Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting What - Rifle,Scope, Caliber, Bullet Are You Taking For Elk?

"All of them".

375 Ruger with 260 gr Accubonds. Since I'm also deer hunting in the same unit the same week, I will most likely carry a 270 loaded with 150 gr Partitions, which will also be fine for an elk at the ranges I'm willing to shoot.

T3 Lite Stainless
7mm Rem Mag
Leupold VX2 3-9x40 CDS
162 ELDX

I’m hoping to better last year’s bull, taken with the same combo.








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I don't know but Jim Zumbo did.

Damn! That's a thick bull. What a brute.

If I go this year it will probably be this ol’ beast again. Carries nicely in the mountings and is a very good shooter with those 220 grain Hornady RN’s. Last several elk I have kilt have all been with either open sights or a peep.



i really like the cartridge. One of my favorites.

Preparing for my first elk hunt this fall. Planning to get a cow tag in Montana and have applied for antelope as well.

Browning X-bolt 7mm-08
Leupold VX-6, 3-18x50
140 Accubonds (if I can get them to shoot consistently; I'm about to pull my hair out working up a load)
120 TTSX is the backup plan ( I have a great load for them at 3150 fps with Big Game)

Alternate rifle is a Browning A-bolt 30-06
Leupold VX-3, 3.5-10x50
165 Accubonds over IMR 4350 or possibly 180 Accubonds over RL-16

Mike74: You are exactly right - thank you for correcting my mental mistake.
I meant Jim Zumbo but typed Jim Carmichael.
I attended an Elk Hunting seminar some years ago, given by Jim Zumbo, here in Wise River, Montana just a short time before he got himself in trouble with the shooting world!
He seemed a humble, intelligent yet experienced Elk chaser back then.
Got to interact with him several times that fall as he was spending some time in Dillon, Montana (where I live) as well.
Wonder what Mr. Zumbo is up to these days?
Thanks again.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Pharmseller: What a dandy trophy you harvested there!
Good for you.
And best of luck this season bettering that accomplishment.
I have plans on taking one more Bull before I cross the great divide - and I hope its nearly as good a Bull as your pictured Bull.
What state was that from?
It sure looks like good/typical Elk habitat.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Country 20boy: My good friend from Washington state took his wife Elk Hunting some years ago with her 7m/m 08 Rifle - she had a cow Elk tag as well and she harvested her Elk with one heart/lung shot from that Rifle!
I forget which bullet she was using.
Good luck getting that rig tuned up - if not there is that wonderful "fall back" set up you have on hand!
Good luck on the cow Elk and on the Antelope draw.
We should be learning real soon if we have been successful on that drawing?
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Voiceman: I was "Mule Deer" Hunting several years ago with my Remington 700 Sendero in caliber 270 Winchester.
I was using my favorite Deer/Antelope bullet at the time (the Nosler 130 grain Ballistic Tip) when along came a dandy 6x6 bull Elk.
I was able to kill that Bull with one carefully placed heart/lung shot!
I don't recommend that bullet for Elk only under the best of circumstances - and in this circumstance it worked out well for me.
Your 150 grain Nosler Partitions would indeed be a much better choice.
Good luck.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy: Your story parallels one of mine:
I was doing a solo, DIY, backpack Bighorn ram hunt years ago in one of the Unlimited tag areas north of Yellowstone Park with my Mauser Mark X in .257 Ackley.
I was using my favorite Deer/Antelope bullet at the time (the Sierra 117 grain GameKing) when a dandy dark antlered, ivory tipped 6x6 bull Elk stopped broadside about 75 yards in front of me to bugle.
One carefully placed heart/lung shot tight behind his shoulder dropped him right there.
I don't recommend that bullet for Elk except under the best of circumstances, and in this circumstance it worked out well for me.
In later years I used that same rifle/bullet combo to make similar kills on several Bighorn rams, a Dall ram, and a Mountain caribou bull.
I also agree that 150 grain Nosler Partitions in a .270 would be a fine choice for elk.

I'm not going elk hunting until 2019. Be that as it may. If I were leaving tomorrow for elk camp it would be my Kimber Select 30/06. 180 grain Ballistic Tips and a VX3i 3.5-10X .

That would be Carmichel, not “-ael”

Thanks! I've always been confident in the 150 gr Partitions. They're doing 2900 fps, and I know they'd function fine on an elk at the ranges I'm willing to shoot. But this hunt will mainly be about the deer, as the elk will be scarce in that area until a month later or so. But I'm prepared if a cow elk wanders in front of me. 😬

Seekins Havak PH1 in 28 Nosler (195gr EOL), 4.5-18x44mm LRHSi

Pre '64 Mod 70 .270 Win. sightless with 150 NP's

Winchester fwt 6.5x55 with a vx3i 3.5-10x40,130 gr tsx,not fancy or slick just a good setup

I have my grandfathers 30-40 carbine,use to use it for my brush gun and 180 npts

Use it!!!! Glad to hear ! I may also haul my 1895 win src in .30 Army for backup!