mj, when I started hunting this area, I worked for some ranches. I ask the son what he used for elk. He said a .25-06. Years later I hunted with the federal trapper in the Big Horn Basin . I as him what he used. He said he used to use a .25-06, but uses a .300 now, why, he said I got tired of tracking elk. The ranchers son also switched to a .300 for the same reason. You don't need a .300 for elk, but you need something with bullet weight and penetration. I could go on, but you should get the idea. But maybe Ohio elk are easier to kill.
WCH,
This thread is ending up like most elk-rifle threads do, with the same examples of why somebody might want to use a certain "power level."
So in the interests of balanced viewpoints, I'll mention a local friend, who's in his mid-60s and doesn't really know how many elk he's killed--or want to say, since he grew up in the era when Montana hunters often killed elk that were tagged and eaten by friends and family members. For quite a while he mostly used the 7mm Remington Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum, but a few years ago grew weary of the recoil, especially the .300's--but had considerable experience with other cartridges. So around five years ago he started using his .25-06 exclusively, and last fall killed another mature bull with it, no problems.
Now we return to the regular program...which like most such threads tends to go a lot longer than 10 pages....
Which bullet in the 25-06 John? Just wondering.
I’d agree with Rio on elk. Hard to find.
Kinda boils down to what a person wants to use. With care most anything mentioned has the ability to work better than arrows or spears. Our new bullets make a lot of stuff relevant that wasn’t so slick 25 years ago.
