Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Is a 30-30 enough for Elk?

I'm debating buying a 338 ME, but if I don't "have" to spend the money on it, I could buy something else (grin). So is a 30-30 with LEVERevolution ammo enough to kill an Elk HUMANELY at less than 200 yards, or is that going to be too far for a humane kill? I will do it right, but I already have a 30-30

Should do just fine if you pick broad side shots under 200 yards. Good excuse for a 338ME, though.

Sure it will work, been killing elk for over 100 years.

Personally I would buy the 338 though.

I love the 338 ME, but I'm either being cheap, or having thoughts of a different gun added to my safe

I've not shot an elk with anything, so take the following with a grain of salt. Many people will tell you that a .30 WCF is underpowered for elk, but I am not one of them. It has been used with success for 115 years on deer, elk, bear, wolves, coyotes, pigs, outlaws, etc.

Of course, your range and shot angles are limited compared to something larger. If I were hunting elk, I would use a .30-06 or larger (if I had one), but I would not feel under gunned with a .30 WCF and a good load.

In my opinion, it is probably a better choice for the fellow that lives in elk country and can afford to pass up a long shot. If it is a once in a lifetime (or even once in a decade) trip, I would not want to be handicapped by the range limitations. On the other hand, if you WANT to kill one with a .30 WCF, I say go for it. I hunt with handguns and am willing to accept the range limitations. I don't see this as any different, but I concede there are dissenting opinions.

I killed my first elk with a 30wcf a long time ago. Used old flat nosed bullets too. The little rag four never complained....I could have killed most of the elk I have been lucky enough to get easily with the same setup....

No. Get a 325WSM.

How do you know your shots will be under 200yds? Will you really have the discipline to pass on longer shots? If you can't answer both question, then consider other options.

That's something I've thought about, and I'm still thinking that I don't know . I think that, being that I have/had hunted Elk for over 10 years, and never shot one, or even seen one in the woods (my buddy and I never really hunted that hard to find them), that it might be hard to pass up the 300 yard shot, which I would never take with a 30-30. I guess I'll just take it as a backup gun, and go ahead and get the 338 ME that I wanted in the first place. Who know's maybe obama will cut taxes and I could buy two rifles this year, hahahahaha. YEAH RIGHT!

.30-30 is plenty for Elk, as long as you don't push the range. It's a great gun, especially if you hunt the dark "juniper jungle" where the big boys lay up...

Ive shot elk with the .30-30...it works, but it is certainly not my first choice....

Buy the .338me....dat would be more like it!

Ingwe

If you buy the .338MX buy all the brass you can find. Same for the .308MX.

Ingwe

What do you hunt with now? If you currently use a 30-30 and are moving up to a .338 you're in for a big suprise recoil wise and it may negatively effect your shooting accuracy. You may want to consider a .270 or 30-06, a step in the right direction with alot less recoil.

30-30 will kill but I wouldn't pack one while elk hunting that is for sure.

No problemo, my elk hunting days have come and gone...

Ingwe

if i was going to go hunting with my 30-30 i would load the 170gr nosler partition rn

I just started hunting again this year, but used to hunt with a mule kicking 30-06 (hated shooting it). Got rid of that one a couple years ago when I thought that I wouldn't hunt again, but here I am. The 338 ME has the recoil of a 270, about 20 lbs IIRC, and has trajectory and velocity almost identical to the 30-06.

No! Not regularly, confidently, at less than ideal angles, every time, at even less than that range. Treat the animal with respect and kill it humanely. If you can't afford something else be very, very careful; it'll do it of course but it's far from ideal and if you "do it right" like you say, you'll have to pass up many shots and limit yourself.

When folks say it's been killing for decades or something like that, they're right, but I can only imagine how many elk it's been wounding for decades; that's not fault of the cartridge so much as that of the shooter trying to stretch it's capabilities.

If you are not the limiting factor as a rifleman why place limits on yourself voluntarily with a woods, whitetail cartridge and one not overly impressive at that?

I would suggest something at least in the 30-06 class which takes in a handful of cartridges.

If a round ball muzzle loader will kill an elk, well??? Bow hunters need 40-yards or better, so bring on the 200-yards. I would limit it more to around a 100 personally. I love my little 94!