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.....