Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Weird question - What rifle if you need that elk to drop in his tracks

I'm doing an elk hunt this year here in Colorado. I've spent my life hunting elk on public land. Used 30-06, 270 wsm and even 30-30 to kill elk.

This year I've got the opportunity to hunt a small patch of private land near Aspen. When I say small, I mean small - less than 200 acres. I'm confident enough about shot placement, but depending on where they are they could run 50-75 yards and cross a property line. I need something that will more likely drop an elk in his tracks.

I'm guessing most shots will be 250 yards or less. I'm thinking about 444 Marlin with 265 gr, Lever Revolution. Thoughts?

The one you shoot best with! For that situation I'm voting 06 with 180's. That has worked great me on elk and deer out to 466 yards so at the shorter distances it will be even better. I use nosler ballistic tips but factory scirroco's will give similar results are are plenty accurate. Just my 2 cents. Good luck. My as hunt starts tomorrow and I think I broke my arm yesterday SK this will be fun.

I'd go with something that had partition in its name. if you don't want them to run, I'd try a high shoulder shot...or just stick with heart/lungs. Good luck!

Sorry about your arm. Shooting sticks might be your friend.

The possibility of deer running off some of the property we have permission to hunt or even running far enough for another hunter to shoot and claim are very real here in WV. So far for the last 35+ yrs I've found a shot that disrupts the central nervous system puts them down the quickest. The high shoulder shot mentioned earlier is my favorite if I need that reaction. Chambering so far to me hasn't seemed to matter. I like the heavy for caliber bullets,talking cup and core,in chamberings under .308 caliber. Any ones above that,for example the 270gr Speer in my 9.3x62,and the bullet choice so far hasn't seemed to matter. Since I do my own processing and don't like to waste meat so I'd rather the bullet not be too destructive.

Of course you're talking elk and even though they're anatomically alike to deer the results I get and that you need will need some input from those with experience hunting them.

Id say take out his wheels (shoulders) or his nervous system

I'll also be hunting mule deer on this trip on the same property and believe me, those will GO DOWN with a 180-grain 30-06 just behind the shoulder.

I lung-shot a bull elk with a 30-06 and had him go 1/4 mile or more before he dropped. I'm just looking for some real life experience on moderate distance shots on elk and knock-down power.

Caliber and cartridge doesn't matter, as long as it has adequate penetration.

A shot to the central nervous system is what's needed.

I think that's what I'm looking for - high shoulder/spinal penetration that will break them down. I hadn't thought of it like that.

So now it's come down to which bullet in your .30-06.

VLD into the high shoulder area would do the trick.

55 TSX, 22-250 in the ear..

Always the contrarian

I think what you and PG said is where I'd put my money--shot placement.

Break him down with a Barnes TTSX through the shoulders. We are doing the same here with deer beside a huge swamp. If they make it into that they are lost. We have yet to recover a bullet or lose a deer.

This is what you want. You can see the cartridge isn't the biggest concern you have, or the bullet, or the distance, it's the placement.

Mine would be a 100 ttsx from my 257 @ 3510 fps.

I've shot 5 with the 444 and Barnes 225 XPBs. One went 20 yards and laid down, the other 4 stood at the site of impact for 30 seconds or so, then got wobbly and fell over. All were broadside double lung shots except the one that went 20 yards. That one was a quartering to shot with the bullet breaking the front leg joint, taking out the top of the heart, and clipping both lungs; only one I recovered the bullet from, too.

This is your best bet, by far.

06 with 180 TTSX in the neck. The bull in the avatar says so. I think he took a nap before he hit the ground

They don't go anywhere with their heads blown clean off. I'd use a 44 magnum. The most powerful handgun in the world.......



Or, maybe a frickin 12 gauge. Napoleon Dynamite can't be wrong.....