Elk Rifle

[Jon Boy]

What are guys' elk rifles? At the moment I only have one gun, a 270. Its a great deer rifle and can get it done for elk but im looking to buy a dedicated elk rifle. And hell whats wrong with a guy making up an excuse to buy another gun
I'd like to keep it in the mid 800 dollar range with out a scope. Im not sure what caliber to go with, I want something thats a clear advantage over my 270 and not just a little step up. I'm planning on a wood stocked rifle to soak up as much recoil as possible.
What would any of you suggest?

 

[noharleyyet]

Remington CDL in 300 win mag.

 

[MThuntr]

One of the 300 mags (WinMag, WSM, or H&H) would be great but I might consider a 338 WinMag equally. You should be able to find what you're looking for in that price range.

 

[Much2hunt]

Savage bear hunter, 300wsm

 

[fishing4sanity]

I love my Remington 700 CDL in 300 RUM. It's a wood stock like you're looking for and great knock down power, but when the weather gets nasty there are times I wish it was a stainless/synthetic. Let us know what you go with.

 

[wyoming556]

Any 338 would fit the requirements.

 

[BuzzH]

I have a 338...and its a great elk rifle. But, the more I shoot it, the less I like it. Its a kicking bastard to be sure, but does a great job on elk, no question about that. Also no doubt its not much fun to shoot off the bench.

I'd recommend before you go down the road of buying a 338...go shoot one first if you can.

Beings how you'll be hunting both deer and elk in Montana at the same time, I'd consider just sticking with the 270 and good bullets like a nosler partition, etc. Save the money you'd spend on the new rifle and invest it in scouting, shooting, good binoculars, hunting another state for elk, etc.

If you just have to get another rifle, I'd strongly consider looking into one of the 300's and in particular the 300 winchester. I think the 300's are a better all-around rifle for deer, elk, and even antelope. I've killed a number of deer with a 338, but IMO, there are much better choices for deer/antelope.

 

[Lawnboy]

Another vote for the 300.

 

[Jon Boy]

Wow the 2 guns im most interested in and all of the calibers ive been leaning too have already been posted. I really like savage rifles (my 270 is the 116) and the bear hunter looks like the ticket. If I were to get it I would get it in 338 though just because it has the adjustable break so I wouldnt be too worried about recoil when practicing and I can turn it off while hunting. The down side to the bear hunter is it only has a 23 inch barrel with 2 of those inches being a muzzle break so really only a 21 inch barrel. What are your guys' opinion on this short of a barrel for a magnum rifle with lots of powder to burn?
I have never owned a remington but I picked up a CDL in the store the other day and fell in love. It feels perfect when I shoulder it and has the "classic" hunting rifle look. I really like the way the action cycles and the safety as well on the 700's. I was thinking of going with the 300 RUM just because you can buy loads that are equivalent to a 30/06, 300 win, or 300 RUM. Im not sure how I will handle the recoil of the 300 RUM though so that is food for thought as well.

 

[elkantlers]

I have a Browning A-Bolt in 300 Win Mag. I absolutly love that gun and caliber combo. It is perfect for elk. 180gr Nosler Partition at 3000fps and the elk just fold up.

 

[WapitiBob]

7MM STW
bed it, brake it, go hunting.

 

[belly-deep]

I have a 338...and its a great elk rifle. But, the more I shoot it, the less I like it. Its a kicking bastard to be sure, but does a great job on elk, no question about that. Also no doubt its not much fun to shoot off the bench.

I'd recommend before you go down the road of buying a 338...go shoot one first if you can.

Beings how you'll be hunting both deer and elk in Montana at the same time, I'd consider just sticking with the 270 and good bullets like a nosler partition, etc. Save the money you'd spend on the new rifle and invest it in scouting, shooting, good binoculars, hunting another state for elk, etc.

If you just have to get another rifle, I'd strongly consider looking into one of the 300's and in particular the 300 winchester. I think the 300's are a better all-around rifle for deer, elk, and even antelope. I've killed a number of deer with a 338, but IMO, there are much better choices for deer/antelope.

What he said.

There is one thing I really like in a gun these days: light weight. Unfortunately, you can't get too light in any caliber above the 30-06/7mm Rem Mag without really making the gun uncomfortable to shoot.

If I was you, I'd do two things before I bought a new gun. #1 would be find someone with a nice light gun like a Kimber and carry it for a day. #2 would be to find someone with a .300 or .338 (in about the gun weight of the rifle model you want to buy) and shoot a box of shells through it.

Honestly, I own hunting rifles from .243 on up to a .300 Weatherby and I would carry any of them on an elk hunt. If I was really wanting to maximize my chances (like if I drew a great tag) I'd probably use my 7STW because of its ranging abilities. But most of the time I pick my Kimber .308 or my .280 Rem because they are light and will knock a bull over nicely out to about 400 yards or a little more.

There was a time when I thought I needed a big gun to hunt elk. Then I got the big gun (.300 Wby) and shot a raghorn bull 3 times in the chest at 70 yards. All he did was walk around a bit while I pumped lead into him. At that point, I realized that no matter what gun you carry, elk don't like to go down, and so you may as well carry and shoot a pleasant rifle. A hunting buddy of mine has killed about as many elk as anyone I know and at one point had a streak of 18 one shot kills with a .243. He once told me, "I've killed a lot of elk with 80gr bullets." I wouldn't pick a .243 for my main elk gun, but I wouldn't stay home if it was all I had either. He wasn't using one as a stunt, but was man enough to admit he had a flinch and didn't like recoil.

Get some good bullets in that .270 and you'll be ready to go.

 

[KRasmussen]

Howa 1500 in 7mm rem mag

 

[Dana]

Second the Savage Bear Hunter, 300 wsm. This is a sweet shooting rifle. Absolutely love mine, and got to take a bear with it back in October on its first hunt.

 

[noharleyyet]

Jon Boy you might consider a used Kimber Classic also.

 

[Goldtip]

I would second the notion of one of the 300 magnums.

 

[smarandr]

.50 Knight Muzzleloader

 

[chasendeer]

Stick with what Buzz said. I used to think you need a mag to kill an elk, now I just use my 270 on everything and leave the others in the safe. It is all about knowing what your gun can do!!! A 270 can and will work, if you spend the time with it, instead of the new gun.
Jay

 

[Bambistew]

A wood stock isn't going to 'soak up' recoil any better than a synthetic. Physics is physics, any perceived recoil difference is between your ears and nothing more. A stock that fits well and quality recoil pad is your best bet for helping with the kick. I love the look and feel of blue/wood, and have many, but the more I hunt in crappy weather the more I find caring for them in the field to be more work than its worth most times. A good coating on metal parts helps a bunch though.

A 21" barrel on a 338 isn't a big deal. My bet is you'd lose about 15fps/inch of barrel with a 338 bore. At 300 yards you're talking 0.20" difference in drop.

If I didn't have a closet full of rifles and wanted/needed a dedicated "big" game rifle it'd be a 325wsm in a Kimber Montana. Light weight and all the horsepower you need for anything in North America. A close second would be the 300WSM.

You couldn't give me a Salvage.

 

[StrutNut]

I would use my 7mm Browning BAR as it was my grandfathers old gun. I have shot a lot of deer and bear with it but I have only elk hunted once and it was with archery gear. The gun is a little heavier then others mentioned but not much recoil and I get one inch groups with my Winchesters at 100 yards. Its all I need and I can shoot it at the range all day long. I did have to shoot a lot of ammo to find the best load but It is a pleasure to shoot.