Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting The elk killing rifle

Most places folks hunt elk I’d run my 22 creed, 6ai without a hitch. Over here, 338 win or my whelen would get the nod.

My dad was the same. One rifle, a sporterized Mauser in 30-06, one bullet a Nosler Partition and one powder, army surplus something, can't remember! From moose to whitetail and everything in between. I'm too much of a rifle loon to only use one!

My first 50 years I used a 1976 manufacture Ruger 77 with the Tang Safety in 7mm RM. Ten years ago I moved up to a 300 Weatherby and 7 Mag has been sitting in the safe. Decided it should be hunted this year put a Leupold 4.5-14x50 on it plain duplex. For the 4th time in 44 years the 3 shot group once on target could be covered with a dime. This gun is still the most accurate hunting rifle I’ve ever seen. The bullets go right where you point them.

I killed my first elk in 1966 with a .30-40 Krag that I borrowed from my Uncle. The next year I bought my first centerfire rifle, a .30-06 barreled action and semi-inleted stock from Herter's that was to become my primary elk rifle for many years. I got drafted into the Army before I got to take that rifle elk hunting, and then from 1971 through 1977 I killed 7 bulls and one cow elk with that rifle as a .30-06. After the 1977 hunting season I had that rifle rechambered to .30 Gibbs, and from then through 2003 I killed 19 bulls and 3 cow elk with that rifle as a .30 Gibbs.

My favorite elk rifle now is a .300 Weatherby Vanguard that I put into a AA Fancy walnut stock.

Well I have only hunted elk twice, and one of those I didn't even have the tag, so clearly I am an expert. I haven't seen an animal yet that I wouldn't shoot with a good .264 - .338 bullet in an accurate rifle. If I drew a trophy bull tag in a once in a lifetime unit, I'd reach for a 7 mag. Otherwise, I'd be carrying a M7 or Montana in 308 topped with a light 3-9x40.

AND...1 308 would have done the same this as you '06...and on and on we go

That made me laugh, good times!

Depends on who gets to carry the rifle. If the horse is packing it in for you then sure, a nice 9 pound .338 WM would be just fine. If you are your own gun bearer and are a flat lander who isn't use to breathing thin air then that 7mm-08 ultra lite back in the hills beats any mega magnum back at the tent. When I was climbing around in those 8-10,000 foot mountains, I'd say to myself every morning, I really didn't need 10 cartridges yesterday and I'll bet that I could get by just as well today with only 6. Maybe pack my tiny pocket 10's instead of the 8x42's or just use the scope today. Weight matters.

That was my load for years. I found I got a little better accuracy with the 160 gr Accubond and RL-22. I started killing elk with a 7mm Mag in 1975. My father had one of the first 7mms. He also got his in 62 and he used it until he passed away in 2013. My nephew owns it now and it is still tipping over game. I have no idea how many game animals my father's 7mm has taken but it has been a bunch, well over 100 deer alone and that isn't counting elk, antelope, bear, caribou and the 4 trips it made to Africa.

Ol' Jack O knew what he was doing. I've got lots of rifles but come game day I usually grab the same rifle, the one that works the best, my old 1966 year model 70 .270. I used to cuss it and felt I made a mistake buying it brand new in 1966 and that I should have bought a Remington 700 instead until I stopped and thought how many deer I'd killed with that old rifle. About 35 years back I stripped the shiny vanish off and did a satin finish on it. It still looks good though it has a lot of dings and scrapes from hard use. But it still shoots true and is still taking deer and hogs. The last deer and the last hog I killed were with it.

But in reference to this thread I will say that with the right bullet I would probably take it elk hunting too. Why? Because I've had it so long and killed so much game with it I can shoot it better than about anything else I have.

My perfect bull/bear killin rifle...

Unless I draw a branch bull tag I usually pack my SS FW M70 '06.Boring but true.

I used to use a .308, Then I went to an '06. I had a little trouble getting one great big cow to fall over-three 180 gr NPT and she never took a step but it made me nervous.

I decided I wanted to try a .338. My new wife bought it foor me about 26 years ago. It works really well. Even so, after killing a couple of bulls with it all it seems to do better is make them flinch a little when you hit them. They still go a little ways before they tip over. I have a bunch of other rifles (more '06's, 7x61 S&H Super, .308, .35 Whelen, .308 Norma Mag, .300 Weatherby, .375 H&H and others) but then I am a looney.

Dancing Bear have you used the 375? Be Well, Rustyzipper.

Yes, because he is obviously broke, desperate and has his values all screwed up.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 so true

Not many moons back, right here on the fount of all knowledge, Ye Olde Hunters Campfire, it was decided, hell, insisted, by some very vocal fellows...that we should dump our '06's, 9.3's etc and get .243's as the ultimate elk rifle. Now I am confused. Again. Still.

I've killed 24 elk over the last 26 years. One year I didn't hunt elk and one year to my everlasting shame I wounded and lost one. I have used a variety of rifles in several chamberings but the most consistent, reliable and satisfying for me in my hunting conditions is my Sako AV classic, rebarreled to .35 Whelen, shooting a variety of 250 gr. bullets at 2500 fps. It is equipped with a 3-9x50mm Zeiss scope. Average range was probably around 100M. It doesn't kill any quicker than a .308 or .270 or 7x57 but seems to anchor them on the spot sooner so the death dash is a tad shorter. Recoil is less than a .375 H&H or .450-400 Nitro Express. I like that. I'd be just as happy with a 9.3x62 or 9.3x74R.

When I got to go elk hunting all the time I used the only rifle that I had. A Savage 110E in .270WCF. Nothing splashy or special just a .270 and 130 gr. Federal blue box ammunition. That combination added up to 16 of my 17 elk. My first one was a cow elk about 15 min into opening day with a .54 cal muzzleloader.

Round ball or something else? Get an exit?

Round ball. I don't remember an exit, but I was only 16 and it was 1988 or so. We didn't worry about such things back then. Meat on the ground was all I cared about.