Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting The elk killing rifle

I have a friend that has elk hunted with one rifle since 1971. The same rifle since ‘71. He has killed over 40 elk with it, including 25 bulls. This is pretty impressive in this day and age of ultralight guns and newfangled latest and greatest cartridges. He reloads for one cartridge. One. He uses one bullet and powder. One. But he gets it done year after year with his 1962 (first year of production) Remington 700 in 7mm Rem Mag (also, first year 7mm mag introduced). It is the elk killing rifle.

What powder and bullet??

He is probably one out of a 100 guys that actually saves money reloading. It sounds like he is a very good hunter also to have a string of successful years like that on elk.

Sounds like my kind of guy!

He shoots 160 gr partitions over IMR 4350.

My 89 year old father has used three rifles elk hunting the past 70 years--all of them 30-06's and 180gr factory Corelokts. A M721 he bent the bbl on, a slammin', jammin' M742 that he sold after one year, and a M77 since 1970. He guesses he's killed around 50-55 elk now and is happy to draw a cow tag most years, and most of those years he kills an elk.

Sitting on top of the M77 is an equally old Bushnell ScopeChief 3-9 with the flip up "Command Post". The Command Post gave up the ghost a long time ago. The magnification ring is froze on 3x. Doesn't matter, dad hasn't killed an elk more than a 100 yds away in 30 years.........

I killed my first elk in 1971--and I'm young.......

My favorite elk killing rifle was a M70 winchester in .300H&H

One bullet, one load.

I way rather prefer to buck hunt, but if I was a serious bull hunter, I'd 338 win mag... That being said, I've killed as many elk as your pard, but with bow, rifle, and a lot with a musket...

I bought a 1949 pre- 64 model 70 in 30-06 a few years that LOOKS like it was used to kill a few Elk in the last 70 years.

It consistently puts three 180g Nosler Partitions in .75" at 100 yards

It's about to get turned loose on the Elk again..:)

Lotsa shiit will work, I’ve done it, in probably the “worst” elk hunting conditions possible, nothing hurts em right now like a big chunk of lead started out 2800 FPS or so... I’ve killed and seen several killed with 22’s, 243, 6mm, 25/06 etc... huntin dry states, ie, not western Washington, Oregon or North Idaho, I’d use about anything, the aforementioned states are a total different game...

I hunted the Oregon coast one time swore never go back lol.. but if I were to hunt the coast again be with a 325, 338 shooting a partition, a-bomb or interlock..

Folks don't understand, unless they've done it.... A 50-100 yard death run can result in a lost animal, fast.... I've hunted a lot c places, nothing compares...

Right into the depth of no mans land. My buddy hunted the coast most his life and he used a 340 wby with 250gr partitions at the time.
He swore by that combo

bull elk seem to be hard to kill sometimes so i built a 338 Lapua on Weatherby Mark 5 action.

I've often pondered simply using the 7 lb 30-06 in my safe for everything. Then I come to my senses.

Beware the man with one rifle!

I know my grandad from Star Valley Wyoming packed the same Winchester 94 .30-30 rifle his whole life. I couldn't even speculate how many elk and deer he'd killed with that rifle, but I do know our extended family never seemed to run out. He used to chide my dad and uncles for using their scoped .270's and .30-06's saying they were only useful for hunters "who got no sneak!" I can only imagine what he'd think of the current discussions on what it takes to be a proper elk rifle!!

Beware of the man with one gun; He might be able to use it.

My great Uncle Ed is on his second hunting rifle since the 50's. Health is to bad to get out anymore he's 85 I believe, but last year was elk number 64. He said he always wanted to make it to 70 elk killed, doesn't look like that's going to happen.

A .30-06 would have done the same thing.....

You just described a rancher friend of mine. His too is a 1962 Rem 700 in 7mm RM (they had "blued" stainless barrels that first year). He got it used around 1970, and it wears a Leupold 3-9x40 on top. The 100's (1,000's) of miles that rifle has ridden in a scabbard would be hard to calculate, and it lives in his rear truck window. It has certainly accounted for nearly 100 elk in his, friends, family, and clients hands (he used to guide North of Yellowstone).

There's a lot to be said for a one-rifle hunter. Building that sort of history with a rifle is a very cool thing... me, I'm just too much of a tinkerer.

Whooooosh. Right over your head.

That's exactly what I thought...

I believe I'd have my Kimber Talkeetna 375 H&H cut back to 20" (cripes, maybe 16") or acquire one of the short bbl'd big-bore levers. I don't even like hunting ruffed grouse in the hazelbrush tangles of an oak ridge let alone trying to scoot a single bullet through that sort of NW rain-forest mess at a big game critter.

horse fall on it?

So he is not a rifle looney.

My story is kind of like that. Bought a rifle decades ago and hunted elk with it every year until the blueing has worn off.
It was a couple of years before I could even afford to put a scope on mine. Eventually I got old and acquired more money and felt I should upgrade to something better suited for my experience. For a few years I bought new and more expensive rifles. They all got auditioned but none ever seemed to suit me as well as my original rifle. The old familiar gun still gets the nod each autumn. Mine is a 7mag shooting 160 partitions also.

A vintage Rem 7 RM with 160 NPT’s is a hammer. And, as you’ve proven, it’s a killer. What’s not to like.

DF

I think your friend is more of a hunter than a rifle loonie. I'm sure he has saved thousands of dollars with that good mentality. I'm still a rifle loonie though, I'm always looking for that next rifle that will outdo all the others.

Cool story.. My old favorite is a 700 .300 WM... Now I have lots of rifles, but for elk, I usually have this one in the truck and maybe a couple others also...

I’m a Loony; I like to continually perfect my ordinance. But, I understand a practical hunter who keeps a full freezer without a lot of fluff. I’m probably leaning more to the Loony side, but I like to eat, too.

DF

Ya several ol gristles use the 375 around here still... Hellava elk rifle..

+1

Hunting always comes first for me, but I am a certified looney! It is what I enjoy when not hunting.

The guy in the OP may be into motorcycles, golf etc. Or he may be super practical and frugal. No issues with any of it. Your life, free time and disposable income or lack of it. It takes all sorts of people to make the world go round.

Pretty sure the horse rubbed on a tree and got the scabbard momentarily hung up enough to bend the bbl. Why the scabbard straps didn't rip out I don't know. Worst part is I was the 11 year old kid tending the horses while the men were quartering and loading the elk..........

I've seen three bbls bent by horses, all of them 24" or 26". The 26" was a Mark V.........

Oh yeah man my Uncle is the same way; been shooting an A-Bolt 7 RM for as long as I can remember and knocks stuff over like a mad man.

160 NPTs & H4831 I think?

A 1951 Marlin 336 in .35 Remington, iron sights and factory 200 gr Core-Lokts. Or Savage 99 in '06 with 180 gr Nosler partitions.

Model 700 338 win mag. Filled elk tags every year since 1978. 250 grain nosler partition handload

I bumped into an old fella back in the late 90's when we were drop camp elk hunting in northern Colorado. Had to be in his upper 70's and pretty agile considering where I found him posted in relation to where their camp was. Of course we talked about elk and cartridges. He had a blued and walnut Ruger tanger in .338WM with a 4x weaver on it. Don't recall the bullet weight and style. He and his party came from Pennsylvania every year. He knew if he stayed in his spot long enough someone (national forest) would push at least one cow toward him. I asked him why such a large caliber - of course on purpose. He said he wasn't about to chase no elk in the mountains. He wanted them dead where he could see 'em. He was a character and I wished him well.

7RM’s shooting 160 NAB/NPT’s have filled a lot of freezers.

DF
/

Some guys dont get that chidt. My boss wont hunt here. He much prefers montana. Hes killed a truck load of bulls. Uses one rifle. Doesnt really enjoy handloading for that 1 rifle. Doesnt shoot nearly as much as i do. To me, having just 1 rifle would be absolutely boring, as ive shot elk with ruger m77 mkII's, cz550, Winchester model 70's, sporterized m1917's and a myriad of cartridges. Those being 30-06, 300wsm, 338wm, 9.3x62mm. They all work, just got to put that bullet in the right place. However, i think my favorite is always going to be the daddy of the 7mm rem mag, the 338wm. Lets face it, thats why they made the 338.

B, theres nothing wrong with that. Ive killed elk with rhe 30-06 and 200gr partition. That combo in the elk woods is absolutely devastating.

Ive seen a lot of guys with 1 gun that cant shoot for chidt too. The majority of them in fact.

Yeah, MIght is about right. I know quite a few people that hunt with one rifle, a couple are good hunters and can shoot, the others miss quite often, a couple don't even shoot their gun before the season cause it was sighted in last year when they put it away (I don't get it), and the only way they get a deer is if the deer has a heart attack when they shoot or they run into the bullet on purpose and commit suicide.
BBbbbaaaahahahahahahaha

My latest “elk killin” rifle has killed nothing so far, at least while I’ve had it, which hasn’t been very long.

It’s an FN 338-06 that really likes the 210 gr NPT over Varget pushing 2,800 fps. Haven’t clocked it yet, just a book estimate. Sub inch. Don’t think it would bounce off an elk. Hits hard without dislodging one’s dental work. Easy packing, easy shooting rifle. Also likes 200’s over H-380. Need to try the 210’s with that one.

DF

A local acqu aintance has been killing elk for over 40 years with a Remington 722 in .300 Savage he bought while in high school, as I recall using 180-grain Corelokt factory ammo. Obviously he is not a "long-range" hunter, but he has never had any trouble.

My thought as well. Of the guys I know who own one rifle, I can’t think of one that actually shoots much. Doesn’t mean they don’t get their deer or elk every year, but none of them do I consider to be marksmen.

Even if the one-rifle man can shoot well, being beware is often justified, because he can bore the hell out of you talking about it's perfection.

So true. Every one rifle man is totally enamored with his one rifle.

Not sure about my shooting, but the rest of this does sound like me.😀

I know a few guys like that. One uses BLR/308, another a Mod 700 BDL .270, another the same rifle but in 25-06. I grew up poor, got frustrated with "make do" from 11 to 16 until I bought my own "deer gun", a Mod 94 Classic carbine. I didn't use another until I got out of the Army. Being now newly married to the Love of my Life and the next year a father of twin girls...I was only "not quite so poor". So, I began using, trying out, then selling or trading to obtain another ( never accumulated). I also learned a lot by working up loads for friend's rifles. I didn't really "keep" more than a couple rifles until I moved to Utah. By 1993, I was a 280AI and a 338WM fan. Then...I tried to settle on one rifle for everything....too late, I was "ruint", had to find a way to keep 4-5, from varmints to Buffalo, ha. Now, as I am slowing down, 3-4 keep me busy at the range and/or hunting. I like to take a spare rifle on any long or booked hunt away from home area, so any rifle I have beyond the .223 ( I mean you HAVE to have a varmint/predator rifle!, right?) has to at least be "elk capable" ( I justify it this way :)) . Life is short...way too short to use just ONE rifle!

It's a tempting thought, but I sure do like all those other rifles!

Guy

Yeah, these conversations are circular. However, I don't think there are many good shooters that haven't poured thousands of rounds through his .22 rimfire.
If he is competent with the rimfire nearly any big game round will be perfect...within reason

My first actually made for me like I wanted it is a Springfield A3. Barrel turned down pretty sleek, plain grain Maple stock, blind magazine, flat bottom forend and a straight comb. Took six years to get it and I filled the inbetween time with a Remington 700 BDL in 270. Both rifles killed elk but I liked the 30-06 a bit better using 180 gr. Speer Hotcors no less. Was hunting for meat and made every effort not to hit shoulders or straps. Then I fell into the abyss and started trying out everything under the sun.

A good friend in MT has been hunting with the same rifle since about 1950. It is a Rem 721 in 270 Win. He has killed more elk and deer than anyone that I know. It is a rare year that he does not kill both elk and deer. back in the day the deer would have been multi each year because of extra tags.

Always the same bullet, a 150 hornady with a load of 4931 I believe. If it works don't change it.

I keep telling you that you are really going to like that rifle/cartridge, the 210 NP will certainly work on elk. It also does quite a job on deer too.

Seafire and Gunner500 recommend H-380 for that round. It and Varget seem to work really well.

160 TTSX over Varget is very accurate, running at 3K fps.

DF

I prefer Varget in mine due to temp sensitivity, but Reloder 15 is good also.

I have also used a bunch of H4895. Not the fastest, but really accurate and a pleasure to get trigger time with the rifle.

Have tried bullets from 160-275gr and always seem to gravitate back to the 200/210gr weight.

My 338-06 didn't group as well with RL-15, although I did try several combos with it.

I'd read that 200-210 gr. bullets were probably ideal for that round. They do seem to preform well.

The 160 TTSX at 3K is interesting and about as accurate as any I've tried. It should whack'em pretty good.

DF

It works great!

The 160 TTSX at 3K and the 210 NPT at 2,750 or so would be the best two loads, so far in this 338-06.

I'm curious how they'd compare on elk or WT's or most anything else. Any terminal performance observations would be appreciated.

DF

Although not my favorite bullet, I think the 210gr NPT is probably the best all around bullet for this cartridge. Has worked admirably on deer and elk. Recovered on out of an elk that had lost it's front half.

The 180gr NAB has worked very good on deer for a friend of mine. No elk results yet... maybe he will draw a tag in 2020.

200gr Hornady SP has worked on deer/antelope.

210gr TSX is fantastic on elk, but a little hard for deer IMO.

200gr Ballistic silvertip was used on two deer this past fall and seems a little soft, tremendous meat loss and recovered one that had jacket separation. Was hoping for a little tougher bullet as MD has always stated the 200 BT was tough. I am not going to risk a bucket list hunt on bullet performance I am not 100% behind.

My son and I are going to SE Alaska this coming spring for a black bear hunt. I was always taking a 338-06. Just found out my next 338-06 should be coming back from the smith's in the next week or so. My son was planning on using my 300 H&H, but is now going to use the 338-06.

Going to work up load using the 210gr TTSX after the experiencing the softness of the Ballistic silvertip. If the rifles will not shoot that bullet, will try the 210gr TSX, then 200gr NAB, 210gr NPT and finally the Hornady 200gr SP if needed.

IMO experience black bears are soft animals, but I want two holes. Especially if they make it off the beach into the thick stuff.

Would love to see photos of that rifle when you get it set up.

Great info. Just what I was looking for.

Thanks.

DF

Indeed. Generally an incompetent and dangerous SOB to be in the woods with. The Dunning-Kruger Effect applies very much to guns, hunting, fishing, etc.

Tom

I had never heard of the Dunning-Kruger Syndrome. Thanks for posting, learned something today. But it is spot on.

One of things that has always stuck with me from school is the statement made about professionalism.

Know what know, know what you do not know, and be able to learn what you do not know.

I'm a bit suspicious of the application of the Dunning-Kruger effect. It postulates that those with little skill typically over estimate their skill set, acting accordingly. And, there may be some emperical evidence to support that.

BUT, politically, it's getting a lot of traction these day among elitists who apply this principle to Trump supporters and "deplorable Walmart types", who obviously know nothing, but think we do. Of course the lib professsors who postulate such stuff are positioned on their perceived cloud, peering down at us peons

SO, the Dunning-Kruger hypothesis, IMO, depends on where the observer is positioned and the observer's predetermined bias. It's possible that the proponents of this theory are inadvertantly their own victims...

DF

I did not take it as everyone with little skill, overestimates their skill, just some.

Just like the blanket statement man with one gun is not universally true.

Some of those guys may have the Syndrome, some of the one gun guys you probably should be aware of, and some are just too busy, practical, or utilitarian to have more than one rifle and waste time and money on ammunition.

My Dad has pretty much used a 760 in 270 since the very early 70's. With the exception of a 7600 I had rebored to 338-06 for elk hunting. He used it for three elk hunts and went back to his 270 and 150gr partitions.

Up until his age related decline (currently 81 yo), he was a very good shot. Growing up in the 40's and 50's he supplied many small game meals for his family and shot many pheasants in the head with 22's for the table.

He was warned to maybe pull a few shots while qualifying in the national guard because they were looking for Vietnam snipers. Has put plenty of critters in the freezer over the years. Elk, caribou, black bear, deer, antelope, coyotes have all fallen.

Now if you look at his fishing gear....that is another story. He is a certified fishing looney.

Dunning-Kruger - " a man has to know his limitations " Dirty Harry. I have killed elk with the 30-06 and 7mm mag. one with buddies 378 weatherby that was handier when we saw them. they all worked fine. my personal statistical sample is only 8. but I have helped and guided to 40 +. With that number I have experienced what works well. It is hard to get drawn in Arizona but we have some good sized ones.

Wise advice on not showing all your stuff when they looking for snipers.

I had a cousin who, like you Dad, was an experienced hunter by the time he went to boot camp. They issued him a Springfield and he just loved that rifle. Loved to show his buds how he could "stack'em"... Well, he was picked for sniper duty, served over three years in that capacity in the European and Pacific theaters during WWII. I asked him how he stayed alive so long, his comment, "I knew when to retreat".

I think if he had to do it all over, he'd have been wise like your Dad.

Good story, thanks for sharing.

DF

I'm thinking very strongly about this!

Elkhunter3006, I'll give you $20 for that Savage 99 in 30-06. Be Well, Rustyzipper.

He related the fact that sniper life expectancy was pretty good motivation to pull a few shots.

I’ve shot a decent variety with the .338 160 TTSX. 1 bull Elk, kudu, waterbuck, Impala, blesbok, and a Gemsbok. Never had to track anything. Massive internal damage, excellent penetration. Nothing over 200 yds so I can’t speak to performance once it slows down. All were heart/lung shots, no CNS, and nothing went longer than 4-6 seconds.
The bull elk was short range to the chest. Looked like a small grenade went off where he was hit, he ran maybe 30 yds and was down.
After playing with different bullets each season I’ve decided to just use the 160 as my go-to in my .338.

Thanks prm for that info. It looks like it would work, just good to hear your testimony about how it actually did work. May have to try it.

DF

Also, Barnes load data has a few powders going over 3200 FPS with the 160 TTSX in the 338-06. It’s exceptional at ~3050, 3200 is even more goodness. That will turn the insides of any elk or bear into soup.

Thanks for the report on the 160's. I shot a few of them at the range, but never hunted them.

When the 160 TTSX is mentioned in 338-06 discussions, typical responses are reasons why it probably won’t work. Here we have a first hand account of not only how it worked but how well it worked. That’s good because it’s a very accurate bullet in my rifle and one I may want to try.

DF

Part of the Barne’s performance ideology if you will is to use a somewhat light for caliber bullet. The old moly coated 168 (?) grain Barnes-X were absolute hammers in my 300 Weatherby and accounted for numerous moose, sheep, Sitka Blacktail, and both black and brown bears in AK.

I’d go light before I went heavy in a TTX bullet. Just my humble opinion.

I've seen what the 168 TTSX can do out of a 300 RUM and a 30-378. Hunting buds used that bullet in their big 30's with devastating results.

The Barnes is gonna be long for weight due to being a mono. In the 338-06, some have said that the 250 is a bit long, taking up too much case space, moving too slow and I tend to agree. I'd save 250's for the 338 WM. 200-225 gr. C&C seem about ideal for the 338-06.

I've not measured the 185 TTSX length compared to C&C bullets in the 200-225 range, but think they'd be pretty close. The 160 TTSX at 3K+ fps should be a hammer. The 185 TTSX is reportedly a good one, too. I'm thinking the 160 TTSX would be about ideal for our local WT's and hogs, the 185 TTSX also, maybe better than the 160 for bigger stuff. Hope to prove these theories one of these days.

Good info.

DF

Regarding relative bullet lengths, here is a sampling of .338 bullets. The recovered bullet is the one 160 TTSX I’ve recovered. It was in the very thick offside hide of a Waterbuck. The 185 TTSX has also worked well for me, but I do believe the 160 does a bit more internal damage. Splitting hairs, but I prefer the 160 to kill things.

The bullets left to right are:

160 TTSX
175 Cutting Edge
180 Woodleigh
180 AB
180 BT
185 TTSX
200 Woodleigh
200 North Fork
200 BT
200 SST
200 AB
200 Hot Cor
200 eTip
210 Partition
210 Scirocco II
210 TTSX
215 Gameking
225 Partition
225 AB

Great info.

Man, you’ve really studied the 338’s.

Where else is one gonna find such good, first hand info than here on the Fire.

Thanks again. Actual is always better than theoretical.

DF

I do like to tinker with things...

When you suggested the 160 TTSX or 210 Partition, you summed up my opinion on the 338-06 exactly. I would have a hard time choosing.

For sure. I've heard the average sniper life expectancy was days if not hours. My cousin staying alive in two theaters for over three years was remarkable.

One story he told, one that really upset him, even years after the fact. They were drawing fire from a barn, eventually killed the shooter. When they got there, the German sniper was a beautiful young girl with long hair. What a waste. But, you shoot at our troops, especially our snipers, you're likely to end up very dead, pretty girl notwithstanding...

DF

I'm fortunate that my 338-06 really likes both of those bullets.

I agree. One could park there, use those two and never look back.

DF

Great information!

Here's another example, which might discombobulate some here:

One of my early elk-hunting mentors used a South American military Mauser .30-06 he purchased by mail while in high school in the 1950s, for something like $25. The modifications were all on the stock--it still had the military sights. He never had it scoped, because back then he'd seen too many scopes fog or otherwise fail.

He killed at least one elk a year from then on, along with hundreds of deer and some antelope. He handloaded, but was one of the very few handloaders I've ever known who actually saved money. He had a simple RCBS press mounted on a board across the back of one of the small closets in his tiny house. He used the "middle load " of IMR4320 in the Speer manual, with whatever 180-grain bullets were cheapest at the small local sporting goods store--EXCEPT Winchester Silvertips, which he hated. (Some had failed to penetrate sufficiently over the years.) Am guessing the muzzle velocity was around 2600 fps, which is why the bullets penetrated well.

He also sometimes used a .250-3000 Savage 99, again with the middle load of 4320, and whatever 100-grain bullets were cheapest. It also only had iron sights, but he quit using it on elk after he had to shoot one bull twice in the neck before it calmed down completely.

He learned to hunt elk in far western Montana in thick timber, and I doubt he ever shot one beyond 200-250 yards. He also shot more than one elk in many years, even though it wasn't legal back then. It was traditional to fill other folks' tags if you had the chance--especially if they were family members.

He did occasionally kill a big bull, but mostly because it was the elk that appeared first. One was killed in the classic situation where he was squatting down with his pants around his ankles--but the '06 was leaning on a tree right next to him.

He didn't know exactly how many elk that rifle had taken, but he guessed close to 100.

Thanks John, love these stories. When I handle an old rifle I am always fascinated with the history. Years ago my only rifle was a Belgium Browning safari grade re-chambered to 308 Norma.
My pal at the gun shop said the old owner killed 38 elk with it. It had what is called "honest" wear. Loved that rifle and it had good mojo. My first season with it I got a spring bear, nice antelope buck.
A four point mulie and a bull elk.... used it exclusively for 8 years and for a loony that is forever....

Yep, that a long loony-time!

I am also convinced, against all reason, that some hunting rifles are just plain lucky. Have owned a few that apparently were, but like a true loony sold or traded most of them before I quit doing that....

Somewhere on the list of symptoms of being a rifle looney is if there's ever been a year that you used a different rifle every day you hunted elk.

Being from the East coast, I only get a few days to hunt elk when I go.

Soooo, I tend to grab stuff that will reach out as a long shot might be all there is

I've killed elk with a 300win, 300Rum....450yards, and 7STW.

I really like the STW, shooting 160gr Partitions, which has just a little more thump than the OP set up

That 160NP just hammers stuff.

Tony

I have hunted elk from 100' elevation in the Oregon Coast Range to 11,000' above timberline in Wyoming, and the ideal elk rifle is actually at very least two different rifles. An open country rifle shooting stiff bullets with a competent/reliable longish range scope that makes 400 yard shots quite feasible is a necessity. In my opinion, that can start all the way down at .264 bore up through .308 bore. My current choice is a M70 7 Rem Mag, long throated, shooting 168 Bergers (which act like stiff bullets in their odd way). But then you need a close quarter thumper for thick country and grizzly bear areas. That starts at .338 bore and goes up, although the configuration of the gun and the speed with which it can be put into action may be more important than the chambering. My current choices are both .375--an open sighted Brown Precision ..375 H&H on a Rem 700 and a .375 Ruger in the short barreled guide gun with a low magnification Zeiss Conquest. I also think that a Rem 760/7600 in .35 Whelen checks a lot of boxes.

.35 Whelen is my go to elk caliber, have a 1988 Rem 700 Classic that thumps critters inside 350 yards with 250gr Nosler Partitions. Have wanted to try Barnes TTSX, but the 200gr max weight gives me pause....anybody have experience with this bullet in 35 cal and elk?

There’s a fella I corresponded with here and there that swears by the Whelen and 200 TTSX on elk and I have no reason to doubt him. I’d sling that Bullet out of my Newton and know it’ll get stuff done as well.

I have killed elk with numerous rifles ranging from an open sight Marlin 336 30-30, 7mm magnum, 30-06, and my beloved .358 Winchester. There hasn't been a single elk I've taken that wouldn't have fallen to the .358. It has become my GO TO hunting cartridge of choice. Unlike most hunter's though, I self impose a 400 yard range limit. If I can't close the distance inside that range, then I'm not meant to take that elk.

Great thread, enjoyable to hear hunter-favorites.
I have taken elk with 30-30, 30-06, and 300 weatherby.

I no-longer have the weatherby, gave that butt-kicker to my godson, who wanted a 30 cal magnum.
(Win-win-situation... he WANTED a magnum, and I wanted a good reason to go back to the ‘06!!)

My godson is very happy, and I’m even happier, back to my personal favorite: 30-06/200-grain partition.

Yeah, interesting thread.

Started in 1980 with a .338 in eastern Oregon. Shot several bulls and thought I had the perfect public ground shootin iron.
Then switched to archery for a while. Took my two best bulls with sticks - shot well, I learned they died quickly.

When I picked up the .338 again I was rather astonished at the pounding I received from it!
Somebody wanted that old pre64 more than I did and now he owns it.

Then I popped a five point Roosevelt bull and a few cows with my .270....it did great and is a lot more fun to shoot. That 5 pt was right at 351 yards.
Now days I mostly hunt for cow elk on a damage permit and just use my 6.5CM, .260 and very soon my brand new 7-08.

The 6.5's kill very well - I've not had to shoot more than once. Both 129gr Hornadys and 140 Fed Fusions do the work just fine. The 7 will be running the 139 interlocks this weekend.

The country I hunt is steep, oak savanna ground with plenty of cover. Shots can be from the front door to 400+, if you want to do that. I find the modest rounds more fun to use and easier to hit well with.

Generally the hardest part of killing elk, is finding an elk to kill!

Thanks for your perspective.

MD- How many times have you heard of folks using the .257 Roberts on elk with no problem? I've read about your grandmother using it. Others?

prm- Did that Barnes 160 TTSX ruin a lot of elk meat? Normally Barnes doesn't, but velocity still does. would you trust that 160TTSX at 3050-3100 to penetrate a cow elk on a hard angle at close to moderate range I wonder? I am considering using the lighter weights in a 20" bbl 338 RCM. Even in a short barrel, I still hope get faster than I did a 22" 338 Federal 160TTSX/TAC, 3007fps avg.