Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Deer & Occasional Elk Rifle

For deer near anything will do. I've killed them with anything from a .30-30 to a .300 WM and honestly, I haven't seen enough difference to make a difference where I hunt. Elk however are a whole different ball game. A 7# .308 back in the hills where the elk are beats a 9# .338WM back at the tent. Every day walking up those CO. mountains I'd say to myself, What can I pare down out of my pack that I didn't need or use yesterday? Do I really need all 10 cartridges again? Elk hunting is tough work. Get something middle of the road that isn't too heavy that you can shoot well. Elk are harder to get to than they are to get down.

I’ve owned several magnums over the years etc but the only rifle I have now larger than a 6.5 is a 30-06 thats to ugly for being seen in a picture out west.

I am an unapologetic “one gun” hunter! While we own a few firearms, my wife and I each have one dedicated hunting rifle. I also firmly believe that there is no such thing as “overkill” ....at least in a shoulder fired firearm of reasonable hunting carry weight! All of this said....I’d recommend one of of the various .30 cal magnums or better yet a .338 WM. My wife’s “only” hunting rifle has been a 9 pound , scoped/loaded/slung, .338 WM since 1995! She’s taken deer/antelope up through moose and has never found it lacking or witnessed the dreaded “overkill”!

However, some of the “hyper-velocity” .30 calibers shooting thin jacket, highly frangible bullets will destroy a lot of tissue. If you want to take home more eatable deer, I’m recommend either a controlled expansion or a mono bullet with the high velocity magnum .30’s! memtb

Get a 280 ai for that

If you live in Elk country and can afford to be patient and wait for your shot, then lots of calibers will work. If your traveling and have limited time frame, I’d want something that I’d be comfortable with to take the shot that may not be exactly the angle I wanted. For me that starts with the 30-06. 270, 280, 7mm REM Mag would all fill that role as well. I don’t think you “need” a big gun, but there’s no denying that they work. I’ve used a a 270 and 338 Win Mag. For me, there was a big difference between the 2. I personally doubt I’d use a 270 again. Yet I know folks who use them every year and take their Elk. I’d prefer a 30-06 though.

30-06 or 308 can digest lotsa weight bullets.
280 and 7-08 are sweethearts.
270 will bring death everyday.
I like a 300 win mag too.

Id just have to draw out of a hat and rock on. 👍

Stainless T3 in 7mm Rem Mag. Leupold 4-12.

Money.

260/7-08/308
or
270/280/30-06
or
7RemMag/300WinMag
or
270WSM/7WSM/300WSM
or
6.5Creed/6.5x55/6.5PRC
or
26/27/28/30Nosler
or
...???????

Happy to help, I'm here all day.

Personally I’m a 95 % guy. i would buy a set up for what I felt was ideal for 95% of my southeastern deer hunting . If I was hunting elk every two or three years I would figure thats enough hunts for a dedicated elk rifle that would work 95% for elk hunting. If you feel your 95% ideal for both crosses over thats great , if not get your wallet out. Im not much on compromising and thats just me.

I’d vote a 7 Rem Mag with a 23-24” barrel and have at it. Nothing much on either side of it will gain you much what this one does until you get into the bigger teeth rattlers. Plus you can find a pretty portable rifle so chambered or easily have one plumbed. The 7 WSM version is the same if you can find enough brass to feed it.

My boring Deer/Elk/Moose/Bear and everything else gun:
Steyr-Mannlicher M Professional.30-06 with Kahles 6x42

I like that

7-08 or 7x57 through 300 magnums.

Sometimes it's easier to hunt where you want and do what the guide wants with cartridge / bullet combinations. I've particularly found African PH's to be opinionated in this regard,

My first trip to South Africa was in '96. My friend/PH hated the 7mm Rem Mag. A few other guys I talked with while there felt the same way. When I pressed for details, the last few Americans used them with the then new "Extended Range ammo", which was ( I think 165gr) just a simple cup n core with a thin jacket. The bullets were breaking up on the surface of Eland and zebra and causing many a long chase! ha I was using Barnes 250X form a 35 Whelen Ackley. My friend liked the winchester FailSafe factory ammo for the 375 & 300WM. Good choice too, but he just couldn't wrap his head around why that 7mm Mag Extended Range was a bad round, ha. Yet he loved the old 8x68 with the TUG bullet. I guess so, world of difference!

Tikka T3 Creed x Bushy Elite in 6.5. Works for Caribou also.

A REALLY BIGGGGG CHICKEN ?

Dirty Harry

I’m really have trouble how him thinking any 6.5 was a ‘big’ gun vs a 270, wasn’t an immediate red FLAG?

Then again, I figure if I’m paying for a guide, it’s for them to tell me where to crap and not how to wipe.

I’d buy an ‘elk’ gun in a heartbeat, if I had much excuse at all…..but I think most of my ‘deer’ guns would work just fine, especially a Kimber 308.

That’s funny. I have that exact combo. Scope is CDS because I shoot a fair ways.



P

I hear you whiskey, but I wanted to see what that 175 LRX would do on a simple high lung shot anyhow. It opened a bit wider than the older Barnes 180 XBT I use to use.

If I was hunting mostly whitetails with an occasional elk, I’d say my Tikka T3 Lite SS in .270 shooting 150 Partitions at everything would work well. Mine wears a 2-10x42 Nikon Monarch 5 in Warne rings. It’s a pretty good all around set-up.