Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting You have a choice of rifles

You have a .30-06, a .300 H&H, a 9.3 X 62 and a .375 H&H.....you shoot them all fairly well and are comfortable shooting 350 yards with any of them.

You're going elk hunting and the style of hunting is to sit in a lawn chair in the mountainous meadows and glass for elk most of the day. Stalking isn't the style you prefer as age has taken it's toll. Hstorically shots have been 300 yards and more on cow elk and you shoot over sticks.....

What's your choce of rifle?

How are you getting to this meadow? Day hike in? Reason I ask is I’d take the lightest rifle were I walking in.

As to cartridge, what one will do, the others will do.

I’d take a 6.5 Creedmoor using 127 Barnes LRX bullets. Far easier to shoot at distance than any mentioned, kills every bit as well (probably better past 400) and leaves no lead in that wonderful cow elk meat. Recoil is so much less as to almost be a winning criterion in and of itself.

I’m pretty sure you misunderstood the question

BY 4X4 truck. weight isn't an issue.

Considering ballistics only, I would lean heavily toward the one that would give me the longest range while maintaining
2000 fps impact velocity for bullet expansion.

Maybe the better question might be....."Is there any of those you would not use?"

nope. by your description, any will work.

You mean like me last year?....

That says it all. Flip coins until one is left.

Is that your 9.3, or your .375 H&H??

I'm a bit concerned that even tho I'll be shooting monometal bullets, the larger calibers will be "too much" for elk and not perform like they should on such things as eland or much larger critters.

I once shot a Wisconsin 8-point whitetail with a .375 H&H..... It did kill the deer but the bullet provided very little expansion as the exit hole was no different from the entrance hole.

.375H&H A 3/8” bore is the “only” caliber I’ve hunted with since the early ‘80’s (went to an AI in 1990) except when handgun hunting! memtb

I’d run the 9.3 or 375 just for cool factor alone.... 😎

Doesn't that have more to do with the speed of the bullet than the caliber? In other words, follow the old advice on going lighter and faster with a monometal? For me and the situation you described that would be a 130 or 150 grain bullet in the '06 if I was bent on using monometals.

I'll second the 375 H&H....with 260 gr accubonds!

For me, a no-brainer. 30-06 loaded with 165 or 180 NBT's, NAB's or NP's.

No point dealing with more recoil than necessary...

I m bent on using monometals as it's a requirement of the ranch I'm hunting. Further, I'm supportive of the requirement.


That said, I can push a 210 grain Barnes at close to 3,000 FPS from the .375 H&H.....or even a 200 grain Barnes at slightly over 2800 FPS from the 9.3 X62....now that's living up to the old Winchester add: It makes a helluva noise and packs a helluva wallup

Where did you find 9.3, 200 grain Barnes X bullets?

Wondering the same. Would try some .366 Cutting Edge 200 grain flat base Raptors in that circumstance. On paper I've had excellet results with GS Custom 230 grain HV's . Fills the mono bullet need if necessary.