I admittedly spend much more time on this forum reading others posts than I do offering any input. That being said, I've noticed that one of the most repeated themes is what rifle/caliber/load do you use or is best for elk? That in turn got me thinking about my own experience & was struck by how eclectic it is. So, here goes what I can remember. Largest bull was killed with a 7X57 shooting 175 grain Hornadys. Smallest bull was shot with a .270 using 150 grain Sierras. Longest shot was with a .338 WM using 250 gr Sierras. Closest shot was with a .416 wildcat based on a blown out .325 WSM shooting 400 gr Hornadys (really glad nothing was behind that one....) Most elk overall with the same rifle is a 7X64 Brenneke shooting 154 Hornadys, only because it has been my trusted go to for the last 20 years or so if I'm not trying something different. So here is a list of rifles I have killed elk with, some of them just one while some of them multiples. Pre 64 Winchester .270 standard grade, pre 64 super grade .270 Winchester, commercial Mauser 7X64 Brenneke, custom commercial Mauser.338 Win Mag, Custom Mauser .270 Win.,Ruger 77 7X57, previously mentioned .416 on Montana Rifle action, 1895 Winchester .30-40 Krag, original Newton Arms .256 Newton, 1886 Winchester (reproduction) extra light .45-70, and last but not least, a 2nd year production 1894 Winchester .30-30 takedown rifle. That is it as I recall. Hunting partner has taken more elk than I ever will & every one of them was with the same pre 64 standard grade 30-06 using nothing but 165 grain Speer flat bases. Please tell what you have used, I'm really interested to hear what others have used over time.
It is worth a lot! I find the subject interesting no matter the numbers. The 7mm Rem Mag is an interesting animal in this area, seems to be a lot of used rifles in that caliber on the market, especially since the .300 wsm hit the streets. I have nothing for or against it myself, just an observation.
I've been elk huntimg 10 times, 3 times I carried a 30/06, once a 7mm/08while the rest of the times I carried a 300 Win mag. I've taken 6 elk, a small sample.
I had 180 gr bullets of one type or the other in the 30 calibers and 145 gr Speer Grand Slams in the 7mm. By some strange quirk, I took all my elk with the 300 mag. It worked fine but I could have used about anything and had a decent result at the ranges I shot.
My wife: In order of use..... .243 Win., .270 Win., .338 WM ( used since ‘95). memtb
Last edited by memtb; 01/22/19.
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024
I have only hunted elk three times. I carried a Remington 700 in 300 Winchester Magnum the first time, switched off between a 300 Weatherby and a 358 Norma Magnum the second, and 30-06 the third hunt. Shot an elk on the second hunt with the 300 Weatherby.
Started using a Pre 64 264 in the late 60s until 2000 then switched to a Mod. 70 300 RUM. Don't remember how many elk have been shot with those two guns. Now if you are talking deer, that list is longer than my arm.
Writing from the gateway to the great BluMtns in southeastern Washington.
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First was a cow elk with a borrowed 8x57 iron sights. Two with my bow. The rest were with a M77 30.06 tanger and then a Tikka 30.06. Bout 23 as near as I can remember.
Last edited by BeanMan; 01/22/19. Reason: Forgot to add the two I killed with my bow.
the rifles in bold print were the rifles carried on most trips I've hunted Colorado about 26 years and Wyoming three years I tend to like hunting steep timbered canyons similar to these photos
3 with a 30-06 and 180 gr. Hornady's 1 with a 270 Win and 130 Nosler Partitions 1 with a 257 Roberts Ackley and 115gr. Nosler Partitons 4 with 300 Win Mag. using 180 Speer Grand Slam, 180 Nosler Accubond and 168gr. Barnes TTSX
Down to a "One rifle for everything from mice to moose" in 270 Weatherby shooting 129gr. Barnes LRX @ 3450fps.
Hope to add to my list coming up this October!
Elk Country
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44 mag carbine 50 caliber Hawkin ML 50 caliber TC Back Diamond ML 50 caliber TC Impact Ml .308 Model 88 45-70 Browning 1886 lever 30-30 Winchester 94 7MM Rem Mag, Winchester model 70 7MM Weatherby Mag 30-06 Winchester Model 70
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Current harvest count is 17 and all have been taken with two calibers. 270 Winchester and 300 Winchester Mag. Probably won't change a thing on the next 17.
Three. Remington M700 ADL, .270. Browning 1885, 7mm RemMag. This one was too heavy to carry in steep mountains, it only accounted for one. Remington 700 Classic, 8mm RemMag.
Remington 700 .270 Winchester] NULA 7x57 Mauser Weatherby Ultra Lightweight 7mm Weatherby Magnum Ruger 77 .30-06 Springfield 1903 sporter .30-06 Benelli R1 .30-06 Nosler Model 48 .300 WSM Sisk custom Ruger 77 .300 Winchester Magnum Weatherby Vanguard Sub-MOA .300 Weatherby Magnum (Also used a bow to take a cow and 5-point)
My wife has been far more constrained, using only four rifles, one .257 Roberts, two .270 Winchesters, and a .308 Winchester.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
"Come, shall we go and kill us venison? And yet it irks me the poor dappled fools, Being native burghers of this desert city, Should in their own confines with forked heads Have their round haunches gored."
Remington 700 .270 Winchester] NULA 7x57 Mauser Weatherby Ultra Lightweight 7mm Weatherby Magnum Ruger 77 .30-06 Springfield 1903 sporter .30-06 Benelli R1 .30-06 Nosler Model 48 .300 WSM Sisk custom Ruger 77 .300 Winchester Magnum Weatherby Vanguard Sub-MOA .300 Weatherby Magnum (Also used a bow to take a cow and 5-point)
My wife has been far more constrained, using only four rifles, one .257 Roberts, two .270 Winchesters, and a .308 Winchester.
I thought there would be a .338 Win Mag in there...
anyone else look over the cartridges list and realize that damn near anything in a center fire cartridge, used in the hands of a decent shot that knows the games anatomy will work, its simply getting into reasonable range and finding the game, not the limitations of the rifle being used thats critical to success. I'm certainly not suggesting some choices don,t have advantageous properties, in range and penetration or flat trajectory, only that its the hunters skill and experience, not the rifle selected, thats more critical. if guys are successful with a 44 mag, and other guys use a 375 H&H, or a 257 Roberts ,successfully obviously power and penetration and flat trajectory are not as super critical, as getting a shot at the vitals,within reasonable ranges your comfortable with, with a rifle your familiar with using
338 win with 210 Partitions 340wby with 210 Partitions 300wby with 180 spire pts (wby) and corelocts 300 win with 165 Speer hot core 30-06 with 180 corelocts and Partitions 270 win with 150 Partitions 7mm STW with 160 accubonds
Ranges averaged 300+yds. All lkilled. I remain quite partial to the 210 Partitions out of 340/338. Second choice would be 300wby with 180s. STW was not as quick killing as I’d have expected expected even at 3400fps. 270 had disappointing penetration at 350-400 yds. I want racquetball sized exit wounds from close range to 500yds. The 210s never disappointed unless I caught both shoulders. I’m loading some 225 accubonds for the 340. Hoping for another perfect load (wby no longer sells the 210 Partition loading—I’ve never been able to match factory velocity and accuracy at the same time).
Have only used the .338 on a very few elk that had already been shot by somebody else. Have also seen some other elk killed by companions with the .338. The list is of elk only I shot with those cartridges.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
Knight wolverine .54 cal Smith and Wesson model 1500 30-06 Smith and Wesson model 1500 7mm Smith and Wesson model 1500 .270 Smith and Wesson model 1500 300 win Weatherby vanguard 7mm Marlin guide gun 45-70
Have you never killed an elk, or did you use a bullet, rather than a rifle? Inquiring minds, memtb
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024
I use bullets. I've not ever been close enough to kill one with a rifle, though I did nearly kill one with a pistol. But I opted to pull the trigger instead.
I went a couple of times, no luck, I had a 333 OKH belted built by Charlie O’Neil. I really wanted to kill an elk with it. I did kill a few hogs and a couple of deer with it.
ok, since I started this I'll give an update. Besides, sitting home with a nasty cold & was told I should do something because I'm acting like a crabby old bastard...… Very un-scientifically added up the responses, not numbers of elk nor numbers of rifles, just the cartridges. Also, each respondent only gets counted for one even if they have shot elk with several different rifles in the same caliber. i.e., I have killed elk with three different .270 Win rifles, but only count one .270 response. Also, not throwing in the onesie-twosie stuff, lots & lots of that. That said, here are the most popular so far.
No real surprises considering the venue, not all average Joe Hunters will have a .338-06, .35 Whelen, or an STW due to ammo availability & cost, however this respondent group is likely made up of a high percentage of handloaders.
for me two. first with 45 colt -cow the bull with my 375h&h the colt was with 300 gr. lead at 980fps the 375 was a hornady 300 gr. factory. drt with both
ok, since I started this I'll give an update. Besides, sitting home with a nasty cold & was told I should do something because I'm acting like a crabby old bastard...… Very un-scientifically added up the responses, not numbers of elk nor numbers of rifles, just the cartridges. Also, each respondent only gets counted for one even if they have shot elk with several different rifles in the same caliber. i.e., I have killed elk with three different .270 Win rifles, but only count one .270 response. Also, not throwing in the onesie-twosie stuff, lots & lots of that. That said, here are the most popular so far.
The top spot goes to the .270 Winchester? How can that be? I see many threads on these hunting forums where the "experts" posting there say that you need more that a .270 to kill elk.
At one time, I was one of those guys that tried hard to hunt elk in multiple States every season. Elk hunting was my passion, and I did managed to hunt them in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Colorado. Now, it something I still do, but just in the pure “easy -going” enjoyment mode. In any event, here is my list of cartridges that I have used to kill elk over the years:
Before I knew better, I killed elk with Power Points and Core-Lokts, but I was enlighten by some forgotten expert in the early 80s and switched to Partitions. I did try a Barnes bullet once and it worked, but I went right back to Partitions after this one excursion. However, about five years ago, I switched my elk hunting bullets over to AccuBonds, and I believe they work as well as Partitions and fly a little better out of my rifles. CP.
I have come full circle in my thinking. For the past 6 or 7 years, I generally grab one of my 30-06s, using a 180 gr. premium bullet with a plain vanilla loading, and go elk hunting. Looking in the rear view mirror, I would have been just as well off staying with a 308 or a 30-06 over all the years of pursuing these big brown critters-neither one of those cartridges have ever failed me. CP.
I guess I am really the odd man out here. I bought a 7mm RM and have hunted for 25 or 30 years with it.
Took 17 elk with that rifle. One year I took an elk with a custom 264 Win Mag just because I had the chance to and I thought it was a cool rifle. The past 10 years of so I've bought some other more costly elk rifles thinking that accuracy or comfort level of one of them would surpass the old workhorse - none of them did.
Next year, if I am able to hunt at all, I must go to a lighter rifle. I've noticed that .308s and .270s can save 1/2 to 3/4 lb over the larger calibers in the same model rifle, but I also need to go to a very lightweight model of some sort.
arrow 45 acp 1911 (I know you said rifles) 22 hornet 30-30 243 25-06 280AI 7mm rem 308 30-06 300 wby Probably missing one or two but 300 wby was the biggest
Beware of any old man in a profession where one usually dies young.
well this was fun to read. I've only gotten 2 elk over the past 20+ years, we in AZ don't get drawn every year and I don't put in every year, but when I do, I almost always have friends and relatives on the same hunt. So thinking over the years hunting with my brother, son, nephews and hunting partners, we've only gotten cow elk. Every one of these, except one, I helped gut & load into my truck, so its fairly firsthand experience.
.270Win - M70 push feed - 150gr Kodiak handload .300 Win Mag -M70 CRF - 180 gr Fed factory .30-06 - Butcherized 1903 - 180 gr Fed factory .300 Rem Ultra Mag - M700 - don't remember the load my friend used, probably factory. .300 Rem SAUM - M700 - 180 gr Hornady BTSP handloads .257 Roberts - M700 - 115 gr partition handload .270Win - M70 CRF - 150 partition handload .270Win - No1A - 150 partition handload
so I guess around my campfire the .270 Win wins the popularity contest, unless we count.30 cal of all chamberings.
4-with a bow 1-with a 6mm Remington 11-with a 30/06 18-with a 338 Winchester magnum 1-with a 300 Winchester magnum 22-with a 7mm Remington Magnum 14-with a 7mm-08
Winchester Mod 70 7mag...Several. Winchester Model 70 crf chambered in 300 Wby...A lot. Sako AV with a Lilja fluted barrel in 300 Wby...More than a lot. Weatherby FiberMark stainless 30-378...Way more than a lot. Remington 700 300 Ultramag...The most. Accurate Arms 7mm/08...One.
😎
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4-with a bow 1-with a 6mm Remington 11-with a 30/06 18-with a 338 Winchester magnum 1-with a 300 Winchester magnum 22-with a 7mm Remington Magnum 14-with a 7mm-08
4-with a bow 1-with a 6mm Remington 11-with a 30/06 18-with a 338 Winchester magnum 1-with a 300 Winchester magnum 22-with a 7mm Remington Magnum 14-with a 7mm-08
71 Elk, that is a lot of Elk.
Sure is! Notice any difference in how well the different cartridges worked?
4-with a bow 1-with a 6mm Remington 11-with a 30/06 18-with a 338 Winchester magnum 1-with a 300 Winchester magnum 22-with a 7mm Remington Magnum 14-with a 7mm-08
71 Elk, that is a lot of Elk.
Sure is! Notice any difference in how well the different cartridges worked?
One thing I noticed is if you hit them right the first time, there really isn't a nickels worth of difference between what cartridge/rifle I've shot them with. Make a crap shot, again no matter what cartridge, its going to be a chit show. Depending on the country a person hunts, there can be advantages/disadvantages to some.
I think bullets make the biggest difference with elk, they do have pretty heavy bones.
I've lost count... But, I'll make as good of a guess as I can.
9 Ruger M77R .30-06 Ut & Nv
2 .50 cal Muzzle loader AZ
4 .54 cal Muzzle loader AZ
Last edited by Owl; 01/28/19.
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4-with a bow 1-with a 6mm Remington 11-with a 30/06 18-with a 338 Winchester magnum 1-with a 300 Winchester magnum 22-with a 7mm Remington Magnum 14-with a 7mm-08
71 Elk, that is a lot of Elk.
Sure is! Notice any difference in how well the different cartridges worked?
Personally never had a problem with an arrow. Maybe one of these days I'll get around to using a rifle for Elk. But for now I like chasing them with the bow.
4-with a bow 1-with a 6mm Remington 11-with a 30/06 18-with a 338 Winchester magnum 1-with a 300 Winchester magnum 22-with a 7mm Remington Magnum 14-with a 7mm-08
71 Elk, that is a lot of Elk.
Sure is! Notice any difference in how well the different cartridges worked?
One thing I noticed is if you hit them right the first time, there really isn't a nickels worth of difference between what cartridge/rifle I've shot them with. Make a crap shot, again no matter what cartridge, its going to be a chit show. Depending on the country a person hunts, there can be advantages/disadvantages to some.
I think bullets make the biggest difference with elk, they do have pretty heavy bones.
Do you recommend it or for that matter all opinions welcomed. Say 180gr bullets.
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
Idaho's only big game restriction is that it has to be a centerfire. You can use a 22 Hornet on elk, bear, or moose if you want to. That's not saying it's smart, just legal. ML & archery have tougher restrictions than the smokeless guns.
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In order, 3 with a 30-06 and 180 ballistic tips 2 with 300 WSM and 168 TTSX 1 with a 7mm WSM and 140 Accubond (was after a deer at the time) Last one was with a 300 RUM and 200gr Accubonds (great combination IMO) Lately built a 300 Win Mag using 200gr Sierra spbt Gamekings, but haven’t shot one with it....yet:)
7 Rem Mag-140g ballistic tip and partition-flattened their azz right now 243 winchester-100g partition-load for cows, one took 20 steps, rest just flopped
Pat, you are the man. AMAZING! I would love to see a pic of your pile of antlers and horns. Thanks for sharing your experiences and photos over the years.
Zero, Zilch, Nada... Never been elk hunting. However, I have several rifles that would work. I have a .270 Winchester, a .280 Remington, a 7MM Remington Mag, a .30-06, A .300 WBY, and a 9.3x62. One of them should get it done.
Last edited by Filaman; 02/07/19.
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I’ve only killed 9 bulls but they were all shot with one rifle and one load. The rifle: A Remington Laminated Stock Stainless 700 Mountain Rifle in 30/06. The load: R-P nickel brass, Nosler 180 A/bond, W-W LRM primer and 58 grs of H-4350 for 2725 fps.
Last edited by navlav8r; 02/08/19.
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340 Wby (learned to love the cartridge/platform I had) 30/06 45 Colt* 45/70 284 Win (ditto)
*Ruger RH
That’s about ten bulls (340 - 8; 30/06 - 1; 284 - 1). Two cows at about 30-45 yds with the 45C and 45/70. Three bulls were taken at about 100-125 yds with the remaining 6 taken from 400 to 500 yds, the furtherest at about 480 yds.
My 340 which really slammed those further ones was on R 700 with a Brown Prec Classic stock, 3-pos safety, and a Sako-type claw extractor, and a Decelerator pad. Scoped it came to 8.5 lbs which I found about ideal for that cartridge. After many bullets I settled on the 210-gr TSX.
Most recently, I used a Rifles Inc lightweight Strata 284 with a 3” box and with a leup 6x36 with LR dots. I took this bull right at about a 100 yds, a smack-down with a140-gr TTSX (3100 fps) through the spine at the neck-shoulder juncture. This rifle with its scope is under 6 lbs, a weight more to my liking now.
only 3 but in order... cow 7mm Wby Mag @ 40ish yards 5x5 bull .270 WCF @ 45 yard 7x8 bull with 100gr fixed blade broad-head on an arrow @ 20 yards
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anyone else look over the cartridges list and realize that damn near anything in a center fire cartridge, used in the hands of a decent shot that knows the games anatomy will work, its simply getting into reasonable range and finding the game, not the limitations of the rifle being used thats critical to success. I'm certainly not suggesting some choices don,t have advantageous properties, in range and penetration or flat trajectory, only that its the hunters skill and experience, not the rifle selected, thats more critical. if guys are successful with a 44 mag, and other guys use a 375 H&H, or a 257 Roberts ,successfully obviously power and penetration and flat trajectory are not as super critical, as getting a shot at the vitals,within reasonable ranges your comfortable with, with a rifle your familiar with using
yeah, I,ve often wondered if elk being a reasonably large,400-800 plus lb animal had a tendency, if wounded,,too stomp and gore hunters like a cape buffalo ,or claw and bite like a Kodiak bear, if we would see what I consider rather un-realistically light caliber rifles being used on elk. I know a few guys in my hunt club think theres nothing unsporting or unethical in using a 24-25 caliber rifle, on elk, I know of a few cases where several follow -up shots were required, now obviously bullet selection shot placement and hunter skill plays a huge part here, not just the cartridge used.... but still I think if the hunter could reasonably be expected to be at serious risk if he failed to deliver a first shot stop mortal wound, we might see a shift to larger bores and a bit more power in respect to the consequences of failing to deliver a rapidly lethal wound
I've hunted them with an assortment of weapons but these have been in my hands the most when I've found them.
"Camping places fix themselves in your mind as if you had spent long periods of your life in them. You will remember a curve of your wagon track in the grass of the plain like the features of a friend." Isak Dinesen
Bow TC Renegade .54 TC Triumph .50 .270 .270 WSM .284 Win 7 mm Rem Mag .300 WSM .300 Win .300 Weatherby .300 Ultra .308 .338 Win .348 Win Forgot a couple cows with the 71. Dunno how many with each rifle/caliber. Maybe half a dozen cows and 4 dozen bulls in AZ, CO, ID, NM, Wyo. Hunted em once each in UT and NV and not connected, Yet.
anyone else look over the cartridges list and realize that damn near anything in a center fire cartridge, used in the hands of a decent shot that knows the games anatomy will work, its simply getting into reasonable range and finding the game, not the limitations of the rifle being used thats critical to success. I'm certainly not suggesting some choices don,t have advantageous properties, in range and penetration or flat trajectory, only that its the hunters skill and experience, not the rifle selected, thats more critical. if guys are successful with a 44 mag, and other guys use a 375 H&H, or a 257 Roberts ,successfully obviously power and penetration and flat trajectory are not as super critical, as getting a shot at the vitals,within reasonable ranges your comfortable with, with a rifle your familiar with using
I was surprised at the 22 centerfires.
I hunt with a 338 RUM and I know its over powered, but I like it. My partner hunts with a 7mm RM. I shoot 210 grain, he shoots 160 grain. Ive seen 28 of 29 elk shot that we've taken together. He shot one when we were separated once. If the bullet is in the vitals, there is little difference in killing efficiency. The RUM does hit harder, and the animals often display a larger reaction to the shot. However, if that first shot is in the vitals, they don't go anywhere to speak of. Maybe a death dash down hill or something. If the first shot is in a bad spot, they require follow up shots. Doesn't matter which gun is used. We have been hunting elk in Colorado with over the counter bull tags and left over cow tags. So our bulls are rag horn 5points. I guess 3 year old bulls most of the time, so not huge elk. My brother hunts private property (for big $) in southern Colorado and his elk are in the 6-9 year old range and they are noticeably larger animals. He uses a 300 RUM. There is actually a sign hanging in the outfitter's lodge near the door that STRONGLY recommends 300 win mag as a minimum cartridge. I find that silly, but that is their point of view.
I admittedly spend much more time on this forum reading others posts than I do offering any input. That being said, I've noticed that one of the most repeated themes is what rifle/caliber/load do you use or is best for elk? That in turn got me thinking about my own experience & was struck by how eclectic it is. So, here goes what I can remember. Largest bull was killed with a 7X57 shooting 175 grain Hornadys. Smallest bull was shot with a .270 using 150 grain Sierras. Longest shot was with a .338 WM using 250 gr Sierras. Closest shot was with a .416 wildcat based on a blown out .325 WSM shooting 400 gr Hornadys (really glad nothing was behind that one....) Most elk overall with the same rifle is a 7X64 Brenneke shooting 154 Hornadys, only because it has been my trusted go to for the last 20 years or so if I'm not trying something different. So here is a list of rifles I have killed elk with, some of them just one while some of them multiples. Pre 64 Winchester .270 standard grade, pre 64 super grade .270 Winchester, commercial Mauser 7X64 Brenneke, custom commercial Mauser.338 Win Mag, Custom Mauser .270 Win.,Ruger 77 7X57, previously mentioned .416 on Montana Rifle action, 1895 Winchester .30-40 Krag, original Newton Arms .256 Newton, 1886 Winchester (reproduction) extra light .45-70, and last but not least, a 2nd year production 1894 Winchester .30-30 takedown rifle. That is it as I recall. Hunting partner has taken more elk than I ever will & every one of them was with the same pre 64 standard grade 30-06 using nothing but 165 grain Speer flat bases. Please tell what you have used, I'm really interested to hear what others have used over time.
"Eclectic" is a word I don't see used much on hunting and gun forums. Are you one of those transplanted Californians by any chance? Seriously that's quite a list of rifles you've named! Couldn't quite figure out which one you really favor huh?
My g8-g8 uncle was Barney Riggs. Google and read about him. He roamed around the southwest, mainly west Tx and Az and NM territory. History credits him with from 9 - 12 men he killed, not counting Mexicans and Indians. Family lore has it at 18.
Winchester model 70 .30-06 Mark V Deluxe .300 Wby Mag Ruger #1B .300 Wby Mag Stainless Mark V .300 Wby Mag Accumark .300 Wby Mag Weatherby Ultra Lightweight .30-06 T3 Lite Stainless 7mm-08
14 total
P
Obey lawful commands. Video interactions. Hold bad cops accountable. Problem solved.
Winchester model 70 .30-06 Mark V Deluxe .300 Wby Mag Ruger #1B .300 Wby Mag Stainless Mark V .300 Wby Mag Accumark .300 Wby Mag Weatherby Ultra Lightweight .30-06 T3 Lite Stainless 7mm-08
14 total
P
You need to add my Sako AV in 300 Wby to your collection. If you happen to have a SWFA 5-20x50 laying around your house my Sako could be yours...Grin 😎
In close to 40 years of elk hunting I’ve only seen 3 elk knocked down without a central nervous system hit and it was with the 338. Of course as a precious poster put it you don’t get to hunt a lot in Az. We have packed into the Gila wilderness several times.
In close to 40 years of elk hunting I’ve only seen 3 elk knocked down without a central nervous system hit and it was with the 338. Of course as a precious poster put it you don’t get to hunt a lot in Az. We have packed into the Gila wilderness several times.
The quickest elk kill that I have made was my second largest 6x6 bull that simply collapsed when I put a 115 grain Sierra GameKing bullet from my .257 Ackley just behind his shoulder.
I've had a number of other bulls and one cow that didn't take more than 3 or 4 steps after I put a 180 grain Nosler Partition from my .30 Gibbs, or a 168 grain TSX or TTSX from my .300 Weatherby, or a 160 grain Accubond from my 7 mm RM right behind their shoulders.
So far (would like to get another trip or two in).
My first 5 were with a pre-64 Model 70 in 270 WCF shooting 150 Partitions starting in 1976, next 4 (three raghorns and one cow) were with my Rem. 700 BDL in 30-06, there has been one cow with a 348 WCF, one respectable 2nd CO rifle season bull with a 30-338, one cow with a 35 Whelen and my last one (raghorn) was with my custom Sako AV in 338 Win. Mag shooting 225 gr. Partitions.
I missed a great opportunity once with my rifle slung over my shoulder and we kicked up a decent bull moving through some dark timber; the old cowboy I was hunting with remarked "you'll never kill one with the rifle slung, keep the rifle in your hands and put the damn sling in your pack or leave it in camp"...wise words.
I have to guess at the chamberings and the number of head. The smallest was a 22/250. , the largest was a .375 H&H. I personally always carried a 30/06, .270 win and 25/06. I gets blurry, separating the elk out otherwise. I worked for various outfitters as a guide as a 20- 30 year old and sporadically since. Those were the Weatherby mark v days. They were zero'd at the factory and tightened up at camp. I still despise them those inaccurate fire breathing things..Just my little old opinion
"Eclectic" is a word I don't see used much on hunting and gun forums. Are you one of those transplanted Californians by any chance? Seriously that's quite a list of rifles you've named! Couldn't quite figure out which one you really favor huh? R Walter
"Transplanted Californian" ? Really? Honestly, nonsense like that is why I have avoided posting much on not just this forum, but any publicly accessible site. Not that it matters a whit, but I like/liked/favor all of the rifles used & my great grandfather homesteaded part of the place I still have in 1897. To be fair, he came to Montana from California so perhaps the family being on the place for only 122 years qualifies us as transplants.
Back in 1968, I hunted with my Grandad within the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains of northern Wyoming. We both carried 30-30 Winchesters with iron sights. I shot a medium sized bull at about 80 yards through the chest but it only flinched and started to gallop away. I shot again and missed. Grandad told me to wait for the animal to lie down while he rolled a couple smokes from his packet of Bugler tobacco. After what seemed like an eternity, we hiked down the slope to find the bull dead. This elk had traveled about 150 yards before expiring. The next evening, Grandad toppled a young bull with a neck shot at about the same distance. The animal dropped in its tracks! Neither of us read outdoor magazines and had no idea that 30-30 rifles were considered inadequate for elk hunting. Years later, I bought a Savage 99 in .308 and topped it with a Redfield 2-7X scope. This rifle accounted for several more elk. My longest shot ever at a bull elk was about 225 yards or so. My impression is that elk do not react to a lethal double lung shot like deer but they don't travel very far. Most of my relatives in Wyoming hunt with 30-06 rifles but one cousin has had very good luck with his Marlin lever gun in 35 Remington. This rifle shoots a 200 grain bullet at about 2200 feet per second which seems un-impressive on paper charts but slams through elk ribs with great authority.
308 win a frame, rem 700 Ltr 7x57 Mauser 160 partition 30-06 220 core lokt pre 64 70 300 win mag 200 partitions
Only a handful with the top three combined, the bottom one has killed most of my elk. I have one bull with a bow.
I can’t remember all the rifles my clients have killed elk with. But have pretty much run the gamut from a blr, pre64 70, factory bolts of all kinds, long range rigs.
My daughter has killed elk with an ar-10 and a tikka youth, both shooting 308 150 federal fusion ammo.
4 years ago I got a cow with a 2005 Acura TL at 60 mph. Pretty low velocity round, but lots of energy
I do not recommend that "bullet". It's a soft point and the "expansion" makes it stop working well right after it's used, (like all soft points) but the replacement to get ready for a 2nd shot is REALLY expensive! And I do mean REALLY expensive,------ even more then Swift A-Frames.
I find it interesting that the original question of "how many different rifles" has been answered so many times with "how many different cartridges" - I'm curious, do many people only try one rifle in a particular chambering? Not me, Have used several in .308 and 30-06 and .35 Whelen, so I'm trying to figure out why so many answers that apparently miss the question? Please help me understand.
castnblast, I was 50% correct with my answer! Does that count? memtb
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024
castnblast, When answering for my wife, I only listed calibers. As she was only 20’ish with her first elk (a borrowed rifle) .make and model unknown, though the caliber was a .243 Win. From approx. 1975 thru 1995, she killed numerous elk with a Ruger Model 77 in .270 Win. From 1995 thru present, her only hunting rifle has been a Winchester, Model 70, SS in .338 WM. Question......mostly answered! memtb
Last edited by memtb; 05/01/19.
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024
Depends on where you hunt. Next elk tag will be filled with a 358 Norma. Why?? Because I believe in carrying a big enough rifle to get a griz off of ya. If I ever go over to the Big Horns - there are no griz over there. I could take a 6.5-06 or 280 AI.
Some is Good---More is Better----Too Much is Just Right
Depends on where you hunt. Next elk tag will be filled with a 358 Norma. Why?? Because I believe in carrying a big enough rifle to get a griz off of ya. If I ever go over to the Big Horns - there are no griz over there. I could take a 6.5-06 or 280 AI.
They (grizzlies) may soon get there! They’ve been seen near the Gooseberry Rest Area, and the Wyoming Game &Fish had to destroy a sow with cubs near Powell. You may never get to use those “small-bores”! memtb
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024
My notes say 19 elk using 13 different rifles/calibers. From pre-'64's to modern-day options. From 6.5CM's to the 338WM. The goal is to put a respectable bullet in the heart/lungs regardless of the bullet diameter.
Last edited by bigwhoop; 05/29/19.
My home is the "sanctuary residence" for my firearms.
1 with a 54 cal. Lymans Great Plains mzl Quite a few with a .270 - wanted more knock down power so moved up to a 7mag. Probably shot as many with my 7 mag, wanted to reach out a little further so went with a 300RUM. Probably shot as many with the RUM as I did with the 270 and 7mag, but got tired of lugging around a 10lb rifle so built a light weight 7mmSTW. Probably shot a half dozen or so with the STW so far, its definitely my favorite elk gun of the bunch. Will probably add two more elk to its total this fall. Not sure how many elk I've killed, probably 40-50.
A bunch, over a dozen easy, 50 and 54 cal muskets, few different bows.
Ping pong balls for the win. Once you've wrestled everything else in life is easy. Dan Gable I keep my circle small, I’d rather have 4 quarters than 100 pennies.
3 Cows 30-06 & 180 Hornady Light Magnum ammo (135 steps) ( 1st shot broke spine/wadded up in vertebrae. 2nd shot fragmented against for rib cage. Exactly opposite of what I thought it would do. .375 H&H 300 Sierra GK 200yds ( made a 5" exit hole through ribs, appeared too soft) .338 Win Mag Barnes 185 XLC 250yds ( perfect 2 inch hole all the way through ribs/heart/lungs.)
Just one rifle. Had it almost 30 years. Husqvarna commercial '98 action barreled in 35 Whelen AI by the late John Pell. Here's last year's bull and the rifle.
There is a whole lot of experience represented on this thread, and I am humbled by it. I have to say I was surprised by the .22 Hornet, .223, .220 swift, 22-250, et. al. But I don't know the circumstances of those shots at all - they could have been 10 yard brain shots on cows for all I know. I think it is important to note that the title of this thread is "How many different rifles have youkilled elk with?" If the title was "How many different rifles have you shot elk with?" (not necessarily recovered) we might see even more of the little stuff. I am reminded of something one of my mentors showed me several decades ago. He handed me a perfectly mushroomed 6mm bullet - it could have been a picture in an ad. He said "I found this overgrown in cartilage in the heart muscle wall of a perfectly healthy 6x6 bull I killed with a .375H&H. Looked like it had been there for years." I do think it's important to remember that these are just really BIG critters and we owe it to them not to go too light in the caliber selection. Just my two cents - not trying to tell anyone how to do their hunting. Cheers, Rex
Here in Alberta we have a minimum caliber of 6mm/.243 allowed on big game. And well I love my 243 & 6mm’s I wouldn’t necessarily use them for elk, unless it were under certain parameters. I have loaded for and help kids and one buddys wife take moose with 243win . Without incident in 3 cases, moose are softer animal it seems and we can usually close the distance to under 75-50 yrds most times without much trouble. For me I believe in using good bullets if going light caliber and does make up a bit for being under gunned.
Don’t sweat the petty stuff, don’t pet the sweaty stuff.
Here in Alberta we have a minimum caliber of 6mm/.243 allowed on big game. And well I love my 243 & 6mm’s I wouldn’t necessarily use them for elk, unless it were under certain parameters. I have loaded for and help kids and one buddys wife take moose with 243win . Without incident in 3 cases, moose are softer animal it seems and we can usually close the distance to under 75-50 yrds most times without much trouble. For me I believe in using good bullets if going light caliber and does make up a bit for being under gunned.
Over the years, I’ve recovered two “small” caliber Bullets from elk....very healthy elk, until I shot them. My wife killed her first elk with a borrowed .243 Win., and while she was successful....she quickly realized, that it was not a good choice for elk. After several more elk with a very popular cartridge, in 1995 she was persuaded to step-up into her present cartridge. After her first kill with the new cartridge, she was very impressed with it’s performance. She continues to be impressed! So, for her ..... 3 different cartridges. memtb
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024
Here in Alberta we have a minimum caliber of 6mm/.243 allowed on big game. And well I love my 243 & 6mm’s I wouldn’t necessarily use them for elk, unless it were under certain parameters. I have loaded for and help kids and one buddys wife take moose with 243win . Without incident in 3 cases, moose are softer animal it seems and we can usually close the distance to under 75-50 yrds most times without much trouble. For me I believe in using good bullets if going light caliber and does make up a bit for being under gunned.
Over the years, I’ve recovered two “small” caliber Bullets from elk....very healthy elk, until I shot them. My wife killed her first elk with a borrowed .243 Win., and while she was successful....she quickly realized, that it was not a good choice for elk. After several more elk with a very popular cartridge, in 1995 she was persuaded to step-up into her present cartridge. After her first kill with the new cartridge, she was very impressed with it’s performance. She continues to be impressed! So, for her ..... 3 different cartridges. memtb
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“I’d like to be a good rifleman…..but, I prefer to be a good hunter”! memtb 2024
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