Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Old Shoulder Friendly Elk Rifle

Yep, hers is a T3 .308.

Started first with a wood stock cut down for her smaller stature. That is now set aside for her younger sisters. Now her rifle wears a full size standard stock. I had the barrel trimmed to 20" and a brake put on, so recoil is minimal. She shoots 155 Scenars exclusively.

The first scope was an older American made Burris 3-9. Now it wears a fixed 6x SWFA zeroed for 300 yards, as late season elk are usually about that far, and anything closer is still in the "point and shoot" kill zone.








Now she is 20 and working as a cowboy in the Frank Church. Helping an outfitter run pack strings.



Smoke from all the fires












Living large for a cowgirl!

For years I used a 7mm Mag for nearly all my hunting. But then I got a 308 Win and haven't taken the 7mm out of the gun safe in several years. The 308 Win isn't flashy and it isn't sexy but it is effective and deadly on game.

I think you’ve already got the rifle you’re looking for in .25-06, load up some 120 partitions and slay any elk you want out to 300 yards.

I hunted with a fellow for a few years that shot a Ruger #1 single shot in25-06. Not many elk got passed him

Jim, how about the 130 or 150 ttsx out of your 30-06?

I have some 130 TTSX to try in the 06, for sure. I also have some 98gr Power Hammers to try in the 25-06. It has a nice B&C synthetic but full length aluminum bedding block, so it could stand a lighter stock for some types of hunting. I will play around with the 06. If it doesn't suit me, rather than pouring money into it, I'll put a lighter stock on the 25-06, maybe. I can load the Hawkeye 338wm down, but it is still a pretty robust 9 pounds all up. Not bad, but no bird gun in my hands, ha. Thanks guys. Hopefully I can get to the range this Friday and shoot some.

an '06 too light? Not hardly. Switch to a 180 or maybe a 165 bullet. At 300 yds, either one is an elk killer. I've taken a bunch using 165gr Accubonds. PT's are great, too, but I've been able to stay supplied with AB blems from Shooters Pro Shop.

I meant the rifle itself, the Pro Desolve. I have trouble shooting a very light rifle in the field. I can put up with a few rounds of about anything, as far as my old shoulder goes right now, but the ultra lightweights with their skinny/fickle/very thin barrels drive me nuts, ha. I shoot far more than I hunt, of course. In fact, I would love to have this Hawkeye 338 down to 8 pounds. I know I'm looking at a compromise. I've even considered another Tikka T3x in '06. Just never shot one so no idea of their recoil ( unbraked). Any Tikka 30-06 users out there? Please, you are welcome to chime in.

Plenty of stories/examples on this site of folks taking elk at all distances with cartridges that use lighter bullets and less powder than a 30-06. I'd pick one of them that floats my boat.

while shooting with the gun you hunt with is best, you can do a lot with a small caliber, even a 22LR. That'll keep the eye and trigger finger tuned and help with the steadiness. I have a 22-250 that's great practice, especially for long range. It weighs as much as my '06 but with no recoil.

A braked Tikka 30-06 shooting 150 grain TTSX clod to 3000 FPS will have almost 7mmRM trajectory to 400 yards & not have much kick at all.

It’s been said previously about how good the 308 WCF is. The 308 WCF with a 150 grain Barnes TTSX at +\- 2,900 fps is an excellent, reliable lower recoil elk load out to 400 yards.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the input!

Love those pictures and the story.

Looks like she was raised right.

DF

You may not want to hear this, and many others might object, but among my local elk-hunting friends (many of whom have taken well over 50) the trend seems to be toward lighter cartridges. Two only shoots cows these days, and instead of their previous magnums (which ran from the 7mm Remington to .340 Weatherby) they use the .22-250.

One who started out with the .300 Winchester Magnum 40+ years ago eventually went to the 7mm RM, and then to the .257 Weatherby and, over the last few years, the .25-06. He killed a 6x5 last fall with no problem, at around 200 yards....

You already have the correct rifle! Upgrade the recoil pad, and go hunting. Find a load that your rifle likes, and kill elk! Of course acquiring a new rifle is more exciting!

I am not a fan of brakes. Get a good recoil pad and shoot what you can handle. If you handload, load up some Barnes 130s at 308 velocities in the 30-06 and be done. Or as already suggested, the 25-06 with 120s. If that is still too much or you do not handload, a 260Rem or 7mm-08 (love this one!) would be great choices. One of those two in a Rem700 stainless with a laminated Mountain Rifle stock would be a teddy bear to shoot.

7mm-08, 150 ELDX, 407 yards.





P

Many years ago I won a beautiful model 700 in 06 caliber.
I too had my right shoulder destroyed and rebuilt so I had a slimline brake installed on the rifle.
I shoot exclusively 180 grain rounds and while the 700 was a very good shooter originally it became even better with the brake installed. People say a rifle accuracy can go one way or another with a brake installed and mine went the good way.
As for recoil I compare it now to my .243 which shoots only 55 grain ballistic tips. Very gentle. And comfortable.

Osky

I hear you guys, Old Shoulder here. ha I just got back from the range. Took the 338, 25-06 and the 243. It became apparent that while I could still shoot it, the 338 was getting to be just too much of a good thing. Top it off, this rifle does not like the 200 NBT/Varget loads at all, but wadded in the 280gr Hammers! And they hammered me, ha. I can still shoot a 300WM in the right set up ( for me, the Bergara B14 Hunter with no brake and a good pad is just as easy to shoot as the CA Mesa with brake in 300WM! ) So, I'm selling old Thumper. The 25-06 and 52gr R16/97gr Power Hammers cluster together!! Sweet. Thanks again guys!