Elk Rifle of Choice?

teej89

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My dad and I are doing a rifle hunt this fall, which would be our first rifle elk hunt. He has his 7mm mag but I only have a 25-06 that I used for deer back in PA. With that being said I'm due for another rifle and was wondering what you guys carry/recommend?

Thanks!
T.J.
 
The question is what rifle of choice, and not what I recommend. So..........

Hawken .50, and I use the round ball for ammo. Yes, I use it in rifle season if I can't get a muzzy tag.


What I recommend? With the bullet choice it has. It's hard to beat the good old 30-06. It works for all game, and ammo is cheap.
 
Anything from a .270 to a .338 with a quality bullet. I know a few guys use a 25-06 and shoot elk with it but it is definitely on the light side.
 
Chevy vs. Fords vs. Dodge; gas vs. diesel, throw in some Nissan and Toyota lovers and you have the general idea.

The 7mm mag will for sure do the trick, you are probably wise in looking at an upgrade from your 25-06.

Are you wanting to add a 2nd gun or are you wanting to buy one gun that will replace the 25-06 and be good for deer and elk?

Anything from a .270 to a .338 Win Mag could be thrown out and would all work great as an elk gun. A good premium bullet is probably more important in my opinion than the caliber of the gun for elk.

A 7mm Rem Mag or a .300 WSM are pretty hard to beat as all around good calibers for pretty much everything out west.
 
I have been carrying my 300 ultra the last few years and really like it. Girlfriend is shooting a tikka 300 wsm, that works great for her and has killed many elk with it. That being said I killed a lot of elk when I was younger with a 243. I'm sure your 25-06 would do the trick with a well placed shot. But never pass up a good excuse to buy a new rifle :D. I sense there is a new 270 wsm in the near future for me. Really interested to try that caliber.
 
270-300WM is what most folks I know use here. We can get ammo easy at the local store.
I use a 30 -06 now for everythiing.35 yrs.
And a .50 cal mz.
Before that a 30-30.
 
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A 30-06 will kill anything in North America and is probably the most versatile gun out there. You wouldn't be over gunned for antelope with a smaller grain bullet if you came out west again, and with a larger grain bullet for elk, you wouldn't be under gunned for elk and it would have a little more umph behind it for a mule deer than your 25-06. All I use my 25-06 for out here is antelope, but there are people who use them for elk and swear by them, just MY PERSOAL OPINION is that it is under gunned.
 
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Well!
I have used and killed elk with all of them:
45/70 modern marlin
30/06
7mm mag
6.5 Swede
375 h&h
338/378
Of all of them I like the 338/378 the best.
:eek:
 
A 7mm Rem Mag or a .300 WSM are pretty hard to beat as all around good calibers for pretty much everything out west.


These were my top two choices but then I started looking into the .338 and that opened a whole new can of worms.

My dad has been pushing the .300 which I will most likely end up with, was just seeing what else other ppl are using.
 
IF you are looking for strictly an elk rifle, get something in the 30 cal variety.

That said, I know a guy who uses nothing but 25-06 for elk and has killed tons of elk with it just fine.
 
A 7mm mag will certainly do the trick for elk. I would also ask if you are planning on hunting bulls or cows? With the right bullets I wouldn't hesitate to use your .25-06 on antlerless elk. Bulls are a good deal larger than cows and are tough critters. There are many options out there but a .30-06 would compliment your .25-06 quite well and will kill elk every time. Whatever you choose, don't forget to get good, tough bullets that will penetrate. Think all copper, swift A-frame, etc. Have fun!
 
Practical thinking rarely ends up playing much of a part in buying new rifles.

If you just went at it from a completely practical perspective you should by a 7mm Rem Mag so if anything happened you and your dad could swap ammo since that's what he's running.
 
Practical thinking rarely ends up playing much of a part in buying new rifles.

If you just went at it from a completely practical perspective you should by a 7mm Rem Mag so if anything happened you and your dad could swap ammo since that's what he's running.

Making sense and being reasonable is not allowed in rifle purchases :cool:
 
Me and my dad have kills over 40 elk with a 7 mag. When I was young he killed a few with his 25-06. He's a good shot and everyone he shot with the 06 were double lung shots and the both ran around 100 yards before dying. Like everything shot placement and bullet construction are key.
 
Heaven forbid if I had only one rifle it would be in 30-06. The do all caliber.
 
If you don't want to buy a new rifle and are a skilled with your 25-06, it will do the job with good shot placement and a good bullet. I'd definitely load up some 120 grain nosler paritions and see if your rifle likes them.
 
You are in good shape - just shoot straight with a good bullet!
Make it count, get in shape & close the distance.
>My elk hunting buddy likes them close, neck shots. His 4th bull this elk season was taken at bow range.
 
Teej, any and all calibers will kill an elk, so pick which one you like and use it for an excuse to buy a new one!
I have killed my two elk with both a 30-06 (cow at 70 yards) and a .257 Roberts (bull at 200 yards) and both ended up just as dead.
Your 25-06 will do the job nicely with 120 grain bullets, but why pass up the chance at a new rifle, so pick what you want and have fun.
 

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