Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting .30/06 or .300WM

Has anyone experienced a measurable or percieved difference in performance between the .30/06, .300WSM and .300WM when hunting Elk, particularly at ranges under 200 yds?

I own all three calibers. At under 200 yards the one I would pick would be the one I have shot most recently. The 30-06 will make anything just as dead as any 300. You can find bullets for all three anywhere you go. I would pick one and not think twice about whether it was the right one or not.

Under 200 yds? I'd use the 30-06.

A rifle is a delivery system for a bullet. For that matter, if my shots were to be limited to 200 yds, I'd probably be using a 308.

Elk are not hard to kill. Good shot placement puts tenderloin on the grill. Poor shot placement creates stories about the toughness of elk, and people thinking they need 338 and 375 magnums to hunt them.

Truth told.

I have killed elk with all 3 cartridges and have seen no difference between them, especially at 200yds.

That says it all, next Q....

Dober

Depending on the situation, and there has been more than one, yes.

I may catch crap but I've been next to guys who have ventilated elk with multiple solid chest hits from an ought six only to see the elk stand there and take it. The elk died but not like when hit with a 300.
The elk I've seen hammered with the 300 died a "lot" quicker every time they were hit by the 300.
That's not to say elk don't die quick from an 06 hit, they do. But not every time like I've seen from a 300.

That's my experience.

My elk must be wimpier than yours, SU35. I've only killed a couple dozen and seen another couple dozen or so hit.

If there is a difference between how they react to a lung hit a 300 Win, a 300 Wby, a 243, my 300 WSM, the 30-06, the 308, and 270 I can't see it.

Sorry, I call BS on that claim.

Bullet placement first.

Bullet construction second.

Bullet speed a distant third.

Any and all of those calibers will work just fine to 200 yards and well past it actually.

I have not killed any elk with a 300, but more than a few with an.06 or less. None went over 50 yrds, mostly a lot less or dropped on the spot.The longest tracking job I had was with an elk I hit with a 7 mag.Not the guns fault, but mine. Since the.06 has worked well I have seen no sense in expending more powder, getting more recoil only to have the elk wind up just as dead.

In my experince, those I have watched shoot elk with an .06, .270, .308 ,etc and claim the cartridge isn't as good a sXXX usually have poor shot placement. Kinda in the same realm of guys that cry bullet failure

Get one person to walk out in front of a Subaru and have another person walk out in front of a semi tarctor.See which one is deader

I've taken elk with both cartridges using the same bullet and feel the .300 WM delivers with more authority.

Both have worked, hoever.

no, and i've taken elk with all 3, out to around 300 yards. finally sold all the mags and kept the 06'. all 3 are good elk rounds imo.

No need to apologize and you can call BS all you want,
I'll stand by my experience.

I'm 52 and have killed more than 40 in 5 States and have seen more than that many killed by others. I'm not asking anyone to agree with me, I don't care.

When I stepped up to a magnum from 06 sized cased rounds I/me experienced a noticeable difference. I answered the op honestly.

The 06 and the 300's are one and the same caliber.

I'm surprised that people don't know that.

Original thread poster had no mention of caliber,just particular cartridges.

Original thread poster had no mention of caliber,just particular cartridges.

Exactly.

i also agree with SU35...i have seen elk killed with .270's on up and have a friend that has killed with .243 & 6mm...however, magnums kill them deader in most situations I have witnessed over the past 30 years

Hmmmmmm? Now, let me think.

Loaded with a 180 Partition the elk fold to any of them.

Wayne

Yeah, but they will be more dead if you use a 200 grain Partition. <g>