02-28-2008, 04:54 PM
| #1 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Iowa
Posts: 269
| Best Elk cartridge Me and my buddy were talkin' about trying to get an Elk hunt next year and for me I'd use a muzzleloader but, if you were going to choose 1 cartridge for Elk hunting what would it be?
__________________ Join the cartridge comparisons group! http://gunandgame.com/forums/group.php?groupid=3 |
|  |
|
02-28-2008, 05:19 PM
| #3 |
| Listen to yur Inner Hippo   Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: South east Wisconsin
Posts: 3,452
| Although I am not a fan of recoil and know there have been a lot of elk fall to lighter cartridges, I think I would choose a 7mm mag. or 300 win Mag. But for the most part if I have a rifle in the 30-06/270 class and can place my shots well that is what I would take. The most important thing in choosing a cartridge is choosing what you can hit a gnat in the butt at 200 meters with. With in reason of course.
__________________ "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (If all else fails play dead) |
| |
|
02-28-2008, 05:41 PM
| #4 |
| Senior Member  | Same. 7mm rem mag or 300 win mag. |
|
| |
Cartridge Group|
02-28-2008, 06:07 PM
| #5 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Port Orchard Wa
Posts: 107
| .300 RUM it works |
|
| |
!!!!
|
02-28-2008, 06:59 PM
| #9 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,087
| There are three cartridges that I always liked,.7mm mag,.300win mag,and .375H&H..Had no trouble dropping them with little or no running with a double lung shot with any of these.I like Midas,s .338 but that is a lot of gun. sam. |
|
| |
|
02-28-2008, 07:00 PM
| #10 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Idaho
Posts: 535
| I have taken several with a 300 win mag and several with 30-06
__________________ Living the life |
|
| |
|
02-28-2008, 09:05 PM
| #11 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Southern B.C.
Posts: 162
| .375 H@H or .416 Rem. or .416 Rigby. A .338 or .340 Wea. would be perfect, but I don`t have either of those right now. I know lesser cartridges will kill any elk that ever walked, but if you only get one chance at a true trophy bull and he`s going away from you(odds are 50/50 , they do have two ends ) at 250 yrds what do you do? Serious elk hunting requires serious guns. Big elk - Big bears, It seems you always find them together. It might be different where you live and hunt, but I know it`s right for where I am.
__________________ If God didn`t intend for man to eat animals he wouldn`t have made them out of meat |
|
| |
|
02-28-2008, 09:11 PM
| #12 |
| Senior Member | Agreed that you need a fairly big gun. However .416 is getting pretty big and your range is starting to be limited. 300win mag would do fine at 250 yards. Could step up to 300rum. 338 ultra mag. |
|
| |
|
02-28-2008, 09:19 PM
| #13 |
| Banned Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 704
| Elk are not really that big. Between deer and moose -- probably bit closer to moose. They tend to offer longer ranges shots if hunted in more open country. Nice to have a flatter shooting gun. A 270 or 280 would do fine with 140-150 grain bullet, as would the 7mm RM and 300 WM, but the later two are getting into overkill for the game being hunted. I've hunted them with my 264 WM, but sadly report I never got to test it! Ron |
|
| |
|
02-28-2008, 09:21 PM
| #14 |
| Senior Member | Bull elk here are over 1000 pounds. 270s are not recommended to take them. You have to break bone with an elk. I bneleive that elk are much tuffer than moose. Moose are bigger in size but they will not take as much of a beating. 7mm and 300 are optimal in my opinion as the are flat and hards hitters. Long shots are almost always what happens. |
|
| |
|
02-28-2008, 09:36 PM
| #15 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: sawyer, ok
Posts: 539
| no bone breaking is required when you put the round through both lungs animals can'tl live if shot in this manner. just my opinion. steve
__________________ For those who never fought for it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know. |
|
| |
|
02-28-2008, 09:37 PM
| #16 |
| Senior Member  | .300 win mag Even though I do not own one I would have to say the .300 WM would have to be the best for elk. I have fired the 338rum and it is just punishing. A 7mm mag would probably do just fine but I am a .30 cal fan. And the faster the better. Or you could take out a second mortgage on your house and use .300 RUM power level 3. at $80.sumthing a box. oh and I use a .308. Last edited by jaeger; 02-28-2008 at 09:39 PM. |
|
| |
|
02-28-2008, 10:59 PM
| #17 | |
| Banned Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 704
| Quote:
Ron | |
|
| |
|
02-28-2008, 11:32 PM
| #18 |
| Super Moderator   | .300 Win Mag would be just perfect for Elk ...even at long ranges... Rich
__________________ You know you might be facing your doom,when all you get is a click when you're expecting a BOOM!  |
|
| |
|
02-29-2008, 12:54 AM
| #19 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Alaska
Posts: 899
| .280 rem to a .338ish would do fine. I am puzzled by the break bones requirement and the tougher than moose statement. Surprise a critter with a bullet properly placed and it WILL take a dirt nap, pronto. |
|
| |
|
02-29-2008, 12:55 AM
| #20 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Southern B.C.
Posts: 162
| If you wanted to take a less than optimum shot as in the scenario that I suggested,do you feel a .30 caliber is really up to the task? I don`t. I`m not trying to say it won`t do it on a clean shot, of course it will, as I`ve shot quite a few animals with .300 Wea. (premium bullets-at max.). I don`t think it`s the best choice for a south to north shot at a once-in a-lifetime trophy bull. It would be nice if they would pose for me, but that is not something that is they are likely to do for me. A .30 cal maybe the ticket where you hunt, for most big game, but in my opinion, .30 cal is where it starts. Do you have elk in Alaska? Please excuse my ignorance, but I usually think of the Muskwa to Toad River areas of B.C. as the most northern elk areas. I just don`t know much about Alaskan game. I was born in Whitehorse ,Yukon Territory and don`t remember any around there.
__________________ If God didn`t intend for man to eat animals he wouldn`t have made them out of meat |
|
| |
