Elk Rifle
- Thread starter Jon Boy
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Bighorn191
New member
.340 Wby. is a hammer for big stuff like elk. Shot elk, Oryx, goat, and other tough animals with mine and it kills them very dead. Prob. shot more elk with a .270 Win. than any other caliber though - proof that if you have a gun that puts a bullet right where you want, it will do the job every time. I'd still rather have my .340 in my hands though.
putm2sleep
New member
Hey Jon Boy - lots of good insight. My vote would be the .300 > I have an Abolt too. Only knock that it is wood (it chips), and blued(it can rust) and its a bit heavy(i do not like extra lbs) . Its a smooth shooter and tac driver though and it's a great round! (It goes to elk camp for the out-of-staters.) My go-to 'killer' is a 30.06 ruger, paddle stock / stainless. My 1st rifle! I collected it's big brother, a .338winmag, same config. For elk - it has to be .30!
recoil junky
New member
Well let's start with this.
Jon, how big a old boy are you? Not that size matters really but that's how I look at how I pick things. I'm 6"4" and 240 lbs so I can pack a bit more than the average bear. The weight of a rifle matters little to me reallly. My elk rifle, a Sendero SFII in 300RUM weighs in at 11 pounds or there 'bouts. What kind of sling you use matters more. On it I have one of Butler Creek's neoprene extra wide shock absorbing slings.
Now as to caliber choice? Lots of people cringe at the thought of recoil, but it's something you can get used to and enjoy. My 700CDL in 300RUM had as much felt recoil in my opinion as a 338WM. My Sendero in 300RUM is more like my 7mag in a 700 Classic. Loaded with 180 grain Accubonds (@ 3270 fps) my 300RUM drops about 20" at 500 yards.
RJ
Jon, how big a old boy are you? Not that size matters really but that's how I look at how I pick things. I'm 6"4" and 240 lbs so I can pack a bit more than the average bear. The weight of a rifle matters little to me reallly. My elk rifle, a Sendero SFII in 300RUM weighs in at 11 pounds or there 'bouts. What kind of sling you use matters more. On it I have one of Butler Creek's neoprene extra wide shock absorbing slings.
Now as to caliber choice? Lots of people cringe at the thought of recoil, but it's something you can get used to and enjoy. My 700CDL in 300RUM had as much felt recoil in my opinion as a 338WM. My Sendero in 300RUM is more like my 7mag in a 700 Classic. Loaded with 180 grain Accubonds (@ 3270 fps) my 300RUM drops about 20" at 500 yards.
RJ
Lawnboy
Well-known member
I'm with you, but I also subscribe to the adage that life is too short to hunt with an ugly rifle.
Oh great now I can't be in the "cool club"
I really like my Salvage and it shoots as accurate with factory loads as many custom builts that my friend has. One Alaska trip with the pretty rifles will break them in nicely. I finally gave up worrying about nicks and dings, it's too hard to hike with a big pack on as it is.Sighted in at 350?
recoil junky
New member
From 4" high at 100. When shooting my 9" steel plates at 500 I have to hold over the top of them about two plates high to hit within the top 6". I don't always hit them every time either.
The lag between firing and the sound of hit is cool. Seeing the target fall then 3-4 seconds for the WHACK!!
RJ
belly-deep
Active member
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- Oct 31, 2009
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From 4" high at 100. When shooting my 9" steel plates at 500 I have to hold over the top of them about two plates high to hit within the top 6". I don't always hit them every time either.
The lag between firing and the sound of hit is cool. Seeing the target fall then 3-4 seconds for the WHACK!!
RJ
Damn that must give you a pretty high mid-range trajectory
My 2c worth - Most of my hunting has been with either shotgun slugs (in New Jersey) or a Remington 700 in 7mm Rem mag. (The recoil from a 12 ga slug is very similar to a .338, if you want to check out a .338 on the cheap.)
I considered a .300 Win Mag, but after shooting one owned by a friend, did the math on the difference between a 30-06 and the .300 Mag. For the same bullet weight, the .300 gives you about an additional 120 yds at the same velocity. The difference in yardage for a fixed drop from point of aim is even less. Mainly, I believe in picking a rifle you have confidence in (or think is cool - thats OK since we are in this for enjoyment) and shooting it a lot. If you handload, you can practice with reduced loads. For example I load cheap but accurate 140 gr core-lokts to the same velocity as the 160 gr Federals I hunt with.
Good luck.
I considered a .300 Win Mag, but after shooting one owned by a friend, did the math on the difference between a 30-06 and the .300 Mag. For the same bullet weight, the .300 gives you about an additional 120 yds at the same velocity. The difference in yardage for a fixed drop from point of aim is even less. Mainly, I believe in picking a rifle you have confidence in (or think is cool - thats OK since we are in this for enjoyment) and shooting it a lot. If you handload, you can practice with reduced loads. For example I load cheap but accurate 140 gr core-lokts to the same velocity as the 160 gr Federals I hunt with.
Good luck.
recoil junky
New member
belly-deep, I ran some close numbers through Hornady's ballistic calculator. I know it's on paper but it's pretty close to what I'm getting on targets.
http://www.hornady.com/cgi-bin/ball...om=29.53&zero=350&wspd=0&calcbutton=Calculate
The actual BC of a 180 grain Accubond is .507 and I put in .500 and my actual velocity is 3274 fps, not that it matters.
At 5.5 inches high at 200 yards you just have to remember to aim a bit low if the elk are "close"
RJ
http://www.hornady.com/cgi-bin/ball...om=29.53&zero=350&wspd=0&calcbutton=Calculate
The actual BC of a 180 grain Accubond is .507 and I put in .500 and my actual velocity is 3274 fps, not that it matters.
At 5.5 inches high at 200 yards you just have to remember to aim a bit low if the elk are "close"
RJ
sweetnectar
New member
I've seen a lot of elk get kilt by this and that caliber. Go with the 300wsm. It does a good job and doesn't donkey kick you. The action is short (same as a 308) which makes cycling a round seam less cumbersome than a longer cartridge, and the ballistic performance is the same as the 300 win mag. I'd recommend looking at Howa and Savage. I hope you have adjustable trigger pull on your list as a must as well....helps with accuracy.
Jon Boy
Member
Lots of great input every body. Im still debating on what to get and still saving my pennys on a college kid budget so I have some time From the sounds of it I really cant go wrong with anything from a 270 to a 340 weatherby so we'll see.
From the sounds of it I really cant go wrong with anything from a 270 to a 340 weatherby so we'll see.
Horn Seeker
New member
I've given this a lot of thought through the years too. I got my 06' when I was 14, then got another (for free...otherwise I'd probably have done something different) when I was about 28... Its all I've hunted with except for close range bears hound hunting with my 30-30...
I also inherited a 300 Winny with a boss / brake. This gun kicks like a 270, but makes the sound of a howitzer...which is why, the ONE time I hunted with it, I missed a buck at 60 yards. I have bad ears already and I knew when I pulled that trigger it was going to hurt... it did... and I must have jerked her hard, and missed. And my ears rang bad for several days after.
My thought has always been, I'd like to have a big hard hittin round with a really well constructed bullet, so that if I had a mega bull at a REAL bad angle...and that was the only shot I was going to get, I could drive that bullet into the vitals from any direction. But alas...I've never gone that route and have been very happy using the 06'.
You could buy a new 270, 06... or maybe a 300 short... in a nice new accurrate Savage... Or, you could spend the 800 on some other goodies!!!
I also inherited a 300 Winny with a boss / brake. This gun kicks like a 270, but makes the sound of a howitzer...which is why, the ONE time I hunted with it, I missed a buck at 60 yards. I have bad ears already and I knew when I pulled that trigger it was going to hurt... it did... and I must have jerked her hard, and missed. And my ears rang bad for several days after.
My thought has always been, I'd like to have a big hard hittin round with a really well constructed bullet, so that if I had a mega bull at a REAL bad angle...and that was the only shot I was going to get, I could drive that bullet into the vitals from any direction. But alas...I've never gone that route and have been very happy using the 06'.
You could buy a new 270, 06... or maybe a 300 short... in a nice new accurrate Savage... Or, you could spend the 800 on some other goodies!!!
huntfishcamp
New member
.338 win mag, mine is a Browning A bolt, $600 total w/ new Nikon scope on gunbroker, 2 elk down in first 2 years hunting, one shot each, 225gr Nosler Accubonds. My medicine of choice, did lots of research before I 'pulled the trigger", just my $.02
npaden
Well-known member
I opted for the "one gun for everything" back in 2007 and ended up with a Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker in 7mm Rem Mag. It has been great and I've taken 4 elk, 4 mule deer, 4 whitetails and over a dozen pigs with it in the last 5 years.
My only complaint is that it is long. 26" barrel gets everything out of the 7mm Rem Mag that it can, but with the standard action and that long barrel it is 5" longer than the .300WSM because it only has a 22" barrel and the shorter action. When I have my rifle in my eberlestock pack it sticks up higher than my head and catches on branches and brush because it is so long. If I had it to do over again I would have gotten the .300WSM for that reason.
My only complaint is that it is long. 26" barrel gets everything out of the 7mm Rem Mag that it can, but with the standard action and that long barrel it is 5" longer than the .300WSM because it only has a 22" barrel and the shorter action. When I have my rifle in my eberlestock pack it sticks up higher than my head and catches on branches and brush because it is so long. If I had it to do over again I would have gotten the .300WSM for that reason.
gundog
New member
For Elk, I prefer the .30 cals but have taken them with .264WMs up through a few .35s. Thre are many good guns on the market but you can't beat the Savages with the accu trigger. The best buys in what I call semi-custom guns are the Nosler 48 and the Ultra Light Arms guns.
ColoradoHunter
New member
Look at a Weatherby VanGuard in 7mm Mag. Rifle sells for under five hundred and a 7mm will kick your shoulder off even at the range. 7mm's are easy to shoot and ammo is cheaper than the 300's and bigger.. Mine will shoot sub minute of angle all day long with Berger bullets. I like the 168 gr VLD's and so far they have dropped everything I have shot at..I am 63 yrs young and love to elk hunt and still get elk.
the 7mm mag is a good round on elk,use a 165 grain or better,the 300 wm mag is a good round allso,but kicks like a mule,but the 200 grain bullet is a bone crusher at 200 yards,the 338 is just plain over kill in my book,but will work quite well at say 300 or more yards,provided you can get proficent at shooting it,because most people who own them do not shoot them alot,because they leave you feeling the strain after 4 or five rounds.
and as for the 375 H H,well just look up the article on high powered rifles in the guns and ammo magazine,the february issue.:hump:
and as for the 375 H H,well just look up the article on high powered rifles in the guns and ammo magazine,the february issue.:hump:
