Best overall Elk Levergun?

F

Full-choke

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Okay, so what would be the absolute best lever gun and caliber for Elk Hunting. I'm thinking open sights, 100-150 yards max. I know you could do a bolt gun in 300 Win Mag and obliterate the thing at 300, but I think it would be cool to do something a little more challenging.

I was thinking the Marlin 336 in 35 Rem would be pretty cool. What would the best be that you would use? Levergun and caliber please!

F-C
 
.35 Rem will definatly get the job done Speer makes a flat point 180 grain .358 caliber bullet that should do the job just fine if you hand load. Most factory ammo will have a 200 grain round nose bullet that will do the job as well. I've owned the .35 Rem and while I think it is a good caliber, I feel the .30-30 would do just as good of a job on elk as the other.

I've been seriously thinking about loading up some 170 grain bullets and going for elk as well but with the .30-30. If you stay within a range that will allow the bullet to hit with enough force to work properly you will bring home that elk. I think as long as you are not trying to take some shots at extreme angles both calibers should work just fine.
 
I'd think any (modern) levergun caliber starting with at least "30" should be sufficient. You'd certainly need to know your limitations as well as the trajectory of whatever cartridge that you choose.
 
Oh yes,I would be comfortable with the round

I agree there on the "Anything .30 caliber and larger ought to do the trick." I know though that you can't just buy a gun and go try and kill something with it, it isn't humane. I would practice and practice before doing a hunt, and besides it will be a long time before I can ever afford an Elk hunt.

I was comparing the ballistics of the 30-30 and the 35 Rem and the 30-30 is a shade better really. It does everything the 35 Rem does just a little better. The only advantage of the 35 Rem is that it is going to put a bigger hole in whatever I'm going after.

I think the 35 Rem is a little more less common too, at least in the lever gun category. I think Marlin is the only one that makes anything in current production.

F-C
 
Boy, I tell ya, it's hard to get past the versatility of the 30-30 round. Especially up here in Elk country. That round is so abundant, hell you can get it at most gas stations and hardware stores around here. The 30-30 lever is my backup Elk gun as a matter of fact. Mine is made by Mossberg, it's a Marlin 336 clone. Great gun, I love it.
 
Best elk lever? Thats an easy one, the model 71 in .348, but chances are you don't have one lying around. I would trade any 5 of my guns for one. Second choice would be the 300 savage. The 45/70. 44mag. 444, and 450 are also more than up to the job.

The Browning BLR is kind of cheating, you can get it in 300 mag and many other calibers, so I wouldn't put in in the same category. Dito for the .308 Federal, its not comparing apples to apples.

Last thing, if you do use a 30-30 (or 35 rem), you CAN load any spitzer bullet you want in it, like a 180gr Nosler partition. Then you put a round in the chamber and ONE in the magazine and safely shoot it as a two shot repeater.
 
Last thing, if you do use a 30-30 (or 35 rem), you CAN load any spitzer bullet you want in it, like a 180gr Nosler partition. Then you put a round in the chamber and ONE in the magazine and safely shoot it as a two shot repeater.
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I wonder how well this (or any other non-30-30 bullet) bullet would perform at typical levergun velocities. Any experience?
 
I've never shot an animal like that, I just remember guys doing it when I was growing up. Never heard complaints, but I guess that doesn't mean there weren't any, eh? I think they would open just fine, a bullet that opens at 400 yards out of a 308 should open at the comparable velocity of a 30-30 at 100 yards, but maybe I should shoot one into a wet phone book to check it out.
 
Any Levergun startin with "27".

It all depends.. Some people shouldn't use a .270 on Elk.. But if they can then a Lever action is as good as a Bolt action.

I would say Ideal would be a BLR .30-06 though ;) Having that 1 extra round gives me comfort over a little more powerful cartridge.
 
.45-70 "Guvment" loaded with leverevolution rounds from Hornady. Or a BLR in .30-06 either is a good choice.
 
If I were going after elk I would use my .30-06. But since we are choosing levers here, I think the new Marlin .308 express would be nice, or I would grab a .450.
 
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I agree Dirty Harry, the 308 Marlin Express would do the trick. However, the question on that one is whether or not the round is going to survive or die off? It was introduced among some fine company like the 375 Ruger, 30 TC and the 338 Federal...I think it might be pushing it to get a good strong following.

I think Marlin knew what they were doing when they did it, but I think the timing on the release lacked as there are a lot of new rounds out right now. Maybe we will be lucky to see it stay, but I think it will get pushed back as a wild-cat has been.

F-C
 
Elf??

Harry, how far up North do you get before Elf are plentiful enough, and big enough, that you feel that you need a 30 GOVT 06 to knock them out of their pointy little shoes:eek:, Maybe ole' Chris Kringle is feeding them a bit too well up there:D:rolleyes:
 
I normally hunt elk with my .270 SIG, but I always carry my .45-70 Marlin as backup, and there have been days I've grabbed it first when leaving the camp. Only taken them with the .270 though.
 
how far up North do you get before Elf are plentiful enough, and big enough, that you feel that you need a 30 GOVT 06 to knock them out of their pointy little shoes
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Hee hee.

Yeah, good question - way I hear it, the Northern variety Elf (Kristus Kringlus) is the smaller one, and can generally be dropped with a .22 hornet.

It's the Southern variety Elf that gets BIG and mean - I wouldn't set foot in Southern Elf habitat without being armed with a .458 Lott or similar.
 
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