Bill, when I first came to Montana in 1992 I'd read all the scribblings guys like Boddington had recorded about elk in the various gunrags through the 1980's. I was fairly convinced a small howitzer was necessary for elk. I'll never forget one fall evening I was driving South through Bridger Canyon when I picked up a hitchkiker sporting blaze orange and a rifle. He'd just come out of the mountains and needed a lift to his truck. I asked what he was packing, his reply was "308." I remember thinking to myself, "that seems kinda small" but kept my mouth shut. I'd always been a 308 fan, but just couldn't see its place on elk. Then in the early 2000's I started packing one, and eventually found it worked just fine. And, of course, ditto all the other "lesser" rounds like the 270 and 7-08!
I think a lot of guys are still influenced by those 1980's writers, many of whom had thin resumes with elk. I also think in all American males there's an element of machismo that requires a "big/bad" remedy. Add peer pressure, group think, ego/insecurity and viola, the Remington Ultra Mag!
As someone once said, "experience can be very long but very narrow."
I'd also add, there's a definite "confirmation bias" of many magnum shooters that guides them to only seek out those sources that confirm their pre-existing biases, while ignoring all others in contradiction. I had those same biases, I was just flexible enough to learn
something new. There's often a better way.
I'm glad I did listen...
I was one of those. I didn’t start elk hunting until in my thirties and the first jaunt was with a 300 Win mag with which I didn’t get a shot. However, full blown loonyism was upon me as I rebarreld to 338 Win and then upon a Guns and Ammo article by Ross siefried, rechambered to 340 Wby. While I would have denied the necessity of these bigger cartridges for elk, I grew to love the 340 and the rifle it was in. I believe I took some where around ten bulls (I took others with some other cartridges including the 45 Colt) with it at various angles and ranges to just under five hundred yards. I never needed a second shot on those I hit and missed one. Man, it was a hammer.
It is truly a great cartridge for large, soft-skinned game but requires some work to manage well and became a bit heavier as I grew older.
I have a friend who I invited on the elk hunt we went on two years ago. Not a big game hunter, some years previous he’d asked what CF rifle/cartridge to get to cover his needs from deer to elk. I suggested the 270 and took him out shooting over the summer before our elk hunt. As it turned out I didn’t get a shot but he slam-dunked a big six-by-six at 200 yards with Federal 150-gr Nos Part’s. I chrono’d those out of his Tikka at 2850 fps. Worked great. During the hunt and before he shot his bull I encouraged him concerning his armament and his ability with it as the outfitter had earlier told him the 270 was too small. It’s not.
Lord-willing, we go again next October; he with his 270 and the same load, and me with a custom, lightweight 284, a kind of a short, fat 270/280. I expect we’ll do ok.
