Annual elk rifle thread

From 1991 until 2019 my Ruger M77 wore a Redfield 2-7 Wideview Lo Pro scope and fired .300 Win Mag Cartridges with 180 grain Nosler Partitions.
7/10 bull elk I've gotten fell to that combo. 2 were Archery and this year's bull was a borrowed 30 Nosler CA Ridgeline shooting 200 grain Accubonds.


I won't give up my 300. I've carried it enough that it feels like a shotgun coming up to my shoulder. Now I've got a scope you can dial 15 MOA on it. That will let me hold dead on out to 750 yards on the range. It works, and it will keep working...
 
After three decades of carrying my Winchester Model 70 stainless 300win mag, I am now and probably for the rest of my hunting days I am hunting with a new Tikka T3 Roughneck in 308 Win shooting 165 accubonds. This will be my do everything rifle and it 3.5lbs lighter than my 300.
 
brockel said:
Being that seasons are winding down I figured I start a thread asking about everyone’s elk rifle as I enjoy reading what everyone is using and why they chose it. So what was your elk rifle this year and why did you chose that particular rifle and cartridge and what bullet are you using? How many elk have you shot with that combo? Mine was a 6.5 prc shooting 140 grain Berger vlds but it changes year to year for me
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I used my 7MM Weatherby Mark V Magnum, 160 grain Nosler Partitions. 285 yards, 1 shot, dropped in tracks. The same rifle and load I used on my Nilgai hunt. Same results. It's a tack driver..
 
My Kimber Montana in .325WSM shooting Nosler Accubonds loaded over RS Big Game is what I typically carry. Didn't get to in 2022 though.:cry:
 
Sako 85 Finnlight with set trigger in 6.5 killmore. Have harvested 2 cows and a bull with it.

Haven’t rifle hunted elk this year. Did take a pronghorn and mulie buck (possibly the last 4 point in my county) with it though. Ironically this photo was taken in fall of 2020 and is within a couple hundred yards of where I shot my mulie this year.
 

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Salmonchaser said:
I still have my 06 also. Killed my first elk at 12 years old with that rifle and probably the next 20 or so before I started needing more gun. Not sure why, but it sure has been fun.
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For the most part I don't think someone with a 243 needs more gun. What is needed is to know how to use what you have! That's the catch. Lot of people believing bigger is better actually go out and get more cartridge than they need. Most seem to feel that a bigger cartridge will make up for their short coming. Knew a guy in the service said the 7mm Mag was no good for elk. he'd shoot at them and they would run off on him. So he sold it and get a 458 Win Mag and couldn't shoot it either. Met another guy up there swear's the 7mm Mag was worthless. Told me about an elk that took a shot right in the lung and claims he followed it 20 miles and lost it. I think we know what really happened and that wasn't it! There should be an obligation to learn to use what you have but it doesn't seem to exist!

You say you killed your first elk at 12 yrs old and then went the next 20 or so years before you needed more gun. may I ask what makes you think you needed more gun after 20 yrs? Getting more gun won't make you a better shooter! I think that after 20 yrs you simply wanted something else.
 
Don Fischer said:
For the most part I don't think someone with a 243 needs more gun. What is needed is to know how to use what you have! That's the catch. Lot of people believing bigger is better actually go out and get more cartridge than they need. Most seem to feel that a bigger cartridge will make up for their short coming. Knew a guy in the service said the 7mm Mag was no good for elk. he'd shoot at them and they would run off on him. So he sold it and get a 458 Win Mag and couldn't shoot it either. Met another guy up there swear's the 7mm Mag was worthless. Told me about an elk that took a shot right in the lung and claims he followed it 20 miles and lost it. I think we know what really happened and that wasn't it! There should be an obligation to learn to use what you have but it doesn't seem to exist!

You say you killed your first elk at 12 yrs old and then went the next 20 or so years before you needed more gun. may I ask what makes you think you needed more gun after 20 yrs? Getting more gun won't make you a better shooter! I think that after 20 yrs you simply wanted something else.
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Yep.
 
I used this Ruger skeleton stock in 30.06 with Leupold vx2 3-9 for deer for ~25 years. 20+ whitetail with 150-180 GR ballistic tips and 2 cow elk with 180 GR partitions. These get no love or lots but I’ve always enjoyed it. It was my first rifle I bought. 8 1/4#.

Picked up a CA Mesa fft in 6.5prc and plan to use it exclusively from now on. Have 143 eldx for now and will be looking for what shoots well that will be good for deer and elk. Maybe something a little more robust. Hopefully it will be around 7#.
3C8CD02E-9AF8-402B-BC01-2E7F07B0BB08.jpeg
 
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