Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Remember when?

If you went Elk hunting with any gun smaller than a .338 mag or a 300Wby most would say you were undergunned. Just saying. Times have changed.
George

I do remember that well and I had been using a 270 win and had great success but I listened and bought my first 7mm Rem Mag, definetly not in the 338 class but more gun than the 270. Used it for a couple hunts, didnt like it or the added recoil and sold it to my brother. So now after using the 270 for 40+ years and about a dozen elk, and after buying both my sons 270s when they were in their early teens and they've both probably got 6-8 elk apiece with them I've learned from experience that shot placement and good bullet construction is more important that more/bigger gun.

I loaded them up with Nosler 150gr partition bullets and havent looked back.

When I started elk hunting, I asked the local long time elk hunters that I worked with in NW Colorado, what rifle I should get. They said a .270 Win or a .30-06. They said only the dudes from Denver hunted with a .300 magnum. My new .30-06 then proceeded to put an elk into my freezer every year.

Now my favorite elk rifle is my .300 Weatherby.

30-06 all day ever day!

But a .270 is my buddies round of choice!

Can't go wrong with either one!

I’ve shot them with 30-06, 300WSM, 300 RUM, and 7 WSM in that order…the 300 RUM and 200 AB’s was a hammer but that all worked. Latest is a lightweight 300 WM but haven’t pulled the trigger on an elk with it yet, but that may be the sweet spot for me.

My elk rifles are a pair of 270s, a CLR for overwatch and a 760 for black timber.

270's, 7mm's, 30's, and .338's will work........but get a 6mm and you'll be an expert.

Sighting in my 1960’s era Sako 338 tomorrow.

A most versatile beast with bigger big game.

I got a 6mm, in a 243 win but it didnt make me an expert on scht.

Would never use it for elk, last time it was used for deer was around 1990-91 when my oldest shot his first mulie with it. Great varmint and javalina gun though.

I thinks that a 6.5 manbun would make you an expert.

I shot a lot of elk with a 270, mainly using 150's of various sorts. Then I got a wild hair and traded it for a 300 WSM. That's a heck of a good gun but it got too heavy as I got older. I now use a 30-06 that's a pound lighter. I never shot a single thing with the 300 that the 30-06 or 270 wouldn't have got just as well.
A few years ago I drew an antelope tag. I'd been reading about all the guys using 223's on them. I don't have one but I thought I'd try my 22-250. I got one and the bullet hammered it but with the varmint scope on it, it weighs more than my 30-06 so what's the point? The 22-250 will reach out to 600 yds? That's target shooting, not hunting. I got in to 75 yds.

She loves 225 grain North Forks. Every elk I’ve interviewed after the shot just hated em. That Bofors barrel just stacks em nice and pretty

A bud bought a used 338 Ruger 77 for $338 (including tax)the 90's........never forgot that. He used it on a couple Pronghorns hunts, sold it. He later bought an M70, after regretting selling the Ruger.

I bought a LH stainless 338 MRC......not perfect, not super accurate.......but good enough so far with Noslers.