Hunting & Fishing How far would you shoot at an Elk?

[coldboremiracle]

I know that the thread will soon fill with many comments that say "as far as YOU can honestly and reliably put a bullet in the kill zone." and I'm fine with and believe that, but I was just curious as to how far many of you have killed or would be willing to kill an Elk. And also the load and dope you used/use to get there. Thanks.

 

[Hoofy]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

It is different for everybody. I used to think that 300 yards was unethical. Last year I dropped my a cow at 580 yards. One of the guys I hunt with won't shoot outside of 300, but he used to shoot out to 500 when his eyes were younger.

 

[Pierce33]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

shot one at about 620 yards a couple years ago, with the right equipment i would certainly take a farther shot.
Headed out on my second elk hunt n next week, we'll see what happens!

 

[ugsly]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

I shot a spike at 750. For me it all depends on what the shot is like and what the weather is like. If the wind is blowing and I don't feel comfortable with it I either get closer or pass it up.

 

[CoCaDoRi]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

hehe Oh shit...

Where the fuck is Humble?

 

[jrhammons]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

Weda thats just wrong...but funny as hell! Get EHG in here on this one. I know he has taken them out to 1300 and change

 

[The Mechanic]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

NOBODY would take that shot with his .22

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Teppo Ka</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Weda thats just wrong...but funny as hell! Get EHG in here on this one. I know he has taken them out to 1300 and change</div></div>

 

[Powder_Burns]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

Does distance traveled factor in? No elk in Florida...so any shot I get to take is gonna be well over 1000 miles.

 

[CoCaDoRi]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

ICBM????

 

[CoCaDoRi]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

ok ok ..well without Humble here we'll never really get a good answer. But I'll take a stab at it.

I know guys that have done it at 1500 + multiple times. I know an individual who did it at 2500 ( 338/416 Rigby Imp. )

Personally, 1K is about my limit with the proper set up.( Big 30's)

500 yards with standard calibers is easily accomplished with the right driver.

 

[-=boone=-]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

I watched a guy on tv drop one stone cold dead at a little over 800 yards.

 

[paulholcomb]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

I hit a cow from just over 800 yards and she went right down as well........

 

[omurnion]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

I know that I have been in this conversation before, but...520 meters on a cow and 740 meters on a bull. Both times the elk dropped like a rock. I shot them with a GAP built Surgeon action .308. The bull with a 155gr Lapua Screnar and the cow with a 165 Nosler AB. Distance really isn't the factor in my opinion, wind is going to be the factor for me. Judge that wrong and you are going to have a train wreck with any animal. Elk can be a hard animal to put down and keep down. If you are certain that you can place the shot well at 1000, then by all means let it fly.

 

[hunter223]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

502yds w/ GAP 6.5 Creedmoor dropped her too. I'd be willing to go out to maybe 650yds if the conditions were perfect. 1200-ish with a 338 till I got real comfortable with it then maybe stretch it out to the 1500+ range. Also, a big +1 on the distance is not a problem the wind is comment. And yeah elk are hard to keep down.

 

[Mag 300]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

I would go to 1000 with my 338 lapua but not much more than that for me !!!!

 

[psinclair]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

Owen, Post up a pic of that bull...it was a 7X7 wasnt it?

 

[omurnion]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

Here you go Pat

 

[psinclair]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

Damn Owen you got one like that spotted for me?...old buddy, old pal. Nice bull!

 

[kraigWY]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

I guess I'm a bit differant, I have shot many 1000 yard matches in the last 30+ years, but I really dont see me taking a shot much past 300 yards.

 

[mdesign]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: oam</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here you go Pat

</div></div>

Owen, your bull under scores why I built a rifle that would go the distance. NOT so I could just take long shots at animals but so that I <span style="text-decoration: underline">could</span> if the target of a life time presented itself within the distance of my extended capability.

If you have the equipment and practice to build the skill needed to use it, then opportunities like these are within reach.

There is no elk hunter alive that would not want to get a bull like that one. An incredible trophy made possible by the ability to shoot a little further than normal because a hunter prepared for the opportunity and capitalized on it when it came.

One of these days I'm coming to MT to hunt elk!

 

[omurnion]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

This was just exactlty that occasion. If I could of gotten closer I would have. There was basically no wind and I had been shooting that rifle a lot. That is the third and best bull I have been lucky enough to take in that area. By the way Pat, where are all those whopper mule hiding? Wanna trade hunts?

 

[psinclair]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

I guess we could trade but the elk will have to be bigger than that 7X7.......grin!

 

[paraman1]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

Passed one up today at 7-800 yards . Forgot the LRF on the 4 wheeler and couldn't get a decent rest to make the shot . If I would have had a more exact yardage or was hunting with my spotter I probably would have tried the shot .

 

[coldboremiracle]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mdesign</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: oam</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here you go Pat

</div></div>

Owen, your bull under scores why I built a rifle that would go the distance. NOT so I could just take long shots at animals but so that I <span style="text-decoration: underline">could</span> if the target of a life time presented itself within the distance of my extended capability.

If you have the equipment and practice to build the skill needed to use it, then opportunities like these are within reach.

There is no elk hunter alive that would not want to get a bull like that one. An incredible trophy made possible by the ability to shoot a little further than normal because a hunter prepared for the opportunity and capitalized on it when it came.

One of these days I'm coming to MT to hunt elk! </div></div>


Thats exactly what I think, I dont really seek out the long shots, but when the situation presents itself and you know you can make the shot, it brings confidence to the table.

 

[coldboremiracle]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

I shot this one Saturday, it was 560yds trotting across a clearing on the opposing ridge. When I spotted it, I realized that I probably only had about twenty seconds before it disappeared into the trees. I dropped to the ground, ranged it, and dialed ten and a half minutes, and fired. The 175smk broke the left shoulder and passed through, after he went down I put another between his ears too. (he wasn't completely dead yet) Nobody else in my elk camp takes the time to practice such a shot, and I'm fairly sure none of them could have spontainiously made it either. Practice made perfect.

 

[LS6TT]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

my hunting rule, if your bullet can reach it its fair game.

 

[badred6]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

I would not go past 500. Which is kind of funny because all of my shots have been under 50 yards.

 

[omurnion]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

Nice shooting, its really nice to be able to pull shots like that off when you have to. I really like your second shot, one thing about that, you don't have to worry about him getting up and ending up in the bottom of some hell hole. Congrats

 

[Keith Johns]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

Besides human ability, there's energy.
If a bullet doesnt have the energy to perform the kill, I wont shoot, even if I'm sure I can hit it. If the bullet isnt made to expand correctly at that velocity, its a bad idea too.

More factors than just, "can you hit it"

 

[Cigarcop]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

I went years ago and hunted in Durango Colorado for elk, was my first real hunt outside of Pa. I remeber the first morning we got up and had to go up this steep little hill to the horses. It kicked my ass everytime but the guides father who was in his 70's walked right up turned around, looked at me and laughed everyday!! The first elk we saw were approx 600yrds away and looked like the tips of my fingers with the naked eye, I couldn't even tell which one had horns. The guide said the first one, I said "should we get closer" he said "Nope, shoot him now"! So I commenced to firing, and firing, and some more firing after relaoding, then suddenly the front bull fell down...prob from laughing his azz off, I mean those shots were so far away it didn't even faze them. All in all it was fun, still have the pic they took of me in the tent passed out with a bottle of Whiskey in my hand, the 6x6 rack wrapped around me and my cigar still lit. I didn't know that picture was taken till I was home and the photos were developed!!!!

Anyway Nice Elk brother

 

[coldboremiracle]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: oam</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Nice shooting, its really nice to be able to pull shots like that off when you have to. I really like your second shot, one thing about that, you don't have to worry about him getting up and ending up in the bottom of some hell hole. Congrats </div></div>

Unfortunately, he was already in a hell hole. But I am poor, and cant afford to take a whole week off of work, or buy anything other than a spike tag, so when I got a shot, I took it! too bad the head shot kinda split his horns, If you look close you can see they aren't straight. The shot broke his skull so that his right horn wobbles now.

 

[esorensen]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

Can't eat the horns anyways. Crazy glue fixes stuff real good. Nice shooting. It is really nice to be able to bring long range ability to the table.

 

[coldboremiracle]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

Can't eat the horns anyways. Crazy glue fixes stuff real good. Nice shooting. It is really nice to be able to bring long range ability to the table.



I still have to peel all the velvet off his horns, its all messed up anyway. so i'm not too concerned with the "mount" He does taste great too.

I hope your elk hunt works out as well as mine did, with larger antlers though.

 

[Grey Wolf Alpha]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

I live in the south and my range at times can give me a 400 m shot.

I have shot long range comp in the past and with the right rifle, scope, cal., and conditions I would take the shot.
This of course imply's pratice, pratice, pratice.

 

[heavychevy]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

Just this last week me and a buddy helped a friend shoot a cow elk. He was using my .308 the shot was at 760 meters. One shot she went about 20 meters and tipped over. When gutting her out we found he double lunged her.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

Honestly, I don't know, and the odds are gettng pretty tall against me ever finding out. So I guess I need to treat this as an intellectual exercise.

For me, it boils down to bullet placement and decisive terminal effect. Now the first one is a personal matter, but the second one is a matter of mathematical certainty. There is no substitute for 'enough'.

Can anyone here offer a reasonable number in terms of terminal energy, and equate that to a distance?

Greg

 

[Cross C]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

My Dad shot this brute at 762 this year. This is his first Elk that he has shot with a rifle in over 10 years. First shot he dropped him on the spot with a high shoulder shot. The guys he was with could see him moving around so he put another in him behind the shoulder just to be sure.





Rifle is a Remington 700P chambered in 300 Ultra Mag. It sets in a McMillan HTG with a timney trig and a Holland QD break. He is slingin' Berger 210vlds out at 3025fps. At that distance he should have (according to iphone software) over 2100 ft/lbs of KE.

 

[Jared06]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

My 12 year old just shoot his first elk at 600 yards yesterday. I knew he could hold it steady and break the shot well enough as he's shot my .260 tactical setup at 1000 yards well enough. He was using my 338 edge on the hunt, and it's carrying 3196 ft/lbs at that distance. Elk dropped so fast I blinked and missed it. The shot I'd take depends on the stability of my rest, the caliber I'm shooting, and the confidence I have at the distance.

 

[Clark]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

Last year I fired my 13 rounds at an elk 625 yards away, and never hit anything.
I was using hold over.
I had only practiced at the 100 yard range here in the city.

This year I had been reading SnipersHide.
So I had a target turret on the scope elevation.
I built a target and practiced at 500 yards out on the badlands.
This year I shot, killed, and found 5 deer with 7 shots.

Next year I will compensate for wind with a target turret.
Next year I will carry a longer range weapon than a 130 gr 270 at 2885 fps.

 

[42769vette]

Re: How far would you shoot at an Elk?

i took one at 438 a few years back but would shoot 500ish with my 300 wby