Elk hunt MT- 308 or 7mm mag??

Chewie...the 7mm is a Savage LRH at about 8.6 lbs. The 308 a Savage Precision Carbine at about 8 lbs. Another reason to take the 308 and he said he'd be in the tree line trying to find them in the openings so again the shorter 308 wins the decision.
 
This is an absolute no brainer.....take the .308. I would rather take a .243 I shot lights out for elk than a .300 magnum I flinched on.

The .308 is more than adequate for elk, in fact if I ever go thats what I will be taking. My .35 remington will come along as backup.
 
I use the 308 for whitetails and it just knocks them down every time, but will it knock down elk the same way is the question
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A .308 is fine for elk but I wouldn't expect that it will always make the animal "dead right there."

Even with a great shot a critter can and will usually run a bit after the shot.
 
The OP is using two very able bullets in his 308 suited to the task. If I were him I'd pack the 308 without hesitation.
 
Land owner said range could be from 15 to 300 yrds..
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If you can shoot that "precision carbine" from field positions quickly and accurately at those ranges, then use that. Try it first. You don't want the first actual target you try at 300 with a carbine length 308 from a sitting position to be a live animal.
 
My cousin lives in Wyoming where he's been taking elk exclusively with a 25-06 M77 for over 25 years. The 308 or 7mm should be more than adequate so go with whatever you shoot better.
 
Hunted deer, elk and antelope in Wyoming for over 50 years. I started using a .308 in the late 60's and decided the recoil was better than a 30/06, so I stuck with it. Never considered anything else since. My guns seem to like bullets in the 165 gr. range and most things I've shot don't go far. Either gun you mentioned is more than capable. If the 7mm bothers you, leave it home, it ain't worth it to worry about recoil on a nice hunt in MT. Besides, hunting means getting as close as you can, for the best shot and a clean kill. Use the .308.
 
all packed and leaving in the morn- bringing the precision carbine and a savage FCP HS Precision in 308....I shoot both equally as well at 250-300 so either one is good and I always bring a backup when traveling far from home. Went to the range with my buddy who's going with me and we shot 6 inch plates at 300 as practice and I didn't miss any, so I guess im all set. If I get one i'll post some pics.
 
Back from Montana..Beautiful country...Saw lots of elk and ended up shooting a 5x4 (one tine was broken off) at 208 yrds with my Savage 10/110 FCP HS Precision .308 shooting Nosler Accubonds 165gr..3 shots, 3 hits in the lungs...dropped in 30 yrds. Great guide great experience...BTW my friend scored a nice 6x6..lots of meat and lots of stories. Also 2 were complete pass-through's with large exits and one broke the opposite shoulder.
 

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Nice looking elk! Glad you had a good hunt. As far as caliber choice goes I would have used my 7mm Rem Mag because I have killed everything I ever shot at with it. Confidence in the gun makes a difference. In my opinion, that makes a good reason for you to chose the .308
 
Nice elk!:D I've read that many guides prefer hunters with a .270 simply because the hunter is more likely to be able to shoot accurately with a .270 rather than a .30-06, 7mm Mag or .300 Mag. I've used my .300 Mag on elk hunts and don't regret it (five hunts & two 5 X 5 bulls) but if I ever go on another elk hunt I'll probably take my very light, very accurate Rem. 700 .270 (which I used to take my largest 5 X 5 mule deer at more than 400 yards.)
 
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