Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game A better question than "What is your favorite elk caliber and load?"

How many of you with said calibers and loads have actually killed elk with said caliber and loads?

John's post sparked the interest, so it's his fault

I see a lot of posts that make me roll my eyes when someone recommends their the perfect elk medicine, yet they have never even pulled the trigger on said caliber, let alone shot an elk with it. Flinch

Based on that criteria I can, without reservation, recommend:

.270 130gr Hornady IL
.338 250gr NP
.338 250 Barnes X
.338 225 TSX
.375 270gr Hornady IL
.375 270 gr TSX
.375 300gr Barnes X
.375 300gr TSX
.416 400gr TSX

Uh-huh, and which of those calibers do you think the average elk hunter could shoot without flinching after the first shot? My experience at "shoot-in days" with average hunters suggests it is the first on your list, and none of the others. Some develop the flinch just thinking about shooting magnums.

well, he didn't ask which ones I thought "Joe" could handle - he asked what "my" favorite actually-killed-elk-with load was, and although I've shot more different loads with the .375, I've killed a larger number of elk with the .338 in total. The .338 225 TSX with 72gr. RL-19 is right slick, IMHO.

Never shot an elk with my 300 wsm, but I have killed an African elk and other elk sized critters with it.

Plus, Ive killed elk with less... 308, 308, 30-06

Actual kills.....30-06 (165 gr. Horady Interlock), .338 Mag. (250 Gr. Swift A-Frame), .338 Mag. (Federal High Energy wit 250 Gr. Woodliegh).

AS to the "flinch" argument that is so popular with those who are trying to justify why they use smaller calibers....It's been my experience that those who are really good shots, can shoot anything well.

Note, I did NOT say they "enjoy" shooting the big boomers as much. Nobody actually "likes" getting pounded (particularly in long sessions at the bench), but a "good" shooter is still good with whatever he shoots.

Those I see who preach the "flinch" argument, in general, tend to flinch with every rifle they shoot (including the .22 LR at times). A poorly disiplined shooter doesn't get any better no matter how small a round he choses. Flinch is just a convienient excuse.

Some mat see it differently, but that's what I've observed.

Stand by till about December. I hope to have elk-killing (instead of just elk hunting) experience by then. As of now, I know which rifles I can take on long walks during elk season....but that's about it.

I didn't post in that thread nor have I ever killed an elk (yet).

But, that does not mean hunters are guessing....

Eastern hunters break bull moose shoulders routinely as well. If one has a "caliber and load" that breaks moose bone, they'll have no worries on elk bone....

Yup!

I concur wholeheartedly. The reason I brought this up is, the guns stores are starting to fill up with "elk hunters". They are all asking the inexperienced idiot behind the desk what they should buy for an elk rifle. Every one of these azzclowns recommends one of the ultra mags or super .338's. I know for a fact several of these guys haven't shot anything bigger than a .22.

If a guy hasn't hunted elk and has to ask what rifle he should use, he DEFINITELY does very little shooting, if any at all. Starting him off with a magnum is a monumental mistake.

I help these guys "try" to sight in their rifles at the 200 yard range by my house. It is a complete joke. They are SOOOO scared of their new magnums, that they can't hit an 18" circle at 200 yards off of a cement benchrest. They blame the scope, the load, the rifle, everything, but themselves. They finally hit the circle and proclaim, "No elk is safe to 700 yards!" It gets really old...and these are the guys that actually attempt sighting in their rifles.

The old timers or guys with experience "generally" recommend something on the .30-06 case or 7mm magnum. Once the 7mm magnum is eclipsed, the recoil goes up substantially, by jumping to one of the .300 magnums. It takes a seasoned shooter to handle the recoil and put the bullet where it needs to go. The .338 increases the recoil that much more. Recoil isn't what kills elk Flinch

I have.

300 WBY worked for me. 180 tsx . First and only elk. 260 yards. Bull went less than 100 yards. A real nice 332 gross 6x6 colorado bull.

I've killed (harvested) elk with the following:

7mm Rem Mag Federal powershock 175 softpoints
7mm Rem Mag Federal premium 160 NP
.30_06 Federal premium 180 NP


and none of them have gone more than 15 yards. Albeit that my first bull ran left then backtracked the same 10 yards before knocking over 2 dead trees on his way down. The cow I got this year took the .30_06 180 grain NP straight on in the neck and never got up.

But to answer the question - I like the 7mag.

378 Bee 300 gr
378 Bee 270 gr
7mm rem mag 150

with the following, elk have died by my hand
243
2506
270
3006
308
7stw
7rum
22 pistol
41mag
4440
44mag
45 auto
before anyone jumps me, the 22 pistol was all i had in the truck when happening onto a subaroo outback/cow elk merging.
cow had 3 broke legs and a broken back.
one behind the ear and another for insurance put her out of her misery.

Flinch:

I've killed 31 elk since 1978. I know that sounds like one every year but some years I shot both a bull and a cow, some years I shot just one, and some years I got skunked.

I killed all of them with a 30-06. I used 150 grain BTSP on the first dozen or so. Then I switched to 180 grain Nosler Partitions.

KC

In chronological order:

.30-06, 165 grain Nosler Partition
.44 Rem Mag, 300 grain custom JHP
.270 Win, 150 Partition
.280 AI, 160 Partition
7mm Rem Mag, 175 Hornady Interlock
.338 Win Mag, 225 A-Frame
.338 Win Mag, 200 Ballistic Tip
.338-06, 200 Ballistic Tip
.300 Wby, 180 Scirroco
.375 H&H, 270 AccuBond
.300 WSM, 200 AccuBond
9.3x74R, 250 AccuBond

I guess that I don't have a favorite, although the .280 AI, the 7 Mag, the .338-06 and the .300 WSM have all gone down the road. Haven't used the '06 on elk in years and only took one with the .44 Mag Super Blackhawk back in 1988 or 89.

Yup!!

I gotta ask.

What state is it legal in to hunt elk with a 45 ACP and load did you use?

It would be legal in Oregon to hunt 'em with a .25 ACP necked down to 6mm. All we have to have, rifle or pistol, is centerfire and at least a .243 bullet diameter. No energy requirements, etc.