Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting I might need a new gun advise

You probably could have thrown a rock into a gun store and hit a more practical elk rifle than a 1917 Enfield in 358 Norma Magnum.

Yup...

No kidding....

I seriously think these conversations come down to those who actually hunt and kill elk with certain cartridges and those who read about killing elk in a magazine, who have done it a time or two in their lives. Or so it seems.

Edited to add: or those who guide full time and have can't-shoot clients ass shooting elk and a big cartridge lets them chase down 10% less wounded elk per season. PS - been there on can't-shoot clients....

Your good to go . Shoot what you have and shoot some more. Go forth and slay an Elk. Remember KISS!

By my count you have 4 passable elk rifles there, the best elk hunter I know used a Winchester 100 in .308 quite successfully for 3 or 4 decades. If you want a new rifle, something like a Tikka T3x SS in .30-06 (or .270, or 7mm RM) with a decent scope would make a good rough weather addition.

If your 1917 is made by Eddystone, it won't take the extra pressure of any magnum. In fact, they can be so brittle that one can ruin a barrel taking it out or rebarreling. You "might" find a reboring gunsmith who will rebore it to 35 Whelen. Worth a call.

This was a great article about how a non resident should approach what rifle to use. Something like if you only have one shot, at 350 yds and the elk is quartering away. The 250 grains will get the job done!

Yep, I was one of those, eventually talking 9 or ten bulls to 500 yds with the 340 Wby. But I was also a gun loony and about shot out two barrels learning to use it, though ending up with the 210-gr TSX.

Though, generally, I don’t think it’s a good idea. I’ve seen first-time elk hunters from the East who couldn't keep a 7 mm RM on a paper plate at a 100 yds.

George, what bullet were you shooting?, details?

Back to Bob Milek, do you remember when X bullets came out? I believe it was Bob who took a 30/06 to Australia to shoot wild donkeys. Don't remember the number shot, but no bullets recovered. My point is with new bullet technology smaller caliber can do a lot more killing of bigger game. I really like the 7mm/06.....not the 280.

I was just kidding on the 358 Norma on a 1917 action. It might be a little heavy.:) You know what I am just taking my 35 Whelen Get laughed cause its a pump and not a bolt. Load it with 225 TB and be fine. Thanks for the input

Hell, I like hard hunting, but it never bothers me if the damn critter falls down someplace where it’s a short pack to somewhere I can get the truck, a four wheeler, or a tractor to. Love catching deer in a harvested field. Nothing like driving out there and tossing the carcass into the truck.

I hunt strictly for food. I enjoy every minute of it, but at the end of the day, it’s about meat in the freezer. Thus, I am opportunistic. Never used an outfitter in my life, but I am quick to drop meat in a field and use a motorized conveyance to haul it to the house if that works. That doesn’t mean I don’t crawl though thickets and shoot deer at the bottom of a ravine I have to drag them up out of, but I will take easy in a heartbeat. Anyone who won’t, ain’t meat hunting. That is fine, too. I do what I do, others do what they do. Works pretty well, usually...

I think that was Ross Seyfried and the Winchester Failsafe bullet. Yes, I remember the X’s, went to TSX’s and then TTSX’s with which I’ve taken some, I don’t know, some thirty head of game now since and only caught two. Very accurate generally also as is its reputation.

I think Ross S said, it — the Failsafe (and we can include the TSX and the TTSX) — Significantly raised the level of effectiveness each cartridge group. Or something like that.

I remember that article as well. Though, it seems that the majority of hopes writings pertained to handgun hunting/shooting. Bob was a good writer, and a pretty respectable outfitter. He also gave me some pretty good tips on a good bullet for my .375 H&H. memtb

That was Ross Seyried in Australia, used the 30-06 and 165gr X bullet. He said the guide asked him if he was shooting those donkeys in the head, as they fell just like they were head shot. Ross said he used shoulder shots. I was in Bible college at the time, reading this, and I had only one rifle then...a sporterized 1917 Eddystone cut down to 24". ( reason I know how heavy they are. I also asked about the then popular 30/338WM conversion and was told heck no!) Anyhow, those first Barnes X were very "tacky", fouled like crazy. Don't worry about anyone laughing at you using a pump, that just means they never saw one shoot! The lighter weight will help you too. I have found elk in the "proverbial" honey-holes...."90% of all elk live in 90% of the thickest timber in 90% of the roughest country", ha. Have fun pard!

Since everyone is waxing lyrical about RS, here's one of his newest articles on the subject of elk rifles...

https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/ross-seyfried-busting-the-magnum-myth/

Hilarious! Cripes what a funny group of authoritarian piss-ants. Brad was outed over a decade ago as a poseur- hunting on a private ranch and passing it off as something it wasn’t. Hence, one of the reasons Stick pinned the “he works at Dairy Queen wearing a DQ hat” on him way back then. Five foot nothing and all mouth…

My point was that more than a decade ago, this site slipped from having any value and meaning to a bunch of do-nothing idiots, flappin’ their gums, and pissin’ at each other about who’s the bigger more knowledgable bad butt. They’ve now progressed to who not only has BTDT, but now, who has actually done it all! All while giving worthless opinions that somehow, through miraculous spiritual powers, calibers like the 7-08 are the equivalent of the much larger and scary “magnum” calibers like a 338Winny! With a couple of shots across a pasture at calm elk and one great divine proclamation they revealed to the masses “it’s all about the bullet”! “Yeah verily”, they pronounced!

And to throw in their extra measure of worthless attitude, additional smirks and insults are added for good effect like, “the magnum crowd has little or no experience killing anything” or “there are those who actually hunt and kill elk with certain cartridges and those who read about killing elk in a magazine”. Talk about unfounded arrogance. When you give this “hard earned” advice, you all should be truthful and give new shooters an idea of where your vast wealth of experience comes from, I suggest you add a caveat to all your statements like;

- ….but I shoot across Montana pastures at elk feeding at the haystack….YMMV.
- ….”my outfitter” guarantees an elk kill and I prefer his Outers window mounted rest.
- ….our lease in Texas in managed for trophy buck production and the blinds are air conditioned.

Physics can’t be denied but please keep believing in your world that physics is somehow different. And your experience is actually elk hunting.

“It’s not what works when everything goes well that matter’s but rather, what works when things go wrong”, is still a profound statement in the real world. I’ve had a few rodeo’s and walked into so many more where someone made a poor decision using something marginal for killing an elk. The reality is, so few here actually know very little about anything complex as ballistic wound channels, or at least enough to make an informed opinion that clearly shows the 7-08 is the equivalent killer as any magnum. But they proudly give their astounding advice, post their pictures, find articles that support their silly views and then deem everyone else is below them.

Don’t try to piss up my back and then tell me that it’s raining based upon your worthless experience. But hey, it is the internet.

Soon, some of ya will be able to slip out of your Spider Man onesies and get back to mowing lawns…..or back to making ice creams cones.

Regards

I didn’t know we were “waxing lyrical”. Can’t disagree with anything there Brad, but just note that RS has taken the “cartridge-journey” also. Until we have our own experiences, we defer to that of others’. Eventually, we all become a product of our very own.

I don't know who you are or what you think you know, but all my bulls have come solo off public land, and I've never been "outed."

But you've got some mouth on you...

George, meant to say "waxing nostalgic"...

Always love these threads--partly because they almost never mention how quickly elk die when shot in the right place with a broadhead.