Well I can't say what others have in experience, but I have 41 years of experience with elk, and of those 41 years I have guided 33 myself. I have seen more shot then I can count, and I have shot several myself with various calibers and bullets.
I have used and owned 30-06s 308s 270s 8mms 338-06 338 mags and 375H&Hs. In fact the top of my personal list of kills is held by my 375H&H.
But up to a 338 Win mag, I will report what I have seen and done myself, and it goes against the grain of the those that are trying to sell new products and guns.
In a nut shell I can say with no hesitation that comparing the 270s to the 7mms (including the magnums,) the 30s (including the magnums) and the 338 magnums, I can't see ANY difference in how fast elk hit the ground, and I mean NONE AT ALL.
I have killed and seen killed probably about 35 elk with the 270 Winchesters and a few with the 270 Short Mag and the 270 Weatherby. Shot for shot, if the placement of the bullet are good, and if the bullets are well made (not the ones that blow up) there is NO difference in the speed of dropping and death between a 270 and a 338 Mag on elk. Moose and bison....yes, but not on elk.
I do see a faster result with my 375, but to be 100% honest, it's not that much faster.
How do I explain this?
I don't!
I just report what I personally have seen and done.
Speaking from my own kills I have used 270s 30-06 300 mag, 338-06, 8X57, 338 mag, 375H&H magnums. In handguns I have seen 41 mag and 44 mags used, and I have killed them myself with 44 mags and 454 Casull. I have seen elk killed with C.F. rifles as small 250 Savage (not impressed) up to 458 Winchester.
The ones I can remember as I write this are
250 Sav.
257 Roberts.
25-06
6.5 Swede
6.5-06
270 Winchester (lots of them.....probably 30-35)
270 Weatherby
270 Short Mag.
7X57
280
7MM R. Mag (lots.. probably 30)
7X61 Sharp and heart
7-08
30-30
300 Savage
30-40 Krag
308 Win (Lots....maybe 20)
30-06 (Lots and lots ....probably over 50)
300 H&H
300 Win Mag (Lots....maybe 20)
7.65 Belgian
8X57
325 Winchester.
338-06
338 mag (quite a few, maybe about 15)
348 Win
35 Whelen.
9.3X74R
375H&H (Quite a few..... about15-18)
416 Taylor
416 Rigby
444 Marlin
45-70
458 Winchester.
50-90 Sharps.
50 cal muzzleloader with round balls
50 cal muzzleloader with bullets
54 cal muzzleloader with balls
58 cal muzzleloader with balls
58 Cal uzzleloader with a bullet
62 cal muzzleloader with balls
41 mag
44 mag
454 Casull.
And I probably missed a few on the list that I just don't remember as I sit here.
This may be a boring post, but the point is that I speak from actual experience, not 2nd hand experience, or from reading a magazine somewhere. In the years of hunting them there were seasons when I killed or saw killed only 2-3, and other years we'd bring in 15-20 in one season. I have seen it enough to know that many "salesmen" are simply telling you what they believe to be so, not what they know to be so.
I can tell you with confidence that the 270 with the right bullets is just fine.
Always remember, guns don't kill
Shells don't kill.
Even bullets don't kill.
Bullet HOLES kill.
If you put a hole of over 3/4" or larger clear through an elk's vitals it doesn't really matter how that hole gets there. That's why I am a believer in good tough bullets that get through. Use a good bullet and shoot what you like, but learn to shoot it WELL and you'll be just fine
Last edited by szihn; 03/09/17.
