riggins_83
New member
30-06 all the way 
cartridge for elk?
- Thread starter cmgiscool
- Start date
I use 270/30-06/7mm mag. I saw a buddy put a big cow elk down with one shot out of a 243 win.Shot placement is key when shooting large animals.Don't ever shoot beyond your capabilities.Pass up the shot and sneak in closer if possible.I shoot Barnes TSX bullets on elk.They retain 90% of thier weight and expand really well.
FrankenMauser
New member
My go-to rifle is a .270 Win, but I've used all of the following: .220 Swift. 7.62x39. 7.62x54R. .243 Win. And 8x57 Mauser.
Shot placement and bullet selection (construction) are far more important than the cartridge. Knowing the limitations of the rifle / shooter / cartridge combination are next up.
For example: My SKS is a 'brush' rifle for close, quick shots. The .220 Swift is for head shots from camp (it's far too heavy, and nice to be lugging through the woods). The .243 is nothing more than an "oh @#$#" backup rifle. The 7.62x54R is an M38 - used as another 'brush' gun, but with heavier projectiles - and a shorter overall length. And the Mauser... used to be a respectable all-around iron sight rifle, but is no longer in service.
Coming soon, will be a scoped .30-06 to provide the option for another scoped rifle with even heavier projectiles. But... like I said, bullet construction must be carefully considered.
Shot placement and bullet selection (construction) are far more important than the cartridge. Knowing the limitations of the rifle / shooter / cartridge combination are next up.
For example: My SKS is a 'brush' rifle for close, quick shots. The .220 Swift is for head shots from camp (it's far too heavy, and nice to be lugging through the woods). The .243 is nothing more than an "oh @#$#" backup rifle. The 7.62x54R is an M38 - used as another 'brush' gun, but with heavier projectiles - and a shorter overall length. And the Mauser... used to be a respectable all-around iron sight rifle, but is no longer in service.
Coming soon, will be a scoped .30-06 to provide the option for another scoped rifle with even heavier projectiles. But... like I said, bullet construction must be carefully considered.
Elk: Shoot a gun that you are comfortable with and can shoot accurately. Caliber/lad is #2.
Most anyone will agree that 270 is minimum, preferably with 160s, and limited to broadside shots.
A zillion elk have been taken with 30-06, many with good 180 bullets.
200 responders with give about 198 different options.
I use 338WM. Below that I prefer 7mm Mag with 175s. That is because those are the two guns I shoot best.
I won't shoot an elk beyond 300 yards, but have seen them taken at 450 plus. Those guys were better than I am.
Most anyone will agree that 270 is minimum, preferably with 160s, and limited to broadside shots.
A zillion elk have been taken with 30-06, many with good 180 bullets.
200 responders with give about 198 different options.
I use 338WM. Below that I prefer 7mm Mag with 175s. That is because those are the two guns I shoot best.
I won't shoot an elk beyond 300 yards, but have seen them taken at 450 plus. Those guys were better than I am.
.270, .308, or 30-06. My preference would be the two .30 caliber options, but the .270 has worked for a long time for a lot of folks. My '06 worked fine for the elk I took last year. I really don't think you need any more. Want is another matter entirely. I really want a .338-06 or a .35 whelen. I don't like the muzzle blast of most of the magnums, but they work fine for others.
FrankenMauser
New member
Most .270s are not accurate with 160gr loads - They don't have the rate of twist to make the projectile length work. (140s and 150s are usually a better choice) It's just like 100gr and 105gr loads in .243 Win. Many people do it... but, it still doesn't make it a good idea. (85, 90, and 95s are just as lethal)
Dropping 10 grains of mass isn't going to have a huge effect on terminal performance, but can have a dramatic effect on increased accuracy. Again - bullet construction is more important than overall weight. (Weight should be a big consideration, if using Barnes bullets, though. Their copper alloy creates bullets considerably longer than a lead-core bullet of equal weight.)
I do agree with many of the previous posters, though - Use a rifle you know, trust, and are comfortable with. Part of the reason my .270 is my go-to rifle is because I take it out all year. I hunt everything from rocks, to squirrels, to prairie dogs, to coyotes, to elk with it.
I use reduced loads, or game-specific loads, for the smaller animals; but I use my big game loads for larger stuff. Familiarity with the rifle and ammo goes a very long way.
I'd think for Elk, you have to worry about 3 things. #1.. Bullet Placement.. it dosn't matter if you have a .50 BMG Barret semi auto, if you can't get a killing shot, the animal isn't going down. (on the other hand, I've seen a spike bull elk killed with a 22 Magnum, that had perfect bullet placement, not that I recommend it) #2, use a premium bullet.. John Nosler after shooting at a Moose with mud encrusted hide back in 1946 with a well placed bullet from his 300 H&H and failing to have it go down designed the Partition to handle tough shots.. and #3, kinetic/kill energy.. if you flinch from shooting a large Magnum rifle, such as the Ultra Magnums, large Weatherby Magnums etc, your going to fail on that #1 most of the time and won't get a good clean killing shot.
Honestly the average hunter can handle a 30-06 without flinching, with it's average of 22 ft lbs recoil, but above that most people will flinch from the recoil.
As for myself, back in 02 I bought a "Uber Magnum" a Remington 700 in 375 Ultra Magnum, and hand load for it.. since then, I've bought another one for my son, my brother bought one as well, and for longer range shots a 300 Ultra Magnum. We'll take them out and "plink" with them from 30 to 100 rounds in a day (yes they are handloads, can't afford to buy that much ammo, not at the prices they are) and when were hunting, use the same rifles. I've seen deer fall out of the scope before when they were shot, so I know that I don't flinch when I shoot them.. Modifications I've done are mercury tube and limb saver recoil pad.. makes mine MUCH easier to shoot, especally with a scope on it. I fired my son's right after I bought, it straight out of the box, and it's recoil was much harsher, so it will be getting the same treatment before the next hunting season.
Honestly the average hunter can handle a 30-06 without flinching, with it's average of 22 ft lbs recoil, but above that most people will flinch from the recoil.
As for myself, back in 02 I bought a "Uber Magnum" a Remington 700 in 375 Ultra Magnum, and hand load for it.. since then, I've bought another one for my son, my brother bought one as well, and for longer range shots a 300 Ultra Magnum. We'll take them out and "plink" with them from 30 to 100 rounds in a day (yes they are handloads, can't afford to buy that much ammo, not at the prices they are) and when were hunting, use the same rifles. I've seen deer fall out of the scope before when they were shot, so I know that I don't flinch when I shoot them.. Modifications I've done are mercury tube and limb saver recoil pad.. makes mine MUCH easier to shoot, especally with a scope on it. I fired my son's right after I bought, it straight out of the box, and it's recoil was much harsher, so it will be getting the same treatment before the next hunting season.
Jack O'Conner
New member
My elk rifle is a plain Savage model 99 in .308 shooting 180 grain ammo. Doesn't mater which brand. They all kill about the same.
I always shoot twice into the chest. Two .308 rapidly expanding bullets produce far more damage than a single 300 MAG bullet. If you disbelieve me, do the math. If the shot is farther than 300 yards, pass it up and get closer of wait for the next day.
A MAGNUM rifle does not make one a better hunter at all. It still takes patience, hunting skills, and good shot placement to kill an elk quickly with a rifle. My Dad ( 1922 - 2004 ) killed more elk with his lever action 300 Savage than I ever will and his bullets did not bounce off. Those whose consider 300 Savage, 308 Marlin Express, 303 British, 7.62 X 54R Russian, 307 Winchester, and .308 TC to be inadequate elk cartridge are suffering from nose bleeds. That is, their noses are stuck up too high for their brains to be functioning properly.
Good hunting to you.
Jack
A vote for 7mm Rm here. Itks not like you're going to cheap out on ammo for an elk hunt. downrange 7mm will do anything 300 will do. with the right load you'll be set whether you shoot 40 yards or 400. unlike the others I recommend a rifle with at least some heft. one reason is to combat recoil. sure you shoot maybe 2 rounds on the hunt but what about offseason practice? just my 2 bits. lower recoil also helps put follow on shots where they need to be.
Jack O'Conner
New member
The advent of short magnums has elevated magnum status among many hunters. I met a hunter from Pennsylvania last year that was hunting mule deer with a 300 MAG. He thought these animals were tougher than his whitetails back east because of magazine articles and advise from his buddies. Trust me on this one guys - mule deer are not armor-plated.
Many elk hunters have the same ideas. But truth is, elk do not usually topple over right away. So a savvy hunter shoots into the chest organs again and again until the animal drops. There is no shame in shooting an animal more than once!
7mm-08 would be my minimum for semi open country.
30-06 has been and always will be popular wherever big game animals are hunted. This is a globally successful cartridge.
Good hunting to you.
Jack
Where you plan to hunt, the type of cover, what kind of Elk (big bull small cow), you ability to shoot in real world field conditions and your recoil tolerance are all important facts to consider.
Perhaps if you filled in those blanks, our advice could be more specific.
As previous posters have pointed out, there is no "best"....it depends.
Perhaps if you filled in those blanks, our advice could be more specific.
As previous posters have pointed out, there is no "best"....it depends.
There are many great choices.To some degree,what deal you find may play a part.
More important than many other things is shooting well.The most important part of shooting well is being relaxed when the rifle fires.You need to be able to keep your eyes open and see exactly where the crosshairs were when the rifle goes off.Many folks who choose the magnums,even a 7mag,will cringe a bit if they forget to take the safety off,or just plain flinch if you feed them a dummy round.You are getting started.If you find the more modest calibers to not have enough of something after you have killed a few elk,get a bigger gun.
Starting out,and maybe for the rest of your life,the .308/30-06 advise is just plain true.
I also know of another elk guide that considers the .308 perfect.Experience has shown him many folks with bigger rifles cannot shoot well,or overestimate the advantage.
Good luck!!
More important than many other things is shooting well.The most important part of shooting well is being relaxed when the rifle fires.You need to be able to keep your eyes open and see exactly where the crosshairs were when the rifle goes off.Many folks who choose the magnums,even a 7mag,will cringe a bit if they forget to take the safety off,or just plain flinch if you feed them a dummy round.You are getting started.If you find the more modest calibers to not have enough of something after you have killed a few elk,get a bigger gun.
Starting out,and maybe for the rest of your life,the .308/30-06 advise is just plain true.
I also know of another elk guide that considers the .308 perfect.Experience has shown him many folks with bigger rifles cannot shoot well,or overestimate the advantage.
Good luck!!
skydiver3346
New member
Ammo for Elk:
My vote goes for the 7mm mag. Not much more recoil than the .30-06 and flatter trajectory too. Will definitely get the job done and has reasonable recoil for a magnum caliber.
My vote goes for the 7mm mag. Not much more recoil than the .30-06 and flatter trajectory too. Will definitely get the job done and has reasonable recoil for a magnum caliber.
With similar design and weight bullets the difference between a 30-06 and 7rem mag out to 300 yds is about 1.5 inches. Out to 400 yds, which most people do not shoot to anyway, it's about a 4" difference. Not worth a bag of beans difference in field trajectory. What you gain with the larger mag calibers is down range energy.
mikejonestkd
New member
TAke a look a www.winchester.com , download the ballistic calculator and compare the .30-06 and the 7mm Rem Mag. I used the 180 XP3 in the -06 and the 160 grain XP3 in the 7mm. There's not a lick of difference in energy between the two and the trajectories are very similar for normal hunting ranges ( less than 400 yards )
I have no beef with either cartridge but to claim the 7mm rem mag is vastly superior is in error.
For me, for elk I would feel comfortable with anything that I could shoot well in the .308 win and up range, loaded with controlled expansion bullets.
I have no beef with either cartridge but to claim the 7mm rem mag is vastly superior is in error.
For me, for elk I would feel comfortable with anything that I could shoot well in the .308 win and up range, loaded with controlled expansion bullets.
edward5759
New member
I like
the 45-70 loaded up.
used a guide gun and all my shots have been under 200 yards
one shot kills and no running after the Elk
the 45-70 loaded up.
used a guide gun and all my shots have been under 200 yards
one shot kills and no running after the Elk