Cows, 243 with 100g partitions, max load of IMR 4350.
Learn the elk anatomy, place your shot, they flop or go no further than 40 yards. Massive internal damage on the cow elk which normally weigh between 450-550 lbs.
We boned off a lot of meat off the neck, and did not like that shot. We butchered them on the spot, packed out the meat in Panyards with the mules carrying the load.
To me, elk are easier to kill than a white tail buck in the rut.
My worst experience with recovering elk has been with a bow and a 50 cal muzzle loader. Lots of folks liked for me and my mules to come along on the hunt to pack out the animals. I generally stayed in camp till someone had an animal down as I was not providing them with animals to ride. Mules liked to get away from home, and so did I. So, we had a lot of hunts. I laid down some ground rules, I had the say on whether or not my mules were going to chase after a bad shot as they usually run down in some of the worst canyons you can imagine. All of the people I agreed to help, also got to go to the rifle range and shoot their rifles, part of the deal in me helping. Those that had no time to practice, did not get Blue, Maude, Buck, Bob's help on carrying out the meat. One crazy azz showed up with 55g Remington Accelerators to sight in his 30/06, I was ungodly pissed at him. I took him to Wal Mart and demanded that he buy 5 boxes of 180g Remington Core locts, and he did. He did get a trophy bull after practicing with his 7400 that he had only shot one time previously. One crazy Dr. shot a 7x7 in the azz with his 300 Weatherby. The bull ran down in a very steep canyon, and I refused to go down and chase the animal. Other party members went with them and I let them borrow my custom knives made by Dave McCrosky, city slickers did not have anything but a small pocket knife between them...they thought that I was an unpaid "skinner" and "packer". They were not happy that they were going to have to get their hands dirty. I had made an exception with the Dr not going to the range shooting his rifle. Later on, I told him what a mistake that had been, with my promise that I would only help if he and all his party went to the rifle range several times shooting their rifles. I never heard from any of them again...way to messy for them.
I have had several screaming confrontations with men that made bad shots on trophy. These men thought of nothing but their trophy, and they did not like me reminding them that I would not put my mules at risk in going down some of the very steep rocky canyons.. I got paid nothing for helping them, and they learned a HARD lesson on making bad shots. They had to quarter up the animal, bone out the meat, and get the meat to me and the mules as close as we could get.
Men have to learn that if they are going to shoot an animal as big as an Elk, that they must plan ahead on how they are going to get the animal out.
Two things come to mind before taking a shot:
A. do you have a clear shot-and good angle-Wind a factor?
B. if he does run, will you be able to get to him. In other words, know your terrain best you can.
I cut up one bull on the side of a steep mountain, and we pulled the quarters up the side of the mountain with a 300 ft rope being pulled by a Horse that I had trained for this task with Harness, This is a dangerous proposition, as a man has to come up with the bag of meat to keep it free from trees and stumps. Phones usually do not work in this kind of area so you are limited by walkie talkies with hit and miss reception. Pulling up the bag can actually entangle a man, snap a large limb bone quickly.
The worst night mares I have seen on wounded elk have been with big Weathby's and 338 WM where the owners never shot their rifles till they went hunting, never even verifying zero, and this kind of thing is prevalent in the hunting crowd....NO SCHITT!
Light caliber = close shots, and we were less than 150 yards with our 243's with very dead animals.
Elk seem to be getting tougher and harder to kill as people do not practice, verify zero, and want to kill them at greater distances. 270 Winchester with 150g Rem Core locts or Hornady 150g Interlock will get the job done in spades, same thing with 30/06 with 180's.
Nothing shocks me more than a guy that goes from year to year and never verifies the zero on his load or rifle. It is also surprising how many men just carry a pocket full of shells for their rifle, brand, grain weight, is just way over their head....dang!
