300Mag,
Have you hunted elk before? Bull or Cow?
I am an Eastern hunter too that goes West for elk. It’s be said before, and is true, that the further East you go the bigger the rifle recommendation for elk by the gun store staff. I just shake my head in the gun shops when somebody asks the gun counter guy for elk rifle advise and the “expert” immediately spouts 300 Mag ect. Then when you ask the “expert” about their personal elk hunting experiences it quickly becomes a tale about what he read in a magazine, or online, or their brother-in-law hunted elk once.
My elk rifles have progressed, or regressed, from a 9.3X62, then 54 Cal muzzleloader, then 308 Win and now 270 win. These have all worked with 1 shot kills. I use a 130 TTSX in both the 308 and 270 to keep muzzle velocity above 3K with the TTSX. I don’t shoot at animals running away in the ‘rear shoulders’. I also haven’t taken a shot much over 100 yds in the National Forests I have tags for. I’m sure some get chances at longer range with an animal standing in the middle of a park in daylight, but I haven’t personally seen it!
I don’t have a Creed - yet, but I am sure it will kill any elk you hunt if you put a bullet into the chest.
