Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Elk, Cow/Spike Average Chest Depth and Length

Can't quite find what I need for practice targets so its time to make my own cardboard cut outs.

Need average chest depth top to bottom and length of elk front of chest to tail.

Do NOT want measurements off large bulls.

Thanks, Jeff

I'd say and this is off of memory and not looking at notes but I'd say for the spikes and cows the chest depth would be in the 24-27" range

Mark D

I agree with Mark. Make it 24" and you're good to go for any elk...

Brad/Mark

Thanks. I'll take my poor sketching and say 24 inches deep and what say, about 5 feet long or so?

Jeff

rost495,

I took a couple large sheets of cardboard and traced a life size elk manikin that my taxidermist had.
Bought a couple of cans of cheap spray paint and made a life like elk target.
At 300 yds with my VXIII 2.5x8, it looked good!

JD338

I love your approach...real world. I shot a bull last season with a fork on one side and a 25" spike on the other. He was so young that his ivories had maybe a 1/4" of ivory. The rest was still hollow (and man is that critter delicious). As he lay there I actually took out the tape. He measured 23" back to brisket. A far cry from what you hear about mature bulls, but again, real world.

I've generally found the spikes and forky's to be right in the 24" range and the cows can go up to 27". A good size cow is a heck of a lot more critter than most spikes at least in this country.

Mark D

YEah I do a bit of stuffing on the side at times(used to be full time) and a lifesize form would be super. Unfortunately... in the land of whitetails and friggin*)(&)(*& heat, we have no LS manikins like that around...

Thanks to all. I think I know where to head.

FWIW part of my dilema is that I'm going to zero my MZ so I can use a 6 oclock, IE bottom of chest hold at 100 yards and need the impact at the level top of the heart or so. Doing a bit of guess work means a center hold should be good at 150 and top of back(not spine) hold around 200 or so depending.

Sure hope the barrel shows up fairly quick.

Jeff

Never had one stand still that long so I could measure them. I think dead measurement mite be off a little.

Definitely agree! There's a lot of variation. Put the "boxcar" cow up against a yearling cow ...

A really big cow could go north of 700 pounds, while a yearling might go 350.

Put a spike next to a 8 or 9 year old bull and see a bigger difference.

All that said, you're talking about a target, so as long as you're somewhere in the middle.

Rost, while your at it, study up on skeletal structure and anatomy..Elk are big, but there's a 'killing' corrider about 6-8" wide and about 12" tall where ya want that bullet to go..and consider angle of impact also..
Too high and forward and all ya get is neck and meat above the spine and a sore elk off into the puckerbrush..Too far rearward and again a poor hit..

Here's a few pics.
The other thing you can do is use a standardlife-size deer target which is about 1/3rd the size of an average elk.
Concentrate on putting the ML round in that kill zone at 75 yards and in consistently and you won't have aproblem killing your elk..Jim

http://images.google.com/images?q=e...;sa=X&oi=images&ct=title

Check this out. Animal Depth Chart

I don't find any lengths but one can always prorate the depth from photos to get you close.

Rost,
I just measured my bull on the wall and its 27 inches. Now for targer practice. I'd try sketching out the outline on some drywall ( go to store ask for broken pieces, usually for free) Hang these by attaching to hangers which are attached to the rod plower pot holders.. shoot away and you get instand feedback on the hit. Got this from Ric Horst from wyoming. Have a blast!

I'm a building inspector. Sheetrock should be easy. Pieces that is.

I got ya, can do a basic front leg, chest to flank thing and have easy practice. Can even spray paint a bit to dull.

Not aquainted with a rod plower pot holder though?

Thanks, Jeff

Jeff,

Sorry bout that.. How about the Rod Flower Pot holder.. The ones that are about 5-6' tall usually made of iron. Hope that helps. Jeff I know you visit precisionlongrangehunting.com Ric is the one that gave this info out.