Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting What's the most rifles you've taken to elk camp?

I'm with this group------ .one.

What messed up on his gun?

One.

More hunting and less mental gymnastics about elk rifles.

I would gladly take a matching pair of Kimber Montanas in 7WSM (or any other light, accurate, reliable rifle chambered in a suitable cartridge), and proceed to kill 'em in the thick stuff or out there a ways, whatever the mountain offers. Who needs a Sendero for that kind of shooting? I've also laid game flat at less than 30 yards, on the run, using a 9x scope. So I have a hard time seeing why the BLR would be necessary, either. A 6x scope is better for this work than a 9x, and there is nothing wrong with less magnification, but a 6x will get it done, close or far.

If you knew that you were going to be hunting exclusively the thick, dark stuff, then I'd just take the BLR. If you were going to drive to within 1 mile of your hunting spot, set up your rifle, and sit and wait, then I'd just take the Sendero. But for a mixed bag of terrain and distances, the .338 and 7WSM are all I'd take.

Here is a vid of a bud and I messing around in the hills. First 3 shots from a cold bore on a 1MOA size rock, across a canyon, shooting uphill at an 11deg angle, with crosswind and updraft. A Sendero-type rifle might be nice for this specific type of shooting, but a Kimber Montana can get by okay, and is a better all-arounder. First two shots went roughly 1MOA high and 1MOA right. I'm not at the point where I'd shoot elk at 988 yards, but I certainly would at well over half that distance. Even if you did have the gumption to smack an elk at 988, if your shots were similar to those in the vid, aim for 1/3 up on the front shoulder and you've got a high rear lung shot with the first two rounds, and a punched shoulder with the 3rd. Spotter on 45x. I'm thinking you don't need a Sendero for long shots on elk.



First few shots at 455 yards. Excuse the music.

I see keeping it simple is not your style Jordan?

The lenses fell out of his K-4 Weaver.

That was many years ago and we weren't into extra scopes, QD rings, etc. We were young and took what we had.

DF

Hah, that depends on what we're talking about!

A Montana in 7WSM with 6x42 Leup on top is about as simple as it gets

Two is typical for me.

Always, only one rifle. But I include in my duffle a scope w/ rings previously sighted in for my rifle and handload. Using Weaver-type mounts, you only need to swap the rings and you're good to go. Personally, I'd check the new scope on a improvised target, if available. But I've found that the Weaver system will be repeatable within 2 MOA.

In about 45 years of elk hunting, I've never seen any reason to take more than one rifle to camp. That includes hunting from a truck camp, a camp that I've packed in on my horses, or a backpack camp.

However there were a few years that I killed my elk on the hill behind my house, so I guess in those years my house was my elk camp, and then I had my whole safe full of rifles in camp.

I take only the bare-essential 4 rifles and one 12/30-06 BBF... and a drilling. Do the 3-4 22s count?

3 is the most I've taken before. A long range (300 wby) a short range (500 S&W handi-rifle) and a medium do-all backup (308). Most of the guys i hunt with are 1 rifle hunters, so I consider that do-all back up the CAMP back up. This is also the reason I don't have that 308 in my safe right now lol my dad thought he was going to be without a rifle because my brother said he wasn't going hunting, which means his 742 Jam-master wasn't going to make the trip (dad leaves the gun with us since he travels out of state to hunt). So I left my 308 for him at the family cabin as I was hunting an earlier season. Well he ended up taking the 308 home instead of leaving it up there...not sure why lol.

Yeah, but you never know...

17 is about right.

I usually take one, since my primary elk camp is my house, but did take two on a fly-in horseback trip to northern British Columbia 10 years ago. It seemed prudent, since it was a LONG way to any gun store, much less a gunsmith.

On that trip one of the other hunters had a horse break the custom synthetic stock on his rifle, right through the grip. Luckily, I was able to repair it with epoxy and some of the synthetic fabric from the oat bags, but his rifle was out of action for a day.

I only take one rifle. I know it can happen, but never had a rifle fail me. Therefore, I don't worry much about it. I know this thread is not about scopes, but I always have a spare scope and I have on one occasion needed it.

We have a group of 3 to 4 guys that normally go, and we will take 1 backup rifle just in case...

Go ahead and take 4/5 rifles with, what are you gonna do? Sit in the dark every morning wondering which rifle to carry that day?

You decide to carry the 325 one day, and as the sun rises you reach in your pocket and find yesterdays .338 shells...

This stuff really isn't that complicated.....

Its not complicated, but some guys try to make it that way..Kind of like trying to stick that 338 into the 325, just doesn't work... ...I've got my 1 elk rifle (for this year) lined up and almost ready to go. Just need to fine tune that load...

Pic from my wall tent last year. I never left camp , couldn't decide which one to tote.

Gunnuts, you are one funny dude....

I actually packed a hoyt maxxis for ole wapiti last year