Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire 340 yard elk with a .30-30

With a high shoulder shot, you don't necessarily have to "break" bones. It just has to have enough "oomph" to disrupt the CNS. Either shock the CNS or dislocate a vertebra enough to compromise the CNS. Nerves are pretty delicate.

I've hunted since I was 7 or so. I've guided most of my life.

I hate high shoulder shots. They have the least room for error that can end up as a non fatal wound.

Center the lungs. Its all one needs.

The video doesn't show his set-up and the rifle isn't visible when he takes the shot. I doubt he fired offhand with no support. Why would he need to do that, he was stationary, hunting a big field, and expecting a fairly long shot.

We all know Elk are tough critters

As mentioned double lung 'em & they'll die

Maybe not where you want them to............):

Stuff works great in my 32 Special.

Re play around 21:07.... why would he pull it off a rest if he was using one, and then chamber a round in front of the camera?
But, who knows, it's incomprehensible to me why anyone would consider a .30-30 as an elk gun at 800 ft lbs at 340 yards, unless they stood to make some money off youtube clicks.

If you want to and can do it, then do it. Its your ethics. Not mine or theirs. I don't agree with everything. But I have sure taken a lot of game over the years with calibers most say won't work...

I'd rather someone shoot 300 with a 30-30 that knows what they are doing, than 100 with a boresighted gun... and that happens all the time.

I'd rather someone shoot with a less powerful gun and hit it right than miss or gun shoot with a magnum.

There are times you really need mag power. But its actually somewhat rare.

Now get back to your Swift hate posts.

Maybe the lever would have hit before fully stroking?

May have all been editing too.

340 yds ain’t that far

Was it everything you hoped for?

My dad used to go out west to Colorado and Wyoming every year with a.group of guys west of here in Arkansas. Some guy went with them and took a 30-30. They ribbed him for bringing an Iron sighted 30-30. He said he could kill a deer or elk as far as he could see one. One day they were in camp and saw a Mule deer buck on the next mountain. Dad said it was over half a mile and way to far to shoot one. Somebody pointed it out to 30-30 guy and said there's a buck to shoot. Dad said he started shooting at it. It was so far away that the shots didn't disturb the deer. The guy kept shooting and deep into the 3rd box of shells the guy hit it in the head and killed it.

I have a better question. The guy is obviously not a rookie. He was set up watching over a field where he knew the elk would not be close

Why would an experienced hunter in that situation not have a rest or shooting sticks, and not use them? He had all the time in the world.

If not a rest, he had plenty of time to get into a stable seated position.

Yeppers love the 32 WS.

Now that’s what he should have been using!

I settled on 37 grains LVR CCI 250 s and the HDY 165 FTX.

They are probably saving this “ big bore” when they draw a bull tag!

Elk dropped fast, legs folded instantly. Not a boiler room or lung shot, thats for sure. I'd say pretty high chance its spine. The way the back legs folded, I am going with spine above the liver... maybe further back? Could be wrong. Dont think I am.

I've had several one shot kills on deer from 225-250 with a big, very slow, old conical fired from a ML. I didnt put mine on youtube though, so not as cool.

I really like the 30-30 cartridge, but it does have its limits. I have used them to kill everything from ducks to a buffalo. I do know it had its limits. The elk I shot at 200 yards was broadside and took 2 bullets and several minutes to die. One bullet exited the other remain and barely showed any expansion. I was using 170 Remington Mushroom Cor-Lokts from the 1960's. My grandson used a 30-30 Marlin and Federal 125 grain hollow points to kill his first antelope when he was 12. At 225 yards he hit it in the lungs but far back. It never took a step and required 4 more hits to make it finally lay down. One shot was broadside through the head. Upon skinning it out there appeared to be no expansion. Exit holes were the same size as the entrance holes. Still love and use the caliber, but I do know its limits. One sleeps under the seat of my truck and has for years.

Grew up using a 30/30. Still a favorite especially hiking around in the beartooths. My favorite bullet for deer and antelope is the Speer 130 flat nose. Knocks them down and exits. I’ll load the nosler 170 partition, the 170 Swift out the 190 Barnes for bigger stuff and protection. Nice to pack around a light, very handy rifle that has some power. When we had more elk, I’ve used the wicked little thirty on cows also. Works quite well. Nowadays I’m using a 308 with 200 grain partitions. Certainly don’t need all that for an elk…..

Only problem with this is that his 30-30 is hideous!

LOL, no doubt but the elk on the ground was beautiful .

Usually when people say “at what point in the elk’s demise did the bullet fail to perform” they lack foresight to efficacy.

But it is for a 30-30. That's the point. I would've liked to see a lung shot. See if he ever recovered it