I was 21 and at the time 100% convinced that my "failure" on my first two elk hunts to "instantly" drop elk on the spot with a 30/06 was due to use of a "WIMPY CALIBER" that was not up to the job, why those first two elk staggered around for a few yards before falling over,...I later found that was rather normal regardless of caliber used, the main advantage I see with the 340 wby is theres zero question from the games reaction that you hit them solidly, while thats not always the case with the 30/06.
yet the results with ether are similar, place the shot well and the elks dead in short order!
I guess I had a huge advantage in my education in that I got the opportunity to go on my first elk hunt when I was about 19- 20 years old. I learned while being mentored by 4 old geezers, who were members of the local rifle range, guys who had been making the trip out west too hunt elk,for decades before I had been granted the privilege,of being asked to join them and watch and learn from their experience.
I was specifically told what to buy wear,and bring and it was assumed I would take that advice as it was gleaned from decades of experience,and while I just "KNEW" I knew these old guys were not up on the newest stuff from reading all the magazine articles I also knew I wanted to fit in and be invited back so I followed the advice to the letter and for several years I worked, and I collected a legal elk on both of my first two trips using the 30/06 760 remington "loaded with 220 grain REMINGTON PETERS AMMO" that I was told was the "BEST DARN RIFLE AVAILABLE" for elk.
after 2 years I just KNEW I knew better and I bought a 340 wby and loaded some 250 grain hornadys and practiced a great deal, the first few elk I shot dropped on the spot, I was convinced I'd found the ANSWER!
but over the next 40 years a rather annoying fact kept, popping up, the guys in camp that continued to use those 30/06 rifles kept killing just as many elk just as dead as I did.
now in every magazine you see youll find pictures of elk , (mostly taken in places like YELLOWSTONE PARK) where ELK stand out in the open fields, but in areas that get hunted elk are rarely that stupid and those few that are don,t last very long.
once the first few car doors get slammed , and the first few shots get fired all the reasonably smart elk retreat to the remote side canyons and thicker brush. yes you might find a good place to intercept them as they move on a good choke point in the terrain as they vacate the easy to access areas but for the most part youll be sneaking thru aspen and oak brush and conifers, and shots over 250 yards will be rather rare, and if you can,t consistently place shots accurately under field conditions, what you carry won,t matter much!
the head stamp on the case or the caliber used is far less critical than you might think as long as the rifle is able to place shots accurately and punch holes clear thru an elk at any reasonable range.
why do I use a 340 wby? it works better than anything else Ive found, but I darn sure would not stay home if I only had a 257 Roberts, or a 308 win, as Ive seen enough elk killed convincingly dead with those to, think caliber was a huge factor in the success of a hunt any longer

Last edited by 340mag; 05/14/14.