Best western elk rifle under $1,000

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Shooter2675

New member
I am on vacation in Arizona right now at the Grand Canyon, and seeing the elk and the all the beautiful scenery is making me seriously think about doing a western elk hunt. The only problem, I don’t exactly have a great elk rifle for long range shots. I’m a fairly good shot, but I feel that none of my rifles can really stretch out as far as I’m capable of ethically shooting an elk.

I have a 375 H&H, a 30-30 lever, as well as an 8mm Mauser and some other military bolt actions. However, I want something more flat shooting and preferably 30 caliber. I was thinking the .300 Winchester Magnum would be the best choice for my caliber, since it would also be good for whitetail hunting in Pennsylvania, where I live.

As for the gun itself, I’m having a hard time deciding. Recoil isn’t really an issue for me, unless it’s a 460 Weatherby or something insane, so I’d like something light, however, I don’t want a pencil barrel.

Stainless steel is a must for me, because even though I love my Blued rifles, I really appreciate my stainless rifles for inclement weather.

Since my budget is $1,000 for the rifle (rifle only, I have other money put away for a good scope), I have some ideas. I like the Winchester Model 70 Extreme Weather .300 Win Mag, as well as the Savage 116. I’m also looking at a Remington 700 and a Ruger Hawkeye Model 77. I haven’t really considered a Browning too much, but I own another Browning gun and it’s well made. I would prefer controlled round feed, but I could live with push feed, especially since sometimes I prefer push feed for range use where I can just toss a cartridge in without worrying about making the extractor grab it.

What are you thoughts?

Thanks, John
 
Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic. It runs about 800.00 full list but you can often find it for less. Sportsman's Warehouse has it for 499.00. It will shoot sub moa out of the box but I recommend 40 rounds down the tube for best grouping. At that price you can afford decent glass and still be in it for around 1000.00. It is available in several calibers. I have it in 270 Win and have taken Elk with it. Take a look at least, you might be surprised at what you can get. I have 3 Vanguards and 4 Mark V's.

Some think that the Howa 1500 and the Vanguard are the same but they are not even though they share some of the same characteristics. The Vanguards get the Weatherby bolt (2 lug version) and a few other upgrades that make them a step above the Howa 1500.
 
Anything in the 270, 7mm mag and 30-06 class will kill any elk at any reasonable distances. My Remington 700BDL from 1980 did the job for me when I lived out West.
 
There are plenty of choices available in a caliber suitable for elk that are priced at a level that will allow you to add a decent scope and still be under the $1K mark.
Any of the current mid-grade(not the "price point" grade) rifles in 7mm Rem mag or 300 Win mag will give you what you need for ethical hunting ranges.
Last December New Mexico elk hunt's "gun rack" included 2x Savage 110(25/06 & 270), 3x Rem 700(7mm08, 308, 30/06) and 1x TC single shot (7mmRem mag). Even with $250 scopes, none of these rifles cost more than $700,
 
Grice Gun Shop is showing a Howa Alpine .308 Win with floorpate for $1,000. That's a pretty nice rifle for the money, and a joy to carry all day in the mountains. My daughter carries that rifle, it comes in at 7 lbs with a Leupold VX3 2.5-8X36 scope mounted.

If you look around you can pick up a Tikka T3X or Kimber Hunter for around $7-800. On an elk hunt you're going to carry a rifle a lot and light rifles are pretty nice to carry. 7-08 or .308 for short action cartridges and .270 or .30-06 is where I'd start looking. Nothing wrong with the .300 Win Mag, it just gets really lively in a light rifle.
 
Mmmm

A .308 @ 7 lbs. scoped sounds close to perfection for an elk rifle.

My .270 FN Mauser scoped comes in a little over 9 lbs. One of the first things I did was add sling swivels. Trust me the weight gets old very quickly.

Yes a 7 lb. .300 Win mag would be a little lively. I would take a pass on shooting that.

OP I would seriously consider backing down in caliber and focus on the weight of the rifle and scope package. Hunting Elk can be a reasonable facsimile of mountain climbing. Don't overlook that the air can be thin where they live.
 
When it comes to the fitness part of elk hunting, I think I have that covered. I’m an avid cyclist and runner (7 days a week) and compete in races, so I don’t think hiking will be the main issue for me.

I like the advice about a slightly less expensive gun or smaller caliber, however, if I have roughly $1500 to spend ($1000 on the gun, $500 for the scope), why not spend a little more and get a Winchester M70 or Ruger Hawkeye, rather than a Remington 700 or the like? I’m just curious about this, because I’m sure you guys have much more experience than me.
 
When it comes to good accuracy, there is no guarantee that higher price equals better performance. I've seen $300 Walmart Weatherby Vanguards that will put 4 shots into a group the size of your fist at 400+ yds with factory ammo.
 
Weatherby VANGUARD Stainless S2 or the Savage 116FCSS DBM. Both have great triggers and come in stainless. Spend the left over money on a nicer stock, and then the rest on glass and ammo.
 
My elk rifle is a Ruger MKII in 30-06. Remember calibers don't kill game, bullets do. With a good bullet like the Nosler Partician I should be able to kill and Elk that walks. I have only killed two of them but I have learned that killing elk isn't hard. Its finding them and finding the one you want to shoot. Thats the tough part.

My rifle and Leopold scope cost just over $600 a few years ago.
 
How far do you plan on shooting?
308, 7mm-08 will kill an elk fine out to 400 yards or so.
If you want a 300 Win Mag, fine. Just don't use the long distance elk card on us to justify it.

As for myself, i live at 1,200 ft elev. I know from being there that going to 10,000 ft up and down the mountains in Colorado can take it outta you quick!
I put money down on a Forbes 24B in 280 Rem.
While i would love to take an elk with the custom Mauser i built in 284 Win, i don't want to lug around the 10 lbs it weighs. The Forbes is listed as 5.5 lbs with a 24" barrel. Scoped i'm still looking at hopefully under 7 lbs.

I could take my Savage 111 in 7mm Rem Mag. But i know i don't NEED to for elk.
 
Shooter2675 said:
When it comes to the fitness part of elk hunting, I think I have that covered. I’m an avid cyclist and runner (7 days a week) and compete in races, so I don’t think hiking will be the main issue for me.
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Depends on where you hunt and its elevation. You need to add a few days to your hunt just to get used to the elevation change. If you're hunting in Colorado spend a couple of days in Denver or Colorado Springs before heading into the mountains. I don't care what kind of fitness level you're at, elevation will kick your butt!

why not spend a little more and get a Winchester M70 or Ruger Hawkeye, rather than a Remington 700 or the like?  
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You certainly can, but from experience the Winchester EW isnt light in long action cartridges and the stock sucks. My EW tips the scale at 7 lbs 13 oz with 3.5-10X40 VX3 sitting in a McMillan Edge stock, retail on the rifle and stock would put you at $2,000 (used cost me around $1,400). Going to the Edge stock only saved me 8 oz, but it kept me from needing gorilla hands to wrap around the fat B&C stock it came with.

I never met a Ruger 77/Hawkeye that I liked, even though they're reliable rifles. In my hands the balance always felt off, as all the weight seemed to be right at the action for me. I've got buddies who use them and swear by them, but I don't like them.

Ricklin said:
A .308 @ 7 lbs. scoped sounds close to perfection for an elk rifle.
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It isnt bad, for sure! Her faux Howa Alpine.







My M70 Classic FWT in .30-06 with 2.5-8X36 VX3 is only a little heavier. Unfortunately since I shattered my leg and missed my 2015 Bull hunt it hasn't been hunting yet.



 
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Arizona is a good place to check local gun stores for used and new rifles mainly to check the fit of the different stocks never know you may find something that really fits .
 
You don't need "long range" capability for elk. You just need patience.
Anything suitable for Mule Deer will do an Elk just fine, given the same respect and understand of the cartridge's and rifle's capabilities.

But if you really think you need a "magnum" to do the job, the standards are the best options: 7mm Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag, and .338 Win Mag. .338 WM is more expensive to feed (generally right at $3 / round). But if you reload, it is a far more viable option than buying the $60 / box ammo.

There are plenty of other options, like .300 RCM, .375 Ruger, .300 PRC, .300 WSM, and more.

For me, it would be a choice between the .300 WM and .338 WM. I think .338 WM is the more appropriate cartridge, but the .300 is easier and cheaper to feed (whether reloading or buying factory ammo).

There aren't very many "bad" rifles out there; and nearly all of the big names are putting very good barrels on their rifles now. (Remington being a notable exception. Contrary to historic expectation, their current barrels have developed a reputation for being pretty disappointing.)
Find whatever has the features that you like, and fits you well. Go from there.


Personally, my go-to elk rifles are (or have been) chambered for .270 Win, .30-06, 8x57mm, 7.62x54R, .444 Marlin, and .475 Tremor (.458 SOCOM necked up for .475 Linebaugh / .480 Ruger bullets).
I have never felt handicapped by any of them - not even the years that I carried an iron-sighted .30-30 around.
Know the terrain. Know the rifle. Know the ammo. Set your limits and stick to them.
 
Arizona is a good place to check local gun stores for used and new rifles mainly to check the fit of the different stocks never know you may find something that really fits .
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Its a long way from Pennsylvania to Arizona to go gun shopping.:eek:
 
"I’m an avid cyclist and runner (7 days a week) and compete in races, so I don’t think hiking will be the main issue for me."

While those activities are good for conditioning, neither is a replacement for hiking uneven and/or steep terrain. Side hilling and down hilling are the real killers on the legs IMHO.
 
As I prepare to grill a couple of elk steaks this evening I’ll say my Remington 700 ADL has been plenty of gun for Colorado elk harvesting. I shoot it well and to date it’s always been one shot/one kill. Gotta go pop another Guinness & fire up the grill-you guys figure it out.
 
Can you tell us what you mean by long range? How far can you shoot your current rifles and hit a paper plate 10 out of 10 times in winds gusting to 30 mph?
 
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