Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Best Elk Cartridge in the World??

This is 2 easy 7Rem Mag

I've got a love for the OKH (338/06) as well, as I've said b4 I like it cause it's got mo stomp...

Dober

Either of the below would work just fine;

8mm rem mag, it will leave a mark.

340 Wby

Dober,
When I was in high school we had to do a history project on someone we admired. I picked Elmer Keith. I had read "Hell I was there" when I was 10 or 11 years old and I was ruined for life. A 7mm is barely big enough for coyotes! The first gun I ever bought, when I turned 12 was a Smith Model 29-2 with 8 3/8 tube on it. I changed sprinkler pipes for two summers to save up enough money. I got some funny looks from people on the river when I packed it on my dailey fishing excursions. I had one game warden ask me, "Does your father know you have his gun?" LOL
I still bring that book out now and then to read some of the stories. Happy hunting, Casey

The 7mm is suitable for such game as a large moth or grasshopper, and possibly on more dangerous game such as bumble bees and wasps, providing the shooter is absolutely certain a clean head shot can be made.

(Just kidding, as the 7mm is a fine cartridge)...

I would take my M70 300 win with 200 NPs and M8 6x. And besides the Rez. and Lottery part it's not really a hypothetical question. Because I've carried this rifle on some nice elk hunts and killed elk. But my answer would be the same for probably 95% of any hunts you'd care to ask me about.

I would take one of my long range 338's capable of killing any elk from point blank to as far as I can hit one. Right now I am very consistent on elk silhouettes at 1500 yards.

I've been hunting with the 378 Weatherby for over 20 years and see no reason to change for a dream elk hunt on one of the southwestern reservations. Actually, I'd been thinking lately that is exactly the hunt I should be planning next. Of the currenty 378's I own it would be tricky to choose between the Mark V Safari and a stainless Custom that I have, both shooting the 270 grain Barnes TSX and with either I'd be confident with any decent shot opportunity to 400 yards or so. Beyond that, I'm sneaking closer.

Probably every cartridge mentioned will or has killed its share of Elk.

?is which would I choose? I'm not qualified to say which is the BEST elk cartridge, since I have not had the privilege to hunt them YET.

I have larger and smaller calibers but I choose M 70 300 WM loaded with 180 Nos. pt. @ 3100+ fps. I would feel comfortable at any REASONABLE angle up to 500 yds.

My 8Mag is a little heavy. My 300 is ALMOST as light as Tikka T3 Light SS 270 (which I love).

NO DOUBTS as to rifle,caliber, bullet capabilities.

JWALL

There is a 2506 in every 270. GRIN

The 375 H&H with 260 Partitions. Topped with VXIII 2.5 x 8 as a compromise between the 25 yard azz shot and the 500 yard, next ridge stuff, it works good. Been using one for about 45 years now and it still shoots < 1 1/2 MOA with 260s and 4831, CCI 250.

Wayne

Best elk cartridge in the world = the one chambered in my rifle when I'm hunting elk!

Mr. Burns: MAYBE there's NOT 1 PERFECT elk rifle for EVERYONE??

RECOIL is an individual THING! ! So How About This?

The BEST ELK rifle, cartridge for us would be:

The LARGEST caliber, cartridge IN the LIGHTEST rifle ONE can

shoot CONFIDENTLY. It has been said in this thread you CARRY, tote, and think about DRAGGING a heavy rifle. Your carry it much more than shoot it.

In big game, (elk, moose, bear) BIGGER is better.

For whitetail you can be OVERGUNNED. There is no need for excessive power and destruction.

The larger the game the larger caliber, cartridge is justified.

SO, use the largest & lightest gun you can shoot CONFIDENTLY.

That's MY PERFECT ELK RIFLE.

JWALL

I would use one of my Ultramags. Either the 7 ultramag with 150 TSX's, 300 ultrmag with 180 TSX or my 338 ultramag with the 210 TSX. Or even a 375 ultramag that I wanting to buy.

One thing is positive in my eyes and that is using one of those Ultra mags if you can shoot it well down range. The.300 Ultra with a 180 grain premium bullet going 32 or 3300fps and a good dose of RL-25 is certainly a force to reckon with, I sure do like those Accubond bullets too.

However, if the range is short as in 300 yards in, I would rather have my .338 Win mag model 70 pure and simple like. I know the rifle and it just feels darn great in my hands. I also like those holes to be a little bigger if possible, more bloods gets dropped.

.700 nitro, hands down best choice- and get real close.

Honestly though, get something you can shoot well, a huge magnum ain't gonna help if you can't shoot it well. They'll all kill elk just fine within reason. If you can shoot a RUM as well as anything, have at it.

AS one gets older, the best Elk/deer/moose/whatever cartridge in the world becomes the one that can fit in a lightweight, easy to carry, rifle. Such a rifle allows you "stay in the game", thereby seeing more county, and thereby possibly seeing more game. That doesn't mean it shouldn't have enough juice to get the job done when and if you do see game, and to do so at a reasonable distance.

So, for me, as I get damn old, I don't care so much about the caliber as the weight, and I currently think the best elk/whatever rifle is the Kimber Montana in .325 WSM. Extremely light weight, and shoots a 200 grain Nosler partition with enough authority to be confident out to maybe 350 yards or more.

338 winchester mag.