Minimum Elk Caliber. what do you think it is.

[Mustangs Rule]

I guess we might talk about for what Elk, big Roosie's in the Pacific North West, Cow elk in Colorado.

Lots of variation in size and shooting distances. What do you say?

 

[Big Bore]

Oh boy.

 

[rmyoung1]

I’ve shot all my elk with a 7mm Wby mag. My dad uses a 340 Wby mag. And then I have a buddy who’s shot a boatload with a .25-06. Eye of the beholder and shot placement.

 

[F250]

Accurate rifle, accurate shooter, well constructed bullet, proper bullet placement.

 

[BAKPAKR]

In some states, it is codified, and, on some forums, a 223 is all you need for anything in North America…

 

[HandgunHunter]

357 magnum revolver works just fine….I tend to use a 44 magnum the most tho.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I will not try to answer this question myself.



After all, I am merely an individual elk hunter and can only offer my little window of personal experience, okay add in the experience of a few of my close elk hunting friends too.



Instead, I will offer the suggestions of an extended fourth generation ranching family that, on their several close by sister ranches in the Manti La Sal Country of south-central Utah’ have been hunting elk, guiding trophy elk hunts, and selling cow elk tags to hunters forever. They take hunting really seriously.

I hunted late season cow elk there always successfully for a decade on one of this extended family's ranches.



For the record, the smaller herds of elk on their collective ranches number in the many dozens, easily into the hundreds, and on occasion the herds can be over a thousand elk.



I will also add that their collective experience includes hunting elk in the thicker forests on the top of the Aquarius Plateau, which tops 11,000’ and is the highest plateau in North America.



Here is what they suggest as minimum to the new elk hunters in their family and circle of friends.



For cow elk their minimum is a 270 when used with Barnes all copper bullets, which they hold in high regard. With conventional lead core bullets, the 7mm mag is their bottom line for cow elk. For bull elk, their minimum is a 30-06 with Barnes bullets or a 300 mag with conventional bullets. Of course, any newer chamberings of the same bore size that has the same power/velocity meets their extended family’s suggestions.



How many elk this ranching family group, and the other hunters that have taken there is beyond counting.



Anything under .277 or 7mm bore diameter are considered deer cartridges, and the deer cartridge minimum is .243 with Barnes all copper bullets. Actually a .243 is considered a coyote caliber.

elk in the manti la sal national forest - Bing

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[slatebuilder]

Guns and bullets for hunting are like any other tool. The effectiveness is determined by the user. Even with minimum caliber rules, some guys will still find away to screw it up.

The effectiveness of shooting something in the front half of the rib cage with a center fire rifle and an appropriate expanding or fragmenting bullet that impacts at an appropriate velocity is pretty hard to dispute.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

For me it's all about the bullet construction and energy behind the bullet, not the diameter.

So you're asking the wrong questions.

It's like how people rate bullet proof items by bullet diameter. There's a big difference between a 243 and a 257 Weatherby mag but the bullet diameter is almost the same....

 

[belshawelk]

To me more about where are you hunting and conditions. Shot range, typical windy conditions, terrain ( open vs thick cover like Oregon coast hunting). Very subjective on everything else.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Guns and bullets for hunting are like any other tool. The effectiveness is determined by the user. Even with minimum caliber rules, some guys will still find away to screw it up.

The effectiveness of shooting something in the front half of the rib cage with a center fire rifle and an appropriate expanding or fragmenting bullet that impacts at an appropriate velocity is pretty hard to dispute.

Honestly, i get so tired of hearing about these ideal circumstance bullet placement scenarios... over and over.

Crap happens and we need "Enough gun" to deal with extra challenges, like having thick enough, strong enough toilet paper,

I recall one-time putting my cross hairs just a little ahead of that ideal spot on a large cow elk's ribcage. She was walking so slowly at just under 200 yards.

Just as I fired, she jumped forward over some brush quickly. My bullet hit her in the hip. It was in the very last few legal minutes of shooting light on a gloomy overcast day.

I was using my 30-06 with 165 grain Barnes TTSXBT bullets. The bullet went through both hips. She was down and stayed down. If the bullet only went through one hip, she would have ran forever on three legs with a low chance of recovery under the circumstances.

I lost meat, but I did not lose the elk

Again, use enough gun, and enough strong toilet paper for the worst possible crappy scenario. If you hunt enough, they will happen!

MR

 

[rjthehunter]

Here's a few. Small to large, these would all work for elk in specific scenarios. But personally, I'd stick somewhere between a 7mm to a .338.

.223 Rem (ONLY with bonded/mono & perfect shot – not recommended)
5.56 NATO (same limitation as .223)
22-250 Rem (monolithic bullets only - not recommended)
.243 Win
6mm Creedmoor
6mm Remington
.240 Weatherby Mag
.250 Savage
.25-06 Rem
.257 Roberts
.257 Weatherby Mag
6.5 Grendel
6.5 Creedmoor
6.5x55 Swedish
6.5 PRC
6.5-284 Norma
.260 Rem
6.5 Rem Mag
.270 Win
.270 WSM
.270 Weatherby Mag
7mm-08 Rem
7x57 Mauser
7mm Rem Mag
7mm WSM
7mm Weatherby Mag
7mm STW
7mm RUM
7mm PRC
7mm SAUM
.280 Rem
.280 Ackley Improved
.284 Win
.30-30 Win
.300 Savage
.308 Win
.30-06 Springfield
.300 H&H Mag
.300 Win Mag
.300 WSM
.300 Weatherby Mag
.300 RUM
.300 PRC
.30-378 Weatherby
.303 British
7.62x54R
.32 Winchester Special
.325 WSM
8x57 Mauser (8mm Mauser)
8mm Rem Mag
.338 Federal
.338-06 A-Square
.338 Win Mag
.338 Lapua Mag
.338 RUM
.338 Edge
.340 Weatherby Mag
.348 Win
35 Remington
.358 Win
.35 Whelen
.350 Legend (close range only)
.350 Rem Mag
.358 Norma Mag
9.3x57
9.3x62
9.3x64 Brenneke
.366 DG (rare)
.375 Ruger
.375 H&H
.375 Weatherby
.376 Steyr
.38-55 Win
.405 Win
.444 Marlin
.45-70 Govt (modern loads only)
.450 Marlin
.450 Bushmaster (close range only)
.458 SOCOM (close range)
.50 Beowulf (close range)

 

[Southern Elk]

The smallest caliber that I’ve ever used is a 30-06. Obviously that’s not the answer to this question. In my opinion, I would have to say .243.

 

[Hammsolo]

This is a discussion that bleeds across all spectrums. Play nice… Feelings driven… screw that. The true challenge to the question is the infinite number of variables on a hunt. Terrain, shooter, weather… Why are we talking minimum? Shouldn’t it be maximum with game you plan to harvest and eat? Shouldn’t we be trying to reduce the chance of error and maximize the chance for clean kills? We should be shooting as close as possible to the ideal elk cartridge as we are capable. The idiots pushing 22’s on on Pebble Slip clearly are cactus bucks. Damn fence injuries…

Where’s your high line? Who gives a rip about your low line. I know where @mtmuley is going.

 

[noharleyyet]

SixDotFive

 

[Hammsolo]

Here's a few. Small to large, these would all work for elk in specific scenarios. But personally, I'd stick somewhere between a 7mm to a .338.

.223 Rem (ONLY with bonded/mono & perfect shot – not recommended)
5.56 NATO (same limitation as .223)
22-250 Rem (monolithic bullets only - not recommended)
.243 Win
6mm Creedmoor
6mm Remington
.240 Weatherby Mag
.250 Savage
.25-06 Rem
.257 Roberts
.257 Weatherby Mag
6.5 Grendel
6.5 Creedmoor
6.5x55 Swedish
6.5 PRC
6.5-284 Norma
.260 Rem
6.5 Rem Mag
.270 Win
.270 WSM
.270 Weatherby Mag
7mm-08 Rem
7x57 Mauser
7mm Rem Mag
7mm WSM
7mm Weatherby Mag
7mm STW
7mm RUM
7mm PRC
7mm SAUM
.280 Rem
.280 Ackley Improved
.284 Win
.30-30 Win
.300 Savage
.308 Win
.30-06 Springfield
.300 H&H Mag
.300 Win Mag
.300 WSM
.300 Weatherby Mag
.300 RUM
.300 PRC
.30-378 Weatherby
.303 British
7.62x54R
.32 Winchester Special
.325 WSM
8x57 Mauser (8mm Mauser)
8mm Rem Mag
.338 Federal
.338-06 A-Square
.338 Win Mag
.338 Lapua Mag
.338 RUM
.338 Edge
.340 Weatherby Mag
.348 Win
35 Remington
.358 Win
.35 Whelen
.350 Legend (close range only)
.350 Rem Mag
.358 Norma Mag
9.3x57
9.3x62
9.3x64 Brenneke
.366 DG (rare)
.375 Ruger
.375 H&H
.375 Weatherby
.376 Steyr
.38-55 Win
.405 Win
.444 Marlin
.45-70 Govt (modern loads only)
.450 Marlin
.450 Bushmaster (close range only)
.458 SOCOM (close range)
.50 Beowulf (close range)

Is this a list of every cartridge ever constructed? My preferred cartridge is a suppressed 22 short at 10 yards right through the cornea. Works 67% of the time all of the time.

 

[Carl]

Placement - bullet - impact velocity

Killing elk is not that hard. The last eight elk I've taken were with various flavors of 6mm. I've seen nothing to make me want to move up in diameter.

 

[MTLabrador]

I would feel 100% confident using a 55 or 60 grain Hornady spire point out of my .22-250 on a broadside shot. Might even be the ultimate choice for flock shooting on the Norris Road, shouldn’t have to worry about an exit.