Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting What do you consider minimum cartridge for elk?

Right on Tom!

You guys have it right. I've guided and witnessed a few hunters that could shoot .300WM+ cartridges well, and a few that couldn't shoot .223- and .243-class cartridges well. But, the trends have been that most rodeos in shot placement on game have involved people obviously over-gunned, while "marginal" cartridges have done the job as well as anything else when appropriate bullets and good shot placement prevailed.

I respectfully disagree!

Most any young shooter (that wants to hunt/shoot) in their early teens and older should be fully capable of accurately shooting anything in the .308Win/ 30-06/7 mag range and likely larger more powerful, without difficulty…..Assuming proper stock fit, and a decent recoil pad…. The scoped pkg coming in around 7 1/2 to 8 pounds. I started out @14 with a 6 3/4 pound (didn’t add a scope until I was in my 20’s), with a hard plastic buttplate in .308 Win and didn’t have any difficulty shooting prone, we didn’t have a bench in 1967.

For a younger shooter, a smaller caliber would probably a wise choice…..but keep them with smaller big game…..not elk/moose,ect. ! If large big game is on the menu, then a larger, more powerful cartridge should be used. Most folks on this site love to put a “weed-burner” on darn near anything over a 22 rimfire. Perhaps a brake should be considered if the shooter hasn’t reached their early teens yet, is very small/young shooter, or is timid……perhaps only hunting/shooting to satisfy dad!

I’ll go a step farther……only an exceptional, very accomplished youth shooter should be attempting long range shooting were wind doping, and drop become a significant issue! JMO memtb

Very likely the majority of those “guided” hunters had far more money than ability! Having a fat wallet can buy you a guide and possibly a trophy…..but not skill! memtb

Nah they just listened to much to a guy from Wyo that told them they needed a 375 to kill a deer.

For a dude...30-06
For a rifleman...something in 6.5 or .270 with correct ammo


/thread

Bob….kindly remove your head from between your arse cheeks! If your going to attempt communication with adults…..please get your facts straight!

I have never, and will never say or even suggest that anyone “NEEDS” a .375 of any description to kill a deer! In fact it’s quite easy to kill a deer with a 22 rimfire (though illegal in most places)…..if the hunter has adequate hunting/shooting skills.

I use the cartridge because I like it, have faith in it, and shoot it pretty damn well! You shoot anything you like….hopefully you can handle your rifle better than your condescending, smart a$$ attitude! memtb

I do have my facts straight you promote the 375 for everything and everyone on the fire hears you like a broke record. So pull yours out..mb

Preach!

Out of curiosity, how many kids have you helped get started in hunting/shooting?

I don’t know very many kids that could shoot a 7 1/2# 06/7 Mag enough comfortably to get sufficient and I’ve helped quit a few kids.

Agreed SLM.. I’d have no problem and haven’t with a kid using a 6.5 C or Swede, 25-06, etc. I know a good hunter will be there to help as much as possible with the kill when it comes.

Hell, I don’t know very many grown men that would put shooting a 7 1/2 pound all up 06/ 7 Mag on top of the fun list. (Me included)

Probably not. Mine are fit to me. My son’s a lanky Marine and shoots his 7x57 well. I guess I don’t sweat it myself. Our bullets make a lot of stuff a lot better than when we were kids.

Absolutely on the bullets. This is always an interesting conversation.

Tell your son thanks for his service.

Will do. It's amazing, I did 20 years and never sweated it much, I worry about my lad all the time and it's damned near peacetime right now..

I think alot of folks forget the bullets that work so well in the bigger guns make the little guns that may not have been as effective years ago, players in the field nowadays.

Gentlemen, Please go to my answer to the OP, on 8/05/23, and please note that I started with the 270 Win., a .308 Win, a 30-06, and a 7 Rem Mag. Again, I started with the .270 Win, and ended with the 7 Rem Mag….the 7 Rem is pretty tame as magnums go.

If a hunter wants to hunt elk and can’t handle a .270 Win properly…..he/she should take up needle point or golf.

Unless a grown man has some form of disability (shoulder, neck, retina, ect.), or serious age related issues and cannot handle the recoil of an 8 pound (scoped) .270, .308, ect hunting rifle ……. we really have become a nation of pussys!

If this offends any of you ….tough! memtb

Just the opposite, no offense taken at all. I'd rather have a person confident in their rig and their shooting abilities and me putting a good bullet in it, I know will go deep. I used to be in the camp a person was in Heaven on Earth with a 338 but sorta realized smaller stuff works fine as well. I still use bigger stuff when I want, but I don't believe it is totally needed either.

Great topic over all from my grid square.

My findings based on my experiences tell me that it doesn’t matter what the headstamp says or what diameter the bullet starts out. If it puts a hole that’s about 1 to 2 inches in diameter through the vital organs of your quarry you better have a sharp knife and quick.

We are blessed to have bullets available to us in diameters from .224 thru .458 that will consistently give that type of performance when launched from an array of cartridges.

I can't look at it as if I am looking for the smallest round that will kill elk. I like to look at it as the round that will work best in the situation I am going to be hunting elk. A rifle that works pretty good overall is the 30-06. In the thick or at shots up to 500 yards a 30-06 works pretty good with tough pointed bullets. Last time I hunted elk in Wyoming it was out in the Red Desert and I had two rifles, my long shot rifle which was a 300 win mag and my carrying around rifle which was a 30-06. In Washington state I hunted with a Ruger RSI in 308 loaded with 200 grain Nosler Partitions. If the elk is going to be standing next to a pile of hay bales 100 yards away I would still use at least a 7-08. I could use a 243 but I wouldn't.

You are an idiot.

If that offends you...tough.