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Joined: Aug 2010
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2010
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Thought we could get discussion going with this topic since most of us have recently closed out our elk hunts.
With our hunts still recent in our minds. What is your elk hunting style and does your rifle match the way you prefer to hunt elk?
😎
Be prepared to defend your rifle. Grins No defense of my rifle. It was made for elk hunting. From the cartridge (338wm) to the model (pre 64 model 70). All in a light accurate, well balanced crf. It doesnt get any better. Sorry. It could get better....If I was shooting it. Grins 😜😎 Yeah, I'm sure it could: My rifle really struggles sometimes...
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Joined: Jan 2018
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Campfire Ranger
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OP
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2018
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No doubt, that is a fine hunting rig...😎
Curiosity Killed the Cat & The Prairie Dog “Molon Labe”
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 21,228 Likes: 2
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2008
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For around home, either my 338 or whelen, last several years been 50 cal musket
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.
Ain’t easy havin pals.
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 13,678 Likes: 2
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 13,678 Likes: 2 |
Ruger MKII SS/lam 338 Win Mag with 210gr Partitions. Mostly in broken country, with a fair amount of openings. Sometimes wish for my range, but other than that it's worked well for me.
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Joined: Apr 2009
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Apr 2009
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Like most states, NM elk hunts can vary from wide open spaces to clubbing range, so tactics obviously change with the draw.
I prefer spot and stalk type hunts but play the draw odds and take a tag where I can get it.
That said, the majority of our elk have been killed lately with 50 cal ML, .243 Win and .308 Win.
Had intentions of killing one this year on a spot and stalk type hunt with a 6.5 Creed but pulled a dumb ass move and missed an opportunity at the the bull I was trying to kill.
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Joined: May 2017
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 4,945 Likes: 5 |
For years I hunted with a .308 Win but switched over to a .35 Whelen in 1990 hunting in Montucky griz country. I guess that was influenced by Elmer Keith? Anyway, the Whelen has killed a dump truck load of deer and elk. The longest was 308 yards on a rag horn bull. Mine doesn’t shoot 200 grain bullets worth beans, so a 225 gr TBBC or Partition is the load. It’s still my go to hunting in WA.
Subsequently, after hunting more open country in NW Colorado, I switched to a 7mm Weatherby and a .300 Weatherby. Both of those dumped deer and elk pretty much where they stood. Most of my shots have been under 300 yards, although longer shots are sometimes the norm. 150 and 168 gr TTSX shoot well in the respective rifles. I’ve hunted with my Mark V .30-06 but have never had an opportunity on elk with it in my hands.
The .300 Weatherby is my first choice and wears very good glass with no turret twisting. Happy Trails
Life Member NRA, RMEF, American Legion, MAGA. Not necessarily in that order.
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Joined: Jan 2015
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2015
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BSA,
What make of stock is that? I have a standard weight pre-64 in 30-06 that I'm considering a synthetic for. Don't like the grip radius of the original stock, and wouldn't mind shedding a little weight in the bargain either.
The biggest problem our country has is not systemic racism, it's systemic stupidity.
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,809 Likes: 2
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2009
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Most of my elk hunting has been spot and stalk. I like to spot elk by glassing distant openings early in the mornings, but I've found many of my elk by slowly stalking through the dark timber. For about 20 years I used my horses to pack a camp deep into elk country, and they were great for packing the elk out. I built my first elk rifle, a Herter's Model U-9 barreled action in .30-06 and a Herter's semi-inleted walnut stock, when I lived in NW Colorado. With that rifle I killed my elk with both 150 grain Hornady Spire Point bullets or 180 grain Sierra SP bullets. A few years after I moved to Montana I had that rifle re-chambered to .30 Gibbs and my favorite bullet then was 180 grain Nosler Partitions.
I killed my first elk with a .30-40 Krag and whatever factory bullets my Uncle gave me when I borrowed that rifle from him. I killed my only archery elk back in 1973 with a 10 yard spot and stalk shot with a Herter's recurve bow shooting a fiberglass arrow and a Bear broadhead. I killed one of my best 6x6 bulls with a 117 grain Sierra GameKing bullet from my .257 Ackley in the early elk season while looking for a ram in one of Montana's Unlimited bighorn sheep units. I've also killed elk with my 7 mm Rem mag shooting 160 grain Accubond bullets, and I killed my last two bulls with my .300 Weatherby Vanguard rifle shooting one with a Barnes 168 grain TSX bullet and the other with a 168 grain TTSX bullet.
I don't think that I have killed any elk with a shot over 300 yards.
SAVE 200 ELK, KILL A WOLF
NRA Endowment Life Member
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Joined: Jul 2005
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jul 2005
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Man no elk in my part of Alaska so I can’t even chime in on this bummer..
Then STFU. The rest of your statement is superflous bullshit with no real bearing on this discussion other than to massage your own ego. Suckin' on my titties like you wanted me.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 11,082 Likes: 9
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 11,082 Likes: 9 |
Beaver 10 (Mark), Though it appears, at least from the amount of elk hunting I did this year, I may not be qualified to answer your question. But, I will anyway.
Hunting Style: from “hair burning” distance to in excess of 500 yards, in a matter of minutes!
Rifle/cartridge/bullet suitability: Yes! memtb
Last edited by memtb; 01/27/20.
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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Joined: Oct 2000
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 30,316 Likes: 4 |
A lightweight 6.5 CM, 270, 7-08, or 308 works for me. I want to be good at 50 yards in the timber or out to 550 in the open. Backpack hunting mostly. A Light scope in the fixed 6x or 3-9 category with a BDC reticle or turret on top.
“Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
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Joined: Apr 2011
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Apr 2011
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Beav, which bullets do you use in your Wby and RUM? B, I shoot the same bullet in both, 180g Nosler Accubond. I was a devout Barnes TSX bullet lover for many years. I still feel they’re a great bullet for hitting heavy animals. I just happened upon a new rifle that wouldn’t shoot the TSX worth a damn. I started looking for an alternative, and landed on NAB. What I noticed right away on elk, was I didn’t need a second follow up shot as often as I did with the TSX bullet. Over time, I started switching over to Accubonds. I feel the NAB’s can cause a smidge more collateral damage from the additional bloodshot, especially on the chest sheeting then the TSX bullet. Both bullets are lethal. Accubonds just seem to shoot accurately out of any of my rifles. 😎 Solid copy. If you can pass me along your loads for the RUM. I’d like to try em. Thank you. Like the Accubonds a bunch. The 160 7mm is a death dealer for us.
Semper Fi
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,290 Likes: 13
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Pre64 6.5-06 or 30-06 in McMillan edges. Timber hunting with shots from 15-220 yards to date.
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,407 Likes: 51
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,407 Likes: 51 |
BSA,
What make of stock is that? I have a standard weight pre-64 in 30-06 that I'm considering a synthetic for. Don't like the grip radius of the original stock, and wouldn't mind shedding a little weight in the bargain either. It is a Brown precision poundR
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 56,399 Likes: 10
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 56,399 Likes: 10 |
Since elk hunting in Oregon positively blows, I just hunt with what I like to carry for miles, and that's a Savage 99 in 38-55, 284, or 358.
_______________________________________________________ An 8 dollar driveway boy living in a T-111 shack
LOL
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,407 Likes: 51
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,407 Likes: 51 |
Since elk hunting in Oregon positively blows, I just hunt with what I like to carry for miles, and that's a Savage 99 in 38-55, 284, or 358. You are telling me buddy. I hunt in a unit with a 4% success rate. I hunt an over the counter general season tag. A lot of people I know just take their rifles out for walks. BTDT many years myself... My boss goes to montana to hunt elk every year. He says, "those boys have it easy".... He won't hunt elk in this state...
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,406 Likes: 3
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,406 Likes: 3 |
Mostly spot and stalk, always on foot and packing out on my back, If in Colorado it's my pre 64 M70 300 H&H ( 180 TTSX) in a Echols legend stock, , in that state that rifle has killed all but one of my elk, so I have to use it. In Montana and elsewhere it's my pre 64 M70 280AI (145LRX) in a mcm edge stock. Scoped these rifles weigh just shy of 8lbs. a weight that seems to work best for me.
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 3,765
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I have averaged 190yds on 3 cow elk, here in Utah. I hunt the edges of dark timber/aspen groves. I sit/glass a lot. I shot my first with a Mod 70 FWT 30-06, running at 135 steps.( perfect set up, 2x7 scope, 23" Douglas #3, very lively) 2nd- sitting under a big spruce during snow, 200ydss, standing by beaver pond, 375 H&H ( sporter weight, Mod 700 BDL SS, just right for a .375. 3rd- lwt 338WM 250yds high up on a knife ridge. ( a rebarreled MGA lwt 340W that was "to light", scope killer) One time I carried a Mod 70 Express .375 H&H , wood stocked club all day. By late afternoon my arms were almost rubber! I shot a mule deer at 80yds, and "dropped the shot" with my tired little arms! It hit very low, broke the leg and cut a big gash through lower chest. I lost the track at dark, came back next day with the '06, jumped her up around 75yds. Then I went into town and traded it off. Too heavy for the mountains for me! I like a "light Sporter", if I use a non magnum, I use an appropriate Premium, usually a mono. The magnums I used were also being used in 3 trips to South Africa ( 96, 98, 2002) so I tried to get them "bloody" before the trips. They are fine for elk "if you can carry it all day and still shoot well at the end". ha
Last edited by Jim_Knight; 01/28/20.
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 15,372 Likes: 13
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 15,372 Likes: 13 |
Mostly spot and stalk, always on foot and packing out on my back, If in Colorado it's my pre 64 M70 300 H&H ( 180 TTSX) in a Echols legend stock, , in that state that rifle has killed all but one of my elk, so I have to use it. In Montana and elsewhere it's my pre 64 M70 280AI (145LRX) in a mcm edge stock. Scoped these rifles weigh just shy of 8lbs. a weight that seems to work best for me. Off the topic some but what are the specs on your 300 Handwerk.. Just under 8lbs scoped sounds like an awesome build. My little brother is putting together a 300 Win on a 70 right now and I'd like to pass him anything I can to help him get the rifle a bit lighter. His is going into an EDGE shelled Legend as well.
Semper Fi
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Joined: May 2011
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: May 2011
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Since elk hunting in Oregon positively blows, I just hunt with what I like to carry for miles, and that's a Savage 99 in 38-55, 284, or 358. You are telling me buddy. I hunt in a unit with a 4% success rate. I hunt an over the counter general season tag. A lot of people I know just take their rifles out for walks. BTDT many years myself... My boss goes to montana to hunt elk every year. He says, "those boys have it easy".... He won't hunt elk in this state... I hunted NV a few years ago and Holy Smokes man, I'll never enjoy elk hunting Oregon again. Ruined me.
_______________________________________________________ An 8 dollar driveway boy living in a T-111 shack
LOL
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