Hunting & Fishing Caliber for elk hunt

[nagantguy]

I’ve killed 2 elk so far with both with 7mm WBY mag and 160 grain accubonds hand-loaded over R22, both at bow distance- I’m the get close enough to see the whites of their eyes type . Both walked a few feet and dropped, one the smaller 5x5 I tagged again because he was on the edge of a deep draw and I didn’t want him going to the bottom.
this year I’m thinking of using my Begara 308 because it is superbly accurate and shoots ELD-X into tiny little groups. And I feel more than comfortable with caliber choice, and if I have to smack him with an insurance shot I will.

 

[Wyzrd]

This year I’m gonna be using a 6.5prc for my elk hunt. To the OP- Nothing wrong with the calibers you already have. If you’re just wanting to get into another gun, there’s nothing wrong with that either. As someone else has already said though, instead of a new rifle, I’d recommend investing in quality glass and ammo for a lot of practice before your hunt. I’d take that 7 Mag and try to find a good load with a 168gr Accubond LR or something along those lines. Good luck on your hunt sir!

 

[Jscb1b]

I'm using a 30-06 with 180gn cor-lok bullets. It is all about bullet placement.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

They are fine, until they aren't. I've killed plenty of elk with 7 mags of all stripes. I've also had elk run off when well shot with them. Never had one run off with a 30 mag or 338.

Bergers??
I've seen real bad shit with 300 eols and 215s on elk.
After last years debacle on my perfectly hit bull I'm never touching a 215 again.
I've killed most of my bulls with my 6.5 saum, inside of 600 yards it's a beast.
Beyond that I definitely like a 7 mag at the minimum

 

[Choid]

Bergers??
I've seen real bad shit with 300 eols and 215s on elk.
After last years debacle on my perfectly hit bull I'm never touching a 215 again.
I've killed most of my bulls with my 6.5 saum, inside of 600 yards it's a beast.
Beyond that I definitely like a 7 mag at the minimum

Yeah. Damn 195s.

 

[shooter65]

280

 

[Caveman0101]

We've killed em with 340wby, 300wby, 300win mag, 30-06, 270, 7 Rem Mag, 280 Rem, 260Rem, muzzleloader, and bow, from 7 steps to nearly 700 yards. I've seen my buddies shoot them with calibers as small as 243. It's way more important to shoot a good bullet and place said bullet where it should be rather than the caliber. Unless you're shooting a 50 cal a bad shot will end in heartache and most likely a wounded and lost animal. Just in the last few years since the ABLRs came out, we have taken 20+ elk with them. The one a couple of weeks ago at 680 yards with a 260rem, 142gr ran further than any of the others. It was a perfect double lung shot and the elk ran 30 yards or so. All the others have fallen within a couple of steps. 15 or so of those elk have been taken with the 280 rem, it's my favorite. Before the ABLRs I shot a ton of elk with Partitions, Accubonds, Barnes mostly out of magnum rifles. Do not make the mistake I made the first elk hunt I went on when I assumed a good deer bullet would have to be a good elk bullet, that is not always the case. Get a good, elk proven bullet and send it out of something you're confident you can properly place the bullet out of a cold bore every time and you'll do fine.

 

[Adam B]

7 SAUM worked for me.

 

[Totoro]

Agreed bullet placement is key.

I tend to like a little more horsepower in that regard so 300WM on up for me with +200gr pills.

 

[JBarton]

I've always used a 270 shooting 140gr accubonds. Harvested my elk at 430 yards last year and she dropped on the spot. This year I jumped up to a 300 win mag. I shot my antelope at 260 yards with a 200gr eldx hand load and my elk at 581 yards with a 220gr ELDX hand load. Definitely need to know your rifle and ballistics for the bullet you are shooting.
I believe you need to practice and gain confidence in yourself and your rifle. To many people I know zero their gun thats been sitting in the safe for a year. They tie it down to a sled, shoot half a box or rounds at 100 yards and then expect to be able to shoot out to 1000 yards accurately. It takes more than a handful of rounds to be proficient. Hell last year before I got the precision bug I still shot a couple hundred rounds leading up to hunting season. This year I've damn near burned the barrel out on my 6.5cm and 300WM.

Im still a fng so take my opinion as just that.

 

[davsco]

i shot my first two elk last month with 300wsm and federal 180 trophy bonded tips factory load. i'll just say based on my super small sample size, you cannot go too big with elk. the one 200yd shot on a cow was absolutely perfect, slight quartering away, halfway up aimed at opposite front leg. both the one i shot and the one beside it ran maybe 20 yds. i wasn't sure which one i hit and didn't want to put a 2nd shot in the wrong one so i waited. then finally the one keeled over. same deal with the small bull i shot at 400. i'm personally glad i wasn't using my 6.5 creedmoor though i know plenty of elk have been taken with way less.

 

[JBarton]

i shot my first two elk last month with 300wsm and federal 180 trophy bonded tips factory load. i'll just say based on my super small sample size, you cannot go too big with elk. the one 200yd shot on a cow was absolutely perfect, slight quartering away, halfway up aimed at opposite front leg. both the one i shot and the one beside it ran maybe 20 yds. i wasn't sure which one i hit and didn't want to put a 2nd shot in the wrong one so i waited. then finally the one keeled over. same deal with the small bull i shot at 400. i'm personally glad i wasn't using my 6.5 creedmoor though i know plenty of elk have been taken with way less.

I know a lot of guys that swear by their 6.5 creedmoor. I brought mine as a backup on my elk hunt. Didn't plan on using it unless I absolutely had to. I would not take a shot over 400 to maybe 500 yards with it. Not enough energy on target. My hand loaded 140gr sst's are only packing g 1125ft-lbs at 500 yards and 1324ft-lbs at 400 yards. Thats pushing it on an elk.

 

[Diver160651]

Week just closed out the Elk season. 5 on 7mm, 2 on 300s; Nothing moved more than 20 yards.

 

[jpasci]

I've shot 2 elk with my 30-06, that had 180 grain rounds that i could buy anywhere. One elk was at about 300 yards and she didn't move an inch, I got lucky and shot her in the spine. the other cow was about 75 yards away and she piled up about 30 yards. The last elk I shot was with a 300wm with 200 grain hornady eld-x at 400 yards, perfect shot on her and she went the furthest about 40 yards. The 3 guys I hunt with, 2 shoot a 270 and the other guy shoots a 308. Every caliber I've listed has taken elk and there are numerous other calibers that can and will harvest elk. Its whatever you feel comfortable and confident with in your hands when you have that elk in your crosshairs.

 

[msstate56]

I’m in the 300 Win Mag/ 300 WSM camp. I’ve been using 200gr ELD-x with fantastic results. Shots from 90 to 700 yards. Elk are tough, and don’t die easily. You most certainly can kill one with less, but a little extra never hurts. A 200gr .30 cal can get to the vitals at angles that a 6.5 or 7mm might not. When you put 20 miles across the mountains, and see a great bull, you’ll be glad you have “plenty of gun,” instead of “just barely enough.” Shot placement matters more than anything, but you don’t get to pick what shot the animal presents to you.

 

[Diver160651]

I’m in the 300 Win Mag/ 300 WSM camp. I’ve been using 200gr ELD-x with fantastic results. Shots from 90 to 700 yards. Elk are tough, and don’t die easily. You most certainly can kill one with less, but a little extra never hurts. A 200gr .30 cal can get to the vitals at angles that a 6.5 or 7mm might not. When you put 20 miles across the mountains, and see a great bull, you’ll be glad you have “plenty of gun,” instead of “just barely enough.” Shot placement matters more than anything, but you don’t get to pick what shot the animal presents to you.

^Blanket statements like this can be very misleading. This is exactly the problem with people's understanding.

Many 7s will outperform many 300's. Especially the guys shooting short 300s or with factory ammo vs. hopped up 7s. 300s are NOT magic, often harder to shoot well, and most guys I know running ultralight mountain guns in 300s cannot practice with them much.

Here are some numbers from my post 34

​

Last year alone, I saw 3 guys with 30s need multiple shots to bring animals down, and another group of 3 took over 23ish shots before my son, and I lost count to get their animals.​

​

The 7 I posted above, with 168s, brought down 3 Elk in the same hunt, all with a single shot from 600 - 912y (912y, still had a bit over 1250flbs of energy). A 300wm, in contrast, using a common load like Nosler Trophy Grade ammunition 180s would have been 26% LESS energy with more wind drift. Something like 300WM Barnes VOR-TX 180 TTSX 32% less energy @ only 824lfbs and neither enough to use at that distance.​

​

My point to your post is that it's hard to use antidotal data and say one is better than others. People tend to shoot better with rifles that don't beat them up, and they tend to practice more and those developed better DOPE and skills. Granted, I am comparing my hand loads in my 7 vs. factory in my 300; the point is the shot takes the animal at this level, not some perceived hunting lore of the 300. You're seeing more and more long-range hunters in the West moving to custom 7s, in part to places like Gunwerks and other smiths helping people understand shoot-ability first, high BC with enough energy to get the job done.​

​

​

The bottom line you need to practice with your lightweight hunter a lot if your shooting LR across mountain canyons and dealing with swirling wind and positions that are other than prone. Getting a gun that sucks to shoot will not get shot much; getting stuck on an SPF scope, a BCD reticle, a duplex, or a huge caliber all work against you when taking a long-range shot where you're dealing with wind, out of position (tripod), sun flair (need to dial back), speed and adrenaline.

Both 300wm and many of the 7s (7RM, 7LRM, 28N) work exceptionally well. Don't get hung up between these two unless you're building a custom long-range setup and or hand-loading, then really look at the recoil vs. ballistics and total weight, before you decide. I've moved away from my 300s and been on 7s for some time, best decision (for me).

There was a lot of hiking to get this plate last week. My son cooked the dinner.

 

[JBarton]

^Blanket statements like this can be very misleading. This is exactly the problem with people's understanding.

Many 7s will outperform many 300's. Especially the guys shooting short 300s or with factory ammo vs. hopped up 7s. 300s are NOT magic, often harder to shoot well, and most guys I know running ultralight mountain guns in 300s cannot practice with them much.

Here are some numbers from my post 34

​

​

The bottom line you need to practice with your lightweight hunter a lot if your shooting LR across mountain canyons and dealing with swelling wind and positions that are other than prone. Getting a gun that sucks to shoot will not get shot much; getting stuck on an SPF scope, a BCD reticle, a duplex, or a huge caliber all work against you when taking a long-range shot where you're dealing with wind, out of position (tripod), sun flair (need to dial back), speed and adrenaline.

Both 300wm and many of the 7s (7RM, 7LRM, 28N) work exceptionally well. Don't get hung up between these two unless our building a custom long-range setup and or hand-loading, then really look at the recoil vs. ballistics and total weight, before you decide. I've moved away from my 300s and been on 7s for some time, best decision (for me).

There was a lot of hiking to get this plate last week.
View attachment 7474281

Well said sir.

 

[Skg_Mre_Lght]

338-06 or any 30 caliber magnum. 7mms will work, but not nearly as well. Trust me, I've been on the wrong side of that equation.

Eh, no. I've stacked elk like cordwood for years with a 7 Rem Mag. I've also used 308, 260, 50 Beowulf, 243, and 44 Mag.

Wanna know which rounds I've witnessed wounding the most elk? 30 Magnums. They are popular with flat landers that read the latest Outdoor Life list of must haves for Western Hunts, show up with images of Eastman's in their head, and wound elk every year. They shoot like shit because they are scared to death of their 300 RUM.

OP, Know your limitations, and the limitations of your weapon and any reasonable centerfire cartridge that you are proficient with will serve you well.

More important than which rifle is make sure you do cardio and practice walking several miles a week with a 40+ lb pack. There is a reason the Olympic Training center is in Colorado Springs because altitude will kick your butt no matter how good of shape you are in.

 

[Choid]

Week just closed out the Elk season. 5 on 7mm, 2 on 300s; Nothing moved more than 20 yards.View attachment 7472128
View attachment 7472129
View attachment 7472130
View attachment 7472131

Nice hunt.

 

[msstate56]

I never said .30 cal was "magic." I also never said your favorite caliber won't work. You keep trying to justify your choice by comparing a fast, high BC 7mm- with a basic non high BC, not heavy for caliber .30 cal. Shoot whatever you want, no need to get all bent out of shape and try to show me how wrong I am. My 300 WM and 300 WSM are in the 11-12# range including bipod and suppressor. I can spot my own shots, and practice with them out to beyond 1,000 yards regularly. Shoot whatever makes you happy. I've never seen so much emotion about a caliber choice, this is worse than 9mm v. .45 ACP.

 

[coldboremiracle]

I never said .30 cal was "magic." I also never said your favorite caliber won't work. You keep trying to justify your choice by comparing a fast, high BC 7mm- with a basic non high BC, not heavy for caliber .30 cal. Shoot whatever you want, no need to get all bent out of shape and try to show me how wrong I am. My 300 WM and 300 WSM are in the 11-12# range including bipod and suppressor. I can spot my own shots, and practice with them out to beyond 1,000 yards regularly. Shoot whatever makes you happy. I've never seen so much emotion about a caliber choice, this is worse than 9mm v. .45 ACP.

Agreed, calm down. The last four elk I killed were with 6.5 and 25 Creedmoor, shooting 127's and 131's. All of them dropped dead in their tracks, 300, 300, 475, and 520 yards. Shoot whatever makes you happy indeed. The only choice that should be shamed is the one involving poor shooting skills.

 

[msstate56]

So you often hike in Elk county you're finding the bipod is something you're able to shoot from often? I am finding that steep slopes and high vegetation just about make a bipod the last thing I'll take. I do carry a tripod though.

I’m done with the caliber argument. But yes, I absolutely have killed elk, and other animals in the backcountry shooting off an Atlas bipod. With a pint sized GC filled with Git lite. I carry a tripod also. You do you.

 

[RTH1800]

I have shot quite a few bulls with various large 7mm’s.
Shot a few with .270 Win.
Either works fine.

 

[Diver160651]

I’m done with the caliber argument. But yes, I absolutely have killed elk, and other animals in the backcountry shooting off an Atlas bipod. With a pint sized GC filled with Git lite. I carry a tripod also. You do you.

I will do as I do, thanks. But I was NOT trying to get anyone to switch calibers, just that the answer is not as simple as the bigger one always wins. None of this is personal in nature.

I lost the bipod (although I do have a carbon 5oz spartan) after getting proficient and fast with my tripod. . I am just not strong enough to carry what you do (2lbs gel lite, 1.5 lbs bipod, couple of pounds extra in the rifle); to add to my load of an RRS tripod, swaros, water, radio/sat communicator, survival items for a night in the snow if shit goes wrong, during Elk season; it is all I can carry and still move quickly, quietly and still have a chance of packing an animal out. Hell, I've thought about leaving my gun in the hills last year during a pack out. My buddies were much smarter than me and bowled 3 Elk down a super long slide avoiding all the hunker brush and scrapped-up arms and faces. Then they Qtr'd them. I shot in another part of the hills and was at it for many hours longer than them. (video from last year, the slide actually goes down about 3-4x further than you can see)


This year we got lucky and were just a ways from a 2 track once we got them off the hills.

BTW: I asked about the bipod solely because I used to carry one and found I was tangled or unable to use it more than I could get value from it. We probably hunt different terrain, but the tripod allowed me to ditch other gear and still glass/or shoot from the same device. I figured since you were doing 20 mile hikes, being streamlined would be your goal.

FYI wee hosting our UKD Team Field match this weekend. We have no gear restrictions, but because 85% of the FFPs are shot either sloping away, or steep sidehills or over brush; like we often see in the mountains, tripods will work where bipods will not. I did add in a stage this year for the bipod guys, though.

 

[powdahound76]

@Stevo86 - use a lighter rifle thats easy to carry A LOT and shoot easily both from good and “less gooder” positions.

i have a rack thats 325+ that was dropped with a .308 shooting a 150 gr SST (rifle loved em), filled freezer many times with them.
then killed a bunch of stuff with the 155 AMAX.

its about fitness and shooting. Nothing else. As noted by MANY .260 kills @coldboremiracle has posted over the years.
start your workout plans NOW.
be able to run a 10k easily at 10 min miles and hike 6 with a 40 lb pack at a good pace on flat ground.
squats and lunges are your friend.
And get some old man hiking poles like @Rthur uses.
(I use em too....)

ETA: fixed what my stupid phone deleted...

 

[Rthur]

@Stevo86 - use a lighter rifle thats easy to carry A LOT and shoot easily both from good and positions.

i have a rack thats 325+ that was dropped with a .308 shooting a 150 gr SST (rifle loved em), filled freezer many times with them.
then killed a bunch of stuff with the 155 AMAX.

its about fitness and shooting. Nothing else. As noted by MANY .260 kills @coldboremiracle has posted over the years.
start your workout plans NOW.
be able to run a 10k easily at 10 min miles and hike 6 with a 40 lb pack at a good pace on flat ground.
squats and lunges are your friend.
And get some old man hiking poles like @Rthur uses.
(I use em too....)

Word.
Heard bout them trekking poles from a pink shoe wearin "man" nurse.

R

 

[JBarton]

Word.
Heard bout them trekking poles from a pink shoe wearin "man" nurse.

R

Total life saver and worth their weight in gold.

 

[Diver160651]

@Stevo86 -
And get some old man hiking poles like @Rthur uses.
(I use em too....)

Can't agree enough!

I've been using Z-poles the carbon set is only 10oz! I usually keep them in my pack, unless it is really step, sloppy or I am packing out using my load-shelf-

They may look dorky, but remember they serve as tent poles in a makeshift shelter or shooting sticks in a pinch.

I hate adding weight, but this 5oz is well spent, especially if you have a bull tag and are the one pulling out the rack is the FHF Blaze panel. It is easily adjustable and fits over the meat pack out pack or tightly on a pack on the way in. Full packs cover your blaze orange and often the cap as well, add in antlers to the mix and this makes me feel more comfortable. Compression straps can stay tight on the pack and you have quick access to this extra storage, I have my poles and gloves inside and sometimes an extra layer. The picture was back at camp https://fhfgear.com/collections/hunting/products/blaze-panel

 

[msstate56]

Well- something we can agree on: trekking poles!!! I don't leave camp without them. Keeps me from busting my ass.

I work out year round, and constantly rucking. I'm literally known around town as "that guy with the backpack." I regularly ruck with 75 pounds, so when I'm actually hunting a 25 lb pack feels like nothing. I cut weight when and where I can, but I have found the bipod to be worth it. I can and have left it behind for certain hunts. I have dropped and deployed the bipod, and made a shot quicker that I could have even unstrapped the tripod from the pack. The animals in those shots would be long gone by the time I set up with a tripod. Everything is situationally dependent. If you are hunting in an area with waist high brush everywhere, then obviously a bipod won't do you much good. But in more open terrain, or up on ridge tops, the bipod has a solid place. If I have time, or it's already set up because I'm glassing off of it, I have no problem using the tripod. Oh, my pint sized GC weighs 15oz on the nose. I use it as a sitting pad while glassing so it serves more than one purpose.

Anyway, lets not clutter up a caliber thread with hunting tactics.

 

[Skg_Mre_Lght]

I would never consider taking a tripod on a backcountry elk hunt. I would be angry at myself when packing meat back to camp.

 

[powdahound76]

I don't think we are all talking about hunting the same kinda terrain and loads we are packing.

Either way, light is right, lighter is righter at about mile 8 at 1600 and 4k feet climbed chasing that elusive bugle (or another ridge to glass).

Im no expert (that's what she said) but I sure do love being out in the woods with any tag, any means, chasing critters.

Lotta ways to skin the cat, but I finish even rough trips and can't wait to get my stuff ready for the next go.

Its like makin love to a fine woman. Many ways to do it, none of em wrong as long as you get a next time.....
tagging in @Threadcutter308 so he can see me referencing sex and hunting together!

 

[Skg_Mre_Lght]

ya, but I cut other things and the tripod is used to glass - an ultra light spotter tripod is not suited to shoot from, but the 1 lbs-2lbs extra is offset by not bringing a bipod, bag or shooting sticks and using an ultra backpack/tent. My kit is actually lighter than it used to be.

That said, I am not packing in 4 days and trying to pack out 2 trips over the next 8 days.

Yeah, I barely carry my tripod to PRS matches anymore, which is sad because I have alot of money sunk into it.

All of my hunting rifles have Harris bipods, I'll shoot prone, off a log, my pack, sitting, trekking poles as sticks, or some other way. I look back when I started hunting elk while I was in the Army stationed in Colorado, and cringe at the crap I would carry. Lol

 

[Threadcutter308]

I don't think we are all talking about hunting the same kinda terrain and loads we are packing.

Either way, light is right, lighter is righter at about mile 8 at 1600 and 4k feet climbed chasing that elusive bugle (or another ridge to glass).

Im no expert (that's what she said) but I sure do love being out in the woods with any tag, any means, chasing critters.

Lotta ways to skin the cat, but I finish even rough trips and can't wait to get my stuff ready for the next go.

Its like makin love to a fine woman. Many ways to do it, none of em wrong as long as you get a next time.....
tagging in @Threadcutter308 so he can see me referencing sex and hunting together!

You wake up, the second morning of Elk Camp with a rubber sticking out of your ass.....

Do you tell anyone ?

(Jeebuz, what the hell did you think I was going to do ?)

 

[Aftermath]

Last year alone I saw 3 guys with 30s need multiple shots to bring animals down and another group of 3 took over 23ish shots before my son and I lost count to get their animals.

The 7 I posted above, with 168s brought down 3 Elk in the same hunt, all with a single shot from 600 - 912y (912y, still had a bit over 1250flbs of energy). A 300wm in contrast, using a common load like Nosler Trophy Grade ammunition 180s would have been 26% LESS energy with more wind drift. Something like 300WM Barnes VOR-TX 180 TTSX 32% less energy @ only 824lfbs and neither enough to use at that distance.

My point to your post is that it's hard to use antidotal data and say one is better than others. People tend to shoot better with rifles that don't beat them up and they tend to practice more and those developed better DOPE and skills. Granted I am comparing my hand loads in my 7 vs factory in my 300, the point is the shot takes the animal at this level, not some perceived hunting lore of the 300. Your seeing more and more long-range hunters in the West moving to custom 7s, in part to places like Gunwerks and other smiths helping people understand shoot-ability first, high BC with enough energy to get the job done.

A 210 Berger VLD

 

[Diver160651]

A 210 Berger VLD leaving the barrel of my 300WINMAG at 2950 fps has over 1200 ftlbs of energy at 1000 yards. Is THAT still good enough?

Ya, you know that is about the same as I quoted. Is that really so much better or even as good?

come on, my point was simple but maybe it is too emotional. We should not get caught up on the diameter of the bullet, but rather look at the total package, weight snd recoil are also part of that mix for an Elk gun.

BTW most the 210 VLD guys are using are thick jacketed and do not open well once velocity drops, they have a reputation like solids; but you probably know that and are just testing me - well, ok, the thinner hunting vid has about the same bc as the 7mm but in your case running a few hundred FPS slower.

Do the animal care? Are we splitting hairs? No and yes. But again that’s been my point. They all get the job done. Is a 7mm nosler even faster? Sure, do you need it? Probably not.

why is it you 300 guys are so sensitive?

Kidding - I was a 300 guy at one time too.

Anyway, last weekend Elk and today not far from the Wyoming house, my son filled his last tag today - the Antelope we ate already

 

[Slab74]

You poke a hole through both lungs and they will drop. No matter if one hole is .016 larger than the other. Factory Barnes 139’s did a fine job for me. My dad took a 400+ bull this year with a 6.5 cm. It’s all about shot placement and angles. If you can’t get to both lungs, you are in for a long day, no matter what you are shooting (unless it’s a 40mm).

 

[Diver160651]

You wake up, the second morning of Elk Camp with a rubber sticking out of your ass.....

Do you tell anyone ?

(Jeebuz, what the hell did you think I was going to do ?)

What happens in Elk camp... ah meh

its Sheep camp you need to worry about.

 

[Aftermath]

No...

 

[Aftermath]

Edited

 

[Diver160651]

No...my point was more about you choosing a high BC handload to a generic low BC factory load and implying the former was the shit.

I have 2 identically chambered 300WINMAGS from Charley Robertson. I use the Target VLD's in one exclusively. I use the Target VLD's in the other to practice and shoot, I HAVE verified the hunting version and the target versions have same POI at ranges. The hunting rifle has killed lots of critters from Whistle Pigs to Moose. The "target" rifle has only killed Whistle Pigs, a shitload of PD's and a few coyotes.

I have a 7mm Remington Mag. It has killed numerous deer, both whitetail and mule, and several elk...no bulls.

I have 2 280AI's. One I do not trust as it has proven to be, as guaranteed by the manufacturer, to be a 1 MOA rifle. It is exceptionally light and a pleasure to carry but is likewise difficult to hold still. The other 280AI, also built by Charley Roberston, is my go to for almost everything nowadays using a 140 gr VLD leaving the barel at 3250 fps, zeroed at 272 yards. A few whitetail, a muley buck, a bunch of coyotes...no elk but out to 350 yards, I would not hesitate.

My latest are a .223AI and a 30Nosler from Mike Johnson. I LOVE the .223AI. The 30Nosler doesn't have many rounds down the tube yet but is exceptionally accurate and may well replace the "hunter" 300WINMAG, possibly the aforementioned 280AI.

I have killed elk (and deer and bears) with a 30-30 and a .243.

"Back in the day", all I had for centerfire (still have) was a Belgian Browning Safari Grade in 30-06. I killed EVERYTHING with it. More deer than I remember filling tags around the small town I grew up in, elk, Alaska moose, caribou, bear, coyotes...at ranges from a few feet to past 1000 yards. That rifle, if I were limited to one, would be it because it has a proven track record of literally hundreds of kills. My projectile? Usually a 150 gr factory round but I liked a 200 grain bullet that one of my friends dads would load for me in exchange for firewood. I load a 185 for it now but have not fired it in at least a decade, maybe 2.

To the point...don't go comparing your pet handload to a factory mediocre load and imply that one caliber is, therefor, superior to the other. You might compare BC, etc of a 185 7mm to a 185 7.62...at least then you are ALMOST comparing apples to apples.

to the point we agree - I must be a dumb ass as apparently my message is so unclear.

again my point was you simply cannot say one caliber is better than another without a lot of Guardrails- period. That’s all I was illustrating-

A 300 is not better than a 7; a 7 is not better that a 300- it’s the total system (hand loads/factory) , weight, recoil and the distance that must all factored.

Side note: here is one from this season but it has been cleaned up; your’s looks scarier though

 

[Aftermath]

to the point we agree - I must be a dumb ass as apparently my message is so unclear.

again my point was you simply cannot say one caliber is better than another without a lot of Guardrails- period. That’s all I was illustrating-

A 300 is not better than a 7; a 7 is not better that a 300- it’s the total system (hand loads/factory) , weight, recoil and the distance that must all factored.

Side note: here is one from this season but it has been cleaned up; your’s looks scarier though
View attachment 7475026

Peace, bro.

 

[Aftermath]

Where did you get your speed goat?

Seems most the time it’s super windy when we find them - not sure why that is.

That one was in south Idaho, not far from Nevada.

 

[Rthur]

Caliber discussion goes sideways...
Shocked I tell ya.

R

 

[TriggerHappy0125]

I am more of a bullet placement guy than needing a big gun. However, i do hunt elk with a 300 WM. Dropped elk with one shot from 120 yards out to 650. Reason for my first statement is I hunt whitetail in VA and most shots where i hunt are 80-150 yards. But with elk I wanted to be able to reach out and touch one if needed. But you need to practice, practice and practice more. All positions, standing, sitting, prone, etc. Find out the ranges you are comfortable with in each position. If hunting with a guide let them know your comfort level. Last thing you want is to see a big bull at 500 yards and not be certain you can make the shot. Know those things in advance, so you can make quick ethical decisions.

 

[diderr]

Definitely can’t go wrong with the 300 WM or 7mm rem mag

 

[Jip4012]

I’d be more concerned about optics, quality Binos and or spotter since you already have sufficient gun. Binos that don’t cause eye fatigue are the biggest lesson I learned out west. Second was propper clothing, layering and wool/synthetics.

 

[coldboremiracle]

Personally, I had rather have a 270 Win than a 6.5 Creedmoor.

Isn't that the beauty of it? The only wrong answer is the one that doesn't work in an individual situation.

 

[High H2o]

But is it still relevant?

If it kills shit dead it is...

 

[ZiaHunter]

Diver has the best advice is have a caliber that you can shoot. My hunting buds and myself have harvested a fair number of elk with either a 270 or 30-06. This includes their boys as young as 12 at the time. Its all about shot placement. Guided my friend a few years back in the Gila and took a nice bull with a 270 shooting 150gr Bergers at 520 yards. Good shot placement and the animal was DRT.

300WM is an awesome round and have a hunting rifle chambered in it as well as a 300WSM. The problem is many people only shoot there hunting rifles once or twice a year and aren't use to handling them. I can't count the times I seen guys at the range trying to sight in their magnums and can't manage the rifle. Flinching, scope eye etc. On a couple of occasions I wound up checking the zero for them. I shoot large caliber magnums on a regular basis including 338LM and 375 Cheytac variants so no big deal.

 

[kennicka]

Smallest caliber I have taken elk with was a .30-06 with 165 grain bullets. Working on getting a 300 PRC to use some bigger bullets...just because I want to. Know lots of people who successfully hunt with everything from a 6mm and up. Be comfortable with whatever you shoot. Only way to get there is to practice, practice, practice...and then practice some more. Good luck!