Best Elk cartridge

[Rattle'em up]

Originally Posted by samuel

With the proper bullet and a double lung shot,they go nowhere.I saw an antelope travel 300+yds with the heart blown into pieces.I have used a double lung shot on elk (probably 50+) and never lost one.I helped track one that went over 2mi,s with a broken left front leg from someone trying a heart shot.We found it still alive,the next day. sam.

Yes elk are tough buggers and certainly when they are in the rut and full of adrenalin.

[Phil Lozano]

Originally Posted by vikingpreacher

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?

I'd choose the 338 Winnie/340 Wby. or the 358 Norma Mag.

All plenty flat shooting enough with long range power.

Best,
Phil
_____________________
Professional Hunter ~ Tanzania

Stay out of sight and down wind

Phil Lozano Tanzania Trophy Expeditions - Dangerous Game Specialists

[Idaho Dave]

Originally Posted by AKHunter

I am not hung up on it. I am taking an example that was given and using it to maintain some continuity. Exactly, an elk is a bigger deer so why should they be tougher than an even bigger deer like a moose? Maybe, the sense that elk are tough comes mostly from deer ( mule and whitetail ) hunters that get to hunt elk as well and are using those as comparisons ?

Idaho dave: is that a muzzleloader in the photos?

sorry I have been on a bit of a break from the internet
Yes indeed that is a .50 cal muzzleloader in the photo, one I built myself in fact. at the time the photo was taken we had already gone back to the the trucks to bring them and the gutting equipment to the kill site. I left the rifles in the truck and kept the muzzle loader with me as I was intent on shooting a deer with it and didnt want to be sitting there with out any weapon and have one come by (as has happend in the past). I put it there to give something for size comparison and reference. Sadly, I didnt shoot my deer with that gun but it was used to kill another elk, not in that picture.

[SwedeSteve]

We have elk in AK, but they are transplants. 300 Win Mag or 300 Wby Mag would be my choices. I would also consider the 7mmRemMag as I have shot 2 elk with mine.

[7mmremmag1995]

Originally Posted by Midas

I think what sam means, is that most 375 H&H's are chambered in large, heavy "safari rifles", while the .338 Win Mag is usually chambered in lighter weight rifles. So when you shoot them side by side, the .338 Win mag kicks more, because it is in a lighter weight rifle.

i see now

[Rattle'em up]

Remington 700LSS in 308 or 30-06. I really like the light weight of short action 308. Just put the bullet where it counts.

[Kaboom]

I bought 2 elk guns one for heavy cover short shots .450 marlin in a lever Browning & a .338 Win Mag in a Browning BAR for long shots. When I shoot I want it to drop! I would rather have to much gun, besides where there are elk there are usually BEAR!!!

[338RemUltraMag]

I use a 338 Remington Ultra Magnum for my Elk needs I took an 875lb 6x6 Elk at 476 yards with it in the neck and out behind the right shoulder, plenty of knockdown, and the general concensus is where there are Elk there are big Bears

[sc928porsche]

I used to use .300wm untill I bought my .378Wby.

[vikingpreacher]

Originally Posted by sc928porsche

I used to use .300wm untill I bought my .378Wby.

You must have the wrong thread, this is for Elk not Elephant.

[Phil Lozano]

Originally Posted by Rattle'em up

Remington 700LSS in 308 or 30-06. I really like the light weight of short action 308. Just put the bullet where it counts.

Which means if it is the last day, last hour of shooting light and you see a big bull at 200 yards, quartering away, you can't shoot. Well, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . you can't if you are an ethical hunter.

Best,

[vikingpreacher]

Originally Posted by Phil Lozano

Which means if it is the last day, last hour of shooting light and you see a big bull at 200 yards, quartering away, you can't shoot. Well, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . you can't if you are an ethical hunter.

Best,

You can kill Elk at 200 yards with a 308. Craig Boddington has killed them at 400+ with a 270.

[Phil Lozano]

Originally Posted by sc928porsche

I used to use .300wm untill I bought my .378Wby.

Originally Posted by vikingpreacher

You must have the wrong thread, this is for Elk not Elephant.

What ? ? Are you making a joke ?

Originally Posted by vikingpreacher

You can kill Elk at 200 yards with a 308. Craig Boddington has killed them at 400+ with a 270.

Please provide the source/link where CB killed an Elk with a 270 at 400+ yards on a quartering away shot.

Thanks.

Best,

[Brother Bob]

Yeah, a .378 Weatherby Mag. wouldn't be on my list of prefered elk cartridges, but to each his own. I've seen a plethora of cartridges listed here and my "short list" is probably somewhere in between. Guess it depends on where your hunting. A .30-06 with 180 grains on up to a .338 Winmag with the .300 Mags in between.

[vikingpreacher]

Originally Posted by Phil Lozano

What ? ? Are you making a joke ?



Please provide the source/link where CB killed an Elk with a 270 at 400+ yards on a quartering away shot.

Thanks.

Best,

What I mean is, that is a totally unneeded amount of power for Elk. You only need a 308/270/30-06 and you will be fine. I can't give you a link because I read it in a magazine and don't know how to post them yet, but it was in a article about 4 of his favorite cartridges (270,7x57,300 H&H,30-30).

[Phil Lozano]

Originally Posted by vikingpreacher

What I mean is, that is a totally unneeded amount of power for Elk.

Please explain to me in detail . . . . . . . . . how dead is too dead ? ?

Originally Posted by vikingpreacher

I read it in a magazine and don't know how to post them yet, but it was in a article about 4 of his favorite cartridges (270,7x57,300 H&H,30-30).

Hmmmmmm . . . . . . . That is interesting, speaking of his favorite cartridges . . . . . . . . with no mention of his favorite cartridge . . . . . . . and I quote Craig, "I've written before that if I could have just one cartridge to hunt North American big game it would be the 338."

Funny he didn't mention it in the article you refer to.


Please post the name and month of the magazine and I will order one. Thanks.

From my knowledge, he has never been a proponent of long range shooting (he and I have spoken many times.Craig was the Editor when Jon Sundra hunted with me. And Craig was in my local Safari Club), additionally and I quote from Craig's comments . . . regarding the 7mm Rem. Mag. -"it's NOT my idea of an elk cartridge" and later on he says "it's still a 7mm and for heavier game doesn't compete with the 33's and 35's"."

Now if he feels this way about the 7mm Mag., I cannot see him saying he used a 270 to shoot an elk at 200 yards.

Maybe ? ? But I have my doubts.

However, I will buy the magazine and have a look.

Best,

[Rattle'em up]

Originally Posted by Phil Lozano

Please explain to me in detail . . . . . . . . . how dead is too dead ? ?



Hmmmmmm . . . . . . . That is interesting, speaking of his favorite cartridges . . . . . . . . with no mention of his favorite cartridge . . . . . . . and I quote Craig, "I've written before that if I could have just one cartridge to hunt North American big game it would be the 338."

Funny he didn't mention it in the article you refer to.


Please post the name and month of the magazine and I will order one. Thanks.

From my knowledge, he has never been a proponent of long range shooting (he and I have spoken many times.Craig was the Editor when Jon Sundra hunted with me. And Craig was in my local Safari Club), additionally and I quote from Craig's comments . . . regarding the 7mm Rem. Mag. -"it's NOT my idea of an elk cartridge" and later on he says "it's still a 7mm and for heavier game doesn't compete with the 33's and 35's"."

Now if he feels this way about the 7mm Mag., I cannot see him saying he used a 270 to shoot an elk at 200 yards.

Maybe ? ? But I have my doubts.

However, I will buy the magazine and have a look.

Best,

I read in one of his books that he did not consider the 270 as an elk rifle but would use it for elk if he was on a combo elk deer hunt. He went on to say that the 7mm was minimal and that the 30-06 180grn was a big step up and is a great elk caliber as well as the 308, but his all time favorite was the 338WM. He also said he would take heavier bullets over light and fast any day even if the differences were minimal.
The #1 Boone & Crockett elk was taken with a 300 Savage the former with a 30/40 Kraig. No need for magnums here. It's all about hunting not shooting big difference. Anyone can pick off an elk at 500yrds with a 338mag but try and stalk up 400 yrds and kill him at 100yrds. The guys with the .300 Savage and 30/40 kraig were hunters. It's where you hit'em that counts.

[Magnumsrule]

[quote= He went on to say that the 7mm was minimal and that the 30-06 180grn was a big step up and is a great elk caliber as well as the 308, but his all time favorite was the 338WM. [/quote]
I dont understand this as the 7mm mag had more energy that both of these rounds.

[Phil Lozano]

As I said, . . . . . . . . . . . a 243 will kill an Elk, I don't suggest you hunt Elk with one, but it will kill an Elk.

Getting back to the original question "Best Elk cartridge", I think the question will rule out many of the cartridges listed within this topic.

Best,

[pruneemac]

300 WSM