Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Please comment concerning my options

That's absolutely true. However....if you're planning on 400 yard shots, you need to shoot a LOT of practice rounds under field conditions. That can make a shoulder sore.

All the options listed will do just fine.
Personally, out of that herd, I'd go with the .270 Montana.

Very nice. Sounds like he's taking the heavy load off your shoulders. Like Beretzs said, any of your rifles will work. Now it's just down to which one you prefer and shoot the best. It may also boil down to which one carries best, which one feels best in the hands on an all day/week hunt and that could also boil down to weight of the rifle. Good luck on your hunt!!




I remember reading that quote, and at the time was thinking that I've taken rifles out and on the first day of the hunt I found out I did not like them. It's not always about how they shoot. They can shoot lights out, but not pack or carry worth a schidt. There may be other oddities that you find out you don't like about the rifles. An unbalance rifle always seems to piss me off. A scope too big or heavy, causing the rifle to seem top heavy is one of my pet peeves. Over the years, you figure out what works and what does not work for you. A well balanced 9.5 pound rifle that carries better than an unbalanced 7 pound rifle is a good example that weight is not the only criteria to be considered as well. But if you find a nice well balanced 7 pound rifle that carries like a dream, that rifle should be considered.

If it were me, I'd so some positional drills in all field positions. Add some time constraints, and see how the rifles handle under pressure. Which ones do you shoot the best, under those conditions? A couple years ago, a member here (Carl Ross) started a positional shoot. You can look it up. I believe it was called the "positional drill, "postal" match. Print up some of those targets and see which rifle works best for you. That practice will help, when it comes time to dropping your elk!!

Now, I said anything on your list would work. But if I had to choose one as a primary, it would probably be the XTR FWT 30-06. You like TTSX, so try some 165's and 168's. As a backup, I'd proably pick a 270 featherweight. If you don't have a 270 fwt, I'd pick the Montana 270 winchester. Work up some good loads, and bag an elk.

I've taken elk with all those and more, they all worked. For elk my preference is something .30 cal. Prefer 165+ grain bullet but have used even 150 gr CoreLokt at 400 yds. 98% 1 shot kill with only a couple that got a finishing shot.

The .280 worked but sold it for lack of factory ammo availability.

Elk can be very tough, taking a barrage of bad hits while traveling great distance before expiring. I have witnessed too much of this, most often with multiple shooters. This is where the toughness stories originate shortly before the game wardens arrive.

They are a large target so some trigger time should give you plenty of confidence for harvest. Elk is my favorite to fill the freezer. Would easily give up ten

deer for one elk. Good Luck

BSA,
Thank you for all of that, means a lot, and I am grateful for you contribution.
Very kind.

And to the other posters, I appreciate that you’ve taken the time and offered me sound and reassuring counsel from your experiences.

It doesn't matter which you use. Take whichever one you're most comfortable with and shoots the best.

As mentioned, think less about rifle/bullet combo and more about your fitness plan.

I would ask the question where exactly do you intend to hunt and what rifle season? The last of which is real important due to previous hunting pressure and weather concerns. I have hunted central to western Colorado in second and third rifle season. Mostly in Grand Mesa/Gunnison National and White River National. The San Juan Mountain Range and accompanying aforementioned areas are heavily forested and elk herds will change their habits on a dime when pressured or weather forces a behavioral change. The difference is a shot could be from 400 yards to 50 yards depending on time of hunt. Truthfully in the latter rifle season into November bulls remained in higher elevation worn out from rut and fighting. The longest shot I had at anytime was 225 yards with a 338 Win Mag, 250 grain Hawk bullet. Have killed with 444 Marlin at about 125 yards with the old 280 grain CorBon SPX load, that was the fastest I’ve seen an elk go down. Nowadays I just shoot a 308 Win with 165 gr Partitions. Point is be prepared if hunting in timber for a relatively close encounter. Bulls are very evasive in late season Colorado and love the timber. Barnes ttsx and lrx are excellent at long range, pass throughs happen at close range and are fatal, however elk can take a pass through without major vital hit and gallivant a long way into the deep timber. It’s hard to compromise between an expanding bullet dumping its energy quickly and one that pencil holes through without the dump. That’s the challenge between 100-500 yards. Good luck.

Dude you live in Alaska, people shoot moose up there with 308's and much less. Gun doesn't matter. I'd just concentrate on being in shape if you're not already.

400 yards is a long shot by hunting standards. Very few people I know can make a shot like that in the field. On a bench, or range with stationary steel target, and measurable weather conditions is a completely different situation. Whatever you pick, practice a lot and be sure to practice at the elevation you will be hunting.

Been here since 2001 . Campfire degraded since about 2015. I just keep adding ignores.

you typed a lot of extra stuff

150 gr Nosler, partition or BT

game over

You have a lot of good answers and whatever you choose will get the job done. I have a 1954 model 70 in 30-06 that gets 3100fps with factory 150TTSX….there ain’t an elk alive today that combo won’t kill as long as I put the bullet in the right spot.

Good luck and hope you have fun

I would take the rifle with the prettiest wood.....

I've taken a bunch of elk both bulls and cows with a .270 win loaded with 150 gr Nosler partitions and so have both my sons. I've also taken them with a 7mm08 loaded with 140 gr Nosler partitions also. Longest shot I've taken that was verified with a range finder was 324 yds, it was a downward shot and broke the spine and took out a lung and still exited the other side, that was a good sized 5x5.

Any of those cartridges you mention will work fine if loaded with a good bullet. So use the rifle you shoot the best...Bullet placement is most important with any of those cartridges.

This last fall I took a 5x5 at 181 yds with a 50 cal muzzleloader, hit just above the shoulder, upward shot, took out a lung, severed the esophagus and exited the other side. Left a huge exit wound. Was using a Hornady 290 gr FTX with 120 grns of Blackhorn 209 powder. My son was watching it through binocs and said it had a fountain of blood shooting out with every breath, bull walked about 10 yds and fell. I was surprised at the performance of that muzzleloader.

Regardless of which rifle you take I'd feel confident in both the Barnes TTSX or LRX, they've worked great on elk for me.

For my personal deal if I was only bringing one rifle to hunt, it would have an easy to detach scope and iron sights.

I'm a recoil woose also. My present elk rifle is a 30-06 shooting 180gr Hornady interlocks, three for three with one shot each. It just kills them. I won't shoot big game over 300yds much and have only done that one time so the outfitter could kiss my patoose! I would be paying him and I know what I'm capable of! Also three for three with one shot each with my 6.5x06 AND 140GR Hornady interlocks. Think one of these days may get back to elk again because got myself a 4 wheeler to get in and pack with, I'll be 78 yrs old before long! Anyway, because of success with the 6.5x06 I've though about trying my Mod 70 Featherweight in 6.5x55. Put the bullet where it belongs and I'm betting the elk would just fall down! Then too, that mod 70 Featherweight is a lot lighter than my 6.5x06!

If I were to pick from your list I believe I'd go with the 280 Rem and 160gr Speer Hot Cores. Use to use those Speer in a 7mm mag and loved them. Never shot an elk with it but I am certain a well placed hit would make the elk fall down right away! Second choice on your list would be the 30-06 with the 165gr load. I'd prefer the 180gr bullet but no doubt in my mind if you hold up your end, the 165 gr will hold up it's end.

Not an elk hunter (killed one cow at 150 yards, .260 Corelokt 140 gr), but I have killed many dozen caribou, various rifles from .243, to .338WM to ranges in excess of 500 yards.

Any of your rifles would be good choices - take the two (primary and back-up) you like/shoot best.

Since you are recoil sensitive, you should buy another rifle- 6.5 Creed comes to mind.....

Agree

"If I were to pick from your list I believe I'd go with the 280 Rem and 160gr Speer Hot Cores. Use to use those Speer in a 7mm mag and loved them. Never shot an elk with it but I am certain a well placed hit would make the elk fall down right away! Second choice on your list would be the 30-06 with the 165gr load. I'd prefer the 180gr bullet but no doubt in my mind if you hold up your end, the 165 gr will hold up it's end."

That was my thought as well on both cartridges. About the only differences I have would be the 160 gr. Speer Grand Slam for the .280 and the 165 gr. Nosler Accubond in the 06.

Many here have taken a lot more elk that I have but one was with the .300 Win. Mag. at a laser measured 530 yards. One with the 30-06 at about 100 yard with the 165 gr. Accubond. the rest were with the 225 gr. Barnes TSX from my .35 Whelen. Shots ranged from about 75 yards and the longest at 350 yards as measured by my guide.

Just some notes on the .300 Win. mag. I'm not as recoil shy as some but also know wwhen to quit. On the hunt with that long range shot, I literally spent on average two to three days at the range shooting from 100 yards out where the 500 meter rams were on my clubs silhouette range. Some shots were from the bench to establish holdover and the from various positions. Mostly off hand at 100, sitting at 200, 300 400 and 500 meters. I did some kneeling but probably not as much as I should have. Just never liked the position. Did not work with prone. The shot was about 8 AM, not one bit of wind. I'd bellied up to the last small bust that was maybe a foot and a half tall. The elk were lasered ay 530 yards walking in a straight line heading for the Apache Reservation. When hunters show up they move out. I picked the last cow in the line and aimed with a bit of daylight between the crosshair and her back and touched one off. Several things happened in rapid succession. I did not feel the kick of the rifle and all I heard from the shot sounded like, "poof." The elk went down hard, kicked a bit then lay still. When I heard that shot I thought, "Oh, I had a squib." My point being if you can do the practice like I did you will have a sore shoulder but you'll never notice it on your elk. Just a further thought. I think when I took that shot on that elk, I was concentrating so hard for a good hold and trigger squeeze that I blocked all outside interference. I've notice this at the ranges as well when I'm sometimes trying to get the best possible group from a known accurate load. BTW, that 300 Mag load was a 200 gr. speer HC at just short of 2900 FPS.

I think it was the late Bob Hagel who commented on recoil. he said something like this. "Shooting a rifle with heavy recoil is like prize fighting. Once you step into the ring you know you're gonna get hit. It's the same thing shooting a rifle with heavy recoil. Yoo're gonna get hit."
PJ