Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Cartridge for elk

What long range cartridge for elk? 340 wby, 338 lapua, 300 win mag, 28 nosler, 280 AI 168 bullets were some of cartridges I were considering. Options to minimize recoil like a brake and barrel life are a concern. Largest caliber is a 308 win. What do you suggest for an accurate long range canyon boomer? That can be tamed.

I don't have too much experience shooting big magnums, but when I shot my buddies 338LM with the big 50 cal looking muzzle brake. I was pleasantly surprised where I wanted to shoot it more and more. It has been couple of year and only one outing, but I think it had less recoil than my hot 270 win. I felt we were too close shooting at 400 yard targets with that thing.

Looking hard at a 338 lapua in weatherby accumark or .340 weatherby?

This is highly personal, like why you chose the one you married. 😮🙂

But used the 340 Wby for a quarter century and very successfully. Of some 12 bulls and a caribou bull I only needed a second shot, and it wasn’t really needed.

The 340 and 338L are essentially ballistic equals. The 300 Win is a good cartridge. I have no experience with the Nosler and 280AI but do with the 284 Win which is just a step behind the AI. If the magnums are not necessary for elk, they will definitely do the job if you can handle them.

Are you a hand loader— another factor to consider.

If you are a hunter meaning not sending multiple hundreds of rounds down range a year you will not burn out a good barrel in years if ever in your hunting lifetime.

I would forget the “recoil arrestor” or at least, have a removable one. No Magna-Porting of the barrel or anything like that or you’ll likely regret it.

This year I will choose from. a #1 Ruger in 9.3X74R, a Mauser in 9.3X62 and I may use a Mauser in 300H&H if the elk are out in the open and don't get near any ground contour I can use to sneak up.

If I find they are staying in or near the trees I may use my Savage 99 in 300 Sav or my 303 British Speed style sporter.

300 Win Mag is tough to whoop.

What berettas said!

Some dude who shoots leupolds has posted some nice pics of long range elk. IIRC more than a couple were with a 264 WM.

I run a 300 Win and like it.

230 gr Berger OTMs

I’ve got one more build in me as a find my battery having 6.5 Saum as the largest cartridge. I’m thinking 300 prc as I can’t convince myself I gain anything with a 338 over a fast 30 shooting heavies in a shootable/carry-able rifle

Hard to go wrong with any of those cartridges. Pick one and shoot elk.

If starting over, I think I'd consider the PRC over the win mag, or go right to the 300WBY and be done with it..

Yup, all pretty much the same deal.. I went RUM but any of the others would work just as well for me.

I don't think I've seen a bad recommendation in this whole thread. The toughest thing is to pick one and live with it. I just built a 26 Nosler last year but haven't had a chance to get it bloody yet.. maybe this year. However, up until this time my longest shots on Elk have been with a 338 Win Mag with 225 Nosler Partitions.... I think the longest shot I've taken on a deer has been around 400 yards and my 270 does just fine for those distances.... but the 26 will get a chance to see how it does this year...

Bob

Has the OP done any searches on this topic? This has been hashed out here time and time again.

No need for a big boomer unless a guy just wants one. Short action rounds with the right bullets do just fine. Look at ballistics charts. The same bullet started at 2800 FPS vs 3200 FPS generally has a much smaller velocity gap at longer ranges (say 500 + yards), making the bigger rounds have much less of an advantage than initially assumed.

I carried a .340 Wby and .300 Win for several years and they did just fine at "normal" ranges, but that was before I started learning about B/C and shooting further out.
Carry on.

This is very true — it’s not so much the head-stamped engine as it the bullet you send from it. Though I generally liked big engines.😉

Another thing is to keep in mind is if you intend to hand load or not. If depending on factory cartridges, some mentioned here would be very problematic.

I shoot a 7mag now but a 300 WM with a good 180gn bullet is the best elk killing machine that I have owned.

I shoot the 7 now because my body can't take the recoil anymore.

I started with the 7 mag and switched to the .338 win mag for putting Elk down with less tracking. The 7 mag is still taken out as my bad weather rifle but the .338 is the knock out champion.

I’ve killed dozens of elk and seen a lot killed. I think lots of things come into play including where and how you hunt, and how well you shoot. My shots have nearly all been greater than 300yds hence it was important to to have a cartridge with reach. I’m badly color blind so not having to blood trail was important. Similarly, I want to be able to tell I’ve hit an animal. If you can shoot them, I prefer the large bullets at speed so I was drawn to the 338 and 340 shooting 210 partitions. I’ve never shot an elk that wasn’t visibly rocked with these bullets, and never had one not drop in sight.

I’ve killed them with various 300 mags, a 7STW and an 06, and seen them shot and (usually) killed with a number of lesser rounds.

For where and how I hunt, the 300mags with quality 165 to 200grain bullets are proven killers, and I’d be comfortable hunting with them if I didn’t have my 338/340. For a new elk hunter, I’d encourage them to bring what ever big game rifle they shot best (assuming it’s at least 270/308 or bigger and is loaded with appropriate bullets). I’d then plead with them to shoot regularly from hunting positions using improvised rests to figure out their proficiency at range.

I'd much rather use my 338wm as well. And yes, it does knock them out pretty good..

Seen a semi-custom 338 win mag that shot lights out with 210gr NPT's... nothing fancy just a old winchester with a fresh barrel and a McMillanhandle.

I had a 338 Lapua built a tad to light and sold it as i couldn’t get comfortable with the recoil. Unbelievably accurate with 300 grain bullets and had her going out to 1500 yds when I was chasing long range game. Now I roll with the 300 WM and am happy. Last year in New Mexico there were three guys in camp doing the 6.5 game and all killed an elk. The furthest was at 500 yds with the 26 Nosler.

I think my .300 wby with 168 gr TTSX is pure magic on elk. My Shiras bull moose had complete pass through and broke both shoulders at a ranged 400 yards. He took 2 steps and they were both backwards.

He probably full of Schidt and this elk most likely didn't get whacked at 1000yds with a Leupold on a .264 Win Mag.

Nice bull, John.

I suppose you used a Berger bullet too??

Nice bull.

300 PRC will do.

I will be reloading. Really drawn to the .340 but recoil is a concern as well as cost. 300 win mag or prc makes sense.

I have them all. They all work well.

My dad uses a 300 win mag with a brake. I don't think it kicks any harder than my 30/06. Recoil is an important thing to consider. A softer recoiling rifle is easier to shoot accurately. Plus with the .300 or a .338 you can buy ammo almost anywhere people hunt elk. Neither of them are barrel burners either, at least as far as magnums go. Whatever you happen to choose practice, practice, practice from field positions.

Personally I subscribe to the old adage that shooting elk is the easy part, and finding them is the hard part. Depending on where you hunt of course, if you have access to quality private land then the equation changes.

Assuming that finding elk is the hard part, you'll be doing a lot of walking, maybe in steep terrain, maybe not. So I tend to go with the rifle I want to carry in the mountains. I have a few purpose built "long range" rifles and they tend to be on the heavy side so I don't normally find myself reaching for them when it's time to head up the mountain. I can't really get behind the idea of a lightweight .338 LM or .340 Weatherby, setting aside the fact that they're not really needed. So to me, out of the cartridges on your list I'd go with the .280.

If you can't kill an elk with a .280, it's not the cartridge.

What smoke said....

couple questions: What is long range? 400-500y? or 700-1200y?
what elevation is the hunting going to be at?
are these long hike in, OTC tag, rough country hunts? or private land truck hunts?
any concern about barrel length? 26" barrel no big deal? or a 20-22" mtn rifle barrel is better?
Do you want to be able to buy ammo at store? a store near where you elk hunt? a store in a remote settlement in Alaska? Africa?

here is my set up, i live in the mtns of CO for 25y and only shot one elk twice. the remainder just one shot, DRT or only a short run and drop. try not to yawn: 30-06, 20" barrel, 165g hornady superformance, 2880-2900 fps, 0.45bc, hunt at 10,000 ft so there is a bonus to the ballistics, 2000ft-lb energy at 400y. I have shot 3 elk at 400-450y, the rest shorter. no big deal.

if you want to be able to buy ammo at the store, 300 win mag, if you want a little less kick 280AI, If you want more horsepower 338 win mag, more hp with a shorter barrel 9.3x62, 250g accubond handloads will get 2700fps

338L/340 weatherby are in a different club,

Good point. “Long range” has changed from maybe 300-500 yards decades ago to 800-1000 yards of late. The right gear, understanding the system, and practice make it possible. However, I wonder how many critters suffer a serious and eventually fatal hit but get away before their end. Oh that fickle wind that that can blow in opposite directions on opposite sides of a canyon.

I would think it’s a relatively small subset of hunters who are skilled enough to do it regularly.

My long range endpoint was 500 yards under very good conditions and 500 yds. was the actual distance of my longest shot and kill. I never had the opportunity to practice and shoot out further. Thus I didn’t need the extra necessary gear. That it would be more fun than golf is without a doubt however.

When I started hunting elk in the late ‘80’s we didn’t have Uber BC bullets with throats that allowed the proper seating in their cartridge, and the fast-twist barrels to stabilize those long, sleek bullets, so many hunters went to relative high speed cartridges (magnums) to get that bullet with the BC of an ashtray out to 400 or 500 without dropping to the ground.

I’ve never been but, I’d take my 338 Sako if I had a chance to go.

Long range animal is 600 yards. Targets out to 1500 yards. Im a handloader. I never owned a 338 in any configuration. 280 AI is appealing for efficiency and lack of recoil.....add a 8 twist barrel and shoot 168s and it should be decent. I've been eyeing a Weatherby Accumark in .340 or .300 weatherby and figured i could use it on a once in a lifetime moose hunt ect.

The weight and to a lesser extent the recoil are becoming the deciding factors for me. Your 308 with the right bullet is perfectly capable to 400 yards or so if the shooter is. The big cannons are only needed for really long range shooting, farther than most people have any business shooting.

A 300 mag for me should weigh about 8 lbs. for me to be comfortable with shooting it a lot. My 7mms weigh half to one pound less and usually get first pick if there is much walking involved., and there usually is.

If building I would pick one of the 7mm's between 280AI and 28 Nosler and twist it to shoot up to 190 grain bullets. The Hammer 177 grain looks interesting and a 1-8 will spin it fast enough. What I have used personally are the 280 AI and 7RM with several 160 - 175 grain bullets from Barnes and Nosler. They worked well but now if I could get them to shoot I would use the 168 in the 280 and the 175 LRAB in the 7RM and the only limiting factor would be getting to and finding the elk. Both of these can shoot farther than I should be shooting. If worried about ammo then the 7RM gets the nod, but with hand loading and say the 308 as backup then anything goes.

I was looking at the 300 prc and 30 nosler. 30 nosler caught my attention because it fits in a standard action. 280 AI is another build im considering.

I shoot a 7mm Rem Mag, 162 Eldx at just under 3k mv. I won’t shoot at an elk at 600 yards but the combination has plenty of juice out to that distance.



P

Any of the faster 7mms or 30s would be ideal. Not sure about the 30 Nosler but I hit a recoil threshold with the 300WM and 200 grain bullets in an 8lb. or less rifle. I don't know why but 7mm 175 grain bullets seem to kick less than 180 grain 30s at similar velocities, it makes no sense and the rifles both fit me. I think the 30 has more momentum or something else that makes perceived recoil greater. The charge weights are within about 5 grains of each other so it is not powder mass.

A 280 AI could be built lighter than the PRC and Nosler and still be easy to shoot. I am thinking about recoil as the 30s could be built lighter too.
For some reason the 280AI seems much milder in recoil than the 7RM even when the velocities are close. More powder in the 7RM plus blast and noise so maybe not surprising.

For me the 280AI hits an ideal balance for a 7mm, the other one is the 7mm Mashburn Magnum. I could be happy with either or both.

15 years ago, I would have said a big Seven is ideal. With twist rates and bullets being what they are now, "canyon boomer" for elk is just about any cartridge from faster 6.5 on up. 270 or 280 would be a great pick.

For 600 yard shooting why not a 6.5 Creed or 7-08? The bullet matters more than the chambering for hitting and killing things, including at long distance.

All good suggestions so far in this thread. Individual preference is key here. The below or a 280 AI are my personal preferences.

With few exceptions, finding elk is the tough part. Assuming you are competent with your weapon of choice, killing them is the easy part.

I rotate between a 300 Wby and a 300 RUM. Ballistics are a frog hair difference, but each rifle is set up differently depending on my hunt.

I used a 30-378 Roy for several years exclusively for bull hunting. It was impressive with both Barnes TSX and Nosler Abond in 180g.

😎

My 264 always got the job done with one shot. Same for my 7mmRM. My 300WBY once put 3 165NP's in the boiler room of a bull before he went down but that was my fault cause later exam showed he was likely dead on his feet from the first one. I recall being totally impressed with how quick elk went down when hit with a 225 NP from my 338 though...if it wasn't for being a bit more recoil sensitive these days I'd still use it and probably exclusively!

What long range, accurate cartridge for elk from five choices. See below.
Has - .308 Win, Most powerful rifle currently owned.
Possibles - .280 AI - Of the ones you list this would be my pick.
.28 Nosler - I know nada about this.
.300 Win Mag - I should like this as it has a lot of development behuind it but I don't care for them. My .308 Norma and .300 Weatherby bracket it well. I use a .338 in this role.
.340 Weatherby - For a boomer, I would prefer this over the others listed and the Lapua simply because I can chamber it in a Model 70 action. Try to get a minimum chamber but with the freebore if you go for one .
.338 Lapua - Love this round but the Sako I have access to only has a 26 in barrel it should likely have at least a 26 in. .
Options to minimize recoil like a brake and barrel life are a concern. I wouuld forget the brake. I put one on my .338. It kicked kike a .270 but the blast was ridiculous. The brake is now in with the loading dies for the cartridge. It will stay there.
Lots of folks don't want to be around anyone using a brake. I am in that group. high quality recoil pads help a lot. So does rifle weight.

From my preferences? A big .30, likely pushing a 210 gr ABLR at 3000 fps or so. I am going to see how my Weatherby likes them. Starting new? likely a .300 PRC.

300 prc caught my attention also. Couldnt find brass so I dkipped it. May need to revisit the option seems like a 300 win mag improved?

Not sure how far you plan on shooting, but if you’ve already a 308, have you tried 155 Scenars? LRAB? Berger’s?

Lots of dead animals posted here taken by those bullets at ranges beyond what many shoot at.

Just ordered some more Scenar 155 grain OTM. Shot my first 1000 yard match in 20 mph wind. I was impressed with them. Have not used them on game yet.

9.3x62 with a 250 ttsx is hard to argue with out to 500 yds. It’s a quite a lot easier on your shoulder too than the big boomers if that matters. They all work, failure is almost always shooter error. Practice, practice, practice.

What is all the hoopla over brakes? I've got a .300 WBY with a factory brake and it works. I've heard people badmouthing brakes so much and when I shoot my .300 I'm thanking God I have one on this rifle. Mainly I hear people bitch about them because they make people at the range mad because of the side blast and noise. I say you should be wearing hearing protection at the range and it wouldn't bother you. You're one of the few here that has something good to say about them. I'll putg it this way, If my 300 wasn't braked I wouldn't shoot it. I wear hearing protection and my brake is wonderful.

.....................Kinda depends on what you consider long range distances, your threshold for recoil, brake?, prefer no brake? and on down the line. Assuming recoil tolerance is not an issue, I personally associate a long range boomer with two primary things; ft lbs of energy and velocities retained at impact along with a flatter trajectories.......Your choices listed are all very good. Happen to have one of them; the 28 Nosler.

I would say do this. Play around with a ballistics calculator. Choose your potential cartridges, choose multiple bullet choices for each that you will or might use, type in their BCs, bullet weights, muzzle velocities, approx altitudes you'll be hunting in and then determine what the down range performances are for each at various distances ie; trajectory differences, ft lbs of energy retained, velocities retained and so on.

They say and I have read, that 1500 ft lbs of energy at impact is a "preferred" minimum for elk. Run the downrange (your from and up to hunting distances) #s and see what comparisons ya come with. Then narrow down your choices while keeping in mind your tolerance for recoil and whether you want a muzzle brake or not.

Thank you all for helping me decide. I went down to Sportsman Warehouse and ordered a Weatherby Accumark in .300 Weatherby! I need recommendation on a scope now. Also for the reloaders what powder and bullets do you use for elk and moose?

................Great rifle choice and a great cartridge..........I can relate, See below.

Thank you. Any suggestions on scope?

...............Many many choices.......As far as magnification is concerned for a 300 Bee, I would maybe go with a 3.5x10 up to a 4.5x14. I have a 3.5-10x40 VX3 on my 338-378 Accumark..No problems with it since mounting it. Vortex are great scopes as well. Feedback from my buds who have them is excellent........Make sure you get a scope with some decent eye relief.

Thanks again Big! Looking forward to hunting with it!

I'm a bit late to the party but here goes.

A few friends and I have been long range hunting for years. Successfully. From pronghorn, deer and up to Elk out past 1200 yards. I have had my rifles either built or "accurised" buy Keven Cram at Montour County Rifles It's a sickness. The first year we went out we all brought Cannons. The smallest rifle way just under 16 lbs, a .338 Lapua Mag Improved. I busted 12 inch rocks with it at a mile. The elk never got within 2 miles of us. So on the drive home we researched Long rang hammers an BC's of different bullets, load data, energy .... ain't modern tech great. We decided on 28 Nosler launching 195Gr. EOL Kevin throated the chambers long to allow us to seat the bullet just to the neck junction. 27 in. barrel in a carbon fiber McM stock. Around 8 lbs. We have taken elk from 398 yards out to 1273 yards with them.

Right now Kevin is working on a 6.5 WSM throated for 156 GR. EOL

As far as scopes go. Sightron SIII on the entry level side of things and Nightforce on the other. Many shooters skimp on glass. Don't do it. If you can't see it, you can't shoot it. If you can't dial to the yardage every time with confidence you can't hit it,or miss it and understand why you missed.

....................Suggest that you keep your scope choice as light as possible. The Accumarks are not exactly light rifles...LOL

An extra pound wont kill me yet....
But yes weight is a consideration. Ill walk a mile and sit and watch from a ridge. I need to get a lot of practice in with it. Ill be ready next season for sure!

Congrats on your decision. That will reach out and touch some game for ya.

😀

I'll bet it was impressive. I'm thinking I should try some TTSX's in my 300 Roy. I know back in the late 90's, that 30-378 was pretty popular. Some friends had them and you are right, pretty damn impressive.

300wby is a creat choice. I’d personally start with 200grain accubonds, or 180s if they aren’t what you’re looking for. I really like the accumarks, and while not light, I think they’ll serve you well. For glass, I’d personally lean towards a set and forget scope with a reticle with multiple aiming points. While I have glass I do trust for dialing (Zeiss, LRHS, SS, Tract), I’d personally go another route. You’re already packing a heavy rifle, do you want to add another 25-30oz? For what it’s worth, the rifle I set up as a dedicated elk rifle (it’s also taken deer and antelope) was a 340wby with 3.5x10 vari-x-III with a duplex reticle. It served me well for 25 years, and I became proficient at ranging and using what I had for shots that were way out there. I kept it zeroed at 350yds and knew the dope out to “too far”. If I were starting over today, I’d probably throw a LRHSi on it but not dial. Second choice would be a Rapid Z6 reticle, but have the rifled zeroed at 300yds. I really love Swarovski glass and might consider a z5 with a BRX reticle... However, I’d absolutely avoid the Z3 or Z5 for dialing. I’m getting ready to send one back for the 2nd time. Just my .02.

Thanks elk. I was planning on sighting in for 300 yard zero and go from there. Thinking 200 ab or 212 eld x for bullet.

Esox, Regarding bullet choice, I’d want to know how eldx are holding up at very short range at 3000+FPS. By some reports, the eldx might not penetrate like you’d hope if you jumped the bull of your dreams in thick cover. I have no firsthand experience. This is why my dedicated elk rifle was shooting partitions. I know there are many Barnes fans here. Perhaps they’ve improved from the early ones I tested..... Although I’ve always been a shoulder shooter, I’d never want to have to rely on striking bone to for adequate expansion.

Well I'll report back this or next season on my findings. I need to load up ammo and get to range. Still need to buy a scope and rings which should happen soon. Thinking Talleys?