Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Best Elk Cartridge in the World??

Just curious here. But pad or no pad why would one want or need to shoot scores of rounds through their elk rifle off the bench? It’s literally the least beneficial shooting practice one can get unless you elk hunt from the bench.

I can tell you how many rounds I’ve put through my normal “elk rifle” in the last three years from the bench. 6, two per year to verify zero. Not to say I haven’t put a bunch more through it but they’ve all been from field positions.

Once sighted in, I shoot offhand, prone, from a shooting stick, kneeling, etc. ... at the range.

Most on here don't understand this post. Bravo....

You two just put BSA’ into a tail spin.

Yeah, I’m clearly extremely offended by your choice of rifle! Laughing...

416 Ruger & 350gr Barnes TSX @ 2500fps

If someone empties their rifle missing the game animal each shot because of the recoil. All that is needed according to Jordan is to hand them your rifle and simply say that it doesn't kick as much and the next shot will be center of chest

Amazing

If you were going to get shot, would you prefer that the shooter use a .223 or a 50 BMG ? I know what I would choose.

I lately have been hunting deer with a .308, which is more-than-adequate for the task.

I know there are countless times when a modest rifle will do basically as well as a more-powerful one—both with good bullets and placement—on most animals.

However, I’m not so certain on some situations, including one that was important to me.

The bullet on the left below is a .338 caliber 225gr TTSX that, impacted a moose at about 3,000 fps; went through about four feet of moose; and, at the very end, smashed through its off-side shoulder before coming to rest under the hide.





The bullet on the right is a .243 one that was stopped by a modest-sized deer that my son shot (different bullet construction, I know).



The moose collapsed nearby. If he had gone much further, he might have died in this lagoon, ruining my day.



What would have happened if I had had been using a .243 or even .270? I honestly don’t know. I might have pulled it off. But, at the time especially, I am glad I didn’t have to find out.

Just my own experience and opinion.

Who would you rather be shooting at you?

The guy that shoots the 50 a couple times a year, or the guy that puts 500 rounds a year through his .223? I know which one I choose.

They are both ridiculous questions.

My bet is the 270 would have worked well. Mule_Deer has mentioned several times that the quickest kill he has ever witnessed on a moose was made by his wife using a 270 and 150 Partition. Renowned magnum lover, Craig Boddington, has stated one of his quickest bull elk kills was made with a 270 and 150 Nosler Partition.

I have heard countless stories from several guides and outfitters over the years about the rodeos they have seen by hunters coming to camp with magnums they can't shoot. Sometimes the stories end with the hunters going home with their tags. Others where they were able to fill their tag after putting down their rifles and shooting a few practice rounds with the guides rifle, something like 257 Roberts or 7-08.

On the contrary, I have never once heard of a guide or outfitter complain about a hunter that showed up to deer or elk camp under gunned.

Am I saying you should trade in your magnums for 223's, of course not. Use what gives you confidence. But whatever you bring to the field should be a rig that you have become proficient with through practice. The average Joe Hunter will not be able to do that with one of the various Smoke'em Mags.

Huge difference in size of a moose in the lower 48 and an Alaskan Yukon moose

What I've learned about pissing contests is that they are a young man's game.

This discussion reminds me of some stories I've read of elephant hunting at the turn of the last century, before cordite was in much use, and so some elephant hunters, in a desire to improve the effectiveness of their equipment, were using bigger and bigger lead balls in bigger and bigger bored black powder rifles. I particularly recall a hunter using a 4-gauge with some ridiculous charge of black and a quarter-pound ball. He had a misfire on a broadside shot, and rapidly passed the rifle to one of his gun-bearers, who, instead of just recapping it, dumped another charge and ball down onto the first load, then recapped. After the running broadside shot with his backup gun had no effect, and the huge bull turned and charged, the hunter swapped guns with his gun-bearer to the primary rifle, not realizing it had been double-charged. The bull took both quarter-pound balls in the forehead at very close range, which reportedly stopped him instantly but didn't kill him. The hunter was brought to consciousness by his various employees laying on his stomach. He already couldn't see out of his severely bruised and swelling right eye, and his right collar bone was dislocated. He spent many weeks recovering. From what I recall, he wasn't a young man.

These arguments over "enough" gun have so many caveats in them that I keep wondering which cartridge works the best in a jammed rifle after a misfire to swiftly bring down that trophy bull, if the hunter only has that retreating "Texas heart shot."

The elk that ran the farthest for me was shot with a 140 SST .270.. Perfect lung shot at a calm animal.. She probably ran 150 to 200 yards., Glad she did not run into rough country..

Before he died, I had a correspondence with George Hoffman, African PH and developer of the 416 Hoffman (which Remington later modified and released as the 416 Rem Mag). Mr. Hoffman (like myself) was not averse to Magnums, but told me he didn't necessarily see the need for them on elk-sized game, and that all 50+ elk he'd taken in his life had been with the 270 Win.

One thing I will say is that just because someones experience may be long (or short) it may also be incredibly narrow. Sort of like the guy that may have killed a pile of elk, but never ventured beyond magnums. How would he know smaller cartridges might work well? His confirmation bias apparently didn't allow that kind of thinking.

For my part I read all the 1980's stuff by the likes of Boddington, so when I eventually moved to Montana one of the rounds in my battery was the 338 WM. I used it on the first few elk I killed, including a dandy 6pt I tracked to his bed and shot at 50 yards. No surprise it worked. But what I noticed was many of my friends who grew up here used stuff like the 243 and 270 - cartridges they knew well and had used since childhood. As I killed more elk and saw more elk killed I started changing my thinking. That evolution led me to cartridges more fun to shoot, like the 6.5 CM, 7-08, 308 and 270. I've seen more elk killed with the 270/130 combo than any other cartridge. It works because it's fun to shoot, but still has a nice reserve of power. I think the same can be said of the 6.5CM, 7-08 and 308. They're truly "all around" big game rounds.

I've tried to keep an open mind, and as a result have given a variety of cartridges a try. What I found - and what I've often said - is "cartridges are more alike than different." Punch the lungs with a decent expanding bullet and it's light's out. Hit around the edges and you've got a rodeo on your hands, no matter what you hit the animal with.

Threads like this do remind me that testosterone and ego is a more powerful force than logic or experience... and also that those with the most testosterone and/or least experience are often the loudest voice in the room.

Happy New Year all...

Like some others, I don't think there's a "best." And there's a lot to be said for whatever's available at the time.

When we moved to Colorado in the late '80s, I had recently inherited wifey's Dad's M70 in .338 Win Mag... so when it came time to go out for elk, that's what I carried... or else I carried another family pass down, an M71 in .348 Win.

Polling folks I met out there, the .30-'06 and .270 Win were what 90-95% of resident hunters carried... only a few mentioned any of the magnums... while non-residents piled onto the .338 Win Mag, the .300 Win Mag, the 7mm Rem Mag, and I think I met one guy who used a .300 Weatherby.

My own next smaller choice was a third pass-down, an M99 in .300 Savage, and I reckoned that would have been fine but I'd already used that a lot for eastern deer hunting. It also seemed like my next smaller .25-'06 (that I got when I was focused on pronghorn) would work, too.

But then again, I needed an excuse to carry the .338 or the .348...

-Chris

What if a guy used a “magnum “ with Talley lw’s and a leupold????!!!!! Ohhhhh!!!

Or better yet, if the “magnum” was a weatherby??? Haha 😂😂😂

I find it amusing that "the best elk cartridge" is always a hot topic, but the three things that are arguably more important don't get much air time.

LOL, so true...

Conditioning
Boots
Glass

All three a heck of a lot more important, and far more interesting.

What is the muzzleloader equivalent of the creedmoor? My 50 cal musket with full charge of blackhorn 209 and a 300 grain bullet has more recoil than any rifle in my safe. I wanna run to mommy every time I shoot it!!! My testosterone levels are low and I don’t have any need to be macho anymore. A 36 cal Kentucky rifle!! 😂😂