I've used a 270 on elk for a long time, over twenty elk taken, only had to shoot one twice and he was lying on the ground where I hit him. A 25-06 is plenty of gun also if your bride is recoil shy. Use quality bullets (Partitions, A-Frames, etc) Shot placement as always is the key.
Help choosing caliber for honeymoon elk
- Thread starter King453
- Start date
It's hard to beat a .270 Win, especially using all the great bonded bullets available today. Trajectory is flatter than the '06 and recoil is less.
The 7mm-08 and .308 Win are great cartridges for shorter/lighter rifles. Sometimes it's hard to find those rounds with the best brands/types of bullets. The 7mm-08 rounds are particularly hard to find in the big-box stores.
The best thing, if you don't handload, is the availability of 'reduced recoil' ammo for many cartridges, including .30-06, .270 Win, and .308 Win. (Point of impact will be different from regular loads, however.)
JP
The 7mm-08 and .308 Win are great cartridges for shorter/lighter rifles. Sometimes it's hard to find those rounds with the best brands/types of bullets. The 7mm-08 rounds are particularly hard to find in the big-box stores.
The best thing, if you don't handload, is the availability of 'reduced recoil' ammo for many cartridges, including .30-06, .270 Win, and .308 Win. (Point of impact will be different from regular loads, however.)
JP
You don't NEED anything larger than 7-08 or 308. Elk are often hunted in rugged, steep terrain at high elevation where the air is thin. Keeping rifle weight down is an important, but often overlooked requirement that is best taken advantage of with 7-08 or 308. With the best bullets and modern loads either of these will take elk at 400 yards or farther. Most people don't have the skills to take advantage of bigger rounds.
But if you do have the skills, and don't mind the added weight and recoil of one of the 7mm or 300 mags there is nothing wrong with using one. At 400 yards no elk will know the difference between a 308, 7-08, 270, 7 mag, or 300 magnum. The 308/7-08 start reaching the limits of impact speed at ranges over about 400 yards and bullets may not expand reliably. The magnums maintain adequate bullet speed farther down range making them effective out to 500-600 yards or even farther. But few shooters have the skills to take advantage of them.
The 270 and 30-06 do the same things as 7-08/308 as well as the 7mm/300 mags. They just split the difference in bullet speed, rifle weight, and recoil.
All are good, but I'm a 30 cal guy and would be torn between 30-06 and 308. The lighter weight of the 308 is pulling me slightly that way.
But if you do have the skills, and don't mind the added weight and recoil of one of the 7mm or 300 mags there is nothing wrong with using one. At 400 yards no elk will know the difference between a 308, 7-08, 270, 7 mag, or 300 magnum. The 308/7-08 start reaching the limits of impact speed at ranges over about 400 yards and bullets may not expand reliably. The magnums maintain adequate bullet speed farther down range making them effective out to 500-600 yards or even farther. But few shooters have the skills to take advantage of them.
The 270 and 30-06 do the same things as 7-08/308 as well as the 7mm/300 mags. They just split the difference in bullet speed, rifle weight, and recoil.
All are good, but I'm a 30 cal guy and would be torn between 30-06 and 308. The lighter weight of the 308 is pulling me slightly that way.
salt and battery
Moderator
I have a little trouble understanding the OP. If him and his partner are avid deer hunters you would think they already have rifles unless they strictly bowhunt
Blindstitch
New member
Just because you actively deer hunt doesn't mean you have an elk rifle. I hunted for years with a 30-30 lever action and I wouldn't use that to shoot an elk unless I had to.
He has a 30-06 but there's no reason not to have a special pair of rifles.
Where I live now was an active shotgun zone till 3 or 4 years ago. How many deer hunters do you think had deer rifles then?
There are states that require pistol only cartridges. Those deer rifles wouldn't be good for elk.
See there are many reason to want a new gun or just because.
He has a 30-06 but there's no reason not to have a special pair of rifles.
Where I live now was an active shotgun zone till 3 or 4 years ago. How many deer hunters do you think had deer rifles then?
There are states that require pistol only cartridges. Those deer rifles wouldn't be good for elk.
See there are many reason to want a new gun or just because.
Because honeymoon elk need a different caliber than normal elk! 
If settlers pretty much wiped out elk and deer with 44-40s and such, cartridge choice for killing an elk can't be that critical! I bet they killed trainloads of them with 30-30s when those came around!
Just grab the old 30-06 or 308 and go poke one!
If settlers pretty much wiped out elk and deer with 44-40s and such, cartridge choice for killing an elk can't be that critical! I bet they killed trainloads of them with 30-30s when those came around!
Just grab the old 30-06 or 308 and go poke one!
salt and battery
Moderator
A 30-30 with the new lever-lution ammo good enough for elk within 100 yds. does an elk rifle have different stampings on the barrel so as to forbid its use on any other animal? 30-06 with 180-200 grain bullets good for elk further then 90% of hunters can make a hit. if you just want to buy more guns that is fine
Plainshunter1
Inactive
My recommendation would be a Winchester Model 70 Featherweight or Supergrade in 270. Beautiful rifle and extremely classic, especially in its chambering. Load the 270 with 140 or 150 grain good bonded or monolithic bullets and you're more than set. Top it with a good Leupold VX-3 (or the new VX-3i) in 3.5-10x40. Iconic rifle, iconic chambering, iconic scope. 
I prefer 6.5 Creedmoor but I have never gone after elk. You might want to check things out at RMEF.org (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation) for all things elk and elk hunting related. Also, they hunt elk with pistols and bows so I imagine shoot placement and distance may be more important than caliber.
Congrats!, Here in Co we are allowed one bull tag and one cow elk tag. Last year the game unit I hunted they took 232 bulls,243,cow and 69 calves and that was all rifle seasons.
Be interesting to have the ones that rec 6.5 etc post pictures of the bulls they kill.
I have first season elk tag and I can brag on 270 for that tag but my tag is for cow elk.
Be interesting to have the ones that rec 6.5 etc post pictures of the bulls they kill.
I have first season elk tag and I can brag on 270 for that tag but my tag is for cow elk.
Well we obviously both have rifles already, I use a Remington 700 CDL 30-06, and she uses an older Remington 7600 pump in 30-06. They would work well for elk. So do we absolutely need new rifles? Probably not. But what a great excuse to each get something new? So really I'm looking for a great deer rifle that would also be well-suited to elk. After everyone's helpful advice, and a bit of my own research, I'm leaning towards a .308 for her, and a 280 Ackley for myself, because I enjoy reloading, and would be willing to invest the extra time into it, as compared to a common, off-the-shelf caliber. Now I just need to decide what I want to purchase for rifles. I have been looking into H-S precision, Northwest Action Works, Red Hawk Rifles, and also toying with the possibility of buying rifled actions, and adding the stock myself. I am very likely to purchase Leupold scopes, I have been a loyal fan since I started using one on my rifle at 15. I have used Nikons and Redfields, and been less than impressed, I have a Minox I really like, but it had to be replaced under warranty right after purchase because of a crooked reticle.
old roper said:
Wayne van Zwoll 6.5 Creedmoor bull elk. 6.5 Creedmoor may not be the perfect elk cartridge but it'll certainly work. I'd not hesitate to use a 6.5X55 or .260 as well with a good quality 140 grain bullet.
Since you like handloading, maybe consider taking up long range rifle target shooting. Get your semi-custom rifles in appropriate calibers and stocks and learn the ropes. Lots of load development and experimenting with handloads to be had. Also lots of time together at the range keeping you tuned up for deer/elk season.
That is a great idea, I think that is something we would both enjoy. How does one go about taking up this hobby? Other than just setting up a range in my backyard. Do I need to join a certain range or gun club? I'm not sure that there is anything like this in my area. What should I look for exactly?
old roper said:
It took all of maybe 20 seconds to find that video, the longest part was typing in the search words. I posted the video because I recommended the 6.5 Creedmoor in my very first post, and you asked a question about bulls taken with it. I have no firsthand experience on game with any 6.5 and I gave away my 6.5X55 this last year so it'll probably be some time until I get another.
I frequent several other forums just as you do, and if you pay attention you'll find several elk killed with 6.5 caliber rifles. Most are on the long range pages as the 6.5 calibers are the favorites of the long range shooters and hunters these days. The .260 still seems to be the most popular for use on elk, but the 6.5 Creedmoor is gaining on the .260 at a very fast pace.
salt and battery
Moderator
whoever thought of attaching the name creedmore to the 6.5 should be given a medal. I guess it gives the illusion of shooting at the famous match. the 260 rem is 99.9999999% exactly the same but it doesn't have the creedmore stamp on it. then people say main attraction is the factory target loads. who would try the long range game which requires a massive amount of shooting using factory loads and not reloading? can the factory loads for the creed be used for hunting?