I have a friend that has elk hunted with one rifle since 1971. The same rifle since ‘71. He has killed over 40 elk with it, including 25 bulls. This is pretty impressive in this day and age of ultralight guns and newfangled latest and greatest cartridges. He reloads for one cartridge. One. He uses one bullet and powder. One. But he gets it done year after year with his 1962 (first year of production) Remington 700 in 7mm Rem Mag (also, first year 7mm mag introduced). It is the elk killing rifle.

What powder and bullet??

He is probably one out of a 100 guys that actually saves money reloading. It sounds like he is a very good hunter also to have a string of successful years like that on elk.

Sounds like my kind of guy!

He shoots 160 gr partitions over IMR 4350.

My 89 year old father has used three rifles elk hunting the past 70 years--all of them 30-06's and 180gr factory Corelokts. A M721 he bent the bbl on, a slammin', jammin' M742 that he sold after one year, and a M77 since 1970. He guesses he's killed around 50-55 elk now and is happy to draw a cow tag most years, and most of those years he kills an elk.

Sitting on top of the M77 is an equally old Bushnell ScopeChief 3-9 with the flip up "Command Post". The Command Post gave up the ghost a long time ago. The magnification ring is froze on 3x. Doesn't matter, dad hasn't killed an elk more than a 100 yds away in 30 years.........

I killed my first elk in 1971--and I'm young.......

My favorite elk killing rifle was a M70 winchester in .300H&H

One bullet, one load.

I way rather prefer to buck hunt, but if I was a serious bull hunter, I'd 338 win mag... That being said, I've killed as many elk as your pard, but with bow, rifle, and a lot with a musket...

I bought a 1949 pre- 64 model 70 in 30-06 a few years that LOOKS like it was used to kill a few Elk in the last 70 years.

It consistently puts three 180g Nosler Partitions in .75" at 100 yards

It's about to get turned loose on the Elk again..:)

Lotsa shiit will work, I’ve done it, in probably the “worst” elk hunting conditions possible, nothing hurts em right now like a big chunk of lead started out 2800 FPS or so... I’ve killed and seen several killed with 22’s, 243, 6mm, 25/06 etc... huntin dry states, ie, not western Washington, Oregon or North Idaho, I’d use about anything, the aforementioned states are a total different game...

I hunted the Oregon coast one time swore never go back lol.. but if I were to hunt the coast again be with a 325, 338 shooting a partition, a-bomb or interlock..

Folks don't understand, unless they've done it.... A 50-100 yard death run can result in a lost animal, fast.... I've hunted a lot c places, nothing compares...

Right into the depth of no mans land. My buddy hunted the coast most his life and he used a 340 wby with 250gr partitions at the time.
He swore by that combo

bull elk seem to be hard to kill sometimes so i built a 338 Lapua on Weatherby Mark 5 action.

I've often pondered simply using the 7 lb 30-06 in my safe for everything. Then I come to my senses.

Beware the man with one rifle!

I know my grandad from Star Valley Wyoming packed the same Winchester 94 .30-30 rifle his whole life. I couldn't even speculate how many elk and deer he'd killed with that rifle, but I do know our extended family never seemed to run out. He used to chide my dad and uncles for using their scoped .270's and .30-06's saying they were only useful for hunters "who got no sneak!" I can only imagine what he'd think of the current discussions on what it takes to be a proper elk rifle!!

Beware of the man with one gun; He might be able to use it.

My great Uncle Ed is on his second hunting rifle since the 50's. Health is to bad to get out anymore he's 85 I believe, but last year was elk number 64. He said he always wanted to make it to 70 elk killed, doesn't look like that's going to happen.

A .30-06 would have done the same thing.....

You just described a rancher friend of mine. His too is a 1962 Rem 700 in 7mm RM (they had "blued" stainless barrels that first year). He got it used around 1970, and it wears a Leupold 3-9x40 on top. The 100's (1,000's) of miles that rifle has ridden in a scabbard would be hard to calculate, and it lives in his rear truck window. It has certainly accounted for nearly 100 elk in his, friends, family, and clients hands (he used to guide North of Yellowstone).

There's a lot to be said for a one-rifle hunter. Building that sort of history with a rifle is a very cool thing... me, I'm just too much of a tinkerer.

Whooooosh. Right over your head.

That's exactly what I thought...

I believe I'd have my Kimber Talkeetna 375 H&H cut back to 20" (cripes, maybe 16") or acquire one of the short bbl'd big-bore levers. I don't even like hunting ruffed grouse in the hazelbrush tangles of an oak ridge let alone trying to scoot a single bullet through that sort of NW rain-forest mess at a big game critter.

horse fall on it?

So he is not a rifle looney.

My story is kind of like that. Bought a rifle decades ago and hunted elk with it every year until the blueing has worn off.
It was a couple of years before I could even afford to put a scope on mine. Eventually I got old and acquired more money and felt I should upgrade to something better suited for my experience. For a few years I bought new and more expensive rifles. They all got auditioned but none ever seemed to suit me as well as my original rifle. The old familiar gun still gets the nod each autumn. Mine is a 7mag shooting 160 partitions also.

A vintage Rem 7 RM with 160 NPT’s is a hammer. And, as you’ve proven, it’s a killer. What’s not to like.

DF

I think your friend is more of a hunter than a rifle loonie. I'm sure he has saved thousands of dollars with that good mentality. I'm still a rifle loonie though, I'm always looking for that next rifle that will outdo all the others.

Cool story.. My old favorite is a 700 .300 WM... Now I have lots of rifles, but for elk, I usually have this one in the truck and maybe a couple others also...

I’m a Loony; I like to continually perfect my ordinance. But, I understand a practical hunter who keeps a full freezer without a lot of fluff. I’m probably leaning more to the Loony side, but I like to eat, too.

DF

Ya several ol gristles use the 375 around here still... Hellava elk rifle..

+1

Hunting always comes first for me, but I am a certified looney! It is what I enjoy when not hunting.

The guy in the OP may be into motorcycles, golf etc. Or he may be super practical and frugal. No issues with any of it. Your life, free time and disposable income or lack of it. It takes all sorts of people to make the world go round.

Pretty sure the horse rubbed on a tree and got the scabbard momentarily hung up enough to bend the bbl. Why the scabbard straps didn't rip out I don't know. Worst part is I was the 11 year old kid tending the horses while the men were quartering and loading the elk..........

I've seen three bbls bent by horses, all of them 24" or 26". The 26" was a Mark V.........

Oh yeah man my Uncle is the same way; been shooting an A-Bolt 7 RM for as long as I can remember and knocks stuff over like a mad man.

160 NPTs & H4831 I think?

A 1951 Marlin 336 in .35 Remington, iron sights and factory 200 gr Core-Lokts. Or Savage 99 in '06 with 180 gr Nosler partitions.

Model 700 338 win mag. Filled elk tags every year since 1978. 250 grain nosler partition handload

I bumped into an old fella back in the late 90's when we were drop camp elk hunting in northern Colorado. Had to be in his upper 70's and pretty agile considering where I found him posted in relation to where their camp was. Of course we talked about elk and cartridges. He had a blued and walnut Ruger tanger in .338WM with a 4x weaver on it. Don't recall the bullet weight and style. He and his party came from Pennsylvania every year. He knew if he stayed in his spot long enough someone (national forest) would push at least one cow toward him. I asked him why such a large caliber - of course on purpose. He said he wasn't about to chase no elk in the mountains. He wanted them dead where he could see 'em. He was a character and I wished him well.

7RM’s shooting 160 NAB/NPT’s have filled a lot of freezers.

DF
/

Some guys dont get that chidt. My boss wont hunt here. He much prefers montana. Hes killed a truck load of bulls. Uses one rifle. Doesnt really enjoy handloading for that 1 rifle. Doesnt shoot nearly as much as i do. To me, having just 1 rifle would be absolutely boring, as ive shot elk with ruger m77 mkII's, cz550, Winchester model 70's, sporterized m1917's and a myriad of cartridges. Those being 30-06, 300wsm, 338wm, 9.3x62mm. They all work, just got to put that bullet in the right place. However, i think my favorite is always going to be the daddy of the 7mm rem mag, the 338wm. Lets face it, thats why they made the 338.

B, theres nothing wrong with that. Ive killed elk with rhe 30-06 and 200gr partition. That combo in the elk woods is absolutely devastating.

Ive seen a lot of guys with 1 gun that cant shoot for chidt too. The majority of them in fact.

Yeah, MIght is about right. I know quite a few people that hunt with one rifle, a couple are good hunters and can shoot, the others miss quite often, a couple don't even shoot their gun before the season cause it was sighted in last year when they put it away (I don't get it), and the only way they get a deer is if the deer has a heart attack when they shoot or they run into the bullet on purpose and commit suicide.
BBbbbaaaahahahahahahaha

My latest “elk killin” rifle has killed nothing so far, at least while I’ve had it, which hasn’t been very long.

It’s an FN 338-06 that really likes the 210 gr NPT over Varget pushing 2,800 fps. Haven’t clocked it yet, just a book estimate. Sub inch. Don’t think it would bounce off an elk. Hits hard without dislodging one’s dental work. Easy packing, easy shooting rifle. Also likes 200’s over H-380. Need to try the 210’s with that one.

DF

A local acqu aintance has been killing elk for over 40 years with a Remington 722 in .300 Savage he bought while in high school, as I recall using 180-grain Corelokt factory ammo. Obviously he is not a "long-range" hunter, but he has never had any trouble.

My thought as well. Of the guys I know who own one rifle, I can’t think of one that actually shoots much. Doesn’t mean they don’t get their deer or elk every year, but none of them do I consider to be marksmen.

Even if the one-rifle man can shoot well, being beware is often justified, because he can bore the hell out of you talking about it's perfection.

So true. Every one rifle man is totally enamored with his one rifle.

Not sure about my shooting, but the rest of this does sound like me.😀

I know a few guys like that. One uses BLR/308, another a Mod 700 BDL .270, another the same rifle but in 25-06. I grew up poor, got frustrated with "make do" from 11 to 16 until I bought my own "deer gun", a Mod 94 Classic carbine. I didn't use another until I got out of the Army. Being now newly married to the Love of my Life and the next year a father of twin girls...I was only "not quite so poor". So, I began using, trying out, then selling or trading to obtain another ( never accumulated). I also learned a lot by working up loads for friend's rifles. I didn't really "keep" more than a couple rifles until I moved to Utah. By 1993, I was a 280AI and a 338WM fan. Then...I tried to settle on one rifle for everything....too late, I was "ruint", had to find a way to keep 4-5, from varmints to Buffalo, ha. Now, as I am slowing down, 3-4 keep me busy at the range and/or hunting. I like to take a spare rifle on any long or booked hunt away from home area, so any rifle I have beyond the .223 ( I mean you HAVE to have a varmint/predator rifle!, right?) has to at least be "elk capable" ( I justify it this way :)) . Life is short...way too short to use just ONE rifle!

It's a tempting thought, but I sure do like all those other rifles!

Guy

Yeah, these conversations are circular. However, I don't think there are many good shooters that haven't poured thousands of rounds through his .22 rimfire.
If he is competent with the rimfire nearly any big game round will be perfect...within reason

My first actually made for me like I wanted it is a Springfield A3. Barrel turned down pretty sleek, plain grain Maple stock, blind magazine, flat bottom forend and a straight comb. Took six years to get it and I filled the inbetween time with a Remington 700 BDL in 270. Both rifles killed elk but I liked the 30-06 a bit better using 180 gr. Speer Hotcors no less. Was hunting for meat and made every effort not to hit shoulders or straps. Then I fell into the abyss and started trying out everything under the sun.

A good friend in MT has been hunting with the same rifle since about 1950. It is a Rem 721 in 270 Win. He has killed more elk and deer than anyone that I know. It is a rare year that he does not kill both elk and deer. back in the day the deer would have been multi each year because of extra tags.

Always the same bullet, a 150 hornady with a load of 4931 I believe. If it works don't change it.

I keep telling you that you are really going to like that rifle/cartridge, the 210 NP will certainly work on elk. It also does quite a job on deer too.

Seafire and Gunner500 recommend H-380 for that round. It and Varget seem to work really well.

160 TTSX over Varget is very accurate, running at 3K fps.

DF

I prefer Varget in mine due to temp sensitivity, but Reloder 15 is good also.

I have also used a bunch of H4895. Not the fastest, but really accurate and a pleasure to get trigger time with the rifle.

Have tried bullets from 160-275gr and always seem to gravitate back to the 200/210gr weight.

My 338-06 didn't group as well with RL-15, although I did try several combos with it.

I'd read that 200-210 gr. bullets were probably ideal for that round. They do seem to preform well.

The 160 TTSX at 3K is interesting and about as accurate as any I've tried. It should whack'em pretty good.

DF

It works great!

The 160 TTSX at 3K and the 210 NPT at 2,750 or so would be the best two loads, so far in this 338-06.

I'm curious how they'd compare on elk or WT's or most anything else. Any terminal performance observations would be appreciated.

DF

Although not my favorite bullet, I think the 210gr NPT is probably the best all around bullet for this cartridge. Has worked admirably on deer and elk. Recovered on out of an elk that had lost it's front half.

The 180gr NAB has worked very good on deer for a friend of mine. No elk results yet... maybe he will draw a tag in 2020.

200gr Hornady SP has worked on deer/antelope.

210gr TSX is fantastic on elk, but a little hard for deer IMO.

200gr Ballistic silvertip was used on two deer this past fall and seems a little soft, tremendous meat loss and recovered one that had jacket separation. Was hoping for a little tougher bullet as MD has always stated the 200 BT was tough. I am not going to risk a bucket list hunt on bullet performance I am not 100% behind.

My son and I are going to SE Alaska this coming spring for a black bear hunt. I was always taking a 338-06. Just found out my next 338-06 should be coming back from the smith's in the next week or so. My son was planning on using my 300 H&H, but is now going to use the 338-06.

Going to work up load using the 210gr TTSX after the experiencing the softness of the Ballistic silvertip. If the rifles will not shoot that bullet, will try the 210gr TSX, then 200gr NAB, 210gr NPT and finally the Hornady 200gr SP if needed.

IMO experience black bears are soft animals, but I want two holes. Especially if they make it off the beach into the thick stuff.

Would love to see photos of that rifle when you get it set up.

Great info. Just what I was looking for.

Thanks.

DF

Indeed. Generally an incompetent and dangerous SOB to be in the woods with. The Dunning-Kruger Effect applies very much to guns, hunting, fishing, etc.

Tom

I had never heard of the Dunning-Kruger Syndrome. Thanks for posting, learned something today. But it is spot on.

One of things that has always stuck with me from school is the statement made about professionalism.

Know what know, know what you do not know, and be able to learn what you do not know.

I'm a bit suspicious of the application of the Dunning-Kruger effect. It postulates that those with little skill typically over estimate their skill set, acting accordingly. And, there may be some emperical evidence to support that.

BUT, politically, it's getting a lot of traction these day among elitists who apply this principle to Trump supporters and "deplorable Walmart types", who obviously know nothing, but think we do. Of course the lib professsors who postulate such stuff are positioned on their perceived cloud, peering down at us peons

SO, the Dunning-Kruger hypothesis, IMO, depends on where the observer is positioned and the observer's predetermined bias. It's possible that the proponents of this theory are inadvertantly their own victims...

DF

I did not take it as everyone with little skill, overestimates their skill, just some.

Just like the blanket statement man with one gun is not universally true.

Some of those guys may have the Syndrome, some of the one gun guys you probably should be aware of, and some are just too busy, practical, or utilitarian to have more than one rifle and waste time and money on ammunition.

My Dad has pretty much used a 760 in 270 since the very early 70's. With the exception of a 7600 I had rebored to 338-06 for elk hunting. He used it for three elk hunts and went back to his 270 and 150gr partitions.

Up until his age related decline (currently 81 yo), he was a very good shot. Growing up in the 40's and 50's he supplied many small game meals for his family and shot many pheasants in the head with 22's for the table.

He was warned to maybe pull a few shots while qualifying in the national guard because they were looking for Vietnam snipers. Has put plenty of critters in the freezer over the years. Elk, caribou, black bear, deer, antelope, coyotes have all fallen.

Now if you look at his fishing gear....that is another story. He is a certified fishing looney.

Dunning-Kruger - " a man has to know his limitations " Dirty Harry. I have killed elk with the 30-06 and 7mm mag. one with buddies 378 weatherby that was handier when we saw them. they all worked fine. my personal statistical sample is only 8. but I have helped and guided to 40 +. With that number I have experienced what works well. It is hard to get drawn in Arizona but we have some good sized ones.

Wise advice on not showing all your stuff when they looking for snipers.

I had a cousin who, like you Dad, was an experienced hunter by the time he went to boot camp. They issued him a Springfield and he just loved that rifle. Loved to show his buds how he could "stack'em"... Well, he was picked for sniper duty, served over three years in that capacity in the European and Pacific theaters during WWII. I asked him how he stayed alive so long, his comment, "I knew when to retreat".

I think if he had to do it all over, he'd have been wise like your Dad.

Good story, thanks for sharing.

DF

I'm thinking very strongly about this!

Elkhunter3006, I'll give you $20 for that Savage 99 in 30-06. Be Well, Rustyzipper.

He related the fact that sniper life expectancy was pretty good motivation to pull a few shots.

I’ve shot a decent variety with the .338 160 TTSX. 1 bull Elk, kudu, waterbuck, Impala, blesbok, and a Gemsbok. Never had to track anything. Massive internal damage, excellent penetration. Nothing over 200 yds so I can’t speak to performance once it slows down. All were heart/lung shots, no CNS, and nothing went longer than 4-6 seconds.
The bull elk was short range to the chest. Looked like a small grenade went off where he was hit, he ran maybe 30 yds and was down.
After playing with different bullets each season I’ve decided to just use the 160 as my go-to in my .338.

Thanks prm for that info. It looks like it would work, just good to hear your testimony about how it actually did work. May have to try it.

DF

Also, Barnes load data has a few powders going over 3200 FPS with the 160 TTSX in the 338-06. It’s exceptional at ~3050, 3200 is even more goodness. That will turn the insides of any elk or bear into soup.

Thanks for the report on the 160's. I shot a few of them at the range, but never hunted them.

When the 160 TTSX is mentioned in 338-06 discussions, typical responses are reasons why it probably won’t work. Here we have a first hand account of not only how it worked but how well it worked. That’s good because it’s a very accurate bullet in my rifle and one I may want to try.

DF

Part of the Barne’s performance ideology if you will is to use a somewhat light for caliber bullet. The old moly coated 168 (?) grain Barnes-X were absolute hammers in my 300 Weatherby and accounted for numerous moose, sheep, Sitka Blacktail, and both black and brown bears in AK.

I’d go light before I went heavy in a TTX bullet. Just my humble opinion.

I've seen what the 168 TTSX can do out of a 300 RUM and a 30-378. Hunting buds used that bullet in their big 30's with devastating results.

The Barnes is gonna be long for weight due to being a mono. In the 338-06, some have said that the 250 is a bit long, taking up too much case space, moving too slow and I tend to agree. I'd save 250's for the 338 WM. 200-225 gr. C&C seem about ideal for the 338-06.

I've not measured the 185 TTSX length compared to C&C bullets in the 200-225 range, but think they'd be pretty close. The 160 TTSX at 3K+ fps should be a hammer. The 185 TTSX is reportedly a good one, too. I'm thinking the 160 TTSX would be about ideal for our local WT's and hogs, the 185 TTSX also, maybe better than the 160 for bigger stuff. Hope to prove these theories one of these days.

Good info.

DF

Regarding relative bullet lengths, here is a sampling of .338 bullets. The recovered bullet is the one 160 TTSX I’ve recovered. It was in the very thick offside hide of a Waterbuck. The 185 TTSX has also worked well for me, but I do believe the 160 does a bit more internal damage. Splitting hairs, but I prefer the 160 to kill things.

The bullets left to right are:

160 TTSX
175 Cutting Edge
180 Woodleigh
180 AB
180 BT
185 TTSX
200 Woodleigh
200 North Fork
200 BT
200 SST
200 AB
200 Hot Cor
200 eTip
210 Partition
210 Scirocco II
210 TTSX
215 Gameking
225 Partition
225 AB

Great info.

Man, you’ve really studied the 338’s.

Where else is one gonna find such good, first hand info than here on the Fire.

Thanks again. Actual is always better than theoretical.

DF

I do like to tinker with things...

When you suggested the 160 TTSX or 210 Partition, you summed up my opinion on the 338-06 exactly. I would have a hard time choosing.

For sure. I've heard the average sniper life expectancy was days if not hours. My cousin staying alive in two theaters for over three years was remarkable.

One story he told, one that really upset him, even years after the fact. They were drawing fire from a barn, eventually killed the shooter. When they got there, the German sniper was a beautiful young girl with long hair. What a waste. But, you shoot at our troops, especially our snipers, you're likely to end up very dead, pretty girl notwithstanding...

DF

I'm fortunate that my 338-06 really likes both of those bullets.

I agree. One could park there, use those two and never look back.

DF

Great information!

Here's another example, which might discombobulate some here:

One of my early elk-hunting mentors used a South American military Mauser .30-06 he purchased by mail while in high school in the 1950s, for something like $25. The modifications were all on the stock--it still had the military sights. He never had it scoped, because back then he'd seen too many scopes fog or otherwise fail.

He killed at least one elk a year from then on, along with hundreds of deer and some antelope. He handloaded, but was one of the very few handloaders I've ever known who actually saved money. He had a simple RCBS press mounted on a board across the back of one of the small closets in his tiny house. He used the "middle load " of IMR4320 in the Speer manual, with whatever 180-grain bullets were cheapest at the small local sporting goods store--EXCEPT Winchester Silvertips, which he hated. (Some had failed to penetrate sufficiently over the years.) Am guessing the muzzle velocity was around 2600 fps, which is why the bullets penetrated well.

He also sometimes used a .250-3000 Savage 99, again with the middle load of 4320, and whatever 100-grain bullets were cheapest. It also only had iron sights, but he quit using it on elk after he had to shoot one bull twice in the neck before it calmed down completely.

He learned to hunt elk in far western Montana in thick timber, and I doubt he ever shot one beyond 200-250 yards. He also shot more than one elk in many years, even though it wasn't legal back then. It was traditional to fill other folks' tags if you had the chance--especially if they were family members.

He did occasionally kill a big bull, but mostly because it was the elk that appeared first. One was killed in the classic situation where he was squatting down with his pants around his ankles--but the '06 was leaning on a tree right next to him.

He didn't know exactly how many elk that rifle had taken, but he guessed close to 100.

Thanks John, love these stories. When I handle an old rifle I am always fascinated with the history. Years ago my only rifle was a Belgium Browning safari grade re-chambered to 308 Norma.
My pal at the gun shop said the old owner killed 38 elk with it. It had what is called "honest" wear. Loved that rifle and it had good mojo. My first season with it I got a spring bear, nice antelope buck.
A four point mulie and a bull elk.... used it exclusively for 8 years and for a loony that is forever....

Yep, that a long loony-time!

I am also convinced, against all reason, that some hunting rifles are just plain lucky. Have owned a few that apparently were, but like a true loony sold or traded most of them before I quit doing that....

Somewhere on the list of symptoms of being a rifle looney is if there's ever been a year that you used a different rifle every day you hunted elk.

Being from the East coast, I only get a few days to hunt elk when I go.

Soooo, I tend to grab stuff that will reach out as a long shot might be all there is

I've killed elk with a 300win, 300Rum....450yards, and 7STW.

I really like the STW, shooting 160gr Partitions, which has just a little more thump than the OP set up

That 160NP just hammers stuff.

Tony

I have hunted elk from 100' elevation in the Oregon Coast Range to 11,000' above timberline in Wyoming, and the ideal elk rifle is actually at very least two different rifles. An open country rifle shooting stiff bullets with a competent/reliable longish range scope that makes 400 yard shots quite feasible is a necessity. In my opinion, that can start all the way down at .264 bore up through .308 bore. My current choice is a M70 7 Rem Mag, long throated, shooting 168 Bergers (which act like stiff bullets in their odd way). But then you need a close quarter thumper for thick country and grizzly bear areas. That starts at .338 bore and goes up, although the configuration of the gun and the speed with which it can be put into action may be more important than the chambering. My current choices are both .375--an open sighted Brown Precision ..375 H&H on a Rem 700 and a .375 Ruger in the short barreled guide gun with a low magnification Zeiss Conquest. I also think that a Rem 760/7600 in .35 Whelen checks a lot of boxes.

.35 Whelen is my go to elk caliber, have a 1988 Rem 700 Classic that thumps critters inside 350 yards with 250gr Nosler Partitions. Have wanted to try Barnes TTSX, but the 200gr max weight gives me pause....anybody have experience with this bullet in 35 cal and elk?

There’s a fella I corresponded with here and there that swears by the Whelen and 200 TTSX on elk and I have no reason to doubt him. I’d sling that Bullet out of my Newton and know it’ll get stuff done as well.

I have killed elk with numerous rifles ranging from an open sight Marlin 336 30-30, 7mm magnum, 30-06, and my beloved .358 Winchester. There hasn't been a single elk I've taken that wouldn't have fallen to the .358. It has become my GO TO hunting cartridge of choice. Unlike most hunter's though, I self impose a 400 yard range limit. If I can't close the distance inside that range, then I'm not meant to take that elk.

Great thread, enjoyable to hear hunter-favorites.
I have taken elk with 30-30, 30-06, and 300 weatherby.

I no-longer have the weatherby, gave that butt-kicker to my godson, who wanted a 30 cal magnum.
(Win-win-situation... he WANTED a magnum, and I wanted a good reason to go back to the ‘06!!)

My godson is very happy, and I’m even happier, back to my personal favorite: 30-06/200-grain partition.

Yeah, interesting thread.

Started in 1980 with a .338 in eastern Oregon. Shot several bulls and thought I had the perfect public ground shootin iron.
Then switched to archery for a while. Took my two best bulls with sticks - shot well, I learned they died quickly.

When I picked up the .338 again I was rather astonished at the pounding I received from it!
Somebody wanted that old pre64 more than I did and now he owns it.

Then I popped a five point Roosevelt bull and a few cows with my .270....it did great and is a lot more fun to shoot. That 5 pt was right at 351 yards.
Now days I mostly hunt for cow elk on a damage permit and just use my 6.5CM, .260 and very soon my brand new 7-08.

The 6.5's kill very well - I've not had to shoot more than once. Both 129gr Hornadys and 140 Fed Fusions do the work just fine. The 7 will be running the 139 interlocks this weekend.

The country I hunt is steep, oak savanna ground with plenty of cover. Shots can be from the front door to 400+, if you want to do that. I find the modest rounds more fun to use and easier to hit well with.

Generally the hardest part of killing elk, is finding an elk to kill!

Thanks for your perspective.

MD- How many times have you heard of folks using the .257 Roberts on elk with no problem? I've read about your grandmother using it. Others?

prm- Did that Barnes 160 TTSX ruin a lot of elk meat? Normally Barnes doesn't, but velocity still does. would you trust that 160TTSX at 3050-3100 to penetrate a cow elk on a hard angle at close to moderate range I wonder? I am considering using the lighter weights in a 20" bbl 338 RCM. Even in a short barrel, I still hope get faster than I did a 22" 338 Federal 160TTSX/TAC, 3007fps avg.

I tried this out this year. New baby didn't give me much time to experiment this year. Antelope, Mule Deer and Elk all with a Ruger 1A in .30-06 wearing a Leupold 2-7x28. I bought a box of factory Remington 180 grain Core-Loct. They worked well, but it was kind of boring.

My father-in-law was not a hunter or a rifleman. Logger, farmer, provider would cover it I guess. Didn't know what we know, didn't care, so he used a '99 Savage of the mighty .300 persuasion in Western Washington for 30 years or more with no difficulties. Passed up the big old bulls several times, looking for that 2 year old 4 point. Doesn't apply nowadays, I suppose, but if I were to take a lesson from that, I'd take the rifle that I could shoot the most accurately and quickly offhand. Within reason, caliber be damned.

It does a number on meat, and everything else. At least on close shots, which I mostly end up with. I think 200 was the longest shot. The only angling shots I took were on a Kudo, and a Gemsbok. Definite pass through on the Kudu, entered ribs and went out through the far shoulder. I hit the point of the shoulder on the Gemsbok and the best I could figure was the bullet got caught in a very densely grass packed stomach. A frontal shot from low to high, just inside left leg on a bull elk resulted in a mess of one shoulder. I didn’t look closely but there was a possible exit just above his left hip bone. I don’t think you’d be disappointed in the 160. If you really want penetration you could use the 185 TTSX. The RCM would push it fast enough to work really well also. I shot a bull elk twice with those and the worked well, as well as a whitetail buck and a hog. The hog dropped straight down dead. The whitetail did a 4-5 second sprint and piled up. The bull was on a hill steeply below me. First shot was broadside left to right. He staggered, spun, caught his balance, and I put another through right to left. He stumbled maybe 15-20 yards and died quickly. Small exit wounds, but internals were a mess.

16640, You have that right.. The old 06 is good but quite boring...!!!!

In my experience, the Winchester Fail Safe and the Barnes TSX/TTSX are by far the best bullets for NOT wasting meat. Used the FS in 338WM on one elk and a couple of moose. 115 TSX in 25-06 on deer. 168 TTSX in 300WSM on WT, MD, moose, and 17 species of African game from springbok to eland in size.

Best example of not wasting meat was a WT buck coming up the undeveloped road allowance beside a no hunting property. I thought he might smell me and I didn't want him jumping the fence. I took a hard quartering to me high shoulder shot at 40yds. Bullet broke onside shoulder, completely penetrated. Could eat right up to the holes. Buck dropped and didn't twitch. Saw my Dad shoot a WT buck at about 200, behind the shoulder. The onside shoulder was completely jelliefied. That was a 270 150 NP. Don't like them.

I like Barnes. They work.

A fast handling 99 in 300 Svg would be a great choice for hunting the big Roosevelts in that Olympic jungle, IMO.

I never saw but one guy use a .270W back in East, Tx right up until I left, 1987. I moved here to Utah in '90, and began asking what folks used. Many more 270s and 30-06s , 7mm Rem Mags than anything else. The 7mm/08 was popular for the Youth Hunt, but so was the 30-30! Lots and lots of used Mod 99 300 Savages in pawn shops then too. Now I see a spattering of newer rounds, but the one that keeps coming up ( and not implying I have asked them ALL) is the 270 Win. Not surprising. Its still very easy to shoot, and kills well.

The old retired Colorado game officer that does a lot of management on theColorado ranch uses a push feed Model 70 in 270 win he bought when he got home from Viet Nam. He’s killed a LOT of elk with it. I don’t remember how many he said he’s done in with that rifle. Old son has also killed his fair share of elk on the place with a 270 in an old model1917 Winchester configuration.

I bought a Ruger tang safety model 77 in 7mm Rem Mag at 17 knowing it was a good elk caliber even though deer hunting was all it did for 23 years. After 30 deer & 7 elk it sits in the safe these days in favor of a bet up old 300 Weatherby Vanguard. I bought it as an extra rifle I wouldn’t mind leaving in a truck all day miles from where I was hunting. The extra oomph of a 180 grain TTSX going about 3200FPS is very nice to have and it is the 1st string elk rifle. My Zeiss conquest 3-15 Z800 matches trajectory exactly all the way out to 800 yards so no guessing or dialing required very quick on longer shots.

I shot a bull with a 225 grn TSX.To my surprise I recovered the bullet. He was quartering away. It went through a rib, his lungs, the far shoulder and I found it just under the skin. One pedal broke off. It weighed 222.5 grins.

I killed my only elk with a 300 Weatherby, and hunted with several other magnums - 300 Winchester, 358 Norma. The last time I used a plain-Jane 30-06. If there is a next time, that's what I will use.

Back in 1989 I met an old hunter who was carrying a Savage 99 chambered in 300 Savage with an old fixed 3x Weaver scope on top. I guess he figured it would be enough. He didn't ask what I was using.

I’ve killed all of my bulls with a Remington LSS mountain rifle, 30/06 and a 180 A/bond loaded right at factory velocity.

I’ve been fortunate to kill a lot of elk thus far, 46 or 47, lost count, both bull and cows. I’ve helped retrieve another 23 elk for friends and family. All elk were hunted in rough coastal terrain where a poor shot on an elk will turn into an epic rodeo search and recover situation that sucks ass, and can end even worse, with a lost animal.

Our average shots on bulls are typically starting at 400 yards and go farther from there to distances only the shooter can determine for himself being capable of making with atmospherics accounted for.

We’ve used the following- 30-06, 7mag, 300 Wins, 300 RUM, 300 Wby, 7-08, and even a 30-378 Wby for several years.

Personally, seeing enough elk taken to have a good idea of what will “Stone an elk at distances” out to 750 yards. I would say the best elk killing rifle is the one you can shoot really well with out fear of recoil, so your only focus is on your reticle for good shot placement.

A lot of rifles will kill an elk...Bullets matter and should be part the equation.

😎

Well said Beav, I dig that. That’s excellent words.

What Beav said.

Only 9 elk in 25 years of elk hunting. 1 with 30-06, and 180 Nosler Partition, 8 with 270 and 150 gr partition. Both pre-64 Winchester’s. The elk didn’t seem to notice the difference in those two cartridges

i've only owned 3 elk killin rifles. a tang ruger in 270win from 1973 to 1996. didn't reload so shot factory corelokts, which worked well on sheep, moose, a couple black bears, and a few elk. i travel to either colorado, montana, or new mexico every year for elk and in 1996 i switched to a ruger mk2 in 30-06, again using factory ammo except i switched to fed premium stuff loaded with 180 gr partitions. last year and two or three prior years i used a win m70 ew in 308win for my annual elk hunt. wouldn't you know it, the 308 killed just as well as the 30-06. i've given most of my rifles to grandkids now, so only have a 308 and an 06. haven't decided which one i'll use this year. for you guys that are elk huntin this fall, i hope you have a great time.

I'm a hunter first but still a looney on the side. I've got about 12 scoped rifles in all sorts of cartridges but come opening morning that same ol' ratty post 64 push feed model 70 .270 comes with me. After I score that first deer then I might venture out to my other babies but until I get that first one its that same ol' rifle gets the nod first.

Just goes to show that a basic combination gets it done. Bless him as I'm in my 50's and will never be able to put numbers up like that!

Hoping my Beanland 7mm08 will be done before elk season? If not it will be used next season for sure. A 140 AB with max charge of Big Game should work fine!

Indeed it will...

Most places folks hunt elk I’d run my 22 creed, 6ai without a hitch. Over here, 338 win or my whelen would get the nod.

My dad was the same. One rifle, a sporterized Mauser in 30-06, one bullet a Nosler Partition and one powder, army surplus something, can't remember! From moose to whitetail and everything in between. I'm too much of a rifle loon to only use one!

My first 50 years I used a 1976 manufacture Ruger 77 with the Tang Safety in 7mm RM. Ten years ago I moved up to a 300 Weatherby and 7 Mag has been sitting in the safe. Decided it should be hunted this year put a Leupold 4.5-14x50 on it plain duplex. For the 4th time in 44 years the 3 shot group once on target could be covered with a dime. This gun is still the most accurate hunting rifle I’ve ever seen. The bullets go right where you point them.

I killed my first elk in 1966 with a .30-40 Krag that I borrowed from my Uncle. The next year I bought my first centerfire rifle, a .30-06 barreled action and semi-inleted stock from Herter's that was to become my primary elk rifle for many years. I got drafted into the Army before I got to take that rifle elk hunting, and then from 1971 through 1977 I killed 7 bulls and one cow elk with that rifle as a .30-06. After the 1977 hunting season I had that rifle rechambered to .30 Gibbs, and from then through 2003 I killed 19 bulls and 3 cow elk with that rifle as a .30 Gibbs.

My favorite elk rifle now is a .300 Weatherby Vanguard that I put into a AA Fancy walnut stock.

Well I have only hunted elk twice, and one of those I didn't even have the tag, so clearly I am an expert. I haven't seen an animal yet that I wouldn't shoot with a good .264 - .338 bullet in an accurate rifle. If I drew a trophy bull tag in a once in a lifetime unit, I'd reach for a 7 mag. Otherwise, I'd be carrying a M7 or Montana in 308 topped with a light 3-9x40.

AND...1 308 would have done the same this as you '06...and on and on we go

That made me laugh, good times!

Depends on who gets to carry the rifle. If the horse is packing it in for you then sure, a nice 9 pound .338 WM would be just fine. If you are your own gun bearer and are a flat lander who isn't use to breathing thin air then that 7mm-08 ultra lite back in the hills beats any mega magnum back at the tent. When I was climbing around in those 8-10,000 foot mountains, I'd say to myself every morning, I really didn't need 10 cartridges yesterday and I'll bet that I could get by just as well today with only 6. Maybe pack my tiny pocket 10's instead of the 8x42's or just use the scope today. Weight matters.

That was my load for years. I found I got a little better accuracy with the 160 gr Accubond and RL-22. I started killing elk with a 7mm Mag in 1975. My father had one of the first 7mms. He also got his in 62 and he used it until he passed away in 2013. My nephew owns it now and it is still tipping over game. I have no idea how many game animals my father's 7mm has taken but it has been a bunch, well over 100 deer alone and that isn't counting elk, antelope, bear, caribou and the 4 trips it made to Africa.

Ol' Jack O knew what he was doing. I've got lots of rifles but come game day I usually grab the same rifle, the one that works the best, my old 1966 year model 70 .270. I used to cuss it and felt I made a mistake buying it brand new in 1966 and that I should have bought a Remington 700 instead until I stopped and thought how many deer I'd killed with that old rifle. About 35 years back I stripped the shiny vanish off and did a satin finish on it. It still looks good though it has a lot of dings and scrapes from hard use. But it still shoots true and is still taking deer and hogs. The last deer and the last hog I killed were with it.

But in reference to this thread I will say that with the right bullet I would probably take it elk hunting too. Why? Because I've had it so long and killed so much game with it I can shoot it better than about anything else I have.

My perfect bull/bear killin rifle...

Unless I draw a branch bull tag I usually pack my SS FW M70 '06.Boring but true.

I used to use a .308, Then I went to an '06. I had a little trouble getting one great big cow to fall over-three 180 gr NPT and she never took a step but it made me nervous.

I decided I wanted to try a .338. My new wife bought it foor me about 26 years ago. It works really well. Even so, after killing a couple of bulls with it all it seems to do better is make them flinch a little when you hit them. They still go a little ways before they tip over. I have a bunch of other rifles (more '06's, 7x61 S&H Super, .308, .35 Whelen, .308 Norma Mag, .300 Weatherby, .375 H&H and others) but then I am a looney.

Dancing Bear have you used the 375? Be Well, Rustyzipper.

Yes, because he is obviously broke, desperate and has his values all screwed up.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 so true

Not many moons back, right here on the fount of all knowledge, Ye Olde Hunters Campfire, it was decided, hell, insisted, by some very vocal fellows...that we should dump our '06's, 9.3's etc and get .243's as the ultimate elk rifle. Now I am confused. Again. Still.

I've killed 24 elk over the last 26 years. One year I didn't hunt elk and one year to my everlasting shame I wounded and lost one. I have used a variety of rifles in several chamberings but the most consistent, reliable and satisfying for me in my hunting conditions is my Sako AV classic, rebarreled to .35 Whelen, shooting a variety of 250 gr. bullets at 2500 fps. It is equipped with a 3-9x50mm Zeiss scope. Average range was probably around 100M. It doesn't kill any quicker than a .308 or .270 or 7x57 but seems to anchor them on the spot sooner so the death dash is a tad shorter. Recoil is less than a .375 H&H or .450-400 Nitro Express. I like that. I'd be just as happy with a 9.3x62 or 9.3x74R.

When I got to go elk hunting all the time I used the only rifle that I had. A Savage 110E in .270WCF. Nothing splashy or special just a .270 and 130 gr. Federal blue box ammunition. That combination added up to 16 of my 17 elk. My first one was a cow elk about 15 min into opening day with a .54 cal muzzleloader.

Round ball or something else? Get an exit?

Round ball. I don't remember an exit, but I was only 16 and it was 1988 or so. We didn't worry about such things back then. Meat on the ground was all I cared about.

Sorry, not on elk. A work buddy got one about the same time I got the .338. He too shot a few elk with it and decided it doesn't do a lot more than his 7mm Remington Magnum.

I will use the .338 if I pull a branch bull tag. I may use the .375 on a deer/bear/cow or two before I would consider replacing the .338. I got the .375 for a moose trip in grizzly country that fell out over my hips going bad.

Gotcha. Thanks. I have a .54 cal Lyman flint lock is why I asked.

No worries. Mine is a CVA Hawken I think. I haven't drug it out of the safe in years. It was about a 90 yard shot, with Pyrodex and a patched round ball. I don't remember much else. Other than it being my first elk and how much work it was for a 16 year old to quarter and carry it back to the truck.

You could also look at it from a preferred cartridge standpoint. Mine would be 7 Wby, 300 WSM, 280 or 308. I have several rifles chambered in each.

Strange not many packing the 300 wby into elk country. My only two bulls were with the wby and the 168TTSX. First one was a downhill cross canyon 300 yard one shot kill and the second about 100 yards after dismounting horse as the sun set. Guide asked where did he go? DRT! Arriving back at his house the next day he called cabelas and ordered some of the 168’s for his own elk hunting.

Many here mention their 338-06. I have two both rebores pre 64 one a fwt and other std. The fwt has used 160 TTSX on deer/hogs, 210 TTSX to Africa with clean kills on zebra, sable, Bush pig, blue wildebeest, waterbuck and to NWT 210 Nosler
Partition to take mtn caribou and moose then up to the 250 A Frame for a brown bear in SE ALASKA.

YES I like that 338-06 caliber and that awesome range of bullets.

PS, yes I have a 338 win mag and it remains in the safe and has yet to draw blood.

I've got an old friend out of Laramie, Wyoming who is now 72 years old, who I think got an elk damn near every year since high school. Granted he went in on horses and had pack horses, plus a Canvas wall tent (die hard hunter), but he used a Remington 700 in a 270, and he used 130gr Federal Hi Shoks. He was mad when he couldn't get them at K-Mart anymore! A guy gave him a Ruger 77 in a 338 mag, and he told me the elk didn't seem to go down any faster, but he said "I can't believe the price of them at the sporting goods store, because he couldn't get the 338's at the Laramie K-Mart"! He used the 338 a few times but went back to the old 270 Remington 700.

Are you gonna tell us what it is other than a Remington 700 with a Leupold scope?


Okie John

Certainly john, its a 700 bdl sitting in a McMillan hunter, 338 win mag shooting 225 fusions really good.

Oh junk talleys and Leupold that doesn't hold zero so I gotta track everything I shoot with it.😂😂👍

Thanks. I'm looking at starting to hunt Roosies again. I think that in open country a 30-06 would be fine but in the jungle around here, it strikes me as being on the light side.

A 220-grain slug at 2,400 zeroed at 175 yards would probably do the trick out to 250 yards, but I want something that can drop them fast even if it has to reach out across a clearcut to 400 yards. I'm leaning toward the 338 WM or 375 Ruger. I've had great luck with the 9.3x62 at short range on feral cattle but I'm not sure it has the reach I'd like to see.


Okie John

338 or 375 would be $$ over here on the westside.

My last three were with my 7MMR using 175 ABLR. 2 were on shot kills, one running thropugh timber took a few shots.


Lefty

That's what I'm thinking. Seems like Roosevelts prefer to die at the bottom of steep-sided, brush-choked ravine that’s 300 feet deep with sides made of loose, wet clay soil.


Okie John

[quote=]

There's a lot to be said for a one-rifle hunter. Building that sort of history with a rifle is a very cool thing... me, I'm just too much of a tinkerer.
[/quote]

Something comforting in a rifle you are intimately familiar with. It becomes an extension of you.

My pre 64 270 shooting 150 grr partitions have taken 9 elk cleanly. That rifle is beat up, the bluing is spotty, and the stock looks like it was drug through a swamp. I make sure there is no rust on it, but every ding has a story and I often put it in my lap and just look at it

I really really wanted to build a "One Rifle" hunting gun for my 60's
I never had one rifle in the past, I enjoyed messing with them too much tweaking them, there was a time I had three different two rifle batteries for hunting in Colorado, two identical rifles in two separate calibers that I would take up for my 10 day trek each year

Almost 20 years ago we left CO and settled in North Idaho, I sold quite a few rifles over the years, and pretty much settled in on a Marlin GG in 45-70 for most of the hunting up here..
I became interested in two calibers for the "One" up here
The first that I thought would be perfect was the Rem M673 in 350 Rem Mag, I thought that might be the perfect rifle for the area, but it's short shelf life nixed that idea.
The second is the .338 Fed, I thought this might also be perfect for up here, I have always been a mid 30's fan and my Ruger 338 WM was a great rifle that hit hard, I was figuring I didn't need that power or reach up here so a rifle that could push the same bullet at a good velocity from a short action would be perfect..
Two+ years ago I started a search for one to fall into my hands at the right price, well I came close, last March during the lockdown the wife and I hit a rare yard sale and I stumbled into a Win Mod 70 XTR in .338 WM the rifle was just too nice at a great price so I bought it.. I already had the dies, some brass and even some bullets in the shop from my old Ruger

Over the last year I have spent some time tweaking the loads and making the rifle mine, I am really hoping this is going to be my "One Rifle" for Deer Elk Bear Moose I settled on the Barnes 210 TTSX I was hoping that the rifle would group using a lighter powder charge, but that didn't happen the groups tightened up at about 1gr of RL17 below max pushing an average 2900fps. Once we start getting access to more powder, I might tweak it and try and get down closer to 2700 using different powders..

Anyway that is my story and search for the "One" Elk thumper

You might ask why not just the 45-70, and it is a great rifle but there is some great hunting spots down by Salmon and the range opens up a bit

Good story GS6. My quest started with a super accurate.308W but derailed when I started hunting in MT amongst big, toothy, clawed critters. So I upgunned to a .388 Win Mag which was the lousiest shooting, hardest kicking POS I ever knew. Traded it in on a .35 Whelen and started killing stuff with it. Recoil is not for the faint of heart but less than the .338 Win Mag. My handloads with 225 gr Partitions exit at 2,736 fps. Then I started hunting NW Colorado where shots can be a bit longer and a couple of Weatherby magnums joined the party. My retirement rifles will be a .257 Roberts and a 7x57 when the hard kickers are no longer tolerated. Happy Trails

Apparently the 338 Win Mag can’t kill critters. I’ve shot a couple of mature bulls with the 338 Win Mag using 250 gr Hawk SP at 2,650 fps. It was very accurate and felt recoil wasn’t much, especially in late Nov under field conditions with heavy clothing.

No matter what gets used my bet is more elk are shot with 7mm Rem Mag, 30-06 Springfield and 308 Win. Have used the 308 Win and 444 Marlin as well. To each his own opinion.

Sounds like the rifle has a lot of help!! He knows how to use it.

Could it be the arrow and Indian thing again? With much too soft C&C bullets?

Amazing.

Twenty years ago I started elk hunting with a .338WM and 225gr. Partitions. Yes of course, great success. Nowadays I use a 6.5CM and still have great success! If I could only have one - it would be the .270 Win..

I never said the .338 WM wasn’t an effective cartridge, since it is. The Winchester I had didn’t shoot for schit with several factory loads and 2 scopes. Recoil and lack of accuracy sent it down the road. I’m pleased that you like yours.

For elk i typically are always used something along the lines of 7RM, 300 WSM and 338 WM/RUM just because I liked the rifle though I have killed 1 with a 270 and 3 with an old 06.

This year if I’m going to hunting open area it will be my custom 300 wsm and a 200 NAB, closer ranges and timber my Kimber Talkeetna 375 with a 260 NAB will get the call just to get it bloody.

I call that a perfect combination. 7mm Rem Mag has been getting it done for a long time and is an excellent elk round. I generally opt for my 338 Win Mag because that was my first elk rifle, its scratched up and used, but its always spot on and hits like a hammer with 225 grain partitions.