood stock for me, thanks.<P>elian

Wow. Been a few weeks since I visited this Board, and things are looking good! Keep it up, Rick.<P>Elk rifle, eh.<P>Easy. .338 Winchester Magnum, Winchester Model 70 in Stainless/Synthetic, Leupold 2.5x8, sling, no bipod.<P>The .338 is THE elk rifle. Others will do the job, but so will a Smith Corona write a novel.<P>Jim

There was no .338 when I got my .375 H&H, but if I were buying a rifle now, specifically for elk, I would have to agree with Jimbo, and buy a .338. (Sorry, Rick ).<BR>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR><I><B>Critr</B></I><BR> <A HREF="http://www.SaguaroSafaris.com" TARGET=_blank>www.SaguaroSafaris.com</A>

Howdy all, just joined you today so I know my opinions don't matter much to you. Here's the question. What the difference between a .277 on elk and a .224 caliber on deer? I don't here alot of people claiming my old 22-250 is a ideal deer gun with 52 gr barnes X or 60 grain Partition or 55 gr Bear Claw, but really whats the difference. I've taken my share of elk and yah a 270 will kill any elk but so will a 22lr in the right situation. I know first hand what arrows, 30-06 and 300 win mag can do to elk with properly placed shots. Anyhow be kind I'm a newbee.

Welcome, Rogue. And we DO value your opinion. That's really all that any of us have. And when we disagree..... well, it sure wouldn't be much of a forum if we all agreed, would it?<BR>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR><I><B>Critr</B></I><BR> <A HREF="http://www.SaguaroSafaris.com" TARGET=_blank>www.SaguaroSafaris.com</A>

The best Elk rifle ever made is the 35Whelen. Mine is a custom remington 700 with a Shielen barrel and a 3-12 burris signiture. it'll consistantly shoot half inch 3 shot groups at 100yrds with 250 gr sierras. velocities run from 2750 to 2825. It's Plenty potent for Elk, Moose, And Brown Bear. <P> Paul.

Rouge,<P>You are entitled to use any cartridge you wish. However, before passing judgement on other cartridges, I think it is best to wait until you've used them. <P>I don't think there is a "best" rifle for elk or ground squirrels, or elephants.

I don't know what is exactly the "BEST" Elk rifle there is. I agree that the .270 Win. is a good one, as is others mentioned. I have lived in Wyoming most of my life, which translates into 30 yrs. "BEST" is rather subjective, as is most opinions. I have found the 6.5X55 Swede quite adequate to kill Elk under 200 yds. useing a good 140 gr. Nosler or BarnesX, or any other good 140 gr. bullet. Here goes subjective again, but I also believe when hunting big game, such as Elk, 200 yds. is max. range for just about any Caliber in this game category. Bullet placement I believe is the absolute key.....Swede 6.5

Paul, just to confirm. The velocity you quote for a 250 gr.bullet is down right scary.2750 to 2825? Do you have an "improved chamber" a'la "Brown Whelen", or an extra long barrel or both?

Rembo,<P> Yes, I should have made it clearer. I have a 35 AI whelen with a 25" barrel The shoulder of the case is moved forward .1" the load is 58.7 Grns of IMR 4064 and CCI 250 Magnum Primers with no signs of presure(can't tell you exact presure cause i don't have a strain gauge on the rifle). The max load for MY rifle is 59.6 Grns IMR 4064(Started to see Presure signs) and yes the bullets are seated out further to acomidate the compressed charge of the max load and will not feed from the magazine. Accuarcy from the rifle starts to fall after 58.7 up to the max load.<P> Factory loads clock 2472 av. and still shoot under an Inch at 100 yrds.<P> I don't recomend doing this in your rifle and don't really like posting powder charges but you asked and i feel that i should give the best answer that i can.<P> If your interested, my next pet will be either a 35 RUM Inproved or a 35 WSM Inproved it all depends on witch factory rifle i can lay my hands on for a good price. <P> Oh, My father has the same rifle built at the same time and useing the same reemer by the same gun smith and it normally runs 50Fps slower with the same loads as mine. Hope this helps. if you have any other questions about this rifle or my loads just give a holler.<P> Merry christmas! and may you get that new toy you have been wanting.<P> Paul

There is no such thing as the best rifle for elk. It is a choice that you must make and make by yourself. Yes the 30-06, the 7mm mag., and the .338 are all good, but do not rule out the .270 or the 300 mag., or even the .243 as an elk caliber. Some will say it is too light and some say the .270 is also too light, but the truth is that they have both ruined many an elk's day. When deciding to get an elk rifle, try to locate rifles in different calibers to try and go with what you feel is good for you, then practice , practice and practice. If you do not have a horse to haul your rifle along for you, you would probably want to stay away from the mighty 338 as it not only has a heavy punch but also is heavy and to carry one around all day, day after day, it is an important consideration. Go with what you feel is for you. Check out <A HREF="http://members.tripod.com/~elkhunter2/rifle.html" TARGET=_blank>http://members.tripod.com/~elkhunter2/rifle.html</A> for some more information if you wish. I have a 257 Robert's, a 30-06, a 7mm mag, a 338 mag and a 45-70 and do not prefer any of them over the others. My specific hunt for the day dictates which gun I will use, but as my overall rifle to take I pick the 7mm mag. <BR>Some more thoughts as to which is the best rifle for western hunting. Given a bolt-action rifle with a decent trigger, a barrel between 22 and 26 inches long, a stock which you find comfortable, a good variable power scope in quality mounts and cartridges loaded with the proper bullets for the task at hand � any deer, black bear or elk is going to find itself dead. There is a component which makes a cartridge or a rifle ''the best one'' that is far more important than any attribute of the round or the gun. Namely, it's the hunter who makes the decision on what to carry and how to use it. Within the all-around list there are sub-groups of cartridges each of which does something better than the others. For example, the 7mm-08 Rem. and the 7mm Mauser are great for hunters who can't or won't tolerate a lot of recoil, yet want a cartridge that could occasionally handle game up to elk size with a good bullet. The .270 Win., .280 Rem., .308 Win. and .30-06 are the true workhorses with a huge array of factory loads and component bullets available � not to mention the widest selection of rifle makes, models and brands. The tough guys like the 7mm Rem. Mag., the 7mm Wthby Mag., the .300 Win. Mag. and the .300 Wthby Mag. all offer some added range and knock down power when conditions demand a long range shot or no shot at all. The cartridges like the 7mm and .300 magnums have the increased recoil. Is the added range and power worth the trade-off in extra kick, especially when it makes some hunters ''scared'' of their rifles. With the simple addition of a brake on the barrel, the big magnums can be made to recoil like the traditional ''all-around'' cartridges.

Lots of good opinions above, and I have a tough time disagreeing with anything Elkhunter wrote. But in the spirit of the question ...<P>If I were to have a rifle JUST for elk, it would be a Winchester Model 70 in .338 Winchester Magnum. I would like a Leupold 2-7, and a synthetic stock. I want no muzzle brake but I do want a good shooting sling. I also want a bipod, though I reserve the right to take it off when lots of up and down looks likely.<P>Jack <P>

The best Elk rifle is the biggest caliber rifle and with the most recoil you can handle that you can shoot accurately. Mine my not be the best but I use either my 30-06 or my 45-70.......deadeye