Way back in June Spotshooter started a thread asking who was going elk hunting this season. There was about 75 who replied. The thought was the success ratio would be about 25%.

I think that's low but on Vancouver Island success rates are very high.

Who did get an elk this year and with what ?

I'll start. I killed a cow elk using an old model 70 30-06. Leupold 6x42 and a Federal load with a TSX 180. Distance was about 75 yds.

Will the magnums win out ?

cow, .06, 180 gr GK at 5 yds

No elkie for me. Was close enough to hear and smell a bull but...

-jeff

6x6 bull with a CZ Model 3 in .300 WSM.

I didn't kill an elk with my bow. I still have a late muzzleloader season to go but I'm not holding out any huge hopes since the herd is sitting on a game refuge 3 miles from the hunting area and haven't moved in a month.

Used a 300WSM with 180gr. TSX's (Zeiss 4.5 X 14 X 44, set on 4.5X) on a spike in late Oct.......DRT.

Congrat's to you.........

2 with an .06 and 2 with 300WSM's.
3 of 4 with 180. Mudhen's with a ?

Saddlesore's got the most stylish ride out, I think, on a mule.

Congrat's to all.

still grinding it out. have until the end of Jan. don't count me out yet!

FWIW, mine was taken with a 200 grain AccuBond.

Small 5X5 at 400 yards with an older FN action Sako in 375 Wby, topped with a Burris Euro Diamond 3X10x40, launching 260gr Accu Bonds.

He was small but excellent eating, and I was able to get the truck over to him. No complaints...

Jeff, whenever you're around me always smell bull.....


sorry couldn't resist

Dober

I think I would a let it get a lil closer

Bogger,

I hear it was closer, and he let it get out a bit...give the gal a sporting chance.

Well hell why not knife its azz if she was that close lol.

Kinda curious as to how much hair was burned off from the muzzle blast

Interesting, so far it's 180 gr or heavier AND not a 299 yard 308
in the mix.

I was fortunate to be able to get my truck right to her.

Raghorn with 270 Win and 140 AB at 150 paces, during the last few minutes of shooting light.

We got two out of three hunters this year. Good year. Lots of nice elk around.

1. Trotting 5x5 @ 205 yds with a 338/225 gr Bearclaw. Elk was going up hill hit high lung and out the left carotid.

2. Standing 3x4 @ 70 yds +_ 338/250 NP. Busted shoulder, heart, etc.

Cow at 48 yards with my Hoyt Vipertech

My youngest son shot a six-point with his 7-08 and 140 TSX. My middle son shot a six-point with his .30-06 and 150 TSX. I shot a four-point with my 300 WSM and 180 XP3s.

3 Elk in camp

1 Leon came from ND got a 6X6 (borrowed 30-06, his scope fell apart the day before)
2 Me cow 300 yds
3 Me 5X5 from 300yds
both with ruger 300wm leupold 3X9 federal premium 180gr np

raghorn 5x5, bowtech guardian, slick trick heads, 35 yards first shot, 2nd shot 72 yards.

Toby Joe

Me-
cow- utah 150 yards
Remington 700 300 win mag
Partition bullet -
Partner-
cow- 70 yds
300 weatherby mag
partition bullet

Shot my biggest bull ever this year, a nice 6x6, with my 300RUM. Don't want to piss off the "ethics police", so I'll leave it with a simple "he was out there a ways".

Me - Cow at 420 yards
.300 Win Mag/180 grain Accubond

Bro. In Law - Cow ~ 400 yards
.300 Win Mag/200 grain Accubond

Two others in camp didn't fill thier tags.

5 pt bull in Colorado at 320 yds. 2 shots fired from a standing rest, both to the boiler with a 338 RUM 225 gr Nosler Accubond, Burris 4.5-14 ballistic plex. Congratulations to everyone else!

Heck....no worries. Compared to saddlesore's bull, that could be 20 yards!!

2 for 2.

Me: 6x5 w/ a Win M70 in .300H&H shooting .200grn Partitions. 1st shot through the lungs at 450yrds w/ a finishing shot at 50.

Dad: 1x3 w/ a custom Mauser in .338Win mag shooting (I think)225grn TSX's. 1 shot into the body (had to hit it as it was trotting through heavy trees and finishing shot to the neck. Both at under 100yrds.

I got a 5x5 here in Colorado. 30/06, 180 grain Hornady "interlock" spire point--handloads. 75 yards 1 shot & he's down. CB

25 elk. 5 with 30-06's and 5 with 300WM.
11 with some type of 300 magnum.
Bullet weights from 140 gr to 260 grain.

Hats off to the 2 successful bow hunters.

Me a spike at 513 yards .338 Allen Mag 300gr SMK at 3400. one shot

Dad a spike at 550 yards .338 Allen Mag 300gr SMK st 3400.one shot

I've seen your stick Joecool. 550 yds is like kickin the dog with that AM. That thing is a drooolllll machine.

Elkcreek Thanks
That�s the only shot I had but dad had the chance to take his the day before at 930 yards but it was in a really nasty spot so he waited. I really wanted to see him drop it at 930.

Saw over 120 of them. Glassed and stalked them, tracked them in the snow and found out they are much more mobile and wary than deer. Need to polish my act. Saw lots of other game. Now hooked on elk after my first hunt. E

We went 4 for 5. Two with 30-06 using Winchester's new bullet (disappointing)
My son shot his with his lefty 308 BDL using factory 150 Corelokts. Not a bang flop but only walked about 4-5 steps.

I hunted all of 1 1/2 days. I passed on the bulls in the group we had settled on, waiting for a better look at the 'big one'. He showed himself the second morning and was a 390+ bull. His right main beam was busted just above the G3. I saw that and came home.

We had too much meat already and it was too nasty a spot to shoot just any old horns. It's fun looking at them though. I passed some meat bulls along side the road on the way home. Some friends are ticked that I didn't shoot one so they could have the meat! I guess they should have volunteered to come.

The 4th one was a 373 bull killed with a 30-378 @ 600++ yds using a 200 grain SMK by a 16-year-old.

Now I probably won't get drawn again for 10 years!

Seems that some are just jealous that they don't know how to get close to elk. For your info magnumb nuts, it probably was close than 5 yds. Some of us here,still know how to hunt elk without sniping them fromm long distances. If you would shut your mouth and listen to others, you might learn something

I topped a small rise and there were about 15 elk standing and bedded in some aspen whips about 8 ft tall,but none over and inch in diameter. My partner had just shot an elk about 60 yd away and they were all wacthing him. They were so intent on the other guy, they never knew I was there until I shot.

I have shot more elk at less than 25 yds than I have at over 100

Cow #1
.30-06, 165g North Fork @ 2812fps
126 lasered yards
42 yard pack out

Cow #2
.30-06, 165g North Fork @ 2812fps
~25 yards
6 foot pack out

Pictures and story here: http://coyote-hunter-2007-elk-hunt.blogspot.com/

What's gotten under your saddle....sore?

skymule says he got an elk out there a ways.......I remembered your post and was impressed with yours being taken at so close a range (4 yards... right?).......I merely make a statement to skymule that in this specific thread anyway (where all sorts of different distances that have been mentioned), 20 yards could be considered out there's a ways, especially compared to your 4 yard shot..........GET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I'd suggest that before you start gettin' all defensive, losin' it over absolutely nuthin' and then makin' yourself look stupid.....better to ask for clarification first rather than suffering the latter.

Don' know where I could have been seen as the promoter of long distance shootin' or any other style one might choose to engage in, nor the judge and jury of such as your post clearly indicates that you are....nor have I ever attacked you over any subject or post here on "the fire". So your above post makes even less sense to me given these facts, if that's even possible. Actually, I recently submitted a post in this section where I stuck the workin' end of a rifle into the shoulder of a 3X4 bull and dumped him on my boot some years ago............so, as you say, I'm "jealous"........jealous of what? That's a pretty high horse you're ridin' there..........

Jumping to conclusions that are so off base can obviously cause results that are totally unnecessary and uncalled for, such as your post. Why take the time, energy and anger it takes to plan a negatively based response and then type it as if it is the gospel when the more prudent approach (especially when there's no negative history between us whatsoever) would be to use less energy and express less anger by postin' a simple, "hey, what did you mean by that?", if in fact, you couldn't understand a simple, straightforward post.

Can't for the life of me see how you could have gotten to where you are from my post to skymule....unless any opportunity to turn somethin' around was all that you needed to satisfy your own needs or desire to do so......but then I'm still at a loss to see why you'd choose to do so.

There was only one post in this entire thread that was definitely callin' into question anyone's ethical huntin' practices and it was yours......no one else's.....yours and yours alone. Seems others that shot their elk over a distance further than YOU deem ethical ("some of us who still know how to elk hunt" and "sniping them from long distances", whatever distance you've determined that to be) should have much more of an issue with your statements than you with mine.....by a loooooooong shot........pun intended.

First Archery Elk Hunt this year.

Didn't get one but it was exciting to be in the woods with the big boys bugling just like in the videos. Just couldn't get close.

The same thought has crossed my mind.

My apologies and regrets for my post Magnumb, I took it you were calling my statements bull, not that I shot a bull, as I had posted I had shot a cow.

Chit happens....been there, done that.

Suppose just wakin' up to that first thing this mornin' took me by surprise as well.

Group hug........nah.....we're good.

You gotta love the long Montana hunting season.

cow #1 - .308 BLR at 40 yards in heavy timber, 180 core lokt, 150 yard extraction, early hunting in snow Sept 22

cow #2 - .30-06 Safari at 50 yards in sage and aspen, 180 core lokt, 4 mile extraction, late hunting in snow Dec 6

I'm a meat hunter and generally take the first fair shot that fits my tag, and my family and friends will be eating good this year. Plus we need the extra meat to help me and my buddy recover from packing out #2!

1 Cow with a 300 saum and 165 partition.

1st shot off hand at 70 yards hard quartering away through right side ham and out left side rib cage. Didn't hit a single organ, but took out an artery (a lot of blood).

2nd shot standing at 30 yards through the neck.

A lot of hard hiking, but the weather couldn't have been better.

Guess I need to set a few people straight. This is for those among us (SaddleSore) that seem to think I don't have the ability to sneek up close to elk, so apparently I'm left with haveing to "snipe them from long distances". I've been hunting all my life, started tagging behind my dad years before I was big enough to even carry a gun. I've been a devout elk hunter for almost 30 years, don't know how many I've killed in that time, in fact I probably average a couple a year. The last year I remember not shooting one was 20 years ago when the game warden showed up in my camp the night before opening day and informed me I'd better get my butt off the mountain because my wife had gone into labor two weeks early.

I've snuck into umpteen herds before - had them so close to me if I would of had a fork I could of stabbed them in the ass. I grew up hunting whitetail back East, moved to Colorado in 79'. I've had elk and deer jump up out of their beds so close to me it scared me as bad as it did them, and sometimes I knew they were there! So I can put the sneak up on any deer or elk alive IF I CHOOSE TO. I just don't choose to anymore, its too easy, there's no challenge to it anymore. I find alot bigger challenge in seeing how far I can reach out and touch one these days. To each his own I say. I've been practising long distance shooting for quite a few years now. I guess you could call me a professional rock killer being as thats my usual target of choice. I live in a part of the country that I can drive two miles from my house and shoot way farther than my Leica 1200 rangefinder will even read, so I get alot of practise, and because of that, I've gotten pretty damn good. I shot my bull this year at 872-879 yds. Four shots, 4 hits - first two were 4" apart, double lung shots, and he hadn't dropped yet so I tried to break him down by putting one in his shoulder. Put one smack in the middle of his shoulder, that didn't put him down either. He took 4-5 steps and turned and faced me, I put the last one in his chest facing me at 879yds. Thats when he piled up. I'm one of those guys that doesn't like chasing them so I've always shot til they hit the ground. I'd venture to say I have the ability to sneak as close as the most successful bow hunter out there - I just don't choose to anymore. BEEN THERE-DONE THAT!!!! I'm having more fun these days "snipeing" them as you say. I say to each his own, whatever turns your crank. "Snipeing" them is what turns mine these days.

Slymule, I don't figure I have any right to tell someone how far they can shoot an elk. As you are turned on by 1000 yd shots,I like to get up close and personal. To me,the hunting part of it goes out the window at maybe 200 yds or less. Anything past that is just killing. Person can do the same thing on paper to prove thier proficiency. But if it floats your boat, get after it.

BTW. My post previously as in reply to a mistaken way of reading somwething that was written and I have apologize to Magnumb for it

Saddlesore, I read your apology to Magnumb. But between your comment "Some of us here,still know how to hunt elk without sniping them from long distance", and Magnumb mentioning my name in his butt chewing he gave you - I figured your comment was meant for me, and apparently so did Magnumb also.

I've been on this forum a long time, never miss a night reading, but very seldom open my mouth and say anything. Probably should of kept it shut this time, but it got my hackles up being as I've spent most of my life successfully sneaking up on game. I just don't choose to do that anymore and wanted to let you know it wasn't because I don't have the ability.

Have a late season tag in CO. I'll probably be hunting a week or so from Jan 10 on. If I fill early I'll probably thrash the Big Thompson with some flys; if I fail to fill, I'll probably thrash even more, harder.

I'm hauling two rifles along. My old standbye Shilen 340 for primary and a Blaser R93 '06 will sit the bench waiting for a chance. A 210-TSX at 3200 in the first, and a 165-gr TSX at 2875 in the second are what will be up the pipes.

Funny thing, I have killed 13 bulls at less than 100 yds, many at 40-50. Now I kinda want to shoot one across a canyon- just a new challenge.

Sneaking up on them in the timber is fun, but it's not the best way to trophy hunt. My experience with the close ones is that they usually only give you a second or two to decide.

I don't think I have shot one under 40 myself. That's the new goal, under 40 or over 400! None of this middle of the road stuff.

Thats what I'm talking about! I love hunting, but I love a challenge more. My goal is to shoot a deer/antelope/elk/bear, hell I don't care which one, but I want to tag one at 1000 yds. After that, who knows...I may go close again and try a spear, or maybe I'll just sharpen up my fork. ;^)

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I think it�s both arrogant and a mistake to think that just because someone chooses to shoot at longer ranges than you would that they don�t know how to get closer.

For myself, I�ve never put powder burns on a hide but I�ve been within spitting distance and not fired a number of times. To put meat in the freezer, not because I NEED it but because I LIKE it, I�ll generally take a good shot if it is offered. Then my buddy and I will pack it out on our backs and focus our remaining time going after his animal or filling our deer tags. If a shot is under 200 yards or over makes no difference to me as long as I think I can make a clean kill. This year�s shots happened to be about 25 yards and a lasered 126, last year it was 260. The longest I�ve ever taken was 350 and it was easily one of my most rewarding and difficult stalks.

Hope your nose isn�t so high in the air it gets out of joint.

As I said,if it floats your boat, get after it. Just ain't my cup of tea.

Cow, 350 grain .50 caliber ML bullet, 75 yards.

Cow, 300WM w/180 NP at 130 yds. 1st shot into the lungs stopped her on her feet, 2nd shot into the works put her down.

No bow elk for us this year either saw a lot and several bulls right at 50 yards but too far this old stick flinger. Lost a few lbs does that count. grin!!

I came up empty this time. My camp went 3 for 4 however. All bulls. Even though I didn't connect, it was a great time and thus a successful hunt.

Pard and I each got a cow. Mine, 150yds, 300Win, 200TSX. His, 125yds, 300Win, 200 Partition.

Two elk down at once is very satisfying! Also, it's a long rest of the day.

6x6 Wyoming, Weatherby 30-378 at 350 yds, 1 round.

If one's goal is to derive a success rate, those that did not score need to chime in too.

Cow Elk Montana, Marlin 444 Lever Gun, 265gr somewhere around 65yds

Mine- Cow, 202 yds. 7 Rem mag. 150 gr. Core-lokt psp. 1 shot
Wifes- Cow, 125 yds. 270 win. 150 gr. Core-lokt sp. 1 shot

Cow with a winchester 700-BDL in .308- a 200 pound calf makes for excelent eating