Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting What is it with rifles and bullets here?

Judman, you are probably correct about WY being “the spot”. Concerning Colorado numbers, there are a lot of non-resident hunters that poke around on public land and are unsuccessful. There’s an awful lot of hunters who never see elk except in the back of someone’s pickup in town. My long term Colorado average is 68% on unguided hunts. Some of my buddies who have a gold horseshoe do a bit better. Last 7 hunts = 4 bulls, 2 cows. Never been on a guided trip. Good luck on the tag draws!

Wammer, never hunted applied in Utah or Colorado. I know Colorado has more elk than any western state, just too busy with other states. My new catnip is Mexico coues, flat out amazing. I’d go 5 times a year if I could afford it!😆

Good luck to you as well, we need it with all the flatbillers applying nowadays.

Johnny red-face Burns got nothing to say lol lol

Nice sword!

And be involved in it and thinking/discussing stuff about it when you cant actually be out hunting.

To those who can hunt 100 days a year, God bless you, you are living the dream.

Plus, some guys like to tinker as much as hunt, really. As most know, collecting, relaoding, load developing, etc is every bit as hobby as hunting. And shooting.

Its all good.

I’am fortunate enough to harvest probably over 40 elk in the life time, 85 years. Taken them with 25/06, 270, 30/06, 280, 280AI, 35 wheylen. 338/06, 7mm mag, 300 Dakota, 405 win, 7x57, and probably others I’ve forgotten. Found with all if the shot is placed in the boiler room, heart lungs all of them, at reasonable ranges did the job. If not you err in for a long hard chase.

Hunting elk in different locations with different terrain makes a big difference to me. Hunting where there’s no large bears vs coming across a large brown bear being likely makes a difference.
On the prairie for instance I’d be looking for a cartridge suitable for a longer range. I wouldn’t be trying to put a bullet through the front shoulders. Placing a bullet in the heart lung area would be fine.
Hunting in thick forest, steep mountains, open prairie, cow vs trophy etc. - different rifles and different cartridges and different bullets - at least for me.
Anything from say a 270 win, various 7mm’s, various 30’s from a 308 to a 300 Mag or maybe a 338 Win Mag. I think I could justify a 375 H&H in certain circumstances.

If a guy hunts the same terrain, 100% of the time, a definite “this is the best or nothing bigger than a xxx is necessary” frame of mind can set in.