Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Whats your yardstick for ethically taking an elk

So the other night I am watching long range pursuits, and young hunter (teens) shot and harvested an elk at supposedly 1375 yards. I had a knot in my stomach just watching, for me this was an unethical shot. Sure he took the shot and killed the animal, but it seemed more for show than in sportsmanship. I know most hunter aren't shooting at these distances but it got me thinking, What are people using to guide (ethical) shots on elk and deer. And what I really mean is this. I generally want to deliver 1800 lbs of energy for elk and 800-900 lbs of energy for deer. For elk I prefer a bullet with a sectional density of at least .250 - .260 if it shoots well in my rifle with a high BC. Plus that bullet needs to be able to penetrate without separation. So I'm shooting a 160 Accu 7mmSTW, 200 Fusion 338 Fed (closer ranges), and 165 TBBT 30-06 for elk. Plus I'm not personally comfortable shooting more than 400 yards in any of these rifle, although I'm sure the rifles/bullets can be effect beyond this limit.

What thoughts and limits have you put on your elk rifle/bullet set-up if any? or did you just say "180 Part 30-06 works for everyone I know so I'll use it, " or maybe "this magazine says I need a 210 TTX in a 338 mag.."

And I'm curious what the 243 elk hunters use to guide them, and others who use less popular elk calibers? And yes shot placement is the most important aspect.


Thanks

I think people generalize elk hunting to much in the constant elk caliber, cartridge, bullet threads.

What I would find acceptable for watching a saddle or trail may not be acceptable when slipping through a North slope looking for a bedded bull. I have no problem shooting, or having a kid use a 243 with a good bullet on the earlier but would not do it on the later.

The Village idiot from Oregon will be along shortly, but I have never been able to see a difference on animals between the likes of a 308, 270,30-06 etc. Maybe somebody that has been around more kills than me has, but I haven't seen it.

I have shot elk with a variety of cartridges ranging from .270 Winchester up to .375 H&H. I tend to use heavy for caliber bullets with high BCs, the exceptions being in the 9.3s where I use 250 ABs and the .375 H&H where I used 260 ABs. Although I did shoot one bull at almost 400 yards, it's been quite a few years since I have seen a shot much over 300 yards that I was comfortable taking.

About 300 yards is tops for me but I bet I haven't shot 3 elk at that distance. I'm like SLM I haven't see any differnce in killing ability from a muzzle loader to 44 mag up to 7 mag.

I think hunters should take any shot that they are comfortable with and confident of making. But far too many "shooters" are shooting at long distance for bragging rights and do not care if they hit game that is not recovered.

If there were actual consequences for wounding and not killing an elk cleanly, far fewer stunt shots would be taken. There aren't very many stunt shots taken in big game hunting situations where a trophy fee is charged for every animal that leaks some blood, like in most of Africa.

For me, in normal hunting situations, I would be very reluctant to take a shot further than 300 yards on a elk. I'd get closer or pass on the shot.

Biggest factors are my own abilities,confirmed through shooting,and circumstances,including distance, conditions of wind and terrain,elk location,time of day,etc.

Rifles and loads don't merit much consideration because I won't be there in the first place with a cartridge and bullet that I don't know, for sure, will work. I'm not into "guessing", or finding the lowest common denominator in terminal performance.

I think people need to stop watching those half baked shows.

Hunt how you want, what you want, where you want. Just because someone has a HD video camera and editing software doesn't make them magically worth of consideration or conversation.

or emulation...

I like spotting an elk at some distance because then if I can approach to within range then that is a real rewarding kill. I feel like I've earned those. For me the essence of the hunt is to try to use some skills to navigate the terrain and wind to move into range. If they bust me that is perfectly OK. I'm successful often enough. My own idea of fair chase is that some amount of stealth or skill ought to be involved so that it is not just a harvest.

I got tired of moving tree-stands, spotting scopes, 16 pound rifles or needing to be 10 feet higher or 10 feet to the left.
I went full uber and got a hot air balloon.
I plan on stretching my "hunt" to the one mile line.
Diggity......


P.S. I have a friend that has pretty much gotten bored with "normal" elk hunting at "normal" yardage. He had a rifle built for "long range hunting". He's thrown a fair amount of lead................
No jerky yet.
I cringe.
I won't go with him either, but that's me.

I can't comment on Elk because I've not been blessed to hunt one, but you did mention deer.

I've hunted whitetail since the age of 10; I'm 44 now and I've killed more than the average hunter in my area. I'm not an expert, I just put the time in and I'm not afraid of walking.

I'm comfortable with shooting out to 300 yds with 400 yds being my max. I'm not properly equipped or practiced to go further.

In all my time hunting, mostly in timber, I've only killed two or three at my 300 yd comfort zone.

I have zero interest in long range hunting or playing sniper.

899 yards is MY personal yardstick on headshots for elk. Go just ONE yard over that, and the guys here will give you a big ol' ration of chit......

Is the balloon equipped with a winch and 2 miles of wire rope?

Yeah, but it's still not as big as you deserve.....

My personal yardstick has nothing to do with energy, SD, or any of that because I routinely kill elk with slow moving hunks of lead that fail on all counts. My limit is my ability to place the bullet.

My yardstick for taking an elk is to make it as difficult as I possibly can on me. I do not own an atv, or animals to hunt with. I walk in or backpack in to hunt. Stay out all day or for a week. I carry no gps, no phone, no radio or sat phone. Lately, I've even been leaving the bino's in the truck too. I just carry my weapon, some food/water and my boots - minimal gear. I've killed a pile of elk; making it as difficult as possible or hunting a new and unknown area has been a way to keep elk hunting fun and fresh.

For me, few things are as rewarding as going into a new area stone cold, sniffing around a little, reading some sign, figuring out what they're doing and then getting into elk.

Being up close and personal so that you can see the reaction on their faces when you fool them or waking them in their bed brings me more enjoyment than the killing. That part I now leave to my son just so we don't miss out on all the fun that packing one out really is

Interesting perspective. I too hunt out of a backpack, not to make it harder, but because that's how I like to hunt. I think getting back in a few miles actually makes it easier to kill an elk. Just harder to get it back to the truck.

I'd way rather have a 600 yard shot at an unaware bull, with a .243....... than a 100 yard shot at a running bull with a .375..... but that's just me.

I KNOW what my limits are in placing a bullet on stationary targets. How? I shoot them all the time... to the tune of 1000+ rounds a year. I have no F'n clue how to hit schitt running 30 MPH through the timber..... because there's no way to simulate that shot. I bet dollars to fhugkin donuts that 10 times as many critters are wounded and lost every year to moving shots, than to pokes over five hundred yards.....

All this talk of 'ethics' and 'long range' cracks me up..... I know WAY more guys that will take moving shots than 'long range' shots. But I don't know ANYONE who practices moving shots. Ethics is a legally launched projectile through both lungs..... it's not a range, or caliber, or bullet, or energy..... you twat-cicles need to get that straight.

And everyone knows that at 900 yards the bullet would have just bounced. That's why having as long of a barrel as possible is a good thing. Makes you closer to them.

Doesn't a longer barrel also guarantee longer-term endorsement contracts?

Of course. Let's you put a longer sticker of said endorser on your barrel too